PrintJune 29, 2010
The Democrats' Five Stages
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross published a groundbreaking analysis of the changes that happen to people upon been informed of a terminal illness. In her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, Kubler-Ross describes five stages of grief, a process by which people deal with tragedy, especially when diagnosed with a terminal illness. Her work created awareness to the sensitivity required for better treatment of individuals who are dealing with a fatal disease. The five stages are:
Denial is a temporary defense for the individual.
Anger -- when denial fails, resistance and rage against the truth replace it.
Bargaining involves the hope that the inevitable can be delayed.
Depression is the beginning of understanding the inevitable.
Acceptance is honestly dealing with the reality of the situation.
The Democrats are going through this process.
Consider the Democrats' response to the Tea Party Movement in terms of this analysis. The Democrats and media offer a classic instance of Denial. The unified response by the party and the media was to characterize the movement as "Astroturf." MSM reports on the Tea Party demonstration in Washington minimized the large number of participants and labeled them as poorly organized and unlikely to have any influence on the debate of the role of the federal government in our current crisis.
The second stage, Anger, is well underway and may have peaked. The House Democrats called the Tea Party "racist," claiming imaginary swastikas at rallies, and marched to the Capitol in force, bearing the Imperial Gavel in order to provoke an incident. The only incident was a phony spitting accusation and a nonexistent racial epithet by an entrenched incumbent race-baiter.
Looking forward in the political process, Americans should anticipate the third stage, Bargaining. The Democrats will offer up candidates under the false-flag, third-party "Tea Party." In Florida, Democrat Congressman Alan Grayson has conspired with corrupt local operatives to register the Tea Party as a political party. The intention is to put candidates on the ballot in November in order to confuse the electorate and draw votes away from the newly invigorated Republicans. We can anticipate more of this nationally, depending on its success in Florida and Nevada.
Depression will be the overwhelming emotion in the Democrat leadership after the elections in November. They will be inconsolable and difficult to deal with in the depths of their despair, and not just a little dangerous. The few months between the November election and new members taking their seats in House and Senate will be a lame duck session we all should fear.
The final stage is Acceptance. Will the Democrats ever abandon the tactics that delegitimize a Republican majority? Accusations of election fraud and lawsuits will be in the news in the period following any significant Democrat loss. It is doubtful that the Democrats will ever accept the new situation and start the cycle of grief over from the first stage, denial. The rage will be renewed through the rent-a-mob, and bargaining will begin anew as committee seats are renegotiated.
Depression will bring the retirement of the previous powerful committee chairmen and other figures unable to deal with their loss, thus setting the stage for a new generation of Democrats, who will adjust to the new power structure. Acceptance will be required to advance any legislation favored by the Democrats, so in the long run, the new generation will come to terms.
Alex Stevenson is a public safety professional in Florida.
