Hubris in Action

One of the most useful characteristics of liberals is their hubris and capacity for self-delusion. After the “Miracle in Massachusetts” on Tuesday, which saw the Democrat – in one of the bluest of blue states, who was up by more than 30 points, who had Obama fly out to campaign for her – get convincingly trounced by a virtually unknown Republican, you’d think most Democrats would realize the electorate wasn’t buying what they’re selling.

You’d think so – but you’d be wrong. Incredibly, there are a lot of liberals running around saying that the voters in Massachusetts rejected Croakley because Obama and the Democrats weren’t liberal enough. They can’t comprehend that the electorate is rejecting Obamacare and have convinced themselves that these electoral reversals reflect voter anger that it’s taking to long to pass Obamacare. I am not making this up; you can’t make this stuff up!

Here are a couple of examples:

• Obama Needs to Come Out Fighting
  By E.J. Dionne
  
  Brown's victory is also a rebuke to a United States Senate that acted as if it had unlimited time to pass health care legislation and ignored how foolish its listless ways appear to normal human beings. … In the short term, Democrats have to make a quick decision on health care. The obvious path is for the House to pass the Senate's bill and send it to Obama's desk, while reaching agreement on certain changes that, under existing practices, can get through the Senate with fewer than 60 votes. It would be the equivalent of a political crime for Democrats to have invested so much in health reform only to let it die because of one election in one state.
• Pass Universal Coverage Now, Fix It Later
  By Froma Harrop
  
  Pass universal coverage now, fix it later. … Even though their reforms are superior, Democrats in Washington could have done better still by not trying to please everyone (including Republicans who were just playing with them). But despite their control of the White House and majorities in Congress, Democrats seemed capable only of reacting to critics, of cringing with fear under even the most ludicrous attacks.
  
  If you don't have the courage of your convictions, it doesn't matter whether your party has 59 or 60 or 65 seats in the Senate. Under President Bush, Republicans got whatever they wanted with 50 senators.
• The Massachusetts Election
  New York Times Editorial
  
  There are many theories about the import of Scott Brown’s upset victory in the race for Edward Kennedy’s former Senate seat. To our minds, it is not remotely a verdict on Mr. Obama’s presidency, nor does it amount to a national referendum on health care reform — even though it has upended the effort to pass a reform bill, which Mr. Obama made the centerpiece of his first year.
  
  Mr. Obama was right to press for health care reform. But he spent too much time talking to reluctant Democrats and Republicans who never had the slightest intention of supporting him. He sat on the sidelines while the Republicans bombarded Americans with false but effective talk of death panels and a government takeover of their doctors’ offices. And he did not make the case strongly enough that the health care system and the economy are deeply interconnected or explain why Americans should care about this huge issue in the midst of a recession: If they lose their jobs, they lose their health insurance.

Dear liberals, please, please, PLEASE keep up this kind of thinking. It will make victories in the 2010 mid-term elections so much easier!