Morris: They (Democrats) Just Can't Stop Themselves

New York Post ^ | Sept 26, 2002 | Dick Morris

[I still care]

AL Gore's speech attacking Bush over Iraq is the absolute low point in his increasingly bad political instincts. Challenging Bush on terror is like going after Clinton on the economy or Reagan on taxes.

Only in the past week have Democratic Party leaders come to grasp the magnitude of their error in challenging Bush on Iraq so close to the fall midterm elections. As the tracking polls have come in during the past 10 days, party leaders have realized that they have allowed Bush to change the subject from the economy and corporate greed to Iraq, with potentially lethal consequences for them in the congressional elections. But Gore didn't get the message.

[I still care]

I did a search for this and didn't find it, and Rush was talking about this today, so I went looking for it.

I know a lot of FR's don't like Dick Morris, but I love it when he talks about the Democrats this way. He makes then sound so.... so.... stupid. :)

[Salvation]

He makes then sound so.... so.... stupid. :)

What Daschle and Gore did this week WAS stupid!

[hchutch]

Morris has very good instincts.

Whether we like him or not, we need to listen to him.

[My2Cents]

Challenging Bush on terror is like going after Clinton on the economy

I disagree with the analogy. I think it's easy to take Clinton on regarding the economy. Increasingly, people are seeing that the so-called "Clinton Prosperity" was really a continuation of the "Reagan Prosperity," that after a small dip economic expansion began under Bush-41, that the economy really took off after the Republicans took control of Congress in 1995, and that much of the "prosperity" in the Clinton years was based on inflated earnings reports of publicly-traded companies.

But the Dems' suicidal tendencies on Iraq are only the revelation of their true natures, caused by political desparation that nothing they try has any traction.

[2banana]

Couple this with the black (muslim) and jewish split...

[madvlad]

So, does this mean that we will clean clock
in 6 wks?

Mad Vlad

[Psalm 73]

Dick Morris is a VERY strange duck, but that doesn't take away from some of his brilliant analysis.
I love reading his stuff - some of it I take with a grain of salt, though...

[bagman]

I think that you're missing the point. The perception in the electorate is that the booming economy of the Nineties was due to Clinton. It is immaterial whether this perception is justified. Clinton is widely considered to be due credit for those "good times."

For my part, I always thought that the booming 90s were due to productivity increases arising from the integration of personal computers to the workplace. I also note that the Leading Economic Indicators started declining in January, 2000, just when '43 was inagurated. Oops! That's right - Clinton would still be president for another year. Perhaps that economy wasn't so good.

Again, our ramblings regarding the true state of the economy are not important. Morris is arguing perception, not reality.

[2banana]

I think there is a better chance now...

[freedomlover]

I think that you're missing the point. The perception in the electorate is that the booming economy of the Nineties was due to Clinton. It is immaterial whether this perception is justified. Clinton is widely considered to be due credit for those "good times."

Isn't it interesting that prosperity in the 80's was GREED, whereas prosperity in the 90's was, well, prosperity.

[aristeides]

Couple this with the black (muslim) and jewish split...

Speaking of the Jews, how is the Dems' fundraising going? (Incredibly, Rush just reported that Drudge now has a tease up saying that Barbara Streisand has written to Gephardt demanding that he oppose war with Iraq.)

[Cicero]

It's not surprising that Gore did what he did, because he has a gift for bringing defeat out of victory.

It's a bit more surprising what Daschle did. Daschle is a fool, but I thought he had realized that hammering Bush on this issue is a mistake, and that he was ready to swallow his medicine and find some other issue.

I don't imagine Daschle cares whether Gore self-destructs, so he couldn't have been backing him. The only way I can account for his behavior is that his left-wing Senate troops headed by Nancy Pelosi forced him to do it, maybe threatening an open split if he didn't throw in with them.

He evidently prepared carefully for the big speech with the news media, because it was obvious that they had pre-planned the campaign for maximum impact, especially with all that talk of the "normally soft-spoken" Daschle speaking with such unusual fire.

Still, I think Morris is right. It can't fail to backfire.

[My2Cents]

What you say is true. But one of my pet peeves is incorrect perceptions that become historical "facts". Even though Morris has had a falling out with Bill Clinton, his reference to the unassailability of the "Clinton Economy" perpetuates the perception. It irritates me to think of Bill Clinton having a positive legacy of any kind, particularly one built on spin.

[My2Cents]

Whatever the reason, Daschle's hissy fit yesterday was the last desparate attempt by a Democrat leader to generate traction for any of their issues in the coming election. Like all other attempts, it failed.

[Kenton]

But the Dems' suicidal tendencies on Iraq are only the revelation of their true natures, caused by political desparation that nothing they try has any traction.

I'm hoping for a Gore/Sharpton Democratic Ticket in 2004.

After which, the Democrats will have to reinvent themselves again.

[My2Cents]

I don't know about the Dems reinventing themselves. As I like to point out, it's "The Democrat Party: Dividing Americans for Nearly 200 Years."....or "Democrats: The Party of Perjury, Obstruction of Justice, Corruption, Race-Baiting, and Appeasement." They don't need reinventing. They need to destroy themselves so thoroughly that something better can take their place.

[Chemist_Geek]

Morris is arguing perception, not reality.

He may be so arguing, but in politics perception is reality.

[NeoCaveman]

"The Democratic Party: Scaring old people since 1964"

[colorado tanker]

The ol' toe sucker got this one right. Daschle must be sniffing nail polish.

[Nonstatist]

Daschle's hissy fit yesterday was the last desparate attempt by a Democrat leader to generate traction

His Party is splitting right down the middle, only weeks before the election. Its very frustrating for him. In fact, incredible misfortune for him and incredibly good fortune for Bush (seen where the Dow is?).