Say It Ain't So Already

Democrats as the Battered Spouse

April 28, 2009 at 5:31 PM Leave a comment

Thom Hartmann talked about this article on his show today:  Democrats’ Battered Wife Syndrome, by Robert Parry.  It’s fairly long but Parry explains the 40-year “marriage” between the abusive husband, the Republicans, and the battered wife, the Democrats.

Money quote:

The Democrats hope against hope that if they tolerate the latest Republican outrages maybe there will be some reciprocity, maybe there will be some GOP votes on Democratic policy initiatives.

But there’s no logical reason to think so. That isn’t how the Republicans and their right-wing media allies do things; they simply get angrier because belligerence has worked so well for so long.

On the other hand, Democratic wishful thinking is the essence of this political “battered wife syndrome,” dreaming about a behavioral transformation when all the evidence – and four decades of experience – tell you that the bullying husband isn’t going to change.

Democrats have got to get this. They have got to realize that being nice won’t work; it won’t make the Republicans change.  This is working for them.  For God’s sake, I’ve seen Democrats on “panels” on teevee sit there like a bump on a log while their Republican counterpart refers to the Democratic party as the “Democrat party.” They can’t even stand up to THAT!

Meanwhile, we the people, the nation as a whole — the kids in the dysfunctional relationship — suffer the consequences.

Entry filed under: Republicans, Including Wingers & "Moderates", We the People. Tags: .