Quote of the Day

"There's an attitude in some progressive circles suggesting that if we constantly hector the president about everything, it'll actually move some mountains. What's totally ignored in this approach are the political consequences -- the self-defeating aspect of demonizing the only president in decades who's more closely aligned with a progressive worldview. Which is why I've been shouting about "smart accountability" for more than a year now.

Smart accountability, if you're just joining us, is holding the president accountable in a way that doesn't undermine the movement by inadvertently weakening the president and enabling the Republicans. Unfortunately, constant badgering by some of the cool kids in the progressive blogosphere directed at anyone else who says something nice about the president appears to be the order of the day. Political consequences be damned. And now, anyone who points out the political consequences, like suggesting the potential of President Palin, is shouted down by the cool kids as well."

-- Bob Cesca

This is one of those themes I've also been repeating ad nauseam for longer than I care to remember -- that the indignant demand for the Great Progressive Utopia or Bust by some on the left amounts to little more than shooting yourself in the foot. No, it's not wise to let a president -- even one you happen to agree with on more than a few fundamental issues -- get away with anything he damn well pleases. But at the same time you have to accept that there may well be consequences -- extraordinarily negative ones -- to publicly beating him down for every little goddamned thing when he's already getting it in perpetuity from the other side. The other side, by the way, which has already proven how mind-numbingly good it is at standing together as one and backing a candidate or idea simply in the name of getting it thrust into a position of power. The other side that's just waiting in the wings, rubbing its collective hands together and salivating at the notion of this president's failure and its inevitable return to glory.