Sounds About Right

by tristero

From a TPM Informant who’s a staffer inside Congress:

The worst is that I can’t help but feel like the main emotion people in the caucus are feeling is relief at this turn of events. Now they have a ready excuse for not getting anything done. While I always thought we had the better ideas but the weaker messaging, it feels like somewhere along the line Members internalized a belief that we actually have weaker ideas. They’re afraid to actually implement them and face the judgement of the voters. That’s the scariest dynamic and what makes me think this will all come crashing down around us in November.

I believe President Clinton provided some crucial insight when he said, “people would rather be with someone who is strong and wrong than weak and right.” It’s not that people are uninterested in who’s right or wrong, it’s that people will only follow leaders who seem to actually believe in what they are doing. Democrats have missed this essential fact.

Yup, that feels like a good part of the truth, that a lot of Democratic congresscritters are just plain giddy with relief.

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PS: For the record, Clinton may be describing something real when he says that “people would rather be with someone who is strong and wrong” but that is not a good thing. And also for the record, liberals do have it right. Gotta work on that other part. Suggestion: we’ll get strong when progressives get truly effective at organizing major levels of funding to specific, electable candidates.