Come back with me now, to those thrilling days of yestermonth, to a time when W was polling above 50% and people shrugged off even his most outrageous actions. In those sepiatone days, there was much speculation about what it would take for people to wake up to the combination of self-assured stupidity and banal evil that made up the Bush dotrine. Many mulled the idea that Bush could take up barbequing infants on the White House lawn without giving up a majority on Gallup.
Maybe so, but could he pass a gas tax without people assembling a different kind of bonfire on the west lawn?
But here's the thing -- I think he could. I think he not only could, but should. And I think that if we shrink away from this step, we're nothing less that political cowards who, even if we manage to squeak into power, will accomplish nothing for gaining it.
After all, it wasn't passing unpopular laws and unpopular policies that finally brought Bush low in the polls. It was the incompetence displayed in carring out his edicts that made people doubt the emperor's sartorial splendor, not the wackiness of his proclamations. Odd as it sounds, as Democrats make the run toward 2006 and beyond, they need to take a lesson from Bush. They need to sharpen up the utensils and track down a juicy baby.
Because that political coward thing? It's already conventional wisdom. I know it's not 100% true, you know it's not true, but don't we still cry out for leadership? Don't we weep for the lack of moxy, fighting spirit, and moral courage? Don't we wish that the party would stop playing defense, biting their nails over what Karl Rove might fling their way in September, and wish that instead they would go on the offense, try a quarterback sneak of their own, maybe even throw the bomb now and then? (hey, it's a metaphor, I'm not talking about Iran).
The one theme the media has hammered relentlessly in their efforts to keep Republicans seated on the throne is that people know what Republicans stand for, while Democrats can't agree on a message. It's a none too subtle way of saying "better the wolf you know" than letting Harry and Nancy run the show. Democrats -- shifty, flip-floppin' Democrats -- might just do anything if they get their mitts on the gavel. Oooh, scary.
Two things allow the media to get away with this line of unending brown stuff. First, they've got pet weasels. Guys like Henry Cueller or Joe Lieberman can be counted on to put their personal egos ahead of party (or country) on any occasion. They're go-to-guys for "proving" that the Democrats aren't united on the issues.
Worse than that, is this troubling fact: people agree with the Democrats.
People agree with the Democratic position on health care. They're with the Dems on abortion rights, and with them again on taxes. They agree with Democrats about education, and about environmental issues. Heck, the majority of Americans are solidly behind most Democratic positions -- even many of the Americans who wouldn't touch a live Democrat without a ten foot Rush Limbaugh-endorsed cattle prod.
That's a real problem. Because when people talk about standing for something, they don't mean standing for something that's popular. News Flash: Democrats support fair tax structure, sound public education, and personal freedoms. They also like mom, apple pie, and ice cold lemonade. Unless someone had oral sex while driving drunk before making the announcement, this kind of stuff won't make the six o'clock news in Des Moines, much less convince the media that Democrats "stand for something."
Now picture this headline: Democrats say "Let's Nuke Iran." Whoa, whoa, hold on there. Once again, I'm not suggesting this as a strategy. It's just an example -- an example loaded with a solid dose of hyperbole -- but an example. Democrats need to find a position that people talk about. Something that gets the blood boiling. Something that makes fingers (and fists) get waved. The trick is, unlike this example, it has to be something that's in line with the party's core beliefs.
For example, the 'publicans were happy to shove corporate tax cut after corporate tax cut through the system, because a core belief of their party is that at average citizen is a dolt and CEOs deserve more money. They were ready to screw the environment at every turn because there's money in that and 'publicans always believe in money. No poll showed them this was a good idea. If they bothered to look at a poll, they ignored it, or laughed over it. They did what they wanted, their way. And they were rewarded for it.
Here's my rules of politics. My four commandments. The sermon from that dastardly (hey, it's a national monument!) Devil's Tower:
1) Thou shalt not mention a poll.
