Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Wonks Only Want To Recognize Wonks

There's a wave of giddiness amongst the right wing this week. A couple of intemperate remarks at the DNC Rules Committee meeting over the weekend have given them a spark of hope that the Democratic Party is, somehow, so fractured that Hillary Clinton's mere presence in the country will be able to blow it to flinders.

Bad news, Kids.

Most of America doesn't act like you and me. They don't really give a rat's rip about what the Rules Committee said or did. They won't care about a Primary fight come November. Most of America doesn't understand the Florida/Michigan delegation folderol. Come November they won't care, either. They are not wonks and insiders. Most of America still doesn't read political blogs every hour or hang on every word from the mouth of either side of the Olbermann/O'Reilly coin. Most of America doesn't care about Inside Baseball.

Most of America is just trying to get by until the next paycheck. They know that the housing market is in the tank, that it costs $45 to fill the tank on the Buick and that the godforsaken war is sucking up a million dollars a minute of their mother's Social Security check. They know who has been in charge for the last 7 years and who's been blocking progress. Most of America has been paying attention and knows what it's going to take to fix it.

The biggest share of America doesn't know who Paul Ryan is, much less that he's got a magic map for them. Most of America can't name their own Representative in June. Hell, even the Republican's presumptive nominee didn't know that Paul Ryan had a plan. Most Americans just know that they are one layoff from not having insurance to cover Billy's next checkup and one stock market swing from having their 401k in the tank.

There's a lot of chatter and chaff about who will or won't vote for Obama in November going on this week. It's just as sincere and heartfelt as the same noises after the Fredheads were disappointed and after Huckamania sputtered. It carries all of the long-term weight of the ennui after Willard took his great haircut and headed home. Senator Clinton has already started to make conciliatory noises. Cooler heads will prevail in the party and the big bus will start to turn.

The Democrats will heal quickly. Those few wonks with their noses out of joint this morning will get glad in the same clothes in which they got mad. They may not pull the oars for an Obama campaign but they'll damn sure pull the lever for him.

The real campaign starts today. If you've managed to convince yourself that the Democrats are in disarray you might want to follow Jeff Wagner's bromide. Get yourself a helmet.

2 comments:

capper said...

Well said, sir.

Zach W. said...

Grumps, you're right on the money. The Democrats will heal quickly, despite the right wing spin machine's attempts to portray the party as hopelessly fractured. Hell, one only needs to listen to John McCain's speech for evidence of how hard the GOP is trying to spin Obama's nomination as a product of "party insiders and pundits," as if all those millions of folks who voted for Obama had nothing to do with him winning the nomination.