Why do we always underestimate our political enemies?

[Onlooker]

How many times have I read in DU that Plame case will destroy the adminstration, that the stock market will collapse, that the Miers fiacso will once and for all discredit Bush, that Bush's declining poll numbers are sure to lead to progressive change, that the insurgency in Iraq is sure to cause the administration to fail, that the deficit will alienate even some consrevatives from the Republican Party?

While these things could add up to an American public that's fed up with Bush, the fact is that the Republicans have cleverly carved out a very large base of investors, racists, homophobes, hawks, and religious nuts. Furthermore, the right-wing is far better funded than progressives, has major media that is far more sympathetic, and may very well be able to manipulate the vote in a close election.

Let's stop kidding ourselves and pretending there are easy answers. Until progressives find away to turn the adminstration's failing into broad discontent and find some common themes to unite all of us, there is at least a 50-50 chance that we're going to be in the same mess after the next election. We are fighting a highly organized, extremely vicious Republican machine. It has already withstood lies to launch war, scandals among its friends that have destroyed the lives of retirees, deficits that threaten our future, and much more.

As I see it, they are politically smarter than us, and until we recognize the sophistication of their game, we don't stand a chance.

[Benhurst]

1. Given their admitted skills and ruthlessness, they still have had

to steal the last two presidential elections.

Until we restore integrity to the voting process, nothing else matters.

[Hard_Work]

3. That's the issue, though

Not that they 'had' to steal the last two elections, but that they 'could' steal them...

Time and again, we have "misunderestimated" either them or the public in general.

[afdip]

2. you are on target . . . this "fitzmas rapture" that so many

DU's are enamored with is not the be all and end all of the repukes. their ball of yarn has begun to unravel, but we have a long, difficult road ahead of us.

[Toots]

4. I tend to agree with you

Democrats keep saying how much smarter they are than Republicans but always seem to lose the elections. It is all about Propaganda and getting it out to the people. The Republicans excell at that plus it is about scruples. Republicans have none. It is hard to win at a gunfight when you only bring a knife...