Meanwhile, back in the political theatre....
Well the GOP has proved again that they are the party traditional values. When faced with a potential child molester within their ranks they handled it in the most traditional manner: They swept it under the rug and tried to pretend it didn't happen. I seem to recall the same thing happening to a large wealthy organization in Boston a couple of years ago and it didn't work out well for them either.
Never the less, I am pleased to say that I am beginning to have some confidence that the Democrats might actually do all right this time out. With less than a month to the election Casey is holding a twelve point lead over (Little) Ricky Santorum and - I'm sure to the consternation of the Ricky camp - those poll numbers have been holding steady for several weeks. I think Ricky's going down, and I'm going to enjoy voting against him.
The Republicans are also making a mess of themselves in Washington this week. The Mark Foley thing is getting a lot of traction. I think it's kind of ironic though, that instead of something truly big and important to hammer the GOP with - say, their incompetence at running the war in Iraq - they're taking lumps for their incompetence at dealing with one pervert in their own midst. Party of family values indeed.
Now I'm of two minds on the subject. As much as I bemoan Republican control of Congress I think it's too soon for the Democrats to take over the House. They haven't spent enough time rebuilding the party and I think their control of the House for the next two years would make them vulnerable to lose it again in 2008. I still haven't heard the Democrats articulate what they stand for. You might get away with 'we're not Bush's lackeys' in this election, but you won't get that lucky twice. To my mind they are better off letting the GOP screw things up all by themselves for another two years and then throw them out of Congress and the White House in one fell swoop. I think defeat of the GOP at that point would be much more dramatic and punishing. I know a lot of people don't think we can afford to wait that long, but contrary to a lot of dire predictions, democracy in the United States is pretty durable.
posted by Unconscionable at 8:26 PM
2 Comments:
The comical thing is that the Democrats can only get traction locally. I would ask you to peruse the Fighting Dems. I disagree with you that they have not articulated points for which they stand. Some of them are running on their ideas. Maybe it is like the Whigs running a series of war hero candidates before they crumbled, or maybe not. It is hard to say. I think this is what you are alluding to with the idea that it would be a bad idea to win the house and senate because they can not hold in 2008. I would say, though, that you can never have the chance to hold when you don't have it. Simplism, sure, but hell, what this country needs is investigations into war profiteering, the war, torture, spying on Americans, data-mining, voting machines, and the disregard for the rule of law. Maybe, the union can wait 'till 2008. Then again, maybe not. I can see your point about letting it ride, letting it get so bad that people do not have a choice anymore, and have argued myself that maybe the Dems should throw this election, and let the Republicans clean up their own mess. But those arguments come in the late hours when I am very cynical, and do not give a damned anymore.
In the daylight hours, I do not believe that we can take even two more years of no checks, and no balances. I believe if the Republicans win these congressional elections, we will go to war with Iran. And it will be bloody. The American people have not really been asked to sacrifice in the knocking off of Afghanistan or Iraq, but we will when it comes to Iran. All of this has been prelude to Iran. Get out your map, and look at where the American army is, where Iran is, and how Iran will cut the supply lines, and will have 150,000 hostages sitting in the desert. Sure, try an air lift, but the math does not work. And, when Bush gets his war with Iran, my friend, we will be fucked. Those christer neo-confederates always dreamed of breaking the federal government, drowning it in the bath tub, but I believe this will really do it. Imagine the consequences of the U.S. Army either deserted in the desert with no re-supply, or trying to fight their way out of Iraq, while Navy is trying to hold the straight, and the Air Force is buzzing over Iran. And where will our army fight their way to? Just thinking of the logistics fucks me up. Then Bush drops a nuke on Iran, then things really heat up. Do you trust Bush with his finger on the button?
Hell, maybe I am just looking at the doomsday scenario, but I would not put it past those doomsday, dominion, rapturist to fuck us all.
Point taken, but I don't think the congressional leadership would let Bush go to war in Iran. They are politicians first and warriors second and unless Iran took some directly threatening action, I don't think they'd have the stomach for it. I get the impression that congressional support for the President is very shallow. They're making a good show of it for the election, but I don't think they trust his judgement.
As for the election, there is an article in this months's Atlantic -which I picked up last night after I wrote the blog post - that makes the same arguement about the timing of a Democratic takeover. By leaving the GOP in power for two more years - as distasteful as that is - the reality is that everything fucked up that happens between now and the next election is their fault and then they will lose both houses and the White House. I'll see if I can find the article electronically to pass around.
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