An election is a campaign, it may not be war but it's as close as it gets
This is an election that I hope we can win. It is true that the ground is favorable, the economy is bad, the war is never ending, and that GWB has made it easier but the election is not won!
In previous elections Democrats have usually found a way to hand the Republicans the victory. Think about it, We lost to Richard M. Nixon and George W. Bush twice! How could this happen? Well, think "fear" and "patriotism". In other words, who loves this country enough to protect it and us from the nasty people out there? This is the playbook that we must play with whether we like it or not.
This theme is so strong that a mere four years after Nixon's disgrace we elected another Republican! I would have thought that the shine of the Republicans would have been tarnished for a longer time but even that outrage couldn't trump the patriotism card that Reagan played.
George W. had 9\11, a stolen election and he initiated a war against Iraq and he didn't go to Vietnam! He still defeated War hero John Kerry!
So when are we finally going to get serious about winning Markos?
Fisa is just a patriotic landmine that the Republicans have laid. If Obama votes against the compromise that landmine will explode. They will say that he is unwilling to do what needs to be done to protect us from those evil nogooders out there. He won't protect us from those creepy things that hide under our beds at night. The appeal is obvious: fear. Fear of Muslims, fear of African Americans, fear of weak-kneed liberalism.
So the question is clear. Do we hand them another election or not?
In case this helps to clarify my thoughts I believe that this and other elections are about perception not reality. Arguments about reality don't go over well with people who believe in "Intelligent Design" and other such nonsense.