What Do We Do Now?

It dawned on me today that liberals, in general, and Democrats, in particular, simply don’t know how to act when they win. Oh, the politicians try to act like they are in charge, but, really, would it have taken a conservative administration 13 months and this level of angst to just get a vote on their chief agenda item? Then, when it came to the vote, would they have hidden behind perfectly legal but little understood deem-and-pass to try to hide their votes?

Don’t misunderstand me, the conservatives are perfectly familiar with hiding an unpopular vote. But on their cornerstone legislative agenda? After the President has campaigned for weeks on an “up and down” vote? Really?

No, not really. The Democrats worked so long and hard to be prepared for a Republican mistake (the glorious lack of WMDs finally did it) that would allow them to take over, they now seem unable to actually act like they won.

Those who have spent their lifetime competing, in sports for example, understand that when you win you get to take the high road, not quibble, and treat the other team with great respect. Instead the Democrats can’t get out from in front of the camera, trying to answer every right wing complaint with an insult or jab. They stoop to fight when they should be trying to govern.

Most of all, the liberal pundits (translate op-ed and bloggers) just can’t grasp that, when criticized, it is silly to say that the Republicans have done or would do the same. The downside of winning is you get judged, and, perhaps, that makes the Democrats better at being the minority party. Pragmatism is much less comfortable being judged than principle.