The Dems really need us--it's worse than I thought

After I finished writing the last blog post, I settled into the tub and listened to Sam Seder and Janeane Garofalo interview a very smart and funny Julia Sweeney. They got into a discussion where they wondered what exactly was the cohesive element of conservative politics. What did anti-choice and anti-gay political movements have to do with maximizing corporate profits?

God, read George Lakoff, people.

We need a gendered reading of politics and now. The Republicans realized a long time ago that by demonizing the feminine and idolizing the Strong Male, they would win and win and win without ever having to explain policy decisions. It's all cocks and balls with them. What does anti-choice and anti-gay politics have to do with corporate profits? Well, everything. Kicking ass in business and "winning" by being the richest feeds into the Big Man philosophy of conservative politics. Putting bitches and fags into their place does, too. Frankly, it's so simple I can't believe we can't see it.

Liberals can't see it because of the distancing of liberalism from feminism. Liberal men are invested in the male mystique, too, and don't want to openly align themselves with "feminized" politics of equality. We don't speak the essential language of gender and we get our asses kicked repeatedly.

Prominent feminist voices, prominent feminist voices, prominent feminist voices. Get enough women up front speaking truth to power about gender, sex, and family and people will respond. But you have to be forthright about it. Ah-nuld got up at the Republican National Convention and slurred femininity itself. We have to stand up and demand better for our families--a world where women have a place alongside men. It won't be taken as weakness if we don't state it in in a weak way. Feminism in the 60's and 70's completely reshaped people's perceptions in a short period of time, because feminists stated their case forcefully and plainly and people responded. This time around, with a mainstream platform, we could win the attention of the vast majority of Americans who truly believe in fairness.