By Michael J. Smith on Wednesday November 8, 2006 08:08 AM
Some of my Lefty acquaintances can't resist looking for
good news in the Democrats' midterm gains. Here's a sample from
one of my mailing lists:
The Democrats will be pushed by their supporters to launch investigations of the Bush regime and that will totally block the ability of the Bushites to continue their crazy imperial policies.... I think this political change will carve out some important space for the radical left.... The challenge now is to organize our side and figure out ways to push against the Democrats.I fear my comrade is whistling past the graveyard here. Any "pushing against the Democrats" that might have been possible (and it wouldn't have been much) should have been done before they got into office. Now that their cunctatorian strategy has "worked" to the extent of getting some of their muzzles into the feedbag, they will be utterly impervious to pressure from the likes of us.
Their goal was to get inside the fortress, not reduce it. Now that they're inside, we will simply find the fortress more numerously manned. At least when they were outside, they couldn't have a complete insider mentality. Now that they're inside... well, you see my point.
P.S. -- I had hoped that at least I could find in consolation in the fact that Kinky Friedman had spoiled the Dems' chances at the Texas governorship, but it's a hard case to make based on the numbers I've seen. Ralph's laurels apparently remain unshared.
Comments (7)
MJS, you're being a little tough on the whistlers. When Nancy, Rahm and Chuck held that press conference, where they said, "make no mistake, friends, we are running against torture, immiseration, a war of aggression and the oligarchic looting spree" I was inspired myself. They may have been lying, but they took a public stand and won on those issues. It think this marks a turning point, a light at the end of the tunnel, if you will, a turning point in that increasingly well-lit tunnel. I see it as an opportunity to set up secure electoral hamlets, from which we may contain the Republicans.
Posted by J. Alva Scruggs | November 8, 2006 8:35 AM
Posted on November 8, 2006 08:35
now j alva
you pose
as general gavin
in a bohemian smock ????
is ther no barrier to your mockery
father smiff is trying to run
a political seminar here
on the installment plan
not a show case for your ambient japes
go swing thru another set of trees
yoou
yoouu orrraang you
Posted by j s paine | November 8, 2006 12:54 PM
Posted on November 8, 2006 12:54
now j alva
you pose
as general gavin
in a bohemian smock ????
is ther no barrier to your mockery
father smiff is trying to run
a political seminar here
on the installment plan
not a show case for your ambient japes
go swing thru another set of trees
yoou
yoouu orrraang you
Posted by j s paine | November 8, 2006 12:55 PM
Posted on November 8, 2006 12:55
I apologize for the giddiness, JSP. The recapitalution as farce aspect of this election, with the same shopworn enthusiasms from the same people, and the predictably same outcomes, with no diminished appetite for more . . . it left me a little drunk.
Posted by J. Alva Scruggs | November 8, 2006 1:43 PM
Posted on November 8, 2006 13:43
Since Smith has been all about the mea culpas for his alleged late realizations of How Things Are, it seems only kind for me to add one of my own.
For years, I have been puzzled at the confused way the DP runs their opinion machine vis-a-vis ol' Ralph. I would now tentatively propose that their strategy is to pretend he never existed when things are going their way and to flog the effigy for all it's worth when things are not.
Take Air America this morning. I heard numerous references to the terrible things that happened in Florida in '00, but no actual mention of Ralph. Last night on CNN, it was pretty similar. Though perhaps I simply didn't hear any Thanksralphing because I was busy marinating my brains in a piquant mix of rum and fruit juice.
Posted by ms_xeno | November 8, 2006 2:45 PM
Posted on November 8, 2006 14:45
Since Smith has been all about the mea culpas for his alleged late realizations of How Things Are, it seems only kind for me to add one of my own.
For years, I have been puzzled at the confused way the DP runs their opinion machine vis-a-vis ol' Ralph. I would now tentatively propose that their strategy is to pretend he never existed when things are going their way and to flog the effigy for all it's worth when things are not.
Take Air America this morning. I heard numerous, vague references to the terrible things that happened in Florida in '00, but no actual mention of Ralph. Last night on CNN, it was pretty similar. Though perhaps I simply didn't hear any Thanksralphing because I was busy marinating my brains in a piquant mix of rum and fruit juice.
Posted by ms_xeno | November 8, 2006 2:46 PM
Posted on November 8, 2006 14:46
j alva
"now we govern"
Posted by js paine | November 9, 2006 8:16 AM
Posted on November 9, 2006 08:16