What Motivates Liberal Democrats?

War Protests and Coolness

“It wasn’t very hip.” That’s why one well known liberal says she didn’t protest when Bill Clinton sent troops all over the planet, but she complains constantly about the Iraq war. That’s an answer that should embarrass an adult, but it didn’t seem to bother Janeane Garafalo in a TV interview with Tony Snow. She then revised her response to say that she actually did protest, just not out loud. 

"I absolutely did. I did not support Operation Desert Fox. It's just that you didn't know me very well back then. Nobody really was interested in listening to me back then." Then she added, "It wasn't very hip." But now a Republican is in office so... now it is hip? Never mind that the troops themselves say it demoralizes them to hear the protests. And never mind that there is plenty of historical and current evidence that domestic protests embolden the enemy. All that matters is being cool. Look at the endless line up of celebrities who, when given a microphone to entertain us, instead ram their hatred of Bush and Republicans down our throats. Then they whine when we refuse to watch their movies or buy their music. But the important thing is, they’re cool.

I saw a recent live broadcast of a war protest in New York, where a bunch of people marched in the streets, chanting “stop warfare now.” They held signs saying the same thing. One reporter held a microphone up to the lips of one young woman, chosen at random. The woman was clearly heard to be saying “stop welfare now.” She didn’t even know why they were there protesting. But protesting was cool... so she joined in.