Reading the Tea Leaves


Rethuglicans sling excuses post-election much the same way they fling mud prior--throw early, often, and scattershot, hope something sticks, then turn it into the narrative. Hence, Bernie Piss-an-ant's "analysis," which is little more than spin.

Pinsonant lines up the usual excuses like little toy soldiers--low turnout, Cazayoux was the most conservative Democrat, he ran against Woody "Behold-my-Plastic-Fetus" Jenkins, it was just a special election and now he's got to win the general come November, etc. etc., excuses that, funny enough, never get trotted out when, say, a Republican takes advantage of unusual circumstances and low voter turnout to get elected (e.g., a certain Austrian-American California governator).

When Democrats win elections, some spin-dick like Pinsonant will ALWAYS play concern troll, insisting to all within earshot that one mustn't read too much into the results and that said Democrat "must be careful," lest they be labeled a "Nancy (Pelosi) boy" or worse.

And, you know what--Bernie's free to spin that, but it'd be nice if the media, for once, labeled it as the propaganda it is: Bernie's "wisdom," as far as anyone can determine, is of the "pulled from his ass" variety...now, sure, Cazayoux's a conservative Democrat--duh--and Woody Jenkins is just plain batshit insane, but the fact is, all the unusual circumstances noted, that this election, like so many others over the last thirty years or so, was quite conventional, at least by the standards we've managed to sink to.

The Democratic candidates spoke about genuine issues; Republicans engaged in the black arts of fearmongering and invective. Jenkins, the GOP, and various fellow travellers conjured all the usual smears, truth be damned...and when that failed, they even resorted to illegal and fraudulent eleventh hour desperation tactics.

Again, special circumstances noted, maybe, just maybe, the public is sick and tired of the crap: self-proclaimed moralists proudly and unashamedly engaging in little more than inane mud-slinging and triviality...at a time when people have real, genuine concerns. Maybe, just maybe, they've seen, from George W. Bush on down, and including the so-called "analysts" like Pinsonant, the pure political rot, the sheer cynicism, and the utter lack of concern for the larger public that lies at the essence of the GOP...and maybe they've decided enough is enough. No, that doesn't mean there's going to be a run on used VW vans in the 6th District...but it might well mean that the Rethuglican tactic of reliance on trivialities pushed like so much political crack cocaine from themselves and their operatives is beginning to wear thin for an electorate that can't afford playtime politics anymore...