Maybe I'm not one to talk, given some of the diatribes, rants, and howls I've published, but it occurs to me that we writers on the Left are less effective (at best) when we resort to some of the near-literate and adolescent name-calling appearing on some of the popular news/blog/websites lately. Personally, I'm more likely to read a piece that's introduced with a mature and respectful headline than one which calls someone "lower than pond scum."

Let me give you an example: as with several authors and organizations I link to on the sidebar, I often disagree with Josh Marshall. But I keep the link alive and read him frequently because his work is respectful and well-reasoned. If a particular opinion or analysis of his upsets me, it is because of the content, not the level of language.

If Kerry is tagged (I'm not predicting it, seeing as how my endorsements have already been the kiss of death for Kucinich and Dean) and boots Doubleduh, we will have much work ahead of us. He is the epitomy of Dumbopublican-establishment power. An enormous amount of his financial support comes from the same "special interest" firms and job-exporting corporations he's stumping against these days. Yeah, he's a neo-liberal hawk, but probably is the best we're gonna do.

What's my point? As I've said so often, our job will be to keep people's interest alive, keep pushing the truth, lead coalition-building, and driving change. In order to gain back the respect squandered by the Left during the past half-century, we'll have to do a little better than referring to the opposition as fecal matter.

Be at peace.