The Democrats Keep Underestimating the Republicans

When will they learn?

Published on March 30, 2005 By Larry Kuperman In Politics

The Terri Schiavo case is a no-win situation for the Democrats, yet they have once again accepted (maybe "embraced") an unpopular position that will cost them votes. They have done this because, once again, they have underestimated their opponents.

By reflex and without thought, the Democrats have accepted a position that puts them in opposition of not only the Republican Party, a natural course of events, but of the will of the people.

There is no good outcome for the Democratic Party in this situation. Assume, for the sake of discussion, that nothing changes and Terry Schiavo is starved to death. (I will NOT mince words or use euphemisms in discussing this matter.) What will the Democrats gain? In 2008, will they wear buttons that say "I helped kill Terry?" It is, at best, a deeply regrettable situation.

Yet if the Democrats lose the issue, if life and death matters are to be decided in the legislature, not the courts, it sets a precedent to challenge abortion. Bear in mind that Roe v. Wade was a ruling by the Supreme Court that overturned Texas law. If the legislature in 1973 had it's way, abortion as it exists today would not be legal. See http://www.tourolaw.edu/patch/Roe/

So, if the Democrats lose the Schiavo issue, they potentially lose on abortion rights. If they win, they will have won an unpopular victory. Although Jeb Bush has said that he will not run in 2008 (see http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=173616&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312) he comes out as the "good governor" who did everything in his power to help the victim. If only Jeb had more, say national, authority. The Bush administration has done much to appease the Religious Right with an issue carefully chosen to appeal to mainstream America. Win or lose, the Republicans are clearly on the side of the angels.

The Republicans have nothing to lose and a power base to consolidate. The Democrats have nothing to gain and everything to lose. Why are the Democrats in this position? Because they underestimated their opponent...yet again.

The Democrats keep on insisting that the Bush Administration is....well, stupid. Two Presidential victories notwithstanding, one against an incumbent Vice President, who led by double digits late into the campaign, they just can't accept that George W. Bush has out maneuvered them at every turn.

Make no mistake, the Schaivo case was carefully chosen. It is no accident that it takes place in Florida, Jeb Bush's home state. Terri has been portrayed to us as a helpless victim and I have no doubt that she is. Her parents seem sane and well-meaning.Okay, the family's religious advisor weirds me out a little, with his monk's robes. But it is pretty clear that everybody on that side wants what is best for Terri.

Nor is it an accident that Michael Schiavo has been vilified in the press and on blogs worldwide. Read the MSNBC account of his life at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7287950/ and he might not be such a bad guy. But he is unpopular and that is what counts in politics. Regardless of how good or evil he actually is, nobody is writing that they want their daughters to grow up and marry a man just like Michael. I submit to you that it would be a different case if he was more likeable, if we felt sympathy for the man.

From a purely political point of view, a legal trap was laid and the Democrats blundered right into it. How did this come to be? Could it be because the guy that is supposed to be setting the groundwork for a Democratic victory in 2008 is Howard Dean, Chairman of the DNC? If I were going to chose political advisors, I wouldn't choose Howard the
Screamer. No way.

In the movie "Guys and Dolls", Sky Masterson cautions Nathan Detroit about sucker bets. Sky says that his father warned him of a day that a man would come to him with an unopened deck of cards and would want to bet that he could make a card jump out and spit lemonade in Sky's ear. Seems like an easy bet to win? Take the bet, Sky's father warns, and you will not only lose, but you will find yourself with an ear full of lemonade.

The Democrats have an ear full of lemonade.

Comments (Page 1)

couchman

on Mar 28, 2005

Interesting perspective on the situation....and I agree the Democrats/Left have not inched closer to the cliff's edge...they jumped a yard. By the way I am totally delighted the left selected Dean to be DNC chairman....I mean geez, with him leading the way...the dems are doomed to lose25% more of their seats in congress, senate, and state gov's and assemblies. The only thing to make me hyperventilate with joy would be if they ran Boxer or Pielosi for president.

bakerstreet

on Mar 28, 2005

"By reflex and without thought, the Democrats have accepted a position that puts them in opposition of not only the Republican Party, a natural course of events, but of the will of the people."

