Legal Commentary

Libya: Not As Bad As The Iraq Debacle; Dems: Not As Bad As Republicans

By Big Tent Democrat

Matt Yglesias, who is blogging great stuff of late, writes:

Peter Bergen argues that the intervention in Libya is no invasion of Iraq:

[T]he military intervention that President Obama authorized against Libya on Saturday — eight years to the day after President George W. Bush announced the commencement of “Operation Iraqi Freedom” — is a quite different operation than the 2003 invasion of Iraq. [. . .]

Granting all that follows for the sake of argument, isn’t this a strange way for Iraq to impact the structure of debate? Is “less misguided than the invasion of Iraq” really a reasonable standard for policy to aspire to?

Indeed, it is not. Similarly, commenter ABG (whose honesty is bracing and makes good points as well, though not this time imo) argues that he is happy with the Dems because they are not as bad as the GOP:

I love this democratic party

I side with pragmatic winners over ideological losers every time.

In my mind the primary goal of the democratic party isn't enacting a particular type of legislation. The primary goal of the democratic party in this age of the Tea Party and Rush Limbaugh being mainstream is keeping the GOP out of power.

Seriously.

If the dems do absolutely nothing to further progressive goals but keep the GOP from accomplishing their biggest goals, it's a victory. Why? Demographics, media power, corporate dollars, etc.

We simply do not have the leverage to do all of the high minded things that the ideologues demand.

So I am thrilled with the dems. I'll concede things like the Deal to avoid a President Palin Huckabee/Pawlenty/Romney.

Heck yeah I will. That's what I voted on democrats to do primarily:

stop republican wins.

(Emphasis supplied.) Two points. First, isn't that just sad? Even if ABG was right, and I think he is not, is that really what the Democratic PArty has been reduced to? And the answer is yes.

Second, this approach does not even work on its own terms. I could drag out the old Truman line about voting for the real Republican every time but forget all that. Has not fighting for progressive (what used to be DEMOCRATIC) values really helped electorally? Not in the least. The reality is Democratic electoral victories have not come from capitulation, they have come from the implosion of the GOP -- because of GOP policies.

It's not a question of style. It is a question of substance. Republicans basically destroyed the world during the Bush Presidency. And if Dems are more of the same, but not as bad, they'll lose too. Including Obama.

I think Obama is going to win in 2012. But if the economy follows a Geitherian path, don't be so sure.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on March 21, 2011 (boomark / email).