How to Effectively Pick Apart a Weak Party

This is shrewd and brilliant on the part of Republicans. Call it Rovian tactics or whatever, but respect them. You got to hand to them. They are good at what they do. And we can slam them and joke about them all we want. Until we understand the Republican machine, we will continue to lose.

From the NRCC:

"Dear Friend,

The left-wing group MoveOn.org has donated millions of dollars to Democrats in Congress -- and they have Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats in a state of paralysis. Pelosi is unwilling to call for a vote to condemn MoveOn.org's treacherous attack and smear against General David Petraeus in a recent ad in the New York Times. Through her silence and inaction, Nancy Pelosi is saying that it is OK for MoveOn.org to attack one of America's finest Generals -- a man who has an impeccable record of service and who has dedicated his life to defending America.

Even the Democrats in the U.S. Senate saw how unconscionable the MoveOn.org ad was. Not only did the U.S. Senate denounce the ad by an overwhelming vote of 75 to 25, but after immense public pressure, the New York Times admitted they gave MoveOn.org a sweetheart deal -- something they initially denied. And, they also admitted that the ad violated its own policy against attacks of a personal nature.

Yet, instead of doing what is right, Nancy Pelosi is looking at the millions of dollars MoveOn.org gives to her Democrats in Congress..."

What's the difference between the Senate Democrats and the House Democrats, they say? How can some be "anti-American" and some "American"? And then they just end all questioning and say...look here. We Republicans will never be divided and will decisively act in unison. Trust us and not this weak divided party.

Respect it. You don't have to like it to do that.

I hate Republicans. But they are so good and the Democrats are so bad.

and have had same for some time. What they know about progressives would exceed what progressives know about themselves. The Democratic Party is a fossilized dysfunctional bureau run by post-FDR/LBJ consultants who get paid as much as they lose. And MoveOn: so in-the-know on the Internet and what do they do? Use bathroom scrawl in a newspaper. Genius, I tell you, genius. (And they didn't charge Rove a dime!)

The chief approach of the Democratic Party: wait until the GOP screws up, then we'll get in.

Passive/aggressiveness raised to the level of social movement.