This Is Amusing

I was thinking a bit about some developments today, like the jump in Bush's poll numbers (which I don't really think are all that important, as I explained earlier). But that brought to mind some earlier posts I had made about a whiff of nervousness I was beginning to detect. Then I looked at this post. That led me here, which in turn led me over here. (Confused yet? Welcome to my world.)

So, when I read Daniel DiRito's words in that last linked post, I noticed he hit exactly the point I have had in my mind for a while now. The netroots are causing some serious damage to the Democrats.

Thought Theater has long argued that the singular strategy of opposing the war in Iraq may well be insufficient to carry the Democrats to victory in November. Although the Democrats have positions on other issues that voters are concerned about, the recent attention given to the Connecticut Senate race, where anti-war Democrats sought and succeeded in unseating Joe Lieberman, may have given voters the impression that the Democrats are myopic in their anger with the war in Iraq…a position voters may well see as weak on terror given the President's success in connecting Iraq to the war on terror.

The very first – and to date ONLY – scalp the netroots have earned was from a sitting Democratic Senator who was reliably Democrat on almost every issue of real importance to the party except Iraq. But the sideshow they have created may damn well cost the Democrats the election. It is not just me that is seeing it. I have no clue what DiRito's politics are overall, but he sees much the same trap.

If Lamont wins but the Democrats do not take either house, the netroots will have succeeded in marginalizing themselves. If Lamont loses, the netroots have shot themselves in the head. Not the foot. The head. They better hope the Dems can pull out at least one house, or they will have effectively eliminated themselves from politics.