Monday, April 17, 2006

Orthogonal vectors

Looks like the Dems and the Repubs are going to be running at right angles to one another when it comes to defining the issues for this November's elections--and about frickin' time, too.

We've had enough parallelism--enough of the Dems assuring us they're like the Repubs, only less so in the bad ways: Sightly less carefree about going to war. A little more measured in their enthusiasm for corporate deregulation. A bit less comfortable with the abdication of Congressional oversight. And so on.

What America needs--desperately needs--is a real, unapologetic, full-frontal, let-someone-else-be-polite, take-no-prisoners campaign about the fundamental differences between the Democratic party and the Republican party.

Maybe--possibly--perhaps!--we're going to get it.

The Republicans, evidently as in thrall of the Fundamentalist Right and the Corporatists as ever, have been handed their to-do list for the fall, with items such as:
  • Protection of marriage amendment
  • Anti-flag burning legislation
  • Further limits on abortion
If anyone still needs proof that the GOP is the Party of Campaigning Not Governing, this agenda is it. The catalog of issues facing Americans but missing from this fundamentalist/corporatist shopping list is breathtaking:

Iraq? Silence.

Corruption? Not a word.

Health care? Mum's the word.

The economy? Well, at least they do have a word here--three, in fact: "more tax cuts"--so should we consider that an improvement?

Meanwhile, from the Democrats, looking for some way to crawl back out of the cellar but apparently still reluctant to try those stair-thingies, we're finally beginning to hear promising-sounding statements like this:
  • Tell the truth.
  • Fire the incompetents.
  • Find Osama bin Laden and secure our ports and our homeland.
  • Bring our troops home from Iraq.
  • Obey the law and protect our civil rights.
  • Support health care.
  • Support education.
  • Support lobbying reform.
  • Support alternatives to oil.
  • Reduce the deficit.
And the best Democratic slogan for 2006 is already out there (ironically, offered up by a Republican's Republican who's currently trying to seem statesmanlike as a way of positioning himself for his presidential run):

Had enough?

Almost--maybe--possibly--perhaps!--makes me look forward to November.

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