Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The Role of the Partisan

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Revolutionary Jimmy tried to tease me at work regarding Romney's speech at CPAC. The part that got to him was when Romney said:

"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

"This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters – many of you right here in this room – have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming President. If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country"
What makes Romney stronger for 2012 and Huckabee weaker, is the mention of Party. Romney had more States and more Delegates than Huckabee, yet he, "took one for the team," Huckabee still hasn't answered if he is for the team.

In Shakespeare, the Partisans are usually in the Chorus. Watch the first thirty minutes of Titus (with Sir Anthony Hopkins) to see the Partisans choose their Emperor.

For each campaign season, their is a designated role. Partisans support their candidate and cause shenanigans for the opposite candidate and their Partisans. It is the Press' job to call a flag on any play out of bounds (However, they blow the whistle on more Redskin plays than Dallas ones -- but that is another post).

Meanwhile, the audience consists of what I call the 60%. In any given year (election or non election year), 40% of the American population is active. Sometimes, that majority of 40% is Republican; In 2008, that cycle is majority Democrat.

The 60% are the folks who show up every four years and return to normal life after Election Day. They are the Partisan's audience. You win them, you win the election. Part of that 40% are the Bloggers who post about Politics in off-years (Yes, both Aurora and Jason). As partisans, we are the used car salesmen (and women) in the realm of politics. But without the 40%, the 60% would not care.

Does that mean partisans are unworthy? After all, Shakespere relegates the 40% to the Chorus. No, our role is not defined by our friends who are uninterested every 3 and 1/2 years, but by our candidates and what roles we play upon our Local Stage.

Partisans and Intelligence Agencies look upon the public the same way. There are members of the tribe, and then there are civilians. So, when I note "Hate Speech from the Democrats" or "Anti-Semitism from the Democrats," I am doing two things:

1) Playing my role on the Electronic Stage and noting the other side's words.

2) Hoping the 60% do not get inspired by the same Partisans who write those words above.

So, why does Huckabee stay? Because he is flying under false flags. The Clinton's have helped him up. Huckabee will leave the stage when the Clintons, not the Republican voters, tell him.

And now I exit, Stage Right.

socialize it

4 comments:

  1. JSF, I find that I have been relegated by the candidates to either the front of the house or the rear of the house as opposed to being allowed in the audience or chorus.

    It is often the case that the disabled are often ignored indeed none of the first tier candidate has openly advocated for a plank in the platforms of their respective parties related to disability issues.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:54 AM PST

    To be honest, I don't think Romney did 'take one for the team'. I think he had to get out because they weren't going to allow him to win and I think his retreat has meant one thing and that is that there is no more Conservative on offer. All three up there, Clinton, Obama and McCain are homogeneous to me and many other conservatives. That doesn't mean we still shouldn't vote on election day but really it's only about keeping the two real Alinskyite stinkers out. Though I don't think we have much of a chance at that. America is headed for a dark age I'm afraid. And I'm not defeatist just a realist. All we can do is try to vote some decent people into the congress.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JSF, no matter how many ways you try to say it, I am not a partisan. I am a cynical leftist political humorist. I have nothing but contempt for both parties, just one a little bit more than the other. I loathe partisanship. It brings out the worst in people and I am quick to point it out whenever I see it. I've asked this many times but I don't think I've ever gotten an answer from you. Is your party more important to you than your country? Because when people put their party first, democracy loses.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh and Aurora, you get funnier every time. America is HEADING TOWARD a dark age??? We're in the darkest age we've possibly ever been in. People losing their jobs and homes, stuck in an endless war based on false pretenses, a sinking dollar, loss after loss of privacy rights and civil liberties, becoming a laughingstock around the world, less access to healthcare than some third world countries, etc. Hopefully one of these "Alinskyite stinkers" (wouldn't that be refreshing if any candidate actually read Rules for Radicals let alone embraced even a tiny portion of it?) will be able to dig us even just slightly out of the pit this bozo and his cronies have put us into. Your rhetoric on its own manages to be funnier than any parody of rightwingnuts that I could ever come up with. Bravo, ya nutjob!

    ReplyDelete

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