Albuquerque’s Mayor, Martin Chavez, told the Albuquerque Journal he’s getting along with the City Council, even though the Council is "a lot further left than I am."
The words were not uttered carelessly. Mayor Marty believes his political health depends on never being perceived as a liberal.
That’s Governor Richardson’s approach, too.
And, of course, the Democratic candidate for President, Sen. John Kerry, recently declined to say he was a liberal.
As intelligent men, each understands the political penalty attached to the word "liberal."
They may not understand, however, the penalties involved in ducking. One is that you are perceived as a waffler. Right now, that’s what is happening to Kerry even as George W. Bush is seen as a straight-talker.
Further, they may not understand how easy it would be to defend liberalism.
If it were up to conservatives, for example, there might be no United States of America. Known as Tories then, they sided with the King, remember?
If not for liberals, we might not have survived Hitler. Conservatives – Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh and major industrial leaders - thought we could get along with him. The radical right of the time – Father Coughlin, Gerald L.K. Smith, the German-American Bund - found him congenial.
Or the Depression. The free market folks who got us into the Depression had no idea how to get us out. FDR’s New Deal didn’t succeed either, but softened the blow for millions of middle-class and poor Americans until World War II revived the economy. (Roosevelt described himself, remember, as "a little left of center.)
Mind you, conservatives are not, need not be the enemy, for the folks in the White House have no right to that term. They are big government folks, claiming all kinds of power for the Executive, lying to the Congress, ignoring State’s rights and individual liberties.
Also, in their passion to reward the rich and the corporate elite, they have given liberals a gift.
A liberal candidate can say today, "If a balanced budget is liberal, that’s me."
He could go on to say, "If considering war a last resort is liberal, that’s me, too."
"If sharing some of the wealth this country produces with its middle-class is liberal," hey, you got me.
You get the idea. Don’t let the opposition win the language wars. And remember, the best defense is a good offense.
Posted by Arthur Alpert at April 27, 2004 01:24 PM