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A Wrongheaded Reactive Theory Of Change

By Big Tent Democrat

Hilzoy at Obsidian Wings writes an interesting post that includes a a reactive theory of change that strikes me as wrongheaded and even dangerous:

For that reason I think that Democrats should prepare a sort of Aikido strategy: turning our opponents' attacks against them. We should try to set things up in such a way that if the Republicans go after our candidate in an underhanded, dishonest, and despicable way, that fact will be as clear to ordinary voters as it could possibly be. . . . . . . [P]eople [are]. . . ready to see Republican scorched-earth tactics for what they [are]. . . . If we capitalize on that fact, we have the chance to change people's perceptions of the two parties in a serious and lasting way. If we do not, then this will be one more election, which the Democrats will probably win, but it will not be a game-changer.

This is wrong in almost every particular. The problem Democrats have had, as Ruy Texeira and John Halpin demonstrated, is that people do not believe they stand for anything! More . . .

Hilzoy is proposing that Democrats run an inoffensive campaign with a politically bland candidate. This is just wrong. Democrats have to fight for Democratic values, stand up for their principles, and negatively brand the Republican Party.

"People" are ready to believe the worst of Democrats because some Democrats says the worst things about Democrats and Democratic values. Hilzoy is buying into this "postpartisanship" nonsense. It is an absurdity. And NOT nominating Hillary will not bring it to be. It so happens that I think a non-Hillary candidate could best carry the Fighting Dem mantle. Obama has rejected it. Edwards has stopped fighting for it. Hillary wears it by default. In essence, all three candidates are inadequate at this point.

But Hilzoy's political prescription is the most inadequate part of all - it will lead to political disaster, the blurring of Democratic values, a mandateless Democratic win. It is the worst of all worlds imo.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on January 15, 2008 (boomark / email).