Anchors Away

Avedon Carol has a post up at Sideshow echoing what we've said over and over here about the value of "anchors" to set debate at ranges that allow far more to get done when you compromise to get your goal. The Repubs have known and done it for years, using the extreme positions of their zealots to "compromise" and win on points that would otherwise have been considered the extreme. The Dems, in their usual wisdom, don't want to be seen as "extreme" OR LET ANYONE ELSE (David Broder might get upset), so they go to the table already having given away a major portion of the loaf. Then comes the "compromise" and, surprise, what's left, if anything, isn't worth any rational person's support, especially when they know what could have happened if the Dems had had any testicular matter. She has some nice examples and multiple links so go learn your lesson for the day . . . and pass it on.