Pessimism and Optimism

The Clinton Campaign and many of its supporters on this board are now making the bizarre argument that the Democrats should choose our nominee on the basis of what the Republicans and "conservative" Democrats will do. This idea holds that there is nothing any of us can do about the GOP/conservative lock on the House. I don't recall seeing this note added to it -- the Republicans used their blow out victory in 2010 to gerrymander themselves into a "safe" majority -- but it is implicit in the argument.

What a bunch of losers.

We won the elections of 2006 and 2008, building to the supermajority that was blown to bits in 2010, mainly due to two factors -- a very low turnout and a GOP attack on the very difficult to explain or understand Affordable Care Act. We also won the election of 2012, holding the Senate when there was a high turnout.


So it seems to me that Dems can look at this recent history as a guide for how to do better in off year elections -- or they can pre-emptively surrender and assume that there is no hope to regain control of the Congress again. They boldly proclaim their pessimism (unfounded pessimism at that) as why their candidate is better -- she "gets it" that you can't beat the Republicans.

Well, you sure can't beat them if you don't try. And President Obama admitted that one of the things he regrets is that he did not do a better job of explaining the Affordable Care Act to the public. That is an understatement.

Sanders' starting point -- contrary to the dishonest attack you read often on this board -- is that his agenda will require a political fight. It is painfully obvious to all of us that the Money Power that controls both parties will not lie down and die for us. We will have to fight for public opinion every day from now on. Every reform ever enacted took a long struggle and that is all Sanders promises, a long struggle.

The Clinton point is this simple: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That explains her "evolution" and comical self contradictions on Health Care. I find it by turns sad and amusing that they are building their campaign message around the idea that those 2010 and 2014 losses cannot be reversed -- an immutable fact of life that they comically condemn Sanders and his supporters for not understanding.

First it was "Vote for me because I am going to win anyway."

Now it is, "Vote for me because our party can't win the Congress."


What an inspirational candidate!!!!