Poor Jean Schmidt and all tellers of the unexamined political opinion

Poor misguided souls. In the last election, and the mid-term before it things were so easy for the Republicans. Elections was easy. It was made easy through a vast infrastructure which included what standard opinions to have in regards to abortion and christ and the war, the standard opinions to have when contrary arguments are raised (talking points), and what manner to deliver it in and when (attack always the constant enemy). Now this doesn't leave a whole lot of leeway for, oh, say, a personality? or, say, an opinion? And this is how so many of them made their way into the House and Senate. But they're not real people, they're human bullet-points, which is fine if you're in any average year in the congress, but not in 2005.. Poor Jean Schmidt was one of those people that won her election against an Iraq II war vet, and how could a dumbass beat an Iraqi Veteran? By simply painting by Republican numbers. Hat's off to Rove that you can stamp the tactic on any numbnuts and have them win an electio...obviously. But, much like Bush, now you actually have to govern, and much like Bush it's real lonely when people stop paying credence to the usual attack-dog bullshit on a dime, and it turns out you showed up at the party dressed like the Cookie Monster and it turns out it wasn't a costume party. Sorry Jean, they have a scorched-earth policy and you were only as useful to them as the claim that America is with them because they gained seats in the election. They're adept at chewing people up and spitting them out. You're an acceptable loss, just like the troops. Now you know.

There's a very fun law of unintended consequences at play here. They got their war (they win!) now they have to face Democratic Iraq Vets in elections for the next 20 years (they lose). They won a bunch of seats in the House and Senate, earning that "political capital" (they win!), but all the new people are Jean Schmidts, one termers who will face Fightin' Dems next election. And finally, Jean Schmidt won (they win!) and now Hackett will win a seat in the SENATE instead of the House (oopsie).

I think the Republicans have awoken a sleeping giant, the Democratic Party.














OH MY GOD! I can't believe I didn't blog this before, CAN YOU BELIEVE, CAN YOU FUCKING BELIEVE, that George Bush is so desperate for a leg to stand on that he read a comment from John Kerry on Veteran's Day to defend himself. It's been said that they're only good when they have an enemy (which is why they insist on creating them as often as possible including the LIBERAL MENACE! and the AL-QADA under your bed) and since George defeated the great American threat known as John Kerry in November he hasn't had much to talk about. That's been said a lot, but how crazy is it that he's so desperate for the tactic of one year ago that he reads a John Kerry quote on Veterans Day to the troops!