Washington's Political Judgment Day
Democrats in Congress have managed to push forth their Iraq spending bill that was, as expected, vetoed by President Bush. Now, the ball falls back in the Democrat court to see what will happen next.
Well, a lot of things are happening right now that probably wouldn't be understood on a surface level. Sure, if you look at things from just a simplistic perspective, it's a roadblock, the typical gridlock of Congressional issues, which means one side is going to have to blink before the other side triumphs. The Democrats will either put forth a similar bill demanding withdrawal time limits, or they will send Bush a stripped bill that gives Bush exactly what Bush wants. The Democrats will cry that they are responding to the voters who put them in power while the Republicans will whine that the Democrats aren't "supporting the troops". So, who is really right, and what does this sort of thing REALLY mean?
Well, avoiding simplistic us versus them rhetoric, this is a deciding moment for the Democrats. If they hold their ground, they prove to the American people that they are acting in the interests that put them in power. If they back down, they will show the American people that when push came to shove, you can really push and shove Democrats around. This means that Democrats actually have to take political chances here that aren't going to be popular no matter what they do, in order to prove to their power base that they are the party that supports the majority. Historically, especially when considering how the Democrats have practically given President Bush everything he wanted as the ashes were still settling after 911, Democrats tend to cave in to demands that make them feel they might be considered less valiant than the Republicans, who wave the flag and say really neat things like "We support the troops" regardless of how much they actually do support the troops but in fact support legislation and the president that thinks of the actual soldiers as an afterthought. The reality is that they support the war, not the troops. But although that sounds like an endorsement of the Democrats, it's not; the Democrats have been supporting the war all along; the Republicans just get more mileage out of it because it's easier to make Democrats look like wimpy hairdressers instead of he-man soldiers of the 300 Spartan army with the six pack abs and swords the size of small SUVs.
So, what does the Democratic Party need to do in order to come out ahead here? Do what they won't normally do. Stand behind their convictions and start attacking pro-war people as being just that, pro war, not pro troops. There's a rhetorical disconnect the Democrats keep hoping the American people (who vote more for American Idol than for actual elections) will somehow connect, that by stating they are "for" the troops because they want to bring them home, they are more supportive of the troops than are the Republicans. Americans aren't going to make that connection because it requires them to put two and two together themselves. Instead, pundits like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh are going to tell them two and two together makes three, and if they repeat it over and over again, the American people are going to continue to believe it because they don't make the connections for themselves. The ones that do are out there protesting and being told they're hating America by those guys that tell you two and two makes three. Who can you then trust? Someone who teaches you to add (although incorrectly, but who is going to know that?) or someone who wants you to do the addition work for you when the pundits are sitting next to you with their papers exposed for you to copy, and you realize that the teacher is their dad, who is going to be grading the test anyway?
So, the chances of the Democrats actually standing their ground are minimal. Instead, expect to see a lot of the old same as the Democrats try to "regroup" and end up giving President Bush pretty much what he asks for. After all, you're either with him or you're against him, and if you're against him, you hate freedom. And those who hate freedom killed good, loyal Americans on 9/11. So, either side with Bush or be part of those who killed Americans in cold blood.
Yeah, that's how simplistic the arguments are these days. Unfortunately, we're only capable of adding up to three, so this should get by us just as easily.
Stumble It!
Well, a lot of things are happening right now that probably wouldn't be understood on a surface level. Sure, if you look at things from just a simplistic perspective, it's a roadblock, the typical gridlock of Congressional issues, which means one side is going to have to blink before the other side triumphs. The Democrats will either put forth a similar bill demanding withdrawal time limits, or they will send Bush a stripped bill that gives Bush exactly what Bush wants. The Democrats will cry that they are responding to the voters who put them in power while the Republicans will whine that the Democrats aren't "supporting the troops". So, who is really right, and what does this sort of thing REALLY mean?
Well, avoiding simplistic us versus them rhetoric, this is a deciding moment for the Democrats. If they hold their ground, they prove to the American people that they are acting in the interests that put them in power. If they back down, they will show the American people that when push came to shove, you can really push and shove Democrats around. This means that Democrats actually have to take political chances here that aren't going to be popular no matter what they do, in order to prove to their power base that they are the party that supports the majority. Historically, especially when considering how the Democrats have practically given President Bush everything he wanted as the ashes were still settling after 911, Democrats tend to cave in to demands that make them feel they might be considered less valiant than the Republicans, who wave the flag and say really neat things like "We support the troops" regardless of how much they actually do support the troops but in fact support legislation and the president that thinks of the actual soldiers as an afterthought. The reality is that they support the war, not the troops. But although that sounds like an endorsement of the Democrats, it's not; the Democrats have been supporting the war all along; the Republicans just get more mileage out of it because it's easier to make Democrats look like wimpy hairdressers instead of he-man soldiers of the 300 Spartan army with the six pack abs and swords the size of small SUVs.
So, what does the Democratic Party need to do in order to come out ahead here? Do what they won't normally do. Stand behind their convictions and start attacking pro-war people as being just that, pro war, not pro troops. There's a rhetorical disconnect the Democrats keep hoping the American people (who vote more for American Idol than for actual elections) will somehow connect, that by stating they are "for" the troops because they want to bring them home, they are more supportive of the troops than are the Republicans. Americans aren't going to make that connection because it requires them to put two and two together themselves. Instead, pundits like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh are going to tell them two and two together makes three, and if they repeat it over and over again, the American people are going to continue to believe it because they don't make the connections for themselves. The ones that do are out there protesting and being told they're hating America by those guys that tell you two and two makes three. Who can you then trust? Someone who teaches you to add (although incorrectly, but who is going to know that?) or someone who wants you to do the addition work for you when the pundits are sitting next to you with their papers exposed for you to copy, and you realize that the teacher is their dad, who is going to be grading the test anyway?
So, the chances of the Democrats actually standing their ground are minimal. Instead, expect to see a lot of the old same as the Democrats try to "regroup" and end up giving President Bush pretty much what he asks for. After all, you're either with him or you're against him, and if you're against him, you hate freedom. And those who hate freedom killed good, loyal Americans on 9/11. So, either side with Bush or be part of those who killed Americans in cold blood.
Yeah, that's how simplistic the arguments are these days. Unfortunately, we're only capable of adding up to three, so this should get by us just as easily.
Labels: Politics
Stumble It!
posted by Duane @ 9:10 AM
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