Democrats are now at risk of post-Bush stress disorder (PBSD), a trauma that can cripple their efforts to adjust to everyday life in a new era. Their longtime enemy—potent Republicans—is gone, a mere memory of pain. But Republican ways of thinking have infected the minds of too many Democrats. More than a few have fallen into the GOP habit of selling out to corporate interests (the $1.5 million that health-related lobbies contributed to Max Baucus in 2007–08 goes a long way in Montana), pandering to banks, and reflexively assuming that just because the Pentagon recommends escalation in Afghanistan, it must be necessary. These habits will have to be broken if the Democrats are to stay in power…
It’s 2009, not 1994 or 2002. Conservatives are noisy but irrelevant, and moving right to please them is not smart politics. It’s time for Democrats to shed their old hang-ups—and prepare for the new political combat of the 21st century.
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Something about this article strikes me as desperate and panicky.
ZJPolitical on October 18, 2009 at 2:25 PM
The dems have already embarked on their political war for the 21st century. They are fighting conservatives and Fox News.
ICBM on October 18, 2009 at 2:31 PM
They have a disorder, alright.
lorien1973 on October 18, 2009 at 2:33 PM
I’m glad Alter is no longer not pretending to be a Democrat lap dog and lefty hack…maybe more people can safely ignore him now.
AUINSC on October 18, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Funded by taxes, which, of course, is just another form of “premium”.
Either way, it’s money coming out of my pocket that can’t be used for other things.
Also, “gouging” has a specific definition in markets and no one is even close to proving that health insurers are “gouging”. For one thing, if they were, their profit margins would be going up, not staying flat.
It’s gotten to the point where all you have to believe in order to not be a liberal is that words have actual meanings and not fake meanings of political convenience.
venividivici on October 18, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Jonathan Alter is one of the whiniest of leftie wussies.
Schadenfreude on October 18, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Whither these Dems?
nyx on October 18, 2009 at 2:46 PM
Me thinks Alter’s brain has been a bit addled
nyx on October 18, 2009 at 2:48 PM
Actually, it’s PBDSD.
Connie on October 18, 2009 at 2:51 PM
Oh man…oh man….keep ‘em coming!
Sharke on October 18, 2009 at 3:01 PM
Can We The People blame our behavior on Post Bush Disorder too, or is it only permitted for Democrat pols? Like, can I go through red lights and stuff?
Sharke on October 18, 2009 at 3:03 PM
Except that every single poll proves otherwise.
Sharke on October 18, 2009 at 3:04 PM
so the cure is to move further left?
HawaiiLwyr on October 18, 2009 at 3:08 PM
I’d call it Bush withrdrawals.
Tzetzes on October 18, 2009 at 3:08 PM
I have a good friend that I work with who was a two time Bush supporter who said he bacame really upset with Republicans becasue of the shape of the economy. He voted for obama and has spent most of the deployment defending obama by claiming Bush was worse.
Finally, after 74 days of indecision on General McChyrstals troop request and the days wasted in Copenhagen and the dressing down the CinC did in Air Force 1, he finally said, “God, what have I done?”
For him, it took being affected in his daily operations here and seeing our ground folks that we work with getting killed. But people are getting it. People are starting to see.
hawkdriver on October 18, 2009 at 3:09 PM
Between this and the Weisberg piece earlier, I’m seeing a pattern develop: the best work of the leftist media is behind it. The stuff these guys are coming up with now to defend an indefensibly incompetent president is embarrassingly shallow. I ask again: How is it that these fellas get paid to write? My dog and a Ouija board could make more cogent arguments. There’s just no excuse for being both dumb and boring.
Rational Thought on October 18, 2009 at 3:09 PM
It’s all Bush’s fault!
rmgraha on October 18, 2009 at 3:15 PM
What brain?
Del Dolemonte on October 18, 2009 at 3:36 PM
HEY! That’s been my thinking ever since President Bush left office.
During his terms, the left suffered from BDS (which I had found on this site).
After he left office, I coined PTBDS (Post Traumatic Bush Derangement Syndrome). They are literally stuck on stoopid.
madmonkphotog on October 18, 2009 at 3:39 PM
Apparently the author believes that by governing based upon strong leftist principles, the Democrats will secure themselves in power.
For all our sakes, I hope those Dems in power will heed his advice. Center-right America will not endorse such blather.
Revenant on October 18, 2009 at 3:44 PM
and demented.
mizflame98 on October 18, 2009 at 3:54 PM
I’m glad to hear that your friend finally saw the light. I’m sorry to hear that it took so much to get him to.
backwoods conservative on October 18, 2009 at 3:58 PM
I hope they adhere to Alters advice and continue to step squarely on their own di+ks.
is spot on. What these morons don’t understand is, if insurance premiums go up to apoint I don’t like, I don’t have to buy insurance, or at least that policy. But when taxes go up, I have absolutely no choice in whether or not I want to pay them.
Morons. Absolute morons. 2+2= 1 in Obama math.
sheesh
Tim Zank on October 18, 2009 at 4:21 PM
The Democratic base is angry because the great victory of 2008 was supposed to result in the leaders of the Democratic Party finally standing up and releasing their Inner Commies, and here we have Obama actually permitting the private sector to survive here and there. What a disappointment.
tbrosz on October 18, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Mental illness is mental illness, no?
TheBigOldDog on October 18, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Keep thinking that way.
Sun Tzu said a few things about “knowing your enemy” and the less liberals “know” about us – the better I like it.
HondaV65 on October 18, 2009 at 5:12 PM
That was a cry for help. That was 100% unsure posturing.
All it needed was “The Black Knight always triumphs!” to complete it.
Techie on October 18, 2009 at 5:12 PM
Like the Dems would never, ever have even dreamed of doing such before…
ddrintn on October 18, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Their maladies are so profuse that it would be a mistake to have such a narrow diagnosis. Their disorder is systemic; akin to multiple organ failure.
MB4 on October 18, 2009 at 6:31 PM
Please oh please keep thinking that. Please keep ignoring polls and common sense. And finally, please keep writing silly incoherent articles.
SG1_Conservative on October 18, 2009 at 7:50 PM
Yeah, starting with the “organ” at the top.
Del Dolemonte on October 18, 2009 at 7:54 PM