Politics is like fairy tales for adults

[MrScorpio]

It's been said that adults outgrow their belief in fairy tales. I don't feel that way. I think adults just exchange one set of fantasies that they believe in for another.

You have your Chupacabras, Space aliens, Yetis, Loch Ness Monsters and Big Feet, or not, because they're fairy tales. Adults with learned degrees will try to prove the existence of these adult fairy tales using their hard earned cash, scientific research equipment, interns and Leonard Nimoy. And despite proof to the contrary, these people will swear up and down that there is flesh to their fantasies.

That same dynamic is also applied to politics. We see all the time.

Republican fairy tale adherents will swear up and down the the RNC believes in family values, a strong and vibrant economy, support for the military and the rule of law.

These fairy tales so strong in their minds that they are willing to overlook every act that the Republicans commit to undermine all of these stated intentions.

When you see a Bush fan blurting out Georgie is a Godly man of integrity that understands the plight of the common American, you can bet dollars to donuts that you've found a sucker for the fairy tales of the RNC.

Since this knife cuts both ways, we have our own fairy tales... Such as all Democrats are against the Death Penalty. I'm against the death penalty, and I can take this position because my political compass is to the left of Gandhi and I'm NOT a politician.

I'm surprised by the reaction of some of our fellow DUers to the statement by Barack Obama that he's not happy with the Supreme Court's ruling to declare the Death Penalty for child rapists unconstitutional.

But you have to realize that Barack is vying to rule the franchise. And in the franchise, the Death Penalty is a fact, not a fairy tale.

What we all must understand is that, Obama positions will not mirror every position of his supporters, like myself. This is a reality that I'm willing to concede because I feel that, despite our differences, he is the better choice to take charge of the franchise.

The key to supporting Obama is not a catch and release tactic that will allow him to operate in a vacuum once he takes office, but instead to establish a support base, a constituency, that will have an influence on his policy decisions when enough voices need to be heard.

I'm pretty much sick of this adult version of childish behavior that thinks a tantrum is the only recourse whenever that person's fairy tales aren't codified.

To this, all I can say is "Grow Up!"

[merh]

1. *wild applause*

:yourock:


Well said, kicked & recommended.

[SergeyDovlatov]

2. Great analogy! n/t

[dysfunctional press]

3. i always considered religion to be the fairy tales for adults...

full of mythical creatures with magical powers, immortal souls, and eternal life...if that isn't the stuff of fairy tales, what is? :shrug: pity for our world that so many fall under it's charms.

[merh]

6. which is why politics is for some a religion

:crazy:

[Name removed]

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[babylonsister]

4. Rec'd! Back to reality! nt

[enigmatic]

5. I agree

They're also the usual suspects who love to practice the Politics Of Demonization against anyone that doesn't support their own candidate, especially on DU.

I knew this was coming, and I'm not the only one. Obama is pretty much following Bill Clinton's playbook that got him elected in 1992; appeal to the center where the undecided votes are. He's always been a moderate/left politician; anyone who has followed his career w/o blinders/hero worship knows and understands that. But ones who believe in political fairy tales decided he was the last great "progressive" hope, and demonized anyone who said otherwise, and are now acting as apologists to the same positions they would have destroyed Hillary Clinton for (and still do to this day), and it's left me shaking my head, but not surprised.

I think I was the one Chris Dodd For President supporter on DU, and his work against the FISA bill this week has made me even more proud to have been. But I also know that if he had gotten the nomination, he would be doing the same thing. I have enough political self-awareness to understand that; I stopped believing in political fairy tales long ago.

K&R.

[Lyric]

7. In "the franchise", corporate power is a fact, not a fairy tale.

Probably more of a fact than the death penalty. And yet, most people here had no problem shredding Clinton for being "too kind" to corporations.

I happen to agree with you, by the way. But the embarrassingly obvious hypocrisy in logic around here lately is just astounding. Yes, no Dem can win if we hold them to a purity standard. It's odd that nobody believed that a few months ago, but by heaven, they sure believe it *now*.

*sigh*

[enigmatic]

9. yep

I said essentially the same in my post, but you said it better.

[Catbird]

8. Some things you don't find in fairy tales --

Compromise
Ambiguity
Imperfection

[Lance_Boyle]

10. picking a nit

"And despite proof to the contrary, these people will swear up and down"

There is no proof to the contrary, just lots and lots of evidence. ;-)

[MrScorpio]

11. You get my point

I hope

[SeattleGirl]

12. Yep! Too many people want made-to-order candidates.

Sorry folks, but there is no such thing. Our candidates come "off the rack". There can be some alterations, of course, but the alterations I would wish to make are not necessarily the ones others would make.

I'm not happy with all of Obama's stances on things, but he's a hell of a lot better than McCain.

Oh, and btw, ANY of our candidates would be doing the same thing. Despite the crap we've been living with for the past 7+ years with "The Decider", no candidate is going to follow our own individual list of specifications. Ain't gonna happen.

[Mnemosyne]

14. Hear, hear. n/t

:applause: