Gratuitous Political Observations

Watching the futures on GOP retention of the House trailing up into the mid 50's over at Tradesports, I couldn't resist reprinting a comment left by our pal the Colossus yesterday:

Can we now, officially, start the "Howard Dean purged by the DNC" contract?

Apropos of this, Peggy Noonan has thoughts on the fall elections this morning. I'm not sure I agree with all of her assessment of the country's mood, but a couple of points are well worth highlighting. First is the tragic effect Bush Derangement Syndrome is having on the Donks:

The Democrats' mistake--ironically, in a year all about Mr. Bush--is obsessing on Mr. Bush. They've been sucker-punched by their own animosity.

"The Democrats now are incapable of answering a question on policy without mentioning Bush six times," says pollster Kellyanne Conway. " 'What is your vision on Iraq?' 'Bush lied us into war.' 'Health care? 'Bush hasn't a clue.' They're so obsessed with Bush it impedes them from crafting and communicating a vision all their own." They heighten Bush by hating him.

One of the oldest clichés in politics is, "You can't beat something with nothing." It's a cliché because it's true. You have to have belief, and a program. You have to look away from the big foe and focus instead on the world and philosophy and programs you imagine.

Friends don't let friends drink the kool-aid.

As a matter of fact, Steve-O and I have both stated previously our mixed feelings about the implosion of the Donks. A republic needs at least two healthy political parties to maintain its strength. The demise of one leads to the kinds of problems associated with monopoly behavior in any market. And it would be bad enough in an era of relative peace and prosperity. But as Peggy points out, these are not such times. And things are going to get worse:

I like Democrats. I feel sympathy for the hungry and hapless, identify with aspirations, am deeply frustrated with Mr. Bush. More seriously, I believe we are at the start of a struggle for the survival of the West, and I know it is better for our country if both of its two major parties have equal responsibility in that struggle. Beyond that, let's be frank. Bad days are coming, and we're all going to have to get through them together, with two parties, arm in arm. It's a big country.

Emphasis added. The question, though, is how on earth one could conceivably give responsibility to a gang of loons who think the CIA staged 9/11 and that we're in Iraq all because of ooooooiiiiiiil? And whose only prominant member to speak maturely about the Middle East is currently being set upon by the moonbats?

Where are ye now, Sam Nunn? And what kind of a playing field do we need to build in order to get Scoop Jackson to emerge from the corn?