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I just posted this at dembloggers.com and figured might as well put it here too. There's always room for another Dean thred on DU, right? lol.
Pin the Tale on the Donkey
The public wants less divisiveness, but the Republicans want a divided public. The solution? Blame the Democrats.
It's the same tall tale they told in 2000. It worked so well then that they are telling it again now: The Democrats sow "class warfare". In 2000 Al Gore was the designated target, when he pointed out that George W. Bush's proposed tax cuts shifted the tax burden away from the rich and super rich and onto the middle class and poor. It was a classic case of blame the messenger, and another example of words trumping reality ("Trump" is such an excellent verb to use in this context). How dare Gore mention "classes" in equal opportunity America! Didn't Gore understand that Bush was advocating for "tax fairness"? What's so Un-American about fairness, eh? On the other hand, actually caring about who can afford to foot the bill sounds suspiciously like; "from each according to their ability, to each according to their need." You know, Communist.
Since the class warfare attack worked so well against Gore, it's time for the Republicans to trot it out against Howard Dean. They needed a new Democrat to blame everything on anyway. They finished steamrolling John Kerry. Since no Democrat is officially running for President, and the Republicans haven't quite gotten a handle on Harry Reid just yet, Howard Dean works just fine for their purposes. How dare he say some Republicans don't do honest work for their living? And while we're on the subject Congress needs to permanently repeal all estate taxes on multi million dollar inheritances.
What is the Republican's purpose? It's rather standard actually, to heap as much of the blame as possible for the problems that are crippling our society onto the backs of Democrats. The methodology employed though is updated. We have all seen that old standby warning posted in many tourist gift shops; "You break it, you own it". The Republicans have a new warning for Democrat's who talk about society's ills; "You name it, you own it." If we object to the rich stealing from the poor, that's because we are focused on class warfare. If we deplore highly partisan leadership, that's because we are highly partisan. If we notice the divisions being fomented among Americans, that's because we are being divisive.
So now, from the Republican perspective, we have Howard Dean representing what is wrong with America, because he dares to mention it. Republicans under Bush are installing "truth" as the new third rail in American politics, touched upon only at great risk. We are welcome to help shuffle the Titanic's deck chairs, but to mention icebergs invites blame for their very presence. By attacking Dean now, in person or through media surrogates, Republicans hope to cower Democrats back into meek resistance, on a par say with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's official opposition. It's the strategy they used effectively in the run up to the 2002 mid term elections. They can't be appeased. If Dean is muzzled they will trot Ted Kennedy out again, or Clinton (either and/or both), or Gays, or wacko environmentalists, or anti God secularists. They never run out of targets. Joe Lieberman would be cast as "too liberal" unless he waters down his positions to the point where people might just as well vote Republican.
Let Dean wave our flag, and let Republicans shoot at him for it. At least the battle will be joined. Any Democratic politician worth his/her salt can find a way to personally distance him or herself, if need be, from this or that of Dean's comments without literally undermining Dean's efforts. Americans are accustomed to partisan extreme Republican rhetoric. The only reason Dean currently seems shrill is because the public so rarely witness a Democrat standing up to it. That can and will change, if we don't lose our nerve now.
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