POST-VICTORY VITRIOL?

A commenter remarks, in response to my piece "Bush's Second Term":

That is perhaps one of best thought out, logical optimistic fantasies I've ever read. But, I am just enough of an optimist to believe it has a smidgen of a chance of coming to pass... but what about the anguished insanity that will occur the day, or night, Bush is declared re-elected? How much, if any, of the vitriol will be expressed in a revengeful, obstructionist congress?

That's up to the Democrats. I am of the opinion that it is the Democrats who have refused the chance for moderation in the past two years. Moderate critiques were available and would have served them better. They chose extreme ones instead. Some examples:

THE ECONOMY.
Moderate critique: The recession was just part of the normal business cycle, after a ten-year boom. It wasn't terribly deep, and now the economy is growing strongly. Overall, the economy has grown rather than shrunk, so we're not poorer. Still, Bush's economic management has been a bit subpar. Clinton did better, no? Let's go back to balanced budgets and get that New Economy shine back!

Extreme critique: This is the worst economy since President Hoover, and it's all Bush's fault! (see The Democrats Cry Wolf.)

THE IRAQ WAR.
Moderate critique: We took out one of the world's nastiest regimes-- good. A lot of people have their freedom, sort of-- good. There were no WMDs, but everybody thought there were-- no score. Yet really, we paid a very high price in diplomatic capital, soldiers' lives, and money. Even with WMDs, Iraq wouldn't have been a huge threat. And if we think of this as a humanitarian mission, there were probably better uses for the money. Let's agree to have no regrets, but even so... maybe we should plot a different course for the years ahead.

Extreme critique: This was the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time! Bush lied, people died. It was all a mistake. It's a quagmire. A second Vietnam! We're gonna lose, whatever that means!

THE PATRIOT ACT.
Moderate critique: The Patriot Act gave law-enforcement agencies useful powers and probably helped us to prevent a second terrorist attack, but at the cost of some sacrifice of civil liberties. While it was an understandable move in a time of emergency, we should bear in mind that in the long run an oppressive government is more of a threat than terrorists are. We need to restore some checks and balances.

Extreme critique: John Ashcroft is a fascist! The Patriot Act is an Orwellian device which is turning us into a totalitarian state! The government is treating us all like suspects!

I think the Democrats would be in a better position if they'd used the moderate critiques, but who knows? Maybe hyperbole and slander work. That's why a Bush landslide this year would be a wonderful thing. It would force the Democrats to embrace moderation, to look for the center, to rediscover the role of loyal opposition, to re-invent themselves. To be the party of Clinton.

Will they?

We have one good political party in this country. We need two.