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.