Dear Cindy Sheehan, you're not helping
Cindy Sheehan served an absolutely vital role in bringing the antiwar message to the mainstream consciousness. Her stakeout at George Bush's ranch really started the national conversation about the war. But, now, she's not helping the cause.
Look, I don't see her Iraq position as all that radical, but her tactics are, and now that the withdrawal sentiment has really hit mainstream America, an association with those radical tactics makes the overall message of withdrawal less "sellable" to the centrist majority.
Yesterday, she was protesting against Guantanamo. Certainly, a worthy position, but by broadening away from her original antiwar message, she has undermined the one issue where she had real credibility.
I have no right to challenge her speech, but I would observe to her that her current activities are actually working against her stated goal of stopping the war.
(In perhaps the greatest irony of all, I believe that she ended up so far off message because she listened only to those around her, and in that vacuum, went further than she would have.
The irony is, this is exactly what she charges George Bush did.)
Look, I don't see her Iraq position as all that radical, but her tactics are, and now that the withdrawal sentiment has really hit mainstream America, an association with those radical tactics makes the overall message of withdrawal less "sellable" to the centrist majority.
Yesterday, she was protesting against Guantanamo. Certainly, a worthy position, but by broadening away from her original antiwar message, she has undermined the one issue where she had real credibility.
I have no right to challenge her speech, but I would observe to her that her current activities are actually working against her stated goal of stopping the war.
(In perhaps the greatest irony of all, I believe that she ended up so far off message because she listened only to those around her, and in that vacuum, went further than she would have.
The irony is, this is exactly what she charges George Bush did.)
posted by mikevotes at
8:50 AM
4 Comments:
To everything you say - yes.
By
Reality-Based Educator, at 9:20 AM
The real shame of it, is that I see it could have been so very different.
If she had stayed only on that issue, and played it smart, she would be testifying on the Hill next week , a key player in the presentation, rather than shouting down the Dem leadership in a hallway.
She could have been the face of the effort to stop the war.
She coud've made a real difference.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 9:25 AM
God bless Sheehan.
God damn Bush.
You are just a little bit part of the problem.
By
Anonymous, at 6:16 PM
Again, I think she played an absolutely critical role in the antiwar movement. She was the focal point for it's 2004 formation. She brought it into the national conversation.
Again, I have no problem with her position, I just think her tactics are working against the broader goal.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 9:33 PM
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