More fretting

I appreciate that Josh Marshall is acknowledging that a Dean nomination doesn't necessarily mean that the Democrats are doomed to defeat. But...

I find myself torn because I see great promise in the resurgence of energy among grassroots Democrats -- something that has made Dean's campaign possible, but which he himself has also significantly helped to catalyze. The novel methods of fundraising and networking are extremely important -- something that Dems allowed to atrophy literally decades ago. And I definitely think that the going models that Democrats have in DC just aren't working, demonstrably aren't working.

Yet my wariness remains -- on various counts.

Of late, a lot of folks, playing off the McGovern analogy, have started talking up the Goldwater one. Perhaps the Dems lose this one, but it's a campaign that germinates into a political realignment one or two or three elections later.

Maybe.

The problem is that I'm not sure we can afford another four years of this. And I don't consider that hyperbole, but cold fact. Plus, I think Bush is beatable.

Maybe Josh, instead of wasting time worrying about how Dean might go down to defeat, might put his considerable talents to better use by thinking up ways to help Dean win.

Let defeat take care of itself. Victory is what we need to work on.