Are Dems really afraid of Republicans?

I'm actually presenting this to make a contra-point (my first contra-pointal post, I guess).

Digby presents this article for consideration, from Michael Tomasky, the America-watcher at The Guardian. I would class it in the "Dems need to sack up" genre of political exhortation. Tomasky:

The narrative in Washington today could very easily be "Obama holding his own under tough circumstances". But instead it's "Obama teetering on edge of collapse as more Americans catch on to his socialist-Muslim schemes". The electoral view is that the Democrats are going to be wiped out at the polls this November. The Republicans might take control of the House of Representatives (one respected handicapper, Charlie Cook, said last week that it's no longer a might, but a will). They could even capture the Senate. The sharks of 2012, when Obama must seek reelection, are beginning to pick up the scent of blood.

Why is this so?

Tomasky has several answers, including the jobless numbers. But he assigns the bulk of the blame to fear:

But the bottom line is this: the Democrats are afraid of the Republicans. They – all of them, from Obama on down – are afraid of Rush Limbaugh and Michele Bachmann and you name it. You hear Democratic operatives talk strategy, and there's always a "logical" reason why this or that aggressive attack might not work. But it's nothing to do with logic. They're just afraid. Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman who wants the government out of everything, is a good case in point. It's been revealed that her family farm has received $250,000 in federal subsidies. If she were a Democrat, the Republicans would make sure the entire country knew it.

Digby's conclusion implies that, sadly, she has to agree with Tomasky. I'll leave you to decide if you agree with either. The case can indeed be made, and if true, it is sad.

Me? I think the Dems are fully sacked already. They just have different goals than the ones we want them to have. Goals like these, for example.

You might start with this great 2006 Harpers print piece by Ken Silverstein. Yep, 2006. Just a heads-up — we'll be back to Mr. Silverstein in a bit.

GP