Every once in awhile here at Celestial Lands, I offer some thoughts on politics. Nothing gets me in “trouble” here more than when I offer thoughts on politics. I’m probably on even less firm ground with this one than others, because it is not even really a thought, just a feeling and a wonder.
I have been wondering for the last while why the Democratic Leadership, and particularly those around the President, have been less than aggressive when engaging the Republican Party in the upcoming mid-term elections. Sure, there is the occasional race where they seem more engaged, defending Harry Reid’s seat in the Senate in Nevada from one of the most wackadoodle national level politicians I have seen in a long time… or when they tried to defend (unsuccessfully) the seat held by Arlan Specter from Admiral Joe Sestak (of whom I’m a fan).
It’s not as if it would be difficult for the Democratic Party’s national leadership to get aggressive. The Republicans, and more importantly, the conservative minority within the active Republican Party, have been wafting softballs over homeplate for about a year now. The stance that has arisen among some that abortion should be banned even in the cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother. The position that has arisen to take away the citizenship of children born in this country if their parents were undocumented (they say illegal). The stance that the best way to fix the economy is to make permanent the tax-cut for the wealthy that is part of why (the wars being another) we have such an exploding deficit, while not passing unemployment benefit extensions because of the deficit. Or touting de-regulation as the cure for the gushing oil volcano in the gulf… in part caused by de-regulation and insufficient enforcement of what regulations there were.
Oh, and didn’t some Republican apologize to BP?
Now, it is not as if all Democrats have been silenced… far from it. But what I have sensed is missing is the high-level of engagement, or even swings at these easy balls passing directly over the plate, from the upper levels of the leadership among the Democratic Party. I know, the President wants to be focused on the agenda, and on showing the American people what the administration has accomplished, which frankly is quite a lot. I love how some of my conservative friends claim that “Obama has done nothing” and then complain of all the things he’s done…
What it’s gotten me wondering is if letting all those softballs pass by with hardly a swing is intentional. If it’s more than just that they are policy focused at the moment. If there has been a calculation somewhere that two years of Republicans feeling they have had a victory (especially if they make gains, but don’t take control of either house), that such a set of circumstances might increase the chances of the Democratic Party in the 2012 election cycle… when the White House is again in play.
I wonder.
Yours in faith,
David (No title for this one, as it’s all politics).
Easy….Obama, Rahm, David, and Valerie never had too deal with any Conservatives in the City, much less Springfield. They really don’t know or understand a good deal of the country outside the Chicago Regular Democratic Machine….
I agree David. Another puzzler is how Mr. Fired Up – Ready to Go! (Obama at election rallies) has become the Worse Communicator. No emotion, hardly any press conferences, a speech here and there. He uses the bully pulpit like is a 98-pound weakling. btw, I enjoy your political posts, how do you get in trouble, every one has a right to express themselves and the blog is certainly an appropriate forum.
Bill, there’s an easy answer for everything, and it’s wrong. Without accepting the relevance of 3 high ranking advisers all being from Chicago (I know it’s personal), I would like to point out another adviser who has a low profile, Pete Rouse. Look him up.