Good post, and grim. Yes, it is genuinely hard to do. Also hard is what to do in Iraq. I generally agree with those who,  like Juan Cole, argue for the pullout as the least bad scenario. It will also be a fairly easy scenario to spin as a loss, I'm afraid. Heck, it probably is a loss; we won't want to think so, but most around the world will see it as a catastrophic loss. And this in turn could lead to another loss at the polls for those who advocate it.

Genuinely hard to do is right! That is why I think an aggressive Democrat response to the hurricanes is the best strategy to win. I am not talking so much about how to Blame Bush or others, but how actually to plan, to rebuild, to invent solutions, to make policies and to carry them out across the board on energy, poverty, and disaster preparedness... Those seem like winnable issues to me.

Posted at September 27, 2005 11:35 AM in response to Structural Disunity

Excellent point. It seems to me that even stronger leadership here by Democrats could help. The hurricanes can make things happen, with national attention on, energy, the environment, and the poor.  As low as Bush has been getting in the polls, Democrats aren't rising as they might should--couldn't this set of issues now resonate and be made to help in the midterm elections?

Posted at September 27, 2005 8:48 AM in response to Green for a Day

Good post. I am wondering which Democrat the Republican machine will choose for a good dose of Swift-boat-style demonizing.

Posted at September 3, 2005 11:59 AM in response to Who Are They Kidding?

Good post! Thanks for the history. I, too, wondered where the mayor and the governor were, and why their public faces were so downbeat. They might have realized that as public officials what they say matters in important ways, and that they might at least use the opportunity of public exposure in the media to identify specific problems--hospitals, in particular--where help needs to get. Even if the help arrives late, it would show energy, concern, and commitment.

Posted at September 2, 2005 7:04 AM in response to New Orleans: Not Going Anywhere

There is now, for all to see, a clear contrast between the manufactured threat which the Bush administration saw from Iraq and the very real threat posed by Katrina. This contrast effect will grow as the enormity of the crisis grows, day by day. People will ask themselves what the National Guard is really for. This will politicize the crisis. I foresee, though my predictive powers are usually dim, increased impatience with the Bush administration over failed policies in Iraq. It is about time, and it may be the only positive thing this catastrophe brings about.

Posted at September 1, 2005 12:23 PM in response to Is Bush Overwhelmed?

It has been a long time since I studied ethics; I would have said, or agreed, I think, that something that is "knowingly false and conveyed in a way that is intended to deceive" is a lie. If it is not technically a lie, it is just as good--just as bad--as one.

And, yes, journalists, reporters, anyone, ought to feel some obligation to point out when somebody talks that way, even if they don't feel like calling it a lie. If you just pass on stuff to others without pointing out that it is knowingly false, and that the way it is conveyed is intended to deceive, you might even be said to participate in the deception. The obligation, as it so often does, lies principally with the audience, the readers, us. If we do not complain, or demand higher standards, who will? But if we do not know in the first place that something is knowingly false and conveyed so that it will deceive, we will remain ignorant, and mute.

Also, presidents should keep higher standards.

Posted at June 13, 2005 8:57 PM in response to Calling Lies Lies

Listen to Bach's Coffee Cantata (BMW211) for an amusing (and tuneful) take on coffee as a potent drug, driving apart the generations. Also, as I recall, the book Fire in the Minds of Men by James H. Billington makes a similar point about coffee.

Posted at June 8, 2005 5:08 AM in response to Coffee and the Public Sphere

All very goodcomments. What we should expect, and keep pressing on, will be the administration's tendency to deceive itself, especially regarding Iraq, where there are no good options. The American public is beginning to recognize this. Democrats may not win by this alone, but they may win more easily if voters are increasingly made aware of this grand self-deception. Josh is right. The Republicans will do all they can to demonstrate strength. Democrats may not have a better plan in Iraq, now that we are sunk so deeply in, and they may not be able to counteract all of the anticipated onslaught of right-wing legislation, but if voters are aware of more honest self- perception, of clear-thinking and realistic planning, as contrastedwith the increasingly blinkered view of the administration, this may provide an edge. An important question for the public forum should be: Do you honestly believe what you are telling us? If Democrats can demonstrate that they do, they should easily show more strength than Republicans who do not.

Posted at June 6, 2005 9:04 PM in response to Attack, Attack, Attack ...