Democrats, Don't Forget the Downside to an Obama Win

Image from From the Wilderness

Map from Electoral-Vote.com

Barack Obama is not only up in the polls, he's trending upward as well. And that old red & blue map with "Dumbf**kistan" in the middle, is being encroached upon from all sides with an influx of blue. Those red states are sticking together, border to border, but they're losing on all sides.

Now, before I count my chickens, I am quite aware that these things can turn on a dime sometimes, for the strangest of reasons. We may only have 30 days to go, but we know that Karl Rove and his like-minded cronies and proteges do not want to relinquish power. We should plan for and expect at least one, and possibly several "October surprises." I wouldn't be surprised to see a rapid-fire machine gun fire of surprises, with the hope that at least one brings Obama down.

But the fact is, the trend is with Obama, time is short, and people are already early voting. So, while we can't be sure, the odds are that Obama will win. What we need to keep in mind, should this happen, is that Republicans and conservatives are not going to take that well. And that's putting it mildly. It will make the sour grapes attitude of the PUMAs look like a 5-year-old's temper tantrum.

Remember how Republicans acted during the Clinton administration? Every nit was picked, everything was blown up into a scandal, no matter how frivolous or stupid. Millions of dollars were spent on investigations that proved nothing. Right-wing think tanks worked with right-wing media and politicians to impeach Bill Clinton, for anything they could. It was an impeachment in search of a reason. Unfortunately, Clinton walked right into the trap, and what a stupid trap it was.

But that may have been just a preview of what Obama might have to deal with. The right had power for 12 uninterrupted years before Clinton, but they hadn't tasted real power yet. After Clinton, they sunk their teeth in, with Karl Rove's attempt at a "permanent Republican majority." Rove tried to spin every situation, every issue into a political advantage for Republicans. He redistricted, shut Democrats out, and tried to convince the public that his "reality" was more real than the actual reality they could see with their own eyes.

The problem with Rove is that real reality is sometimes impossible to ignore. But even though Rove lost both houses of Congress in 2006, it is clear that the failure didn't deter him. He's working both as an adviser to John McCain, as well as a political commentator for right-wing propaganda organ, FOX "News." This conflict of interest doesn't bother right-wingers much, since to them he is referred to as "Karl, you magnificent bastard!" They love the guy. And McCain's army of aides is emulating him.

So, if Obama wins, this team of "win at all costs" partisans will have nothing to do, except pick apart the Obama Administration. And pick they will. Every. Little. Thing. You think you're tired of the blowholes like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly now? They will be in full-on attack mode.

The irony of course is that George W. Bush and his administration is guilty of so much, in many cases actual crimes. And that list of people above, in addition to the right-wing blogs, have excused it all. There is very little Obama could do that would even approach the shenanigans of Bush, and yet they will act like it is the worst thing a President has ever done, whatever it is.

So, be aware, liberals, progressives and Democrats. Be prepared to fight. Be prepared to rebut the inevitable inanity. If Obama wins on November 4, we will breathe an ecstatic sigh of relief. In fact, I think the emotion is going to be so strong, it will be hard to name (with the opposite being true with a loss). But the honeymoon is bound to be short. I wouldn't be surprised--again with an Obama win--if the conservatives went to work on November 5, and worked right up to inauguration day to start the slime from day 1.

Here is a quote, found on arch right-wing web site, FreeRepublic.com. The FReepers are already bracing for a loss, and ready to go after Obama, by laying a groundwork of ideas and talking points. One thing they'll try to do? Try to blame the current financial crisis on him. Check it out:

"The good news is, it’s starting to look as though 'America’s first
black president' is going to be in the Oval Orifice when the depression hits.
DemocRAT too! That’s got to be good for our side in the long run." Quote Source: FreeRepublic