Not that they aren't banging away again at "polls" that show huge percentages of even evangelical Christians that supposedly agree with them.

"If the legislature in 1973 had it's way, abortion as it exists today would not be legal."

You might even say that if the majority of US citizens today had their way abortion as it exists today wouldn't be legal.

"Make no mistake, the Schaivo case was carefully chosen. It is no accident that it takes place in Florida, Jeb Bush's home state. "

I don't doubt there are political motivations for answering the call, as it were, but this case has had national attention long, long before now. This has been tied up in the courts for years.

As I have said elsewhere, there is a fine line between opportunism and reacting to a legitimate call by the American people for action. There are plenty enough people outraged over this to act, and coincidentally it is the same people the Democrats have ignored in the last two elections to their disappointment.

"From a purely political point of view, a legal trap was laid and the Democrats blundered right into it."

Another way of looking at it is the Democratic party leaders who lean far left are just being "outed", and the American people are finding out just how horrifically unrepresentitive they are...

Dr Guy

on Mar 29, 2005

When I started reading this, I was afraid you had coopted my idea. While close, it was not what I was thinking. However, with your Article, Bakerstreets and mine all being written within a 12 hour period, I wonder what precipitated them all. I know what mine was, I wonder if we all picked up on the same comments.

Very good article BTW.

Rightwinger

on Mar 29, 2005

Part of the problem, obviously, is their pompous arrogance. We take potshots at them for it, and point it out to them all the time, on here and yet they don't understand it. They're so self-assured and secure in their own intellectual and moral (or immoral) superiority that they just don't see how it's possible that their positions are consistently the wrong ones, or how the people couldn't be siding with them.
They still wonder to this day how such a goofy old doofus as Reagan was able to win two terms (and how he retains his popularity), and how they were further held out of the White House in '88 by that old stiffy Bush the Elder, who simply rode into office in the afterglow of his boss's time.
They finally get their boy in office in '92, and what does he do? He spends 8 years playing fast and loose with everything from public opinion to morality and then legality.
Then their personality-free android envirobot Gore2000 (still fighting the shadow of, and trying to slough off the slime of, Clinton's escapades) is stiff-armed by another popular Republican. What happened? Why did the people desert us? So, they pick another out-of-touch goofball to run for them in 2004, and lose. What happened? Why did the people desert us? That other guy lied! Kids died! He got us into a war!
We picked a war hero!
So we heard. Again and again.
Arrogant and self-righteous. They just don't get it.

Moderateman

on Mar 29, 2005

shhhhh don't let the far left hear you, they just might take your advise. "mm sending secret police to kupes home to silence his wise words"

Dr Guy

on Mar 30, 2005

shhhhh don't let the far left hear you, they just might take your advise. "mm sending secret police to kupes home to silence his wise words"

If they have not seen the light yet, then they are not going to take advice from one of the 'unwashed' masses.

Their arrogance is their achilees heel.

Draginol

on Mar 30, 2005

It has been interesting to hear the left claim that the polls support them. I wonder, how many people know that the husband has two children with another woman now?

I think that that fact alone would change the polls dramatically if people answering polls knew it. I know it changes my point of view on it. I don't think the man is a villain. I just think he should have left either divorced Terry or at the very least conceded to the parents wishes.

Moderateman

on Mar 30, 2005

Reply By: Dr. GuyPosted: Wednesday, March 30, 2005shhhhh don't let the far left hear you, they just might take your advise. "mm sending secret police to kupes home to silence his wise words" If they have not seen the light yet, then they are not going to take advice from one of the 'unwashed' masses.

hey I showered on winter solstice, and am due summertime.. sheeshhhhh

Myrrander

on Mar 30, 2005

With all major polls showing that the majority of people viewed Bush and Congress' actions in the Schiavo case were politically motivated, and with polls showing that the majority of people agree with Michael Schiavo, I don't see how the left has gone agains the will of the people.

Except in conservative world, where the life of one brain damaged woman is worth more than the lives of Iraqi kids and polls only count when they show conservative ideas winning. The evangelicals have pushed their "mandate" too far in this case. It's amusing to watch the backlash begin.

messybuu

on Mar 30, 2005

What's funny is that Bush and Congress were politically motivated, but they were also going against the will of the majority of the people. Usually, when people do things out of political motivation, they're trying to pander to the voters.

