Reply #96: The symbiotic relationship [View All]

I want to applaud some of the more thoughtful discussion on this thread, like between Armstead and JoePhilly.

I also want to try to put down a thought I've had for some time. Of course, "the Dem establishment spawned the tea party" is a rhetorical flourish. Yes the Koch's, Armey, Fox News et all created the teabaggers, the crazies, who now somehow have enough power to negotiate the terms of our surrender.

Something stuck in my mind about the uprising in Egypt. Mubarak held enough popular support to stay in power because it was him or the "crazies" (somehow the "crazies" always seem to be right-wing fundamentalists). And that's what we were sold - sure, there's some human rights/democracy issues with Mubarak but he's a moderate, just look at those crazies - that's why he's our ally.

"Kubuki Theatre" is thrown around here a lot, and when I used it a party with low-information Democratic friends, I found I had to explain it. Perhaps a better phraseology would be - like Mubarak had a symbiotic relationship with his "crazies", I see the Obama administration and the Democratic establishment as having a symbiotic relationship with the tea baggers. They give the uninspiring but easy slogan for 2012 - "Do you want the crazies to take over?" And I hear the Rahmian undertone, "Where else are you going to go?" And in dog-whistle frequencies, I hear "these Tea Partiers are Americans with their legitimate concerns" simultaneously with "our drug-addled professional left-wing fringe extremists probably want us to dismantle the pentagon! (chuckle)". And yes, as someone involved with my local Democratic party, I'm insulted.

Whatever Daou's history, which for some here seems to be a substitute for actually being able to discuss anything, I totally agree with:

"Look at Obama and Bush’s big swings in approval – the American public is far more malleable than Democrats acknowledge. In a nation where anxiety abounds, strong, principled, powerful, determined voices will change minds. Republicans know that and they have a system to take advantage of it."

Which leads me to a heresy - after a lot of thought I would welcome and get behind any credible Democratic challenger to Obama. It would tap into some of the awesome grassroots power I witnessed in 2008. And like the relentless triumphant Rethug planners, I'm willing to brace for the fact that we may lose a few battles. Does that ever stop them?

Americans are not apathetic zombies who only care about "Dancing With Stars". I think a "strong, principled, powerful, determined voice" is more important than the "good cop, bad cop" "austerity" menu we've been given, and believe me, I fucking hate the bad cop.