Do Democrats play chess well? Who counters PNAC? [View All]

And if we don't...what is it that we do play?

What I mean is...Chess, as a metaphor for Republican politics seems pretty apt. (and I'm sure some chess master can twist the hell out of the metaphor..as can anyone with any metaphor...nonetheless)

The win isn't calculated in terms of immediate pieces...in other words, this ain't checkers (and I know checker fans will say Checkers is plenty strategic...whatever)...the point being, Chess is about strategy that plays out over several or even dozens of moves ahead.

It often ignores immediate gains. It often requires you to make yourself LOOK vulnerable in order to trap your opponent. It often requires you "sacrifice" one piece in order to later gain a more valuable piece. It is cutthroat because it isn't about keeping the pawns or knights or even the queen alive...it's about nailing their king...nothing less in the end.

And reading here at DU...it appears we credit them (the Neocons) with being amazing in their powers of play...PNAC and ROVE appear to set up traps and strategies years ahead...they routinely sacrifice things to get a greater gain. They use almost mystical powers of persuasion and deception to distract us from their real goals. (I'd say this is an overstatement but I see Rove often talked about as if he were smarter than Stephen Hawkings)

And really, this is how politics has always been. Plotting and scheming...sabotaging and setting up the opponent in ways they don't suspect so they trip over their own feet and you are there to capitolize.

Many here at DU regularly attribute these powers to a number of NEOCONs. I'm sure I have a time or two as well.

Fair enough. I tend to believe that this (the chess model) is how most of the senior Neocons do play the game...not the idiot chimp...he's a distraction imho...but the pullers of strings that populate his admin.

That being said...I really find it difficult to believe that for our all vaunted self awareness (we liberals)...we are somehow lacking in a substantial number of truely inspired and strategic chess players of our own. I'm not talking about grand speach makers or statesmen..I think we have a number of people who excel here.
I'm not talking about visionaries or idealists...we have those as well.

I'm talking about the true generals of politics for our side. The ones who are capable and willing (in which case one must ask if they are active) of setting up the republicans in ways similar to how we suspect they set us up.

Is Harry Reid one? Or Kennedy? How about Charlie Rangle?

Or is it the case that the fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans is that they do play chess while we are playing checkers. They only value the outcome...while we focus on each move and as a consequence we don't sacrifice pieces in order to setup the endgame?

I am truly curious about what others here see. Personally I think we're a bit short on this type of inspiration at the top...but I also think we may have some new players coming up thru the ranks.

I often wonder if what many take for timidness or betrayal might *MIGHT* be something else...it might be cutthroat positioning in order to win the whole enchilada. And I often wonder if maybe...they are right...and that to win, one must play this way...not because it is ideal but simply because it is so.

That isn't to say I morally agree with the approach..I have mixed feelings about it. But I do question whether or not we can survive in a brave new world if we only fight in IDEAL ways while our opponents fight in practical ways. I often feel like the game is going on WAY above my head...and that I can't possibly figure out all the maneuvers that are being made...and that my stomach would turn if I did know. But I strongly suspect that I'd like the realistic result of the alternative (that we don't play such games) even less.

So I'm digging. I've decided that I want to have a better handle on who our Roves are...who are scary competent/devious strategists are...so I can watch how they play better than I have been.