We lament our weakness, but then let that supposed weakness discourage us. Perhaps our biggest problem is that we've learned over the last thirty years to take rejection and misfortune to heart, rather than choosing, willing ourselves to stick with our imperfect, fallible efforts.
Now there are limits to how much you should do this, as Republicans show, but if those who believe in liberal political philosophy continue to make it a feeling about how they think things should be, rather than a choice about how they will things to be, they will lose to Republicans who remain committed.
As foolish as their candidates and policies are, people show up to defend conservatism, are motivated to remain in play. They find any excuse to do so. We got to get people who want our policies to do better than just feel that this is how things should be.
Fortunately, Republicans are making this an easy choice. The Republicans todays liberals could complain Democrats now resemble are a virtually dead breed. Republicans have gone out of their way to define themselves as beyond the mainstream. Romney only managed to win the last debate in the public mind by pulling a con job on his radical policies, claiming the tax policies won't be a bigger tax break for the rich, trying to pose the financially harmful hybrid Medicare plan as giving people a choice, rather than depriving them of dependable healthcare.
We're getting wishy-washy about things that do not deserve wishy-washiness. Either we want them or we've resigned ourselves to their defeat. Does that strike you as an altogether ballsy move on your part?
The question is, what do you choose here? Not Obama, not your Congresscritter or gray-hair in the senate, what do you choose?
And do you have the guts to insist on this?
This is your choice, not your feeling, not your sentiment. You either take to heart the defeatism Republicans have drummed into you over the years, and let others who aren't Democrats but who would hate to see a lot of our policy go, or you start choosing to confront your opponents, start choosing to take the fight to them.
Make your choice. Expressing feelings is for poetry readings and bad movie speeches. You are exercising your piece of control over the policy of this country, and what you and others choose means the difference between encouraging win and discouraging loss. If you want to feel better, don't be a tattered flag blown about by the winds, be a tower of strength that others beat themselves senseless against.