“The ‘both parties do it’ thinking is just how the DemonRATs spin out of their dirty tricks tactics. It puts the Republican Party in the position of trying to prove a negative. Of course, this is also what Stalin had in mind when he said: “Accuse others of what you do.” The tactic works.”
That’s absolutely correct, of course. I’ve been trying to cram that into a one-phrase sound bite for years now, with no success.
It also puts the pubbies in the Pee Wee Herman position — that is, it makes them look like they’ve been accused, and their response is “I know you are, but what am I?”
This ploy is as effective as it is dishonest, and I really don’t know what to do about it. I tried to explain it to one of our local talk show hosts who always, as a matter of ingrained habit, says “Of course, both parties do it.” I couldn’t even make him understand what I was driving at.
I think perhaps the best alternative is to push an alternative political paradigm. We have been dealing with a scale based on Aristotle’s golden mean, with the most reasonable positions in the center, and positions becoming increasingly odious the further they deviate (whether to right or left) from that ideal center.
I now deal with a spectrum that starts with Satan on the left and proceeds to God on the right. More accurate, I think.
"If you think 'everybody does it', you're probably surrounded by Democrats -- or mirrors."
Howzat?