The McFly Gene

One of the greater aggravations of watching Democrats is their seemingly inexhaustible cluelessness about what's coming down the line. Bush the Younger and his gang haven't been all that subtle about their plans or actions, yet the Dems manage to get caught slack-jawed with such regularity over nominations, signing statements, unprovoked wars, etc., that you really do think they all have the McFly gene. The biggest obvious move the Bush folks have on the agenda right now is Iran, of course, complete with UN resolutions that will be blown into approval of air strikes of various radioactive levels. And it will come just in time for the 2006 elections. While its impact will be more doubtful than its predecessor, Iraq, is it really wise policy not to be out in front right now on the issue, taking it to the Administration, rather than being reactive, or, worse, as some Dems seem already prepared to be, supportive, once again giving potential voters no reason to move away from the Repubs?

One reason why the Repubs have been so successful is that they have understood the principles of prepping the groundwork in advance, particularly in setting the Dems' strengths against them. The Dems are so convinced that corruption and incompetence are going to carry the day for them. Any bets on the Repub plans to turn those issues against the Dems, using truths, half-truths, and lies, that the Dems again, as in the Swift Boating and Willie Hortoning, are ready to be slack-jawed about?

Iran might fail as a mobilizer for the Repubs, but what happens if there's another terrorist attack before the election? Will Dems be willing in the midst of death, tears, and rubble to call the Bushites on their incompetence and corruption in failing to get ready for it? Will it then be the proper time or will it just be seen, and playable, as "politics"? Will the "what's the Constitution between friends" crowd in power even allow those complaints to be raised without retaliating? Will the "bend me over and call me willing" media broadcast them? My point here is that NOW is the time to be prepping Americans about Repub incompetence and corruption against terrorism, not with a story here or there or tut-tutting about containers not being checked, but with a full-fledged campaign, coordinated through the blogs as well as the party. All the short-sighted activity and lack thereof of the Bushites could be material, but put in a way that makes clear that Dems have a better plan at the same time. If Dems are serious about "talking about what people care about," this should be at the top of the list, far above all the wonk talk and "10-point plans" and crap that they've been throwing around (their latest is what they're going to do when they retake the House--a hair more clever than their usual but puh-leese).

It's easy to feel that the tide has turned against the Repubs right now, and it has, but not in irreversible ways. Playing catch-up and watching slack-jawed at the latest audacity, however, has been the Dems M.O. for far too long now. There are still major possibilities out there for the Repubs to pull it off again (I've already talked about how slack-jawed the Dems will be when some races in key states with electronic voting don't turn out the way the polls predicted . . . YET AGAIN). It would be nice to think that the Dems will learn the lessons of almost 3 decades now.

Just not seeing it.