by: Bill Knell
As someone who once received the highest Civics exam score in the State of
Florida, it’s always fun to watch a mainline political party set itself up for a
devastating political defeat.
The Democrats seem to be living in some sort of
weird Jimmy Carterland bubble that exists only in the context of a 1970’s
alternative reality. In that reality, Carter has saved the world by joining it.
It was Jimmy who managed to defeat the Soviets by building more habitat for
humanity homes and making sure that we didn’t insult or antagonize the
Communists by building a bigger, better and stronger military. In Carterland,
Democrats lose elections because of personal issues blown way out of proportion
by Conservatives and polling places designed to accommodate rich white people.
Up to now, the Democratic alternative reality bubble has been well maintained
by wealthy contributors who subscribe to the same philosophy. However, the
bubble is not as strong as it once was. No matter how much money they manage to
raise, any political party that wants to survive in a meaningful way has to come
up with the goods. After losing election after election, that doesn’t seem to be
happening for the Democrats. The recent failure of Air America to attract a
significant listener following for their left view of America and the folding of
the George Soros funded project, America Coming Together, should send a strong
message that Carterland is a philosophical kingdom not long for this world.
Let’s take a brief vacation from Carterland to look at another equally
unrealistic and sadly out of touch place called WashingtonDCville. If Carterland
is a rapidly disintegrating hideout for anyone who still wants to burn their
draft card or fight the vast Right Wing Conspiracy, then WashingtonDCville is a
place where citizens take the most generally unacceptable politicians they can
find and run them for President. Unlike Carterland, WashingtonDCville is not
driven by any particular political philosophy. Instead, it’s a place based on
hype, stupidity and naiveté.
Leaders come and go in Carterland based on who threw the most eggs at
American Troops returning from Vietnam or, for the younger set, how many ways
you can find to call President Bush a moron without actually being Paul Begala.
In WashingtonDCville, popularity is all about buzz, political tenure or
misreading the polls. That kind of thinking has produced a distinguished list of
past Presidential wannabes including Bob Dole, Ralph Nader, H. Ross Perot, Jesse
Jackson and John Kerry. Without skipping a beat, WashingtonDCville is quickly
positioning a new and equally hopeless candidate to take on the challenge of the
2008 Presidential Election.
Hillary Clinton has managed to get the wide and wacky world of
WashingtonDCville all excited about her obvious ability to win the next
Presidential Election. To Hillary supporters, it’s a given! Why? Just surviving
a marriage to the most philandering President since JFK should get you some
positive political payback. I think that ending up as a New York State Senator
covers that debt. However, it’s the survivor theme that has propelled Senator
Clinton to where she is in WashingtonDCville.
Beyond staying married to a womanizing political hack, Hillary is portrayed
as a strong woman because she feels confident enough to speak her mind on issues
she cares about. The problem with that is the problem with most Democrats. Her
views seem to change to fit the occasion. She managed to embrace woman’s rights
without any concern for the rights of the women that Billy Boy is accused of
fondling or worse. Despite verbalizing some of the farthest of left wing
positions over the past ten years, Hillary wants us to believe she is a
born-again moderate in the alleged mold of her husband. What happens when the
campaigning starts and the gloves are taken off?
I have no doubt that the mainstream media believes that they can propel
Hillary to the White House. They had the same belief about John Kerry. That’s
because they are all Charter Members of Carterland. Well, it should be a wake up
call to the Democrats that people who philosophically live in Carterland are as
useless to them as a Presidential Candidate who comes from WashingtonDCville.
Americans are not liberal New Yorkers. They will not be willing to turn back the
political clock, gamble possible Supreme Court Judge Nominees and place their
personal safety in the hands of a Presidential Candidate whose buzz is limited
to speaking her mind and surviving a cheating hubby. If that kind of buzz could
get you elected President, then half of the women in America should run.
The Winner of the next Presidential Election is not going to come from
WashingtonDCville or be chosen and supported by citizens from Carterland. Those
are facts that all political parties should immediately take note of. If they
want to choose a Winner, then he or she has to be someone that is not going to
talk about what a terrific job they’ll do. It’s going to have to be a person
with a proven record of political and economic success. It is also going to be
have to be a person who will not necessary find favor in the eyes and mouths of
the current crop of political pundits.