If you ever say "polls indicate that the people agree with us," yea verily, thou art royally screwed. You've just defined yourself as a jellyfish. By the way, saying "we never look at the polls," and then changing a position to agree with the polls, is even worse. You're slime mold on God's shoe, and not his Sunday go to meeting shoes, either.
2)Thou shalt display righteous indignation.
Yes, Bill Clinton was an easy-going guy. People liked Bill Clinton. You, bozo, are not Bill Clinton. Don't be afraid to be seen as angry, so long as people think you're really angry. If something riles you, raise those hackles and snarl. And don't do a damn poll to see if the anger worked for you. Part II: don't fake anger, or you are screwed again.
3) Yea, though you hold an unpopular position, you shall not fear.
In fact, get suspicious if too many people agree with you. You are not running for patsy, best pal, or Ms. Popularity. People don't listen to things they already agree with, or to positions that are worn down to marketing points. Making people snooze is a bigger crime than offending them. Give them your stuff raw, rough, and... hey, weren't we talking about politics?
4) Look not upon the friggin' numbers.
Did I already say that looking as if you read the polls was bad? Yes. Now I'm saying more. Don't do it. Don't read the polls. Don't ask people what they believe. Tell them what you believe, idiot, that's what they want to hear. If you go into a room thinking "33% of the people here are in favor of X" you might as well turn around and walk out. The guy that keeps you up to date on all these numbers and what to do about them? Fire him.
Boil it all down into a golden rule, it's this: people will only respect you if you care more about your principles more than being popular. Then, conversely, you become popular.
People don't have to agree with you. They don't have to think you're right. They have to believe that you believe you're right. (Hang on, let me count the pronouns... yeah, that's it.)
Now, back to those babies.
There are many tasty toddlers out there to tempt Democratic forks. Just look for an issue that's controversial, then go for a position that ignores the polling data.
Immigration -- embrace it. Learn to love the "a" word, that is, give amnesty to all immigrants currently in the country. Then remove the "by country" limits, greatly expand the overall number of immigrants allowed each year, put more money into the INS to speed up background checks and modernize processing. Boldly declare that there is no official language or culture of America. Have the national anthem sung in Spanish at the Democratic convention. Jump on the heads of people who smear immigration together with national security. Kick the shins of any proposal about "guest workers." There are a lot of things to admire in the governments of Europe and elsewhere. Guest worker programs are not one of them.
Gun control -- drop it. Democrats believe in individual freedoms and upholding the constitution. If states and localities want to put limits on gun ownership, eh, maybe, but don't carry this as a national issue. It's not that we should be afraid of being labeled tree-hugging, gun-stealing hippies, but that we shouldn't be afraid to support an issue just because there are 'publicans in agreement.
There's barely an issue out there without one plump little Gerber kid waiting to be skewered. However, I think there's one issue that trumps them all for sheer audacity, timeliness, and rightness -- gas taxes.
Democrats should support a gas tax.
If you're looking for an item that makes even your friends turn away, you could hardly do better than this. Just take a look at this Kos diary from Jerome a Paris, and count the number of "are you really that stupid?" messages. There were enough that whole "Jerome's Idea Sucks" diaries spun off from this one like dandelion seeds in a stiff breeze.
The implication of the naysayers is that Democrats could hardly do better at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory than by declaring their support for a gas tax. People are complaining about gas prices already, congress is fuming over ways to bring the prices down, and you want to talk about a gas tax? What are you, insane?
Well, maybe. But I'm telling you, without a gas tax, things are going to get worse, then much worse, then realio-trulio see ya' later alligator worse. Putting in a gas tax is the right thing. And the fact that so many of you hate it, only makes it better.
Fact: Oil prices are going to go up. They're going up whether you like it or not. Oh, the companies may play the game a bit, dropping prices if congress looks serious or if their buddy George gives them a "get out of polluting free" card, but prices are going up because supply of oil really is headed down. Prices are going to go up until demand falls significantly. And every moment that we don't address the issue means not just more greenbacks required to fill your Chevy Subdivision or Ford Expasive, it puts the country at literal risk of collapse. In fact, it puts civilization as a whole at risk of being flushed down the toilet.
