I have to admit, I completely understand why the Republican Party calls us whiners. Because, to be frank, we are. The sky is always falling. We're always doing so horribly. We always bemoan our own lack of ability. It's like the girl who's constantly reminding you that she's totally fat until at some point you start to think, yeah, she is putting on a few pounds. And who wants to hang out with a downer? So people hang with Republicans, who are dead wrong but damn cheery about it, and the cycle continues.
But here's the thing our glass half empty mentality doesn't like to see, and Republicans sure as hell won't admit: We're actually doing pretty well. In fact, I daresay we are kicking some ass and taking names. So, without further ado, here is some Prozac for your Alito malaise....
Social Security:
By far and away, the biggest success of 2005. We pretty much catapulted an entire term's worth of presidential agenda in one fell swoop. Furthermore, we created a cycle that can repeat itself in the future and strengthened our credibility with the senior population, a vital bloc in a midterm election. So, when HSA's become the talk of the town, it will be simple enough to compare to Social Security reform. In other words, we have a direct parallel of why it's a terrible idea. Cool.
The Culture of Corruption:
Congratulations, Mr. Dean and the DNC for creating a soundbite that truly should be considered the official phrase of 2005. Now, one of you is inevitably going to bring up the fact that we were aided by lucky breaks in the Abramoff, Plame, and Cunningham investigations. And, yes, it is fortunate that those pre-existing scandals have matured in such a convenient fashion, but you see, that is really the definition of successful and talented communications. There are limitless storylines out there in the public domain. A smart communications team will be able to pick the winners out the bunch and have an almost prescient ability to determine which stories are going to blow up. When Democrats were harping on a Culture of Corruption last March, it was a joke. The public would never get it! Never bother to tune in! They tried making Tom DeLay an issue in 2004 and 2002, and it didn't work. The American public doesn't know who Tom DeLay is! Well, the DNC was dogged, and now, it is an assumption that there is a culture of corruption.
But wait, you bemoan, it still hasn't reached voters. They still say its a bipartisan issue. Well, you just fucking proved my point, Mistah. The argument of the GOP is not that there is no corruption. It is that we are all corrupt. The best they can do is try and make us both bloody. They cannot make themselves clean. As Shadegg pointed out, it is no longer a matter of taint or no taint, but rather, how much taint is there? While I am all for holding the press accountable for every instance of saying this is a bipartisan issue, think about how successful we've been that there is absolutely no question as to a) whether it is a problem and b) whether the GOP is corrupt. Think about that for just one minute.
An Overreaching Government with No Oversight:
It is not good to have single-party control. This is the consensus. And that is fucking amazing, but it sure as hell wasn't a year ago. Seriously, nobody was talking about the pitfalls of single party control after the 2004 election....not even us so much. We were just bummed about the presidency. Now nobody is even defending the idea that single party control is a good thing, because we all know how bad and harmful that is. You wanna know who to thank for that? Yep. The Democrats. Specifically the argument over the nuclear option, Terry Schiavo, and even the SCOTUS hearings. Yep. Those pissed me off, but they really hit home in the sense that they pointed out how our checks and balances have been eroded. Every ineffectual cry of lack of power reaffirms this consensus. Every failure is another reason why someone who usually reliably votes for an incumbent will reconsider whether they really want Republicans to control everything. This is how waves begin. Also should give some kudos to Paul Hackett for reminding us that nobody, no matter how partisan, likes a rubber stamp.
Bill Frist Will Never Become President:
That might seem like a given now, but think back to the yonder days when he seemed like a dangerous nominee. A doctor with credibility, smarts, and the backing of the administration. Now, a joke with an SEC investigation. Just don't let Frist know quite yet, as watching him twist in the wind, unable to hold together his caucus and unsure as to whether his loyalties lie in the Senate or in the hearts of Republican primary voters, really allows us a lot more freedom than if he concentrated on being Majority Leader.
Can You Believe Some People Think We're Going to Take Back the House???
This, a mere year after Karl Rove declared that the new era of Republican Leadership has begun, akin to post-New Deal Democratic control of Congress. Seriously, 2004 was supposed to be the final nail in the coffin. Now the argument isn't whether Democrats will gain seats, but rather how many they will gain, with most analysts hinting that they are leaning towards the higher estimates. Cook, Todd, all of them have recently raised their estimates, and even the ones that don't think we'll take either house acknowledge the possibility.
We've Come a Long Way, Baby:
Listen, I'm realistic. I know that a lot of sucky things have happened this year, and that the reason the Democratic side is so defeatist is because we keep on getting our hopes up only to be disappointed. After all, Bush got a second term, despite being truly terrible. But really, think of what we've done in one year. A year ago, Grover Norquist was talking about castrating Democrats like you would a dog. Now, he'll be lucky if he's not indicted and his influence within the party is distinctly waning. And yes, that does have something to do with us. Winning elections in Virginia and New Jersey, especially Virginia, is only seen as important because we made damn sure it was seen as important. We have cut off the head of the monster that is Tom DeLay, and the reports on his successor are pretty united in saying whoever it is will be no better, ethically. We have hampered the president's ability to enact an agenda outside of appointments, which are nearly impossible to overcome. Haven't heard much about the inheritance tax, have we? We have put poverty back on the menu. More importantly, responsible government is being defined in a way of creating social structures and, in general, along with our governing principles. Tax cuts are seen as excess that costs money. It has been acknowledged that they don't pay for themselves. This is a pretty big accomplishment. I know its easy to see where they let you down or to constantly bemoan the state of being in the minority, but the fact of the matter is that we've been a pretty good minority. You can't judge success as if the playing field were equal. And you should be feeling pretty good about our positioning, messaging, and foresight going into this year's elections.
All that we lack is confidence, and that is just as much your responsibility to improve as it is your elected official. The trust of the base determines the effectiveness of the party. If you don't trust Reid, Pelosi, and Dean, then you are not going to be happy and they are not going to be able to effectively wage a war. They have given you reasons to trust them. Get over yourself and do so, even when it means taking some hard hits in the stomach. You are a Democratic soldier. Nobody said it would be pretty, but that is what you have signed up to do. Because if we believed it ourselves, I'm pretty damn sure we'd be unstoppable, barring a catastrophic change in current events.
So I'm not doing this to be a doe-eyed naïve girl. I'm doing this because, strategically, I don't think we can afford your attitude problem anymore.