Why Dems strike out like the Cubs BY ANDREW GREELEY

[jbfam4]

Why Dems strike out like the Cubs

July 21, 2006

BY ANDREW GREELEY

http://www.suntimes.com/output/greeley/cst-edt-greel21.html


Now they've apparently decided that the war is not to be an issue in the fall. Surveys show the Republican president and Republican Party are unpopular with substantial majorities of Americans. Almost two-thirds of Americans think the war is a mistake, a substantial majority believes it wasn't told the truth when the war started and about half favor an immediate schedule for withdrawing the troops. As the situation in Iraq deteriorates, opposition will grow. It is the critical issue on which the Democrats can win.

So what will the amiable losers do? They'll do their best to keep the war out of their campaigns. They won't emphasize the deliberate deceptions, the terrible mistakes -- not enough troops, inadequate training of the troops, lack of planning for the postwar months, incompetent U.S. civilian administrators, ignorance of fractured Iraqi society, torture, cover-up, numerous civilian deaths, rape, murder (sometimes involving soldiers who should never have been sent to Iraq), the decline of U.S. prestige around the world, the increase in the number of potential terrorists, the resilience of the Taliban because the Iraq mess has distracted American leaders from Afghanistan. Above all, the senseless deaths and maiming of young American men and women in a war that was doomed to defeat before it began, young men and women who were at risk because Mr. Cheney and Mr. Rumsfeld wanted a war to demonstrate American power and because the president didn't like Saddam Hussein.

Why won't they campaign on these issues? Because they fear that Karl Rove will accuse them of "waffling," defeatism, dishonoring the dead, pessimism, betrayal of promises, supporting the enemy, lack of patriotism and treason. Why won't they campaign against preemptive wars based on Cheney's 1 percent doctrine -- if there's only 1 percent chance of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, we take them out?

The flag-draped-coffins spat illustrates their propensity to lose. Republicans screamed that the ad was in bad taste, and the Democrats withdrew it. Is it not worse taste to pretend that Americans are not dying in Iraq in a futile war? Apparently not. Candidates who cave in at the threats of name calling or are afraid to fight back by telling the truth don't deserve to win. And they won't win. The Cubs have their billy goat curse, the Democrats are cursed by their own cowardice.

[Warpy]

1. Too many yuppie spokesmodels

We need to get the OUTRAGED Dems in front of the camera, but the party is terrified of another DLC inspired "Dean scream" fiasco.

[msongs]

2. the president is a war criminal - not so hard to say is it?

a tyrant, a liar, a serial killer, anti american, fear mongerer, neo fascist, not so hard to say.

people know the truth, they will believe it when they hear it. after all many americans have believed the lies for 5 years.
the truth comes as a shock, but it will settle in if the dems would kindly do the american people a favor and STAND UP for the
constitution.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[TheFarseer]

3. what's even more unacceptable

you've got to know the repubs are going to go after that and try to make it an issue. There's got to be a plan or a counter argument for when they predictably attack that ad. Why exactly is it they can cash in politically on the deaths of 3,000 people in the twin towers but no one can mention how their bungling and complete lack of judgment needlessly put our troops in harm's way?

[mitchtv]

4. By November, Iraq will be the Dem's fault

and they will be defending the war . Attn: Hillary

[Vidar]

5. Greeley nails it again

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. Since 1984, when Mondale blew the election by acting gleeful

about raising taxes, and 1988, when Mr. Charisma Challenged Dukakis was nominated, I have often suspected that there is a sizable contingent of "Democratic" consultants who are secretly working for the other side.

How else to explain their ability to lose what should be sure things--even before the rise of Diebold?