The only way we can save ourselves is to cut the demand for oil. To do that we could:
1) Up the CAFE standards
This will get a lot of play in congress. Republicans will quickly come to back it. Why? Because it won't do anything. Changes in the standards will be phased in so gradually as to be ineffective and be so specific in their targets that any manufacturer with the least interest in slipping their grip will do so. Ignore the CAFE standards. Retire them. Their day is past.
The CAFE standards are just one in a line of things the Republicans will propose, none of which can be implemented until it's far to late to do any good.
2) Raise gas prices.
Yes, we can allow the prices to continue to soar naturally, and they will that magic "no thanks" point eventually. But the consequences of waiting for that point to come on its own, frankly, suck. However, for a moment let's pretend that no one is inspired to go to war, wave nuclear weapons, or do any of a number of things that might well happen as oil slides above $100 a barrel. Let's assume things go well.
At that point, we're left with a country that's full of vehicles we can't afford to drive and which no one wants to buy, running on roads we can't afford to maintain, connecting houses we can't afford to commute from. We face a massive inflationary spiral as transportation costs compose a larger and larger part of the price of goods. And we have no funds to do a thing about it.
Does this sound good to you?
On the other hand, if we put in place a gas tax, we get to the same place, in fact, we get there faster. However, along the way we are gathering taxes to address the problems so that R&D is taking place and other means of transportation can pick up the slack.
Look at the example of Europe. Sure, I just dissed them about their immigration policies, but on gas taxes, they've got it right. In most of Europe, gas already costs more than $5 a gallon. The difference between their price and ours is not a huge inefficiency in European refineries, it's one heapin' helpin' of gas taxes. And the result? Average MPG in Europe is around 40, compared to 21 in the US. Want to compare public transportation? Gas taxes allow cars to fund the problem that's generated by cars. Any other solution is just spreading the blame.
I know there are those who will argue that cars are such a part of our country that Americans have a visceral reaction to anything that might rob them of one inch of chrome or one ton of cruising weight. Good. I'm glad. I'm old enough to have heard "cruise the USA in your Chevrolet" when it was new. I owned a Mustang fastback black and gold special. I owned (in fact, still own) an original '79 RX-7 which gets about 17MPG while making it's little rotary go "hmmmm." You don't have to tell me about the love of cars, the romance of the highway, or the near sexual pleasure of pushing an engine to the red line. That's all cool.
But cool doesn't define good policy (even if it should).
At various times, Americans have made choices that require the regulation of goods for, yes, the public good. That's why we have the FDA. That's why we have OSHA. That's why, despite the Republican's best efforts, we don't live in a nightmare extension of The Jungle.
What is unique about cars is that they have segued from dandy after dinner treat and instrument of social freedom, into a full time diet that burdens the country with an unsustainable infrastructure and serves as an instrument of social delineation. We are a society that eats nothing but Snickers bars, and we have both the bulging midline and the growing cavities to prove it.
So we get the choice of lying to America, promoting a continuance of the existing structure, in hopes that it will allow us to take power. Or we can speak honestly, at the risk of failing. I'm telling you: eat that baby.
One of the often-cited limits of free speech is that you are not allowed to shout "fire" in a crowded theater. That is, unless the theater is actually burning. With oil, the flames are already past the first row and starting to lick at the stadium seating. We can risk halting the picture by suggesting a gas tax, or we can ignore the issue and hope no one dies before the second reel.
You want to lie to the public and tell them it's all okay? Tell them oil companies are gouging, and we can do something about it? You do that. Of course, that's just confessing that Democrats are willing to not only play along with the 'publicans, but to provide cover for their actions.
Me, I'm ready to eat. Pass the ketchup.