PZ just linked to this article about how Democrats and liberals need to stop being so afraid of offending or “being rude” and call things what they are.

I completely agree. I think this has been going on far too long. Democrats — and this includes the likes of John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and company — seem to be deathly afraid of sounding “rude”. They never call things what they are, never really criticize the Republicans or the Bush administration, never even tell their opponents “you’re wrong” because, well, they might be offended. Even hurt! And we don’t want that, do we?

Even more disgusting is the way Democrats are afraid of looking “liberal”, as if that is a dirty word, and do everything they can to distance themselves from that, and sound “republican”. And, like I said before (though I think Ebonmuse said it first), even a foreigner like me can see the obvious: between a Republican and a Republican-wannabe, Republicans will vote for the real thing and Democrats will stay at home.

Republicans are bullies. That’s what they’re all about. Democrats need to stop trying to appease the bullies (which never works anyway), and begin to stand up to them. Call things by their name. Don’t accept their warped definitions, such as “patriotism” (a.k.a. not criticizing the administration, and wearing flag pins), “morality” (saying “God” and “Jesus” every five words), the “war on terror” (curtailing civil liberties and invading unrelated countries), and so on. They’re nothing but bullies, but even a bully may appear to many a better leader than someone cowed by bullies.

My favorite part of the article:

Liberals, still stunned by the way a legitimate combat vet like Kerry was beaten by a combat-dodging spoiled brat like Bush, never understood that for millions of voters, the question wasn’t how well Kerry fought in Vietnam but whether he would fight in 2004.

Would he defend himself when called out by the gang of disgusting bullies Bush had gathered around himself? It would have been so simple, so glorious, if he’d just turned on his accusers and reacted like a human being: “You’re questioning my record on behalf of a skunk like Bush who spent the war with the Alabama National Guard, and then went AWOL from the Guard?”

Millions of American voters were waiting, hoping Kerry would react like any sane person would have. He never did. I don’t know why not; I assume he was in the hands of some Clinton gurus who babbled about “rising above the fray.” Well, that sure worked well.