Life Under the Big Top

In my daily peruse of Real Clear Politics, I came upon this:

"Only Hillary Can Reunite the Republican Party"

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/01/gop_candidates_fail_to_unite_t.html

The focus of this article was the current division in the GOP, but the biting last three sentences read:

"Both Sen. McCain and Gov. Romney are too flawed to reunite and reinvigorate a dispirited Republican party. There is only one candidate who can do that. And she might lose to Barack Obama."

This is life under the big top. As a Democrat, my party never seems to experience this, but it is evidence of the "big tent" theory which leads to GOP organization and GOP wins.

The GOP has become masterful at getting its members to "take one for the team." So on the issues, a member of the GOP may say to themselves, "Well, I only agree on 4 of 6 issues with a particular candidate, but I will go with the flow."

Democrats do not like the "flow." It is the issues that too often divide us because we cannot see the value in a common cause.

Like this election, for example. If we just want a "D" win as a party, then we ought to act like it, and put up a candidate who will not cause mass mobilization by the other party. So, thinking strategically, who has the best chances of beating the GOP #1 OR, alternatively, who will not cause a rally cry to be raised throughout the GOP to defeat our candidate.

I am afraid of the angry mob, especially after the last eight years. It might be time for the Democrats to spend some time under the big top, at least until November 5, 2008.