On this day before Election Day 2004, I’d like to note a few things that a number of progressives were sure of over the past four years.
Some progressives were sure that George W. Bush would plant weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and miraculously “find” them.
Some progressives were sure that George W. Bush had arranged a fix with Saudi Arabia in which the Saudis would flood the market with oil, making the energy situation look less dire and ensuring Bush’s re-election.
Some progressives were sure that George W. Bush would trot out a long-captured Osama bin Laden shortly before the election, trumpeting his capture and riding a wave of popularity to victory.
Some progressives were sure that George W. Bush would stage a terrorist attack on the United States before Election Day and use it as a pretext to postpone the elections and jettison democracy.
None of these came to pass.
The Republicans’ fallibility is that they are not as fantastically omnipotent or conspiratorally diabolical as some progressives think they are.
It is the fallibility of a number of progressives (though not all, mind you) to buy the hype of Republican infallibility and spin it into a series of discouraging and self-defeating conspiracy theories that are disconnected from reality.
The Republicans do not have complete control. Karl Rove is not a supergenius. Conservatives can be defeated. But until we convince ourselves of these things, we won’t get anywhere.
You (or your ilk) was SURE of all those things? That just goes
to prove what a paranoid and evil person you are. Come on really- you thought that GWB would actually stage a terrorist attack on his own people? That is so absurd as to be beyond belief. He may be a bumbling fool, but he is not the anti-Christ, as this type of activity would suggest. The theories like this and the cheap oil theory (I wish!) are supported by so many of the wacky “progressives” that I question: why don’t you denounce these purveyors of idiocy from your group? Stick to a higher ground. If you believe Bush is an idiot with failed policies, so be it. I don’t argue with you on that. But as your editorial points out, these wacked-out conspiracy theories are mainly so ridiculous as to be X-files worthy, yet I’ve seen them on blogs repeated over and over again. And the “progressive” heads nod in agreement. Progressive to what? Good Luck to Kerry, I’m glad he doesn’t listen to people saying idiotic things like yourself. (not calling you an idiot, though) Peace and love to you.
Johhnyx,
Take care when you read next time. I said some progressives. Some progressives means some progressives. It doesn’t mean anything else.
Don’t take it personally. I did say “or your ilk” and I clearly didn’t include all progressives in the “ilk”, just the nut cases that propose some of the more ridiculous theories. When I said the “you” should denounce some of these wackos, then I meant the “you”, referring to you as the sensible, clear thinker that I’m sure you (personally) are. I still think some of your ilk are quite nuts, based on a large percentage of the blogs I read, but of course that may be due to your racial breeding, according the other side’s silly thinkers. But I love you all, despite your faults!;)