Except in conservative world, where the life of one brain damaged woman is worth more than the lives of Iraqi kids and polls only count when they show conservative ideas winning. The evangelicals have pushed their "mandate" too far in this case. It's amusing to watch the backlash begin.

What's funny is how some are using this tragedy as an opportunity to attack the Republicans and Bush over gun control, the war in Iraq, and other issues not related to Terri Schiavo. They're not only ignoring that this issue isn't divided neatly among party lines, but they also are ignoring that they're ones politically motivated in this.

Rightwinger

on Mar 31, 2005

Except in conservative world, where the life of one brain damaged woman is worth more than the lives of Iraqi kids and polls only count when they show conservative ideas winning.

And....your side isn't guilty of this, right, Myrr? Come on back down here, man....I've seen your people on here refer to Left-supporting polls much more often than do Righties.

I supported, for personal reasons, letting Ms. Schiavo go Home, just not the way it was done. I think it's a terrible crime how some have politicized this thing.

As for the kids in Iraq, I've spoken with a few returning Iraqi War vets, and have read some blogs on the subject, and several of them mentioned that Iraqi children are very much enjoying the toys and candy they give out. Some have even saved the lives of American troops by pointing out mines and booby traps. Does this sound like the behavior of frightened, bullied, conquered children?

couchman

on Mar 31, 2005

Hey, don't underestimate Dean.. look what happened with Bush Don't be outwitted yerself!

The left has forgotten something very simple....A party chairman job is to try and push the party agenda while shunning the limelight....problem with dean is he loves the limelight and doesnt know when he has gone too far in his rhetoric.....dean is no help....except to conservatives.....

wkmurr

on Apr 01, 2005

Oddly enough, reading the article and the replies it sounds much more like conservatives deflecting their own shortcomings as those of the Democrats. Arrogance??? (That sounds more like a political party that takes every opportunity to grandstand....i.e. Terri Schaivo, Iraq) These are not popular views (though those in the Bible Belt would say otherwise). You try to take the high road as if politics is anything remotely close to HONEST business. The government is driven by lobbyists and special interest groups. MONEY drives our government, not morals. I already know Jeb will be President in 2012, not because of popularity but because it has already been determined. I am a registered independent, but the more I see the Republicans trying to control all three branches of the government and destroy any balance of power the more I move to the left. I would much rather live under a government with checks and balances not in a dictatorship or theocracy for that matter. The Republican party has definitely lost my vote (and yes I have voted for them in the past).

Tarantula-X

on Apr 02, 2005

Howard Dean promises to be to the Bush administration, what Newt Gingrich was to Clinton in '94. Though not a sage, I suspect that you Elephant -addicts out there are in for a rude awakening; as to Dean, you ought to be careful what you whish for...; that is, Mr. Dean just might bury W's crooked administration; once and for all, wiping out his ilk; and we Americans will be free to embrace the enlightened ways of our more wise and civilized European cousins, the French, Germans, etc.

-----

on Apr 03, 2005

and we Americans will be free to embrace the enlightened ways of our more wise and civilized European cousins, the French, Germans, etc.

----Uhhhh, No thanks....much rather stay at 100ft. pole distance

I am a registered independent, but the more I see the Republicans trying to control all three branches of the government and destroy any balance of power the more I move to the left. I would much rather live under a government with checks and balances not in a dictatorship or theocracy for that matter.

---how has bush controlled the branches....trying to stop a husband from wacking his wife......sure....

Oddly enough, reading the article and the replies it sounds much more like conservatives deflecting their own shortcomings as those of the Democrats. Arrogance???

---And of course no democrats have ever done that...

You try to take the high road as if politics is anything remotely close to HONEST business.

---It isn't !?!?

I already know Jeb will be President in 2012, not because of popularity but because it has already been determined.

---Is that so, I always thought you found that through a little thing called an election, part of democracy....

you ought to be careful what you whish for...; that is, Mr. Dean just might bury W's crooked administration

---crooked....wasn't that how clinton got his blo-.....er- the thing he didn't do.....

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!