The Ruse

The Democrats aren't failing to stand up to Republicans and failing to enact sensible reforms that benefit the middle class because they genuinely believe there's political hay to be made moving to the right. They're doing it because they do not represent any actual voters. I know I've said this before, but they are not a progressive political party, not even secretly, deep inside. They just play one on television.

For evidence, all you have to do is look at this latest fiasco.

The Republicans in this debt debate fought like wolves or alley thugs, biting and scratching and using blades and rocks and shards of glass and every weapon they could reach.

The Democrats, despite sitting in the White House, the most awesome repository of political power on the planet, didn't fight at all. They made a show of a tussle for a good long time -- as fixed fights go, you don't see many that last into the 11th and 12th rounds, like this one did -- but at the final hour, they let out a whimper and took a dive.

We probably need to start wondering why this keeps happening. Also, this: if the Democrats suck so bad at political combat, then how come they continue to be rewarded with such massive quantities of campaign contributions? When the final tally comes in for the 2012 presidential race, who among us wouldn't bet that Barack Obama is going to beat his Republican opponent in the fundraising column very handily? At the very least, he won't be out-funded, I can almost guarantee that.

And what does that mean? Who spends hundreds of millions of dollars for what looks, on the outside, like rank incompetence?

It strains the imagination to think that the country's smartest businessmen keep paying top dollar for such lousy performance. Is it possible that by "surrendering" at the 11th hour and signing off on a deal that presages deep cuts in spending for the middle class, but avoids tax increases for the rich, Obama is doing exactly what was expected of him?
~ from Debt Ceiling Deal: The Democrats Take a Dive by Matt Taibbi ~

Taibbi makes a great point that Democratic Party sympathizers really need to look at. This rationale that Obama isn't a good negotiator or that a great deal of the Democratic Party folks in Congress keep getting outflanked by the GOP doesn't make any sense when one considers the amount of campaign contributions that flow into their coffers.

The very fact that most of them are not hurting for campaign bucks shouts volumes. Unless you are a complete nincompoop, it is about as obvious as obvious can be that the so-called inept Democratic Party is playing a key role in the American version of the shock doctrine. They play the role of the foil to the GOP, so that both parties and the mainstream media can pretend that a genuine debate is taking place.