Bill Mahar on Friday

[Trueblue Texan]

43. I've been publicly declaring...

...that I'm a proud LIBERAL Democrat for several decades now. I am not ashamed of what liberalism has become, but I am fully aware of the way liberalism has been characterized by the media. When I tell my Republican friends I am a liberal they're always terribly confused: "...but...but...you're not crazy?! How can you be a liberal?" That's a typical response. I've had them say, "Oh, you're not a liberal, you just think you are." Same sort of response when I tell them I'm a Democrat. I always tell them they need to look up the word in the dictionary and not allow media to define it for them. They will learn they've been lied to and the characterization applied to liberals by the media has nothing to do with what the term actually means. Most of them walk away puzzled, but I'm sure they never bother looking the word up in the dictionary.

I will agree we absolutely need some help in messaging, but I don't like the admonition that we "wake up." We ARE awake. At least nearly everyone here is. But I understand what you mean. We need to DO something that WORKS to disarm the misinformation about Democrats and liberals in general. But it's going to take a lot more than a few of us declaring we are proud to be liberals. Fortunately, some of the messaging experts that helped to build the right wing machine has crossed over to our side and more of these are making appearances in media outlets that have a better record of delivering accurate news. Will there be enough of it in time to make a difference in November? I hope, but I don't know.