Will A Good Purge Save the Dems?

Slate ^ | December 7, 2004 | Mickey Kaus

[RWR8189]

For Peter Beinart, it's 1950.

Beinart-Skipper: TNR's Peter Beinart argues that, just as liberals needed to purge non-anti-Communists from their ranks in the late 1940s, Democrats need to purge today's "heirs of Henry Wallace"--specifically, Michael Moore and MoveOn--who do "not believe there is a terrorist threat." It's a powerful analogy, and running Moore out of the party might well give any Democratic candidate an essential anti-Souljah credibility. But!

1) Beinart says

The left's post-September 11 enthusiasm for an aggressive campaign against Al Qaeda--epitomized by students at liberal campuses signing up for jobs with the CIA--was overwhelmed by horror at the bungled Iraq war.

There are two rhetorical tricks at work here. First is the conceit, among Iraq war supporters, that what's gone wrong in Iraq must be the product of administration "bungling." There has been bungling, of course. But it's not at all clear that a lot of the problems we've encountered could have been avoided by the best planning and diplomacy in the world. Maybe there were big problems inherent in the whole project. This is the possibility--that the decision to go to war itself was wrong--that vehement talk of bungling conveniently excludes. Was what we've faced in Iraq really what even the editors of the New Republic thought we'd face?

2) The second trick is the cunning exclusion of a sensible middle position--the anti-terrorist, anti-Iraq War position. Beinart supports

[OpusatFR]

I always think prunes, but in Michael Moore's case a case of Fleet's might be a better choice.

[blackeagle]

bump

[Hardastarboard]

We never did anything as agressive, in the course of successfully containing communism, as what we've already done in the course of combatting Islamic terror (i.e. invading Iraq).

Uh, duh, remember VietNam?

[CaptRon]

The left's post-September 11 enthusiasm for an aggressive campaign against Al Qaeda--epitomized by students at liberal campuses signing up for jobs with the CIA--was overwhelmed by horror at the bungled Iraq war.

There are consevatives even on liberal campuses. I know. I was one of them.

[FormerACLUmember]

Memo to Democrat Underground Sc*mbags and Mickey Kaus:

Too late, vermin.

You have already conducted a purge. You got rid of the Zel Millers, Ed Kochs, and Joe Liebermans and the rest of the decent, human elements of your evil party in favor of charlatan/monsters Michael Moore, MoveOn.org, and the rest of your internal Axis of Evil.

You and your vile party must be utterly destroyed. ASAP.

[Dog Gone]

It's rather moot. The Democrats have already completed their purge.

They've forced all the moderate and conservative Democrats into the Republican Party.

Maybe this guy should read Zell Miller's book.

[Dog Gone]

Damn

[weegee]

TNR's Peter Beinart argues that, just as liberals needed to purge non-anti-Communists from their ranks in the late 1940s, Democrats need to purge today's "heirs of Henry Wallace"--specifically, Michael Moore and MoveOn--who do "not believe there is a terrorist threat." It's a powerful analogy, and running Moore out of the party might well give any Democratic candidate an essential anti-Souljah credibility

Political correctness keeps them from being honest. It was not about purging "non-anti-communists" so much as purging communists and commie sympathizers. It is STILL THEIR PROBLEM.

They need to learn this lesson AGAIN.

[FormerACLUmember]

Great minds like ours process data to the same inevitable conclusions.

[weegee]

The CIA did all sorts of things during the Cold War. On top of that we were at the brink of global war several times.

Some of the incidents are only coming to light now decades later.

[weegee]

We went to war in Korea as well (with the UN's approval).

[nkycincinnatikid]

Hillary's Night of the Long Knives?

[KoRn]

I can invision the DIM party splitting in half in the next couple of years. I don't expect it though, the people at the top know how to do just enough to 'passify' the extremists just enough to keep them in line.

In a worst case senario for them, 10 - 15% of the party will go Green, or invent a totally different party behind some left wing leader.

The choosing of their next chairman could spawn a blood-bath, that will destroy them. It will be fun to watch!

[ImpBill]

The Dim's could salvage their party, but won't because they are Dim's (Dim Wits).

Of course the GOP is only marginally better in many regards, but still better with the absolute lock the left has on their party. If the Dim's wise up and move more to the right on issues of national security it might push the GOP to get a more conservative on domestic issues.

But I won't hold my breath for either to happen in my life time.

[xJones]

Will A Good Purge Save the Dems?

I don't know, but can we donate Fleet's enemas? It would take a huge fund raiser to supply Michael Moore but it's worth the effort!

[Dog Gone]

I guess, but even the way we laid it out was close enough for plagiarism charges.

[alnick]

TNR's Peter Beinart argues that, just as liberals needed to purge non-anti-Communists from their ranks in the late 1940s, Democrats need to purge today's "heirs of Henry Wallace"--specifically, Michael Moore and MoveOn--who do "not believe there is a terrorist threat."

Non-anti-communists, huh? So does that make Moore, Move-on, et al non-anti-terrorists?

[SandRat]

That's gonna take ONE....BIG....SUPOSITIRY! Half the Fire Hoses in the country are gonna be needed for the "equine irrigation" and the other half to wash down the streets.

[crazyhorse691]

I always think prunes, but in Michael Moore's case a case of Fleet's might be a better choice.
_______________________________________________________________

There ain't enough of you out there to make me give the M&Mboy a fleets. Disgusting.