Can't Hear the Revolution (Thank Christ)

David Broder pens another moving column on the subject of the Unity Party. The Unity Party is a project put together by Wise Men who are fed up with Partisan Bickering. The trouble with politics, they argue, is that people disagree. Their brilliant solution to this problem is to agree on everything, thus ending all disagreement. Shazam! It is truly a wonder that nobody has ever thought of this before.

Astoundingly, the oppressed masses, cowering as they are under the cruel lash of partisanship, are not exactly flocking to the Unity Party banner. The column is actually pretty funny on this point:

I contacted Bailey recently to ask what had happened to this bold gamble, and he was the source of that 35,000 figure for the number of people who have lent support to the scheme. They obviously have a long way to go before they can claim to be a viable political force, but they are making slow, steady progress.

When I called Bailey, it had been just a week since the group announced that anyone who was interested could sign up at http://www.unity08.com as a voting delegate to a national convention planned for June 2008. Most of the sign-ups came before that formal start, Bailey said, in response to last year's publicity about the formation of Unity08.

So they're not making "slow, steady progress." They got an initial rush and now nobody cares. Jeez, I bet a smart young advertising professional could get more than 35,000 people to sign an online petition for "Federline '08."  Or "Aphids '08." Or the "Dysentery Ticket." Or the "Nigerian Inheritance Party."

But there is still a Hunger for Nonpartisanship: the veteran political insider Broder smells it, like a Lab puppy scents a dropped breaded porkchop.

"The need [for a third party] is as great as it's ever been," Bailey said. "The partisan bickering in Washington continues nonstop, and the contest for the nominations in both parties is likely to make it worse."

Egads. Yes, elections do have a disturbing tendency to make people not agree on certain key issues, like who exactly to vote for. But Broder offers a Helpful Suggestion (and this is where we really see Teh Comedy, kids):

I suggested to Bailey that the underlying premise of this campaign -- the need to cure the partisanship of Washington -- might be undercut if the Republicans and Democrats nominated people who are not closely associated with those partisan battles -- mentioning Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee on the GOP side and Barack Obama and Bill Richardson among the Democrats.

No, he really wrote that, and I didn't make it up. Rudy Giuliani, Compromiser. Right.

It just annoys Broder no end that people actually have principles, doesn't it?  And that they think these principles are worth fighting for?

Broder is like the Edith Bunker of politics: everybody get along and be happy! Or I'll get crazy! Eeeeek! Ignore the yelling! Except Edith was smarter, and nicer.

Anyway: Stifle, Broder.

    

Comments

[pseudonymous in nc]

On this topic, he makes Andy Rooney look like a model of unpredictable wisdom.

[dan mcenroe]

If everyone just got along, he wouldn't have to do any of that journalism stuff all the kids seem so mad for these days. I mean, cut the guy some slack. He's tired. His feet hurt.

[mrs. ibrahim al-jafaari]

Mr. Deardourff and Douglas L. Bailey -- operating as Bailey, Deardourff and Associates -- were among the first national political consultants. They specialized in working for moderate and progressive Republican candidates. They worked as do-it-all consultants on more than 70 primary and general election campaigns, providing detailed schedules, cash-flow charts, strategies and tactics.

Bailey didn't leave the REpublican Party, the Republican Party left him. The reason we should care what an unemployed GOP consultant thinks is what, exactly?

[shrimplate]

Will this work?

No.

This has been another edition of simple answers to blahbidy-blah whatever. Bunch of trools. Imagine a whole party of "yes-men."

Oh, wait... Lieberman's about to speak on the news!

[Steve]

"The trouble with politics, they argue, is that people disagree. Their brilliant solution to this problem is to agree on everything, thus ending all disagreement."

This reminds me of one of my favorite scenes in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.

Anakin: "Well then they should be made to agree."
Padme: "By whom, who's going to make them agree? You?"
Anakin: "Of course not me. But someone... Someone wise, and strong."
Padme: "Sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me."
Anakin: "Well, if it works..."

[Lamb Cannon]

Aphids '08? Include me out!

[Genore]

I remember reading once that politics is "the art of the possible."

Broder makes it into "low comedy of the oblivious."

[bobbo]

Edith was totally smart.

[Skemono]

So... his solution to partisanship is to add more parties?

