« Coming soon to a progressive party near you | Main | And... we have a Hunger Chancellor! »

Deluge or delusion

By Owen Paine on Thursday October 13, 2005 10:13 PM

Donkeys take a lot of beatings, and even so, just the slightest scent of distant prickle-pears has 'em capering in their harnesses. A case in point bloomed into print today in the New York Times:

" Suddenly, Democrats see a possibility in 2006 [for] a sweeping midterm election"

A return to Democratic control of Congress? Yup, that's the dream. And not just a half-ass set-up, not just a new razor's edge Senate; no madame no, there's to be a House takeover too, "an anti-incumbent, 1994-style" tsunami.

Dream on.

The donkey won't see such good times till Hillary is burnt at the stake. And if you don't believe me, here's the gray lady's squint :

"New polling .... shows the approval rating for Congressional Republican leaders at 32 percent with 52 percent disapproving, a sharp deterioration .... "

Sounds good, right? Well, guess what:

"The ratings of Democratic leaders stood at 32 percent approval, 48 percent disapproval."

I.e. 32 versus 32 approving, 52 vs 48 disapproving -- where's the hee-haw in that? To think this ridiculous less-than-a-dime's-worth of difference is the stuff donkey dreams are made of.

Ah, but there's more hope on the horizon:

"48 percent say they want a Democratic-led Congress compared to 39 percent who prefer Republican control."

Any well-funded bunch of corporate PR types can drown that lead in Grover Norquist's bathtub, surely? But let's move on.

So what if the Republicans are "swimming in a culture of cronyism and corruption"? Is that enough to get it done? Or do the D's need (as the Times suggests) their own "Contract With America"? And if so -- just what are the "broad themes" to be ?

Well, the Times obligingly revels a top secret Demo poop sheet. The bullet points:


"energy independence"
"broader access to health care and college education"
"government reform"
"economic security"
and
[insert trumpet fanfare here]
"Iraq and national security."

Now naturally that last theme is the jazzerciser, right ? -- since all the others are as venerably stale and eminently defeatable as they were back in the 94 98 and 02 platforms.

So -- how about that Iraq thing? Will it be -- go for it -- a cry of "out of Iraq ...now"?

Well, the Times isn't coming flat out of the closet on this -- probably because there's no closet to come out of. They write: "Iraq is the most divisive issue for the Democrats." I'll translate for ya: Peace now on the Euphrates ... Not gonna happen.


Oh, before you beam off -- Here's a final money graph from this same NYT article: it seems Democrats have a "long-running argument" going on amongst themselves whether to "offer alternatives or simply critique the Republicans." Seems it's this Gordian knot that so far, anyway, has limited the party's collective war bray to this:

"America Can Do Better."

Well. Yes. Indeed she can.


Comments (4)

Gracchus:

I love that bit about "broader"
access to health care -- they're
still too scared to say "universal", aren't they?

Cindy Millines:

This past Christmas, my father, Nate Hughes finished a book that
he had been writing for years.. I have always marveled at his vision
beyond what I deemed to be important in my day-to-day activities.
Although his book is based on his own theory of the birth of our
great planet Earth, in the last chapter of the book he includes a
poem that he wrote several years ago. I bring it to your attention
now, only because of this anti-incumbent movement that seems
to be sweeping America. You can find more about this book and
the poem by visiting my father's website at http://grandpanate.com/.

AS MIGHTY ROME FELL, AMERICA COULD DIE. WHETHER IT
FALLS OR NOT, IS UP TO YOU AND I.

I worried and stewed, but by and by
came up with a plan, where you and I,
can put America on a road, toward a brand new high.
Just blame the politicians, get blood in your eye,
and Vote Against The Incumbents. Vati, Vati!

Now just voting won't do it, we've got to VATI!
That's v, a, t, i with a long "a" and a long "i".
Vote against the incumbents, and you vati.
Things will never get better, until we vati.
Vote against the incumbents, VATI! VATI!

There is no time to set and sigh,
America will fail, without you and I.
The time has come, we must do or die.
We must all vote, and we must VATI!
Vote against the incumbents, VATI! VATI!

Things won't just get better, by and by,
unless the apethetic voters, you and I,
hit those polls with blood in our eye,
and not only vote, but wisely vati.
Vote against the incumbent, VATI! VATI!

We must not buy, some political lie,
the America we love, is about to die,
Politicians no longer serve you and I,
but all acquiesce, to the powers that buy.
Vote against the incumbents, VATI! VATI!

The newly elected may want to serve you and I,
until that powerful pac money cathces their eye,
then party loyalty becomes thier big lie.
As they vote with the pac, for thie piece of the pie.
Vote against the incumbent, VATI! VATI!

Out congressmen and Senators are nigh as apt to die,
as meet defeat at the polls by you and I.
They know we'll vote for them, they won't even try,
America is declining, democracy's gone awry.
Vote against the incumbent, VATI! VATI!

Waxing fat on the apathy, displayed by you and I,
our politicians become hogs and Washingtons a sty.
But we can change all that, in a blink of an eye,
if we just get off our apathy and decide to vati.
Vote against the incumbent, VATI! VATI!

If just one out of twenty of us would vati,
we'd get nigh a forth of that Washington sty.
Now that might be too few to help you and I,
but we'd darn sure make the rest of them shy!
Vote against the incumbents! VATI! VATI!

And when "Foul! Foul!" the politicians cry,
and charge that; "Great careers will sadly die."
Stand up and look them straight in the eye,
And say "Losing only makes the truly great try."
Vote against the incumbents, VATI! VATI!

From the County Coroner to that Washington sty,
if you don't love the incumbent, always vati.
Hwelp turn America toward a brand new high,
teach your children and friends that they must vati.
Vote against the incumbent, Vati! Vati!

If the state of America makes you want to cry,
then help start a revolution where no on has to die.
Our party loyalty sent elections so far awry,
we can fix that error, just revolt and vati!
Vote against the incumbents, VATI! VATI!

Part your 2nd and 3rd finger; that "V" means vati.
Send this to a friend, who you think will comply.
Let's all band together, and give 'em a black eye.
VATI! VATI, and a hearty bye-bye.

Written years ago by my father, Nate Hughes, Wyoming.

Cindy Millines Florida

Please check out this new blog. [above]
Thanks,
GrandpaNate

Please check out this new blog.
http://grandpanatevati.blogspot.com/

Thanks, GrandpaNate

Post a comment

Note also that comments with three or more links may be held for "moderation" -- a strange term to apply to the ghost in this blog's machine. Seems to be a hard-coded limitation of the blog software, unfortunately.

About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on Thursday October 13, 2005 10:13 PM.

The previous post in this blog was Coming soon to a progressive party near you.

The next post in this blog is And... we have a Hunger Chancellor!.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Creative Commons License

This weblog is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Powered by
Movable Type 3.31