E.J. Dionne has a complaint.
One of the strangest lead sentences I have ever encountered appeared in Politico last week. It read: "John Kerry has been the most aggressive advocate of climate change legislation in the Senate this year -- so aggressive that it's rubbed some of his colleagues the wrong way."
The story went on to say that Kerry's "zeal" is "making some swing-vote Democrats cringe at the thought of negotiating with someone they fear is tone-deaf to the political realities of their respective states -- particularly in a difficult midterm elections year."
So there you have it: Once criticized for being too aloof and patrician, Kerry is now being assailed for daring to have passion for the cause of reducing the amount of carbon we are pumping into the atmosphere.
Note that none of this is about the legislative merits. Kerry is being criticized for caring too much about an issue and not thinking enough about an election -- for being insufficiently opportunistic and unprincipled.
And Democrats wonder why the polls find an "enthusiasm gap" that suggests their supporters will sit around grumpily in November while Republicans flood the polling places.
This is why some of us steer clear of Politico with the same conviction that we steer clear of Fox. Both "news sources" are about politi-titillation, not reliable reporting or fresh and original opinion pieces.
But the Democratic party -- excepting welcome outbursts like that of John Kerry -- has nothing to offer either. It has lost -- along with its soul -- its brain. In spite of a notable liberal surge during Obama's candidacy and sustaining and effective efforts during the health care and other controversial debates, Democrats seem to have sold out to a minority of far right wing shouters, and Obama is going along with the party. They're brain-dead. They're about as useful as Republicans. We're watching not the battle of the titans but the weary grumbling of the sloths.
...Either Obama and the Democrats really believe that giving the economy another shot in the arm now is essential or they don't. If they put no punch behind their argument, voters will have no idea that some state cutbacks or tax hikes they are worried about could be avoided if Congress were willing to act.
The Obama of 2008 understood how to define the stakes and how to rouse the faithful with both reason and passion. What happened to that guy?
