Attraction politics can hold is mystical, often irrational

Scottsdale Republic ^ | 5/31/03 | Bill Searle

[hsmomx3]

So the Democrats plan to open a Scottsdale office. Why would anyone be an outnumbered Democrat in the Northeast Valley?

As with religion, politics pose a mystical, not always rational, attraction to the faithful, "I belong to no organized political party; I'm a Democrat." We Democrats smile at our "uneasy alliance between folks who write books and folks who can't read," in the words of one Republican wag. Now as we form yet another "circular firing squad" for the coming presidential primary elections, solemn predictions of our demise are again grossly exaggerated.

[alloysteel]

Becoming a Democrat is a substitute for religion. These folks in Scottsdale are rather like the Hare Krishna, getting in your face and essentially begging. Don't mind it if they are simply beggars, it is the endless getting in your face when you attempt to turn away and walk off.

[PoisedWoman]

Here's another pop-psychology moment: Politics is about playing with power. Those of us who follow passionately are power-hungry wannabes.

Or: Politics is a great game, more interesting that baseball.

I'm going to write the author. I think I may know him from long ago.....if he's the same Bill Searle I once knew, he was an idiot back then too.....

[vpintheak]

What a load of Bullcocka! What is this guys point. Is he trying to win votes, or piss people off? There is not one bit of truth to any of his arguments.

[Alas Babylon!]

Uh-ha! So, it comes down to this:
Democrats are noble, Republicans are evil!
All their motives are pure, all Republican motives are twisted and false.
Clinton was pure, only the EVIL Republicans in Congress went after him just for sex.
Bush subverted the noble, pure efforts of the democrats in Florida to count every vote, and the equally malicious Supreme Court stole the election for him.

We've heard it a thousand times. No proof, just mouthings.

[adam_az]

So the Democrats plan to open a Scottsdale office. Why would anyone be an outnumbered Democrat in the Northeast Valley?

Because the golf is better?

[daviddennis]

Democrat Clinton did in fact make progress on issues of fiscal prudence, but that's thanks to a largely conservative Congress that refused to push though anything else.

That's not exactly a brilliant achievement for Clinton.

None of us like Clinton because he was an untrustworthy political genius. Nothing wrong with being a genius; a lot wrong with being untrustworthy. Even when he was working on behalf of things we supported, we had the uneasy feeling that he really didn't mean it. And some of the more honest Democrats, such as Christopher Hitchens, felt exactly the same way.

What I really don't understand is why this guy supports Clinton. Clinton betrayed his own party, at least ideologically, by running an essentially conservative administration.

You'd think they'd catch on.

D