Establishment Dems act as if we (the public) are incompetent suckers. Each time the White House dictates new facts or CNN/FOX agree that common sense is too liberal, establishment dems assume that we bought into it.

If it is decreed by the Almighty TeeVee that Howard Dean is angry, crazy, or out of touch... Establishment Dems assume that the entire public believes it. Again, because they think we are suckers.

Is anybody here familiar with Kuro5hin or its older reader base? K5 isn't what it used to be, but what happened to the original community? Are some of you here? Did some move to Conservative-leaning blogs?

Before Dean's opposition in the primaries, it seemed as if most Dems were hardly concerned with what the progressive electorate was thinking. I remember nearly all self-identifying Liberals (that I personally knew) voting for Nader in 2000.

Did Dean's desire to reform the party strike a chord with bloggers? Without that, would we be using words like "Liberal/independent vs Conservative/republican"?

Not everyone in the USA is a sucker. We are not all "ford truck men", and we do not all "want a fanta". Not all of us believe that TV is the literal word of God.

To us, Dean represents a rejection of Suckerism(tm).  It's not controversial, liberal, or scandalous. It's downright patriotic, and the establishment Dems don't get it (yet).

I'm afraid that calling them crazy may not be effective. Remember that nobody is born with a political stance. It's a cultural thing. Unfortunately, the US has a HUGE culture of conservatism - where tradition is held to a higher regard than logic and reason. Of course it's crazy, but cultural influences are very powerful. Consider how long cultural influences kept gays "in the closet".

If we call Bush crazy, we are also insulting everyone who thinks he's right. Then we have lost their respect and vote.

No, we should explain to them, in their own terms, why Bush is wrong.

The Communist Manifesto
The beginning of anti-capitalist (Leftist/Marxist) thought.

Mein Kampf
Contains justification for Totalitarian government and genocide. Clearly evil.

Quotations from Chairman Mao
It advocates anti-capitalist economics, totalitarian/anti-Freedom government, and advocates opposition to America.

The Kinsey Report
Advocates sexual promiscuity. Many social conservatives believe that sexual promiscuity is strongly related to the weakening of traditional morality (Christian morality), which they believe will lead to unbalance and chaos.

Democracy and Education
Rejects traditional morality, religion, and conservatism in general. This is insulting to a conservative. They also may not understand why a strong ability to figure things out ("thinking skills") are more important than having a collection of facts ("hard knowledge").

Das Kapital
Another book claiming that free market economics are somehow wrong. Many Conservatives and Libertarians believe that a completely free market will solve ALL problems; anything that could slow down the free market should be abolished. This is a nearly absolute belief.

The Feminine Mystique
This book attacks the traditional roles of Men and Women. Social conservatives believe that the roles of Men and Women in society (not just the bedroom!) are by nature clearly and distinctly different. Note that "manly" men and very "feminine" women tend to be Conservatives.

The Course of Positive Philosophy
By the description on HumanEventsOnline, this book appears to advocate ignoring one's own heritage - a severe social crime in Conservative circles. Because belief in a Christian-style God is nearly absolute among social Conservatives, advocating rejection of this idea is a severe insult and major social crime.

Beyond Good and Evil
Conservatives believe that religious teachings, particularly Judeo-Christian ones, are some of the few checks we have against humanity's tendency to do bad things. To them, the idea of
disrespecting religion is both insulting and stupid. Nietzsche also seems to claim that domination over others is natural - an idea that leads to chaos. * Exceptions: To conservatives, financial domination is the result of a healthy free market. Geopolitical domination is OK because we are spreading our own "superior" system to humanity.

General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money
Conservatives/Libertarians believe that any use of government to influence the free market will both harm the market and empower the government (which can't be trusted!).