The Liberal and Progressive Divide over Gay Marriage

Just a short comment.

I have never posted on this topic, because I have not really given it a lot of thought. There are a lot of things I haven't written about; and many of those things seem too trivial to waste time and declining mental powers on. Gay marriage is one of those 'issues'.

A short and quick distinction between Liberals and Progressives:

• Liberals get all lathered up about every 'good' idea that pops into their heads, because doing good is what they they do best. They are harnessed to their values.


• Progressives buy into Liberal values, but they are strategic and engage in triage. Politics is the art or science of addressing the necessary and the possible first; that done, history and progress will take care of the details.

Progressives believe in Progress. Liberals just believe in their values.

So, in my comments on this controversy around the blogosphere, I have made the point that Gay unions and partnerships, recognized under laws of the states and the United States, should constitute equal protection under the laws. That would be a necessity, and it is possible. It's a proper focus for Progressive politics.

If we take care of that, along with the 100's of other 10-ton gorilla problems in environmental, economic and foreign policy, then the Liberal and Progressive alliance will flourish. Progress in tolerance will be swept along in the historical current.

In the meantime, Gay marriage, is the proper domain of religion. Bob Ostertag makes my point:

I have an idea: let's accept equal rights for all. Equal rights are the issue when it comes to national politics. That's Obama's position, and I think he has it right. Then, for those of you who are truly concerned with marriage above and beyond the issue of rights, you should go to your church, or synagogue, or mosque, and have that battle. In your community of fellow believers. I wish you all the best. And the rest of us can move on to things that matter to everyone, regardless of religious beliefs. Like, say, global warming.

Yeah, settle down liberals. Let's get history back on course. Allow our Liberal-Progressive alliance to further marginalize the Republicans Retrogressives, and the details will take care of themselves.