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My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2010-01-06

Don't Start Celebrating Yet 

The big news of the day is the run for the exits of the Democratic Party. Dorgan, Dodd, and Bill Ritter all announcing in one day that they will not seek re-election.

Should be a day to celebrate, right?

I wouldn't go there just yet. Something Denis Miller said this morning struck me as wise, as Miller often does. He was drawing a comparison between this year's Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots of a couple years ago, and his basic premise was that the Patriots sent for their shot at immortality and the Colts did not; the Patriots were thinking long-term in playing their best team all the way towards an undefeated year, and the Colts are thinking short-term by resting their starters and thinking they'll be better positioned to win this one Super Bowl. And then he spun it to Barack Obama.

The analogy is this: Obama is willing to trade in his next election, and the next election of every other Democrat, to achieve immortality in passing Health Care Reform, Cap 'n Trade, an ambitious Labor agenda, and by making the U.S. subject to international institutions. He KNOWS he can force all of these through this year and likely will never have the opportunity to do it again. So that's what he wants to do.

So what does that have to do with all the sudden retirements? It means that all of these people can sign on to the President's agenda without any fear of voter repercussion. They can be part of the immortality and retire to nice, cushy teaching jobs and laugh the whole way there. Ritter, of course, is in a little bit different place, but the idea is the same: he can now push full-force for a hard left agenda (eliminate TABOR, "green" state, more Labor perks, etc . . . ) with a sympathetic legislature and no fear of voter repercussion.

Don't look for the Democrats to be chastened by their shrinking numbers--look for the gang that has nothing to lose to play like they have nothing to lose. Which, by the way, means you have A LOT to lose!
Posted by: Michael / 1/06/2010 01:08:00 AM

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