I am sorry, but when it comes to playing the game, Republicans are smart, and Democrats are criminally stupid.
The Republicans can hold on to minority rule by a concerted effort to suppress the vote (now on the books or proposed in at least 43 states), successfully gerrymandering a damn near permanent majority in many states by a decade’s long strategy of controlling statehouses. Through the administrations of Clinton to Obama to Biden the Republicans either achieved a gerrymandered produced majority or have manipulated the rules in the House and Senate of the United States to achieve their priorities of “stopping the Administration” and “making the President a one-term President.” And they are making it work. Get out of line and you get cut off. Just look at what is happening to Lynn Cheney and Adam Kinzinger – they are getting the shit kicked out of them by their fellow Republicans for – yup, you guessed it, telling the truth.
Meanwhile, the Democrats have managed to put themselves in a position to kiss Joe Manchin’s and Kyrsten Sinema’s collective asses just to get a hall pass to the bathroom. Moreover, the Squad and their godfather Bernie Sanders manage to keep the pressure on to advocate for stuff so far left that any potentially Republican moderate runs into the freaking hills to hibernate.
In an era where, if the Democratic Party could stop puking on its own shoes, it could end the filibuster, restore voting rights, pack the Supreme Court to counteract the Republican packing of the past 16 years to reverse Citizens’ United and remove corporate money from our elections, ensure basic human rights for all citizens, and ensure that all US citizens are entitled to basic healthcare coverage. But no, it is much more important that the Party allows Manchin of West Virginia and Sinema of Arizona (collectively representing less than 3% of the population of the United States) to dictate voting rights, healthcare, and tax policy. May whatever deity you honor save us.
Never let it be said that the Dems cannot snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Their new motto should be “tamquam muta petram et victus sum” (I am dumb as a rock and a loser).
Why? Because while the Democrats argue about fairness and inclusiveness and the large tent, they are competing against a Republican Party that does not care about policy, values, consistency, honesty, or integrity. They clearly could give a shit about the size of their tent or being fair. The Republicans care only about winning and they are kicking the collective Democrats’ asses six ways to Sunday.
Time for a bit of a revival meeting with the money folks, the President, and Democrats like Manchin and Sinema who believe their truths trump (pun intended) being successful. The message should be to get on the bus or be left without any goddamn transportation. Without party and corporate financial support, neither of those two reluctant Democratic senators will be reelected. And since the Dems cannot get done what they should get done with them, they need to figure out a way to get it done without them. So, why not take a chance and hang the sword of Damocles over those Dems who believe they have been anointed petite Gods?
Because as sure as God made little green apples, the Dems sure as hell ain’t gonna get much done with them.
Adult Language Is Possible 