Thursday, November 06, 2008

The Coalition of the Cynical Liberals

Two of the most important rules to being a true conservative is that you can never be too conservative or hate liberals too much; but of course, being "conservative" really just means someone who hates liberals, so I'm being redundant .  And a subset of that rule is that you must believe that the only reason a Republican can ever lose an election is if they violate this rule.  You could have every conservative in the country vote for you, but if you lost, it was because you weren't conservative enough or didn't attack your liberal opponent enough.

And it's sad to say, but there are far too many liberals who are the mirror image of that.  Unless a Democrat is out on the stump demanding the impeachment and imprisonment of every Republican who's ever held office, they're a traitor who has sold us out.  But of course, the key difference from conservatives is that the liberal equivalent knows that this is the surest way to lose, as the Powers That Be will never allow such a candidate to succeed.  So while conservativism can never fail, liberalism can never be allowed to succeed.  And both sides know that the Establishment is in the pocket of the other side.

But all the same, these savvy cynics expect every politician to follow their lead, and until that happens, we'll keep getting sold the same bill of goods every time.  It's like they believe that people will elect any Democrat who gets the nomination, and hate the fact that moderates keep getting the nomination.  Somehow, it never seems to occur to them why that is, or that perhaps the reason their candidates can't get the nomination is the same reason they'd get trounced in the General Election.

Obama's Already Sold Us Out

And so now that Obama has won, these savvy cynics are pouring out of the woodwork to rub it in our faces that Obama will sell us out.  I have no idea how they know this, as they've dropped no hints that would suggest they have ESP or a time machine; but they're quite confident that it's going to happen.  Some of them even insist that Obama's supporters will be quite angry at him if he betrays them, and you'd think that Obama would know that more than anyone and that this would be a reason he wouldn't sell us out; but somehow, that sort of logic eludes them.

And the primary thing that they point to as their "proof" that Obama will sell us out is because he keeps talking about being bipartisan and reaching across the aisle.  And even worse, he actually says nice things about McCain and other Republicans.  And to these progressive-types, that's the worst sin possible.  We're in an epic struggle, we're told, and before Policy One is ever discussed, the line in the sand must be drawn: No matter what happens, Republicans must be attacked first, last, and always.  It's the only way we can get anything done.

And the problem is that, because they're so cynical about everything, they don't expect for politicians to get anything done.  And so they don't care about having a strategy that might actually get something done.  In fact, one of the key signs you're dealing with such a person is that they always tell you how Republicans or traitor Dems are going to undermine us, without ever explaining what we should do to stop it.  But in fact, the savvy cynic knows that nothing can be done, but to sit back and lament on how they had prophesied the whole thing.  

Fighting to Fight

But of course, it was all a self-fulfilling prophesy.  If any compromise is a bad compromise and compromise is the only way to get things done, then nothing will get done.  And that's exactly what they want.  While they lament about not getting everything they want, it all just comes around to their insistence that we need to fight.  And again, this is why Republicans failed, because they were beholden to a conservative movement that thinks the same way: Compromise is never permitted because it's the first sign of surrender.

For example, they'd rather see no healthcare plan than a compromised one, as they somehow imagine that they'll be more likely to get the Perfect Healthcare Plan if they hold out longer.  But of course, Republicans know better.  They know that once you establish the idea that an entitlement is a good thing by creating it, it's just a matter of time until it gets expanded upon enough that people will always expect it.  That's what happened with the Medicare prescription drug plan.  They were hoping for a cheapie election gimmick and actually ended up with a halfway decent plan that cost a fortune.

And that's why conservatives oppose all of these sort of entitlements on principle: Once it's established that the government can solve problems, people will expect it to solve more problems.  That's also why they work so hard to break government.  But rather than understanding any of this, the savvy cynic insists that we need to have the Perfect Policy at all times.  Unless they get every demand met, they'll know they were sold down the river.

Even during the Dem primary, because Hillary's healthcare plan was seen as being superior to Obama's, Obama was an unacceptable appeaser who couldn't win the election.  No talk is actually given to whose plan has a better chance at passing, or if Hillary's plan might have had political weaknesses that could have hurt her in the General Election.  No, these people were acting as if these two plans would be enacted the day after the election, and if Obama won, people would suffer forever and there could be no room for improvement ever.  It all came down to that.

Getting Things Done

But again, they don't even like the discussion of how things are actually supposed to get done.  For as savvy and cynical as they imagine themselves to be, they never actually worry about real world discussions of how bills become laws.  As if such talk is beneath them.  But of course, the real reason they can't discuss it is because it undermines everything they're saying.  If you're actually concerned with getting a healthcare plan passed, it really doesn't help if you're spending all your time denouncing Republicans.  Especially as it lowers you to their level and makes their antics seem less shocking.  

One big reason Obama did so well is because he didn't join the mudfight that Hillary had been promising us.  Instead, he let McCain throw all the mud he wanted and sat back as all the mud just fell back on McCain.  And it never occurs to them that it might be easier for Obama to get things done if he pays lip service to bipartisanship and reaching across the aisle.  And they don't trust Republicans at all and see them as a monolithic group that can't be negotiated with, and see no reason to not burn every bridge they see.  And if you even suggest that it's possible to work with a Republican, then you're a naive moron who deserves their scorn.  If you suggest that any Republican might side with us, they'll insist that every Republican is Rush Limbaugh and that they'll always attack us, and that you're a fool for not knowing this.

