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Democrats Face Hobson's Choice
National Review ^ | September 10, 2007 | Mario Loyola

Posted on 09/10/2007 6:17:04 PM PDT by george76

I must say that I sympathize with the bind that Democratic leaders are in somewhat. Defeatism is forced upon them by their base. That's why they have no choice but but to insist that Iraq is going disastrously badly, that it was all a mistake, and that we should get out now. Where they have no choice but to acknowledge that progress has been made, they must insist at all costs that President Bush's policies have had nothing to do with it. It is a matter of political reality. Their base will throw them back into the minority if they say anything else. Chuck Schumer's recent talking point — that progress has come in spite of the surge, not because of it — is something he has little choice but to say, no matter how little he believes it.

You can't acknowledge that things are going better in Iraq without implicitly acknowledging that the president was right after all. The electoral center, which gave the Dems their majority, is exceedingly fickle. They elected the president in '04 because they thought we could still in Iraq, then turned around and elected the Dems in '06, because they stopped believing it. If the president was right after all, then they might as well go back to supporting the president. The would be the end of the Democratic majority, and possibly the end of their chances in '08.

The Democrats problem stems from the fact that their base is composed of two groups that fundamentally do not share the same view of American foreign policy or of the war on terror. On the one hand, you have people who once supported the war, and on the other, the people who were always against it. Those two groups agree about only one thing now, which is that the Iraq war has been a disaster and we should get out as soon as possible. Until recently that view was held by a majority of Americans, which is what translated into the democratic majority.

Unfortunately for the Demcrats, the progress in Iraq is largely undeniable, and the American people are starting to believe it. For the first time in a long time, a majority of Americans believes both that we can win in Iraq and that the war in Iraq is part of the war on terror. That, of course, is the essence of the Republican platform on Iraq.

Consequently, Democratic-party leaders are faced with Hobson's choice. They must play the pessimist's part – it is the only way to maintain their majority. Anything else is political suicide for them. They are irretrievably invested in defeat. They therefore have to deny that we are making progress, no matter how obvious that progress is — and no matter how relieved they are, deep down inside, as Americans, that we are making it.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 110th; charlesschumer; chuckschumer; congress; defeatism; democrats; elections; hobson; hobsonschoice; iraq; media; mediabias; schumer; wot
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To: george76
and no matter how relieved they are, deep down inside, as Americans, that we are making it.

I wish I could believe this. But I just can't.

21 posted on 09/10/2007 6:44:21 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (A good marriage is like a casserole, only those responsible for it really know what goes into it.)
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To: george76
Good Lord, george76, you keep pinging me into these things, you will be responsible for my demise...

Schumer's face is everywhere you look these days...


22 posted on 09/10/2007 6:49:16 PM PDT by rlmorel (Liberals: If the Truth would help them, they would use it.)
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To: george76

Thanks for your post and link.

Statements like that from Chuckie are expected now I guess, it just shows what a lowlife he is.

The dems are squirming now on their policy and I think it’ll get much worse for them.


23 posted on 09/10/2007 6:49:21 PM PDT by jazusamo (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: rlmorel

LOL! It’s a dead ringer!


24 posted on 09/10/2007 6:50:32 PM PDT by jazusamo (DefendOurMarines.com)
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To: devolve; george76; pookie18
Sorry, I am running waaaay behind tonight, lol.


25 posted on 09/10/2007 6:57:44 PM PDT by potlatch (MIZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_MIKAZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_MAZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_))
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To: pookie18

LOL, pook!! You beat me here and I didn’t know it!!!


26 posted on 09/10/2007 6:59:11 PM PDT by potlatch (MIZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_MIKAZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_MAZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_))
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To: george76
and no matter how relieved they are, deep down inside, as Americans, that we are making it.

Yeah right as Americans --Cut me a break
27 posted on 09/10/2007 7:05:16 PM PDT by uncbob (m first)
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To: jazusamo
"...LOL! It’s a dead ringer!..."

Well, gosh...now that you MENTION it...:)

28 posted on 09/10/2007 7:05:33 PM PDT by rlmorel (Liberals: If the Truth would help them, they would use it.)
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To: UglyinLA
Their believability is at a all time low.

They still form public opinion BIG TIME
29 posted on 09/10/2007 7:06:48 PM PDT by uncbob (m first)
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To: rlmorel
Yep...separated at birth. If there was ever someone who deserved to have a giant wrecking ball swing into the picture and demolish him...it would be Schumer in this picture.


30 posted on 09/10/2007 7:13:46 PM PDT by rlmorel (Liberals: If the Truth would help them, they would use it.)
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To: rlmorel

Schumer is a despicable human being. He stands for nothing except his next camera opportunity.


31 posted on 09/10/2007 7:44:54 PM PDT by baiamonte
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To: george76; AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...
Their base will throw them back into the minority if they say anything else... You can't acknowledge that things are going better in Iraq without implicitly acknowledging that the president was right after all.
And that isn't confined to Dhimmicrats -- and neither is hatred of the Bush family. Thanks, G76. Aww, you sank my battleship!
32 posted on 09/10/2007 9:38:13 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Profile updated Wednesday, August 29, 2007. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: potlatch

.

LOL!

How did I miss this and this thread?


33 posted on 09/10/2007 9:41:56 PM PDT by devolve ( -- No -- --You cannot change hair color on photos or videos!--)
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To: george76

Thanks for the youtube link of this TRAITOR.


34 posted on 09/10/2007 9:43:00 PM PDT by PGalt
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To: devolve

You were busy posting Charlie Brown perhaps?


35 posted on 09/10/2007 9:49:43 PM PDT by potlatch (MIZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_MIKAZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_MAZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_))
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To: PGalt

Chuck Schumer is not only a liar, a traitor, a coward, but no better than Dan Rather is trying to fool us :

saying one thing in a speech, while carrying a very different rendering of a critical passage at a supposed “transcript” of that speech on his own Senate website.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1893969/posts


36 posted on 09/10/2007 10:09:03 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: potlatch

Thanks for making and posting Chuckie.

You did a nice job with his eyes and mouth.


37 posted on 09/10/2007 10:12:25 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: george76; devolve

Thank you george. I actually had another frame in that gif and accidentally ‘cut’ it and lost it!!


38 posted on 09/10/2007 10:14:23 PM PDT by potlatch (MIZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_MIKAZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_MAZARU_ooo_‹(•¿•)›_ooo_))
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To: potlatch

.

The famous “missing frame” huh?


39 posted on 09/10/2007 10:22:57 PM PDT by devolve ( -- No -- --You cannot change hair color on photos or videos!--)
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To: SunkenCiv

The DUmmies are tied to this “lose at any cost” agenda. The longer they stay stuck on stupid ( with moveon and friends ), the bigger the risk for themselves.

If Iraq goes positive in the eyes of most Americans by October 2008, the DUmmies may have a serious split inside their party.


40 posted on 09/10/2007 10:23:24 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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