Sunday, January 07, 2007
The Democrats Will Never Pull It Off
Interesting title, isn’t it? And why do I say that? Well, because, even though the Democrats are just like the Republicans, they aren’t in an important way. That is that they aren’t being driven by people who are, as I read recently, disbelievers in objective reality. Other than that, one political party is about as likely as another to engage in dirty tricks, or obfuscate their true intentions, or arrange things to their advantage at the expense of, well, anyone who isn’t them, right? That’s normal, it’s been going on for thousands of years (according to Caesar, at least) and it’s mostly harmless if we keep our eyes on it. However, the Republicans lately (and not historically) have been under the thrall of some idealistic neo confederates who have put a huge skew into the traditional Republican platform of life, liberty, and General Motors. I have no problem with that platform, for the record, and I vote for individuals, not party platforms, anyway. I’ve cheerfully voted for members of both parties and a few independents over the years, and other than that Nixon dude, I don’t have any major regrets. (He just ticks me off when I think about it.)
That thrall has led the Republican party to be pretty darned much lock-step for the past few decades. Even for Republicans, who might be called the “Organized” party versus the Democrats, it’s been difficult not to toe the party line very closely. Apparently there are only three or four moderate Republicans who eat lunch together any more. That’s sort of sad, but as I mentioned before, I predict either a major shake-up in that party, or the formation of a new party to represent what used to be the Whig position, so I don’t think it matters a whole lot. Besides, I’m talking about those jokers across the aisle, the Democrats.
I’m not criticizing anyone for being a Democrat here. I’ve voted for Democrats, too, and frankly I’d vote for Jimmy Carter for Saint if they’d let me, but my real point is that the Democrats are not now, nor have they ever been, a lock-step sort of club. The thing is, they do things like (horrors) change their minds, and get all guilty looking and confess when they get caught. That is, they’re normally human, as opposed to anyone in a “lock-step” sort of organization. Which means, I think you can see, that they are unlikely to succeed in any major changes to anything much, although they’ll certainly frustrate our President, who so far as I’m concerned, deserves that and more. I’m surprised nobody’s offered to impeach him, all things considered, but maybe they really do mean to promote civility in Washington. Maybe. But whatever their intentions, unless and until they get taken over by hard-core idealists of whatever stripe, they’re never going to be able to mount the sort of effective, if nasty, campaign of propaganda and steamroller politicking that the Republicans have just had to give up. Which is why I say, the Democrats will never really pull it off.
That thrall has led the Republican party to be pretty darned much lock-step for the past few decades. Even for Republicans, who might be called the “Organized” party versus the Democrats, it’s been difficult not to toe the party line very closely. Apparently there are only three or four moderate Republicans who eat lunch together any more. That’s sort of sad, but as I mentioned before, I predict either a major shake-up in that party, or the formation of a new party to represent what used to be the Whig position, so I don’t think it matters a whole lot. Besides, I’m talking about those jokers across the aisle, the Democrats.
I’m not criticizing anyone for being a Democrat here. I’ve voted for Democrats, too, and frankly I’d vote for Jimmy Carter for Saint if they’d let me, but my real point is that the Democrats are not now, nor have they ever been, a lock-step sort of club. The thing is, they do things like (horrors) change their minds, and get all guilty looking and confess when they get caught. That is, they’re normally human, as opposed to anyone in a “lock-step” sort of organization. Which means, I think you can see, that they are unlikely to succeed in any major changes to anything much, although they’ll certainly frustrate our President, who so far as I’m concerned, deserves that and more. I’m surprised nobody’s offered to impeach him, all things considered, but maybe they really do mean to promote civility in Washington. Maybe. But whatever their intentions, unless and until they get taken over by hard-core idealists of whatever stripe, they’re never going to be able to mount the sort of effective, if nasty, campaign of propaganda and steamroller politicking that the Republicans have just had to give up. Which is why I say, the Democrats will never really pull it off.
Labels: Politics