And really, that's what it's all about with these people.  Scorn, hatred, attacks, and savvy cynicism.  It's all about them being smarter than you and being too cool to actually care about a politician.  They've been burned in the past and that means they'll always be burned, and if you don't already know that, than you're just another fool who they'll laugh at when they're finally proven right.  They'll stick with Ralph Nader, who has never lowered himself to the level that he actually became a viable option.  They're much too cynical and reality-based to support a reality-based politician.  Only fools support anyone who could actually win.  And when they lose, they'll just chalk it up to being proven right, yet again.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://americaphile.blogspot.com/2008/11/bwahahahahahahahahahahaha.html

THUS ENDS A MOST INTRIGUING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION!!!!!

AT THE ONSET IT SEEMED TO MANY THAT AMERICA-HATING, TERRORIST-CODDLING, DOUGHNUT-BUMPING FILTHY SKANKY PIAPS WOULD CERTAINLY SUCCEED AMERICA’S GREATEST PRESIDENT, GEORGE W. BUSH!!!!

HOWEVER, IN ALL OF HER WICKED AND PERVERSE DESIGNS AND MACHINATIONS, PIAPS NEVER FULLY CONSIDERED THE LIFE-CHANGING POWER OF THE MORNING AFTER OR EVEN THE RELENTLESS EFFORTS OF THIS ONLINE/WINDSHIELD MINISTRY!!!!

YES, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YOUR SHARING OF THIS MINISTRY WITH OTHERS WAS ABLE TO FULLY EXPOSE THE NEFARIOUS SCHEMES AND EVEN MURDERS PERPETRATED BY PIAPS!!!!! TOGETHER, WE MADE HISTORY!!!!

HISTORY!!!! HISTORY!!!! HISTORY!!!!

SENATOR OBAMA, PLEASE CALL THE AMERICAPHILE COUNSELLING NUMBER THAT HAS BEEN LEFT WITH YOUR CAMPIGN OFFICE!!!

AS YOU CONTINUE TO GROW, WE’LL NEED TO DISCUSS THE TEN ESSENTIALS IN TERMS OF IMMEDIATE FOREIGN POLICY!!!!!
.
ALSO, UPON YOUR MOVE TO D.C., WE WILL NEED TO FIND A MARK 16:18 FELLOWSHIP!!!!

WISE COUNSEL!!!!! WISE COUNSEL!!!!!
WISE COUNSEL!!!!!

GREAT CARTOON!!!!!!!!!!!!

FUCK YOU, PIAPS!!!!!!!!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Armadillo Hussein Joe said...

I was going to say something about how the healing must begin later, that we should be allowed some time to enjoy our gloating, and that in the long run the "no retreat/no surrender" wing of our party will quiet down as things start to happen. Afterall, making legislation is a lot like making sausage and with the grownups in charge, the NRNS crowd (to whom I am frequently sympathetic) will ultimately serve the purpose of keeping the party leaders honest, a group to whom compromises must be explained. After the last several decades of capitulation to the screeching harpies of the GOP, a little spit and vinegar is OK but it doesn't have to rule the day,

I was going to say all that, but then I saw that some cat named "Ralph" evidently to go off his meds before writing a comment. He has made your point better than any other real world example, since the GOP (and particularly McCain's campaign) has been formulating policy and strategy to appease these bugfuck crazy mouth-breathers. Although I must say that our far left wing may be noisy, and some of us may even be a little weird, but none of sound as shithouse rat loonie-toons as "Ralph."

Wow. Just wow.

Anyway, you make a persuasive point, Doc. I feel the dawning of a new era, almost like Kennedy's Camelot, may be upon us as the best and the brightest feel the inspiration to serve and government can be once again viewed as a force for good.

Here's to hoping.

Batocchio said...

I'm a bit tired of the condemnations of Obama before he's even taken office. Plenty of us have concerns, and that's healthy, but good grief.

Bipartisan rhetoric is a useful tactic. Considering all the ridiculous "center-right" blather from the punditry, it may be quite necessary, since the same pundits don't place any value on Obama fullfilling his actual campaign promises or care about their popularity with the public. The question is what Obama actually does. I think it's wise to talk about ideals and craft the best policies one can devise, but then there's the pragmatic challenge of how you sell it and how you get it passed. Basic competence alone will be a huge step up from Bush. The far right isn't interested in any compromise, and will continue to try to be obstructionist. But I'm hoping there are enough reality-based, self-interested politicians in both parties to get some things done. Whatever else he is, Obama is wicked smart, and I'm interested to see what he does and how he does it.

On the health care front, I'll add that I thought Kucinich played a useful gadfly, but his plan didn't have a chance in hell, whereas Edwards' plan, for example, was designed to avoid the major political obstacles that derailed the Clinton plan in the 90s. We always need idealists, but we also need good policy wonks, good PR people to sell those policies, charismatic, smart leaders, and smooth operators. I really just want to work to get some things done.

Faded said...

Well, you make some great points, as usual. And as much as I would love regular Americans to join the posse and prosecute the faux conservatives who have so much blood on their hands as they funnelled billions to their buddies on Wall Street and at Bechtel,Halliburton,etc - I realize you are right. It just aint gonna happen, so whining and bitching and moaning about it won't help much. As a true fiscal conservative AND vehement social liberal, I now how useless all these labels really are, and going to the extreme of either side only gives you one small audience either way. But, Obama beyond all else = hope and change for me. And I hope he can effect some productive level of substantial change. Not too Happy with the Emmanuel pick, but oh well. Beats the alternative. Who in the hell would vote for Nader, anyway?

Anonymous said...

I remember reading a quote several months ago that really struck me at the time:

"The number one problem in America right now is.......cynicism."

I've been thinking about that for a while now, and this article falls exactly in line with my conclusions.

Cynicism is the friend of defeat. Hope is its enemy.

Doctor Biobrain said...

Faded - In 2000, I voted for Nader. I'm not proud of that fact and I only did it because my Texas vote wouldn't have meant anything anyway, but still, I wish I had voted for Gore. I really didn't know much about Nader at the time, and I like him even less now.