The Spinelessness Scam

As one who has often complained, along with may others in the blogosphere, about the inveterate invertebrate behavior of elected Democrats, I must confess that I have been in denial.

How so, you ask?

Well, it's like this.

I have weighed the conventional wisdom concerning the putative spinelessness of our "more and better" Democratic leaders and have found it wanting. Is it credible, I asked myself, that so many driven, hyper-ambitious men and women - men and women who clawed and brawled their bloody way to the top of the electoral food chain - would suddenly go all weak in the knees at the thought of being called bad names by the other side? And that in the face of relentless criticism from the party rank and file? And not just once or occasionally, but consistently?

No.

What, then, is the explanation?

I believe it is this: "spinelessness" is simply a clever cover for the fact that the Democratic agenda is really the same as that of the GOP, to wit, to keep their corporate owners happy. Republicans, you see, can wear their inner sociopaths on the outside and the GOP base will see it as a badge of honor; Democrats must at least feign empathy in order to get elected and keep their constituents off balance. Dems would much rather cop to the lesser offense of spinelessness (or haplessness, the other excuse that gets trotted out when spinelessness won't do) than plead guilty to their real crime: unbridled self interest. Just like the other guys (with far too few exceptions).

That's it. It was right there in front of me all this time, but I refused to see it. Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me 12,347 times; I fucking deserve it.

No more.