Democrats, Why Are You So Funny?

Friends in the Democratic Party,

In Seraphic Secret (Feb. 15, 2008), Robert Avrech anticipates the Democratic National Convention going something like this:

7:00 pm Opening flag burning.
7:15 pm Pledge of Allegiance to the U.N. in Spanish.
7:20 pm Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
7:25 pm Nonreligious prayer and worship with Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton.
7:45 pm Ceremonial tree hugging.
7:55 pm Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
...
8:40 pm Our Troops Are War Criminals — John Kerry and John Murtha.
9:00 pm Saddam Memorial Rally — Cindy Sheehan and Susan Sarandon.
11:00 pm Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
11:05 pm Collection for the Osama Bin Laden kidney transplant fund — Barbra Streisand. ...

It goes on and gets very funny.

So why is this funny? It is only funny because there is a strong element of truth in it.

Next question: why is this still funny? After 35 years of experience with the American public rejecting the radical McGovernite wing of the Democratic party, why do they allow this sort of thing to go on? Jimmy Carter was elected solely on account of the Watergate scandal and its fallout, and Bill Clinton was elected as a New Democrat who promised to steer a moderate course. Yet the comic success of this parody of the Democratic National Convention in 2008 tells us that the Dems are still not ready to govern. They will either suffer yet another defeat or so embarrass themselves in a single term presidency that they will be out for another three terms.

It takes more than Oprah Winfrey, cool videos and a well delivered speech to make it in the national contest.

By the way, a possible scenario for this summer and fall would be a close race between Hillary and Obama, Hillary pulls some tricks and snags the nomination, Obamamaniacs are so enraged over her apparent theft of the nomination that they stay home in greater numbers than the Republicans do, independents go for McCain by very high margins, and the Old Dragon goes down to raging defeat. Of course, now that I have mapped that out, it won't happen.

Regardless of what happens, if Hillary wins the nomination, Obama would be a fool to accept the VP slot. He is still young. Remember, Reagan ran in 1968 and 1976 before finally getting it in 1980. Tying himself to Hillary Clinton will soil him in ways we cannot even imagine, and ruin his chances for a future bid. In the meantime, he should try actually accomplishing something in government, perhaps serving as Governor of Illinois, if that position becomes available.