[Vision2020] Me, Matt D, and Phil's lingering good influence

[Joan Opyr]

Dear Visionaries:

Without discussing the content of our messages, I wanted to first thank 
Matt for a gracious note apologizing for calling me "babe."  Little did 
he know that "babe," like "chick," is one of the many fuses attached to 
my enormous cache of dynamite.  I believe him when he says he didn't 
mean it as it sounded, and I am in turn sorry I threatened his family 
jewels.  His future progeny are safe from me and my wicked boots.

What I explained to Matt, offlist, was that I believe that political 
discourse in this country has shifted so far to the right that there 
are no true, political liberals in the public eye -- Hillary Clinton 
and John Kerry are not liberals.  At best, they're center-right; at 
worst, they're only slightly to the left of George Bush.  I am alarmed 
that people like Michael Kinsley and Leonard Pitts pass for liberals; 
they're centrists.  I don't have a problem with centrists -- the real 
political work in this country generally takes place in the moderate 
center -- but as we've swung so hard to the right, the center has 
shifted.  Without the loud, proud voices of hard leftists to counter 
the hard right voices of the Limbaughs and the Colters, we find 
ourselves at a dangerous and awkward tilt.  When Richard Nixon's 
policies can be clearly seen to be more leftist than Hillary Clinton's, 
we've got a problem.  We've got no balance.

But back to Matt -- he, like Phil, generously extended the olive 
branch, and -- because of Phil -- I accepted it.  I believe that Matt 
and I can find common ground.  I believe that we can deal with one 
another with genuine respect and appreciation.  I'm going to try anyway 
because I think Matt's a decent guy.  He thinks I should try harder to 
be a little more centrist; I disagree.  I intend to swing out to the 
hard left and hang onto the farthest branch like an orangutan until the 
center is once again dragged back to where it truly belongs.  But 
that's no reason why we can't be friends . . .

Territory folk should stick together
Territory folk should all be pals.
Ranchers dance with the farmer's daughters,
Farmers dance with the Rancher's cows!

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.joanopyr.com

PS: Thanks, Matt.