[Blue Gal]

Yeah, in honor of Broder I just today added a bunch of "vituperative foul-mouthed blogger of the left" stuff to my cafepress store. And I posted the panties for Mrs. Broder.

Civility that, Wapo.

[Fledermaus]

I swear that Unity 08 is just a bunch of republicans who are too ashamed to admit it.

Jesus, I swear Broder would support genocide as long as it had bi-partisan consensus.

[mrjauk]

Jesus, I swear Broder would support genocide as long as it had bi-partisan consensus.

That almost made me spill my coffee on my keyboard.

[mrjauk]

What Broder, being an insider, doesn't understand is that the nature of the partisan rancor in DC can best be described as the "fetishism of small differences." The DLC insiders, the Rethuglican careerists, and the Beltway pundits agree on much more than they disagree. The electoral imperative necessitates DC politicians trying to distinguish themselves from someone who, for the most part, has very similar ideals and, more importantly, interests .

The rest (99%) of the population is fundamentally different from the gasbags that control the political and economic life of this country. That the Internet is finally giving the vast silent majority a voice is scaring the bejeesus out of Broder and his ilk.

[CParis]

Huckabee - ick! And he thinks a Southern Baptist minister would not be divisive? Broder & Co are completely brain dead.

[jim]

mrjauk, you nailed it.

[ProviderUNE_ITY 08]

Some strange cat named Tom is trying to draft my ass to run and I would through my own cap into the ring if I were not shiftless and lazy and crazy.

Plus I might have to see if I remembered the password to log into my blog, which would lead to the clearing of piles upon piles of tumble weeds, and the possibility of constructing a document more than a couple of paragraphs in length, and of course this would resemble something like work, which is my arch enemy (just keepin' it real).

Anyhoo consider this part of an exploratory announcement, a testing of the waters of support as it were.

I can loose the Provider bit if it doesn't Focus test well......howzaboutit can we get more than 35,000???
;)
.

[ProviderUNE_ITY 08]

It should also be clear that I will need an editor and some interns, and some girl scout cookies.......

[Ben]

No offense, Whiskey Fire, but your "principles" (read: self-righteousness) doesn't hold a flame to the integrity of someone like David Broder. The mistake of liberals like Broder is that they listen to folks like you who are sure they are right about everything too much, not too little.

[Thers]

Wow... thanks Ben. That's deep.

[Thers]

ProviderUNE for Preznit!

[Molly Ivors]

ProviderUNE for Preznit!

Hey, he's cuter and can ride a bike better than the current one....

[IncandenzaH]

Broder is NOT Edith. Not by a longshot. To wit: "In working out the character of Edith," Lear recalls, "we would answer [the question], 'What did we think Christ would do? That's what she would do'.

http://www.normanlear.com/spirit_4.html

[Gentlewoman]

Count me in on Teh UNE Ity '08 Party.

I'm not a dirty fucking hippy, feminist (or any other sort of) blogger, so you could safely hire me, UNE. I mean, I'm a DFH, and a feminist, I just don't have a blog.

Oh, wait, I'm an atheist. So, maybe not. I could pretend to be Catholic, I've got a cousin who's a nun and a nephew who's studying to be a priest. Would that help?

Sorta OT: I met Jean Stapleton once in Washington, DC (she was appearing in some piece of crap at The Kennedy Center). She was very gracious, quite intelligent, and tres chic.

[ProviderUNE_ITY_08]

Cool with support like this we can go a long way of moving beyond the craven partisanship of the past and move toward a better more unifying vision of a glorious future.

First we get the funding that FLG needs for the Sun Rockets™. Next we need ducks and lots of 'em (maybe Molly and Thers can help), and a Backhoe!

And Gentlewoman, (nice to see you out and about on the internets, you should drop into the crack den™ more often) you are most welcome to join Team UNE_ITY_08™.

I am deeply humbled by your support.

So with Tom Legg, we got the support of at least 5 adults and 132 children (hope the count is accurate).

/might be time to start another blog.

I'll take suggestions on design elementals.....
:)

[Thers]

I'll take suggestions on design elementals.....

Lots of Prince Pickles related material!

[va]

If they wanted to bring people together who would agree to agree no matter what, they really should have called it the Key Party.

[james lopez]

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