Defend Yourself!

Joe Sudbay of AmericaBlog:

Also, got an email from a friend who said, "Here's how the gop is still better than the dems: Jimmy Carter is getting blasted for his comments -- and no one from the dems is defending him." That seems true, even though Carter is absolutely right. On this morning's Today Show, Carter, ever the statesman, tried to de-escalate the situation. In any event, we'll defend Carter, because he's right.

Joe's friend is right. The GOP have (at least until very recently) had a knee jerk response to any form of attack on their leadership: they close ranks and blast back at the attacker, calling their humanity, patriotism and sanity into question. Of course Bush is getting so unpopular that even the GOP has shown some hesitation to defend him, but considering how unpopular he is it is still shocking how quickly they come to his defense.

Put it this way, if any Democratic President had Bush's approval ratings and the GOP proposed impeaching him, you can bet there would be a few Democrats who could be quoted, on the record, as saying that it was an idea that was worthy of consideration.

I don't know if it is something inherent in the character of Democrats or whether they are still pulling themselves out of a defensive posture that they have grown used to over the last 20 years, but until such time as Democrats learn to be reflexive defenders of the honor and integrity of their leading lights their chances of achieving long-lasting leadership is doomed (as of now the only reason they have any power is because the Republicans have pissed The People off so much that they are desperate for an alternative and the Democrats provide the only viable one).

Democrats must learn that coming to the defense of a fellow Democrat does not automatically mean that you agree with them. Sure, the media mouthpieces will try to echo GOP propaganda that says that that is exactly what you are doing. But a GOP frame can only hurt the Democrats if the Democrats are willing to give it any credence.

Laugh it off as the ineffectual bleating that it is. Then get out there and fight back!