The Right Coast

November 20, 2005
 
Profiles in couragelessness
By Tom Smith

We will fight them on the beaches, unless of course there is some danger of getting wet. That can ruin your shoes . . .

Should the American Republic last a thousand years, let them say, this was their, well, an hour that could have been worse, if you consider the politics of the matter . . .

It just doesn't sound the same. Powerline has a nice post and links on the latest Ve only voted zat vay because Bush lied to us! line.

I admit to being baffled. I credit politicians with being pretty cold blooded, rational creatures when it comes down to it. And in their own rather repulsive way, often very clever, like some organism on a PBS nature special that makes its living eating other animals' babies or whatever. From that perspective, I don't quite understand what the Democrats think they are doing.

Maybe they think acitivist Democrats, who are more left-wing, are more likely to vote in mid-term elections? Maybe they think by fanning the flames of anti-war discontent they can increase turn-out and maybe even get control of the Senate? Golly, that would be awfully cynical. What a way to support our troops.

Or is all just setting up for 2008?

Or is it just stupid, short-sighted herd survival instinct, with Democrats distancing themselves from a policy they voted for, now that that policy appears to be "in trouble"? Trouble mainly in the minds of the MSM and the Democrats, and of course, for the Iraqis who are having a tough time of it. This notwithstanding that as messy, dirty little wars go, it seems to be going pretty well. Are the Democrats really trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? Maybe they think victory would be as bad for them as a defeat from which they have not disassociated themselves. Bush would get credit for the former, and they would get blamed for the latter. Could they really be that cynical? Perhaps they are, but don't quite realize it. So maybe the line of the Democrats is, let's lose this war -- it's the best thing for the the Party, that is, us. But we still support the troops. And if this is what the Democrats are doing, it is not for us to question their patriotism.