I live in Maine and have two good friends living in Virginia, a married couple. Although I rarely push my politics on friends, I am a rabid Webb fanatic and decided to make an exception here. I thought I would share here what I wrote, since some of you guys may be in the position I am in, and might want some raw material to cut-and-paste as you wish. The text of the email follows:
Dear -------- and --------,
As you know, I enjoy talking politics, but it's rare that I formally promote my opinions to friends. However, I'm taking the liberty to do so now, simply because you guys are the only potential Virginia voters I know, and you have the unique opportunity to vote in what I believe is the single most important election of 2006.
As you probably know, George "Macaca" Allen is up for reelection this year, and was until his recent blunders touted as a prospective Republican presidential nominee in 2008. You probably know as well that he represents everything reprehensible about today's Republican Party--elitist, racist, anti-science, corporatist, a militarist chickenhawk, demagogic, fundamentalist, corrupt, and willfully ignorant. You may not know, however, about his opponent, Jim Webb.
Jim Webb was a decorated Marine who served heroically in Vietnam, yet opposed the Iraq War from the beginning. He is a modern day renaissance man who has written six successful novels and one non-fiction study of the Scotch-Irish in America, taught literature at the Naval Academy, and has worked as a journalist, screenwriter, and film producer. He is an attorney who has served as a counsel to the House Committee on Veteran Affairs, and in the Reagan Administration served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, and then Secretary of the Navy, although to date he has always been a political independent. He has had many other honors as well, as detailed at www.webbforsenate.com.
After many years out of politics, he has been called to public service again as a Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senator from Virginia. Like many of us, Webb is disgusted with the deterioration of our country under the Bush Administration, and has declared himself as a member of the Democratic Party. Although his political views are moderate, in my opinion they are an appropriate compromise between the progressive values we share, and the mainstream values that prevail (particularly in Virginia). In other words, he is consistent with the resurgence of the moderate wing of the Democratic party that is occurring in Virginia nowadays, as exemplified by Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.
However, I think that the candidacy of Jim Webb is even more important on the national level than that. Jim's unimpeachable military and security credentials legitimize not only his own opposition to the Iraq War, but that of his fellow Democrats as well. In the post-9/11 world, Democrats are doomed to be a minority party unless we can overcome the post-Vietnam perception that we are an anti-military party that is unwilling to guarantee our nation's security. Most of the damage done to our foreign policy lately has not been done by military veterans, but draft-dodging chickenhawks like Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld--who treat the military like a bunch of toys, and fight wars with no more consideration than a game of fantasy football. People with firsthand experience of war are more sober in their assessments, and less prone to abuse their power. It was Eisenhower that first called attention to the dangers of the "military-industrial complex"--and BushCo has spawned his worst nightmare.
Webb is among the leading edge of new Democrats with solid military experience (such as Wes Clark, and the other "Fighting Dems" who are running for Congress today) that will lead the Democratic Party back to the electoral majority. He promises the return of "Reagan Democrats" back to the fold, as the political middle reunites with progressives in common cause against the corrupt ignorance of the Republican Right. Already Democrats have a lead this year in five Senate races that are currently held by Republicans. If Webb can defeat Allen, it will make six seats, which will mean a 51-49 seat majority for the Democratic caucus. Combined with a likely Democratic takeover of the House, it would mean the end of the Bush era, if not the Bush presidency. It would also mean the rebirth of the Democratic Party in the mold of FDR, Kennedy, and Truman--a party which is dedicated to progressive values, without question of its patriotism or commitment to genuine security.
I hope that you will give consideration to my thoughts here, and remember that all successful political movements require compromises and coalitions. I think we have a wonderful opportunity here to stop the Bush Administration's march toward national self-destruction. I have already donated $250 (half my birthday money) to the Webb campaign for the reasons stated above, and will be donating more if I can. I can't say whether you should donate or volunteer---that of course is up to you guys---but could you at least make sure you go out and vote for the good guy, and encourage others to do so as well? It sure would make my day.
Thanks,
Paul