Dems and the 'Three B's'

By Cindy Simpson

Republicans are a "party of Birthers, Baggers, and Blowhards," according to Bob Beckel, Fox News Analyst. Is this demonizing part of the Democrat strategy for 2010?

In William A. Jacobson's Legal Insurrection Blog yesterday in a post he titled: "The Dems Strategy of Crazy" he noted:

What would one call a political strategy which depended upon portraying the majority of Americans as crazy extremists? The answer is: The current Democratic Party strategy which ignores the meaning of the Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts races, and focuses on smearing opponents as extremists and "Birthers."...We saw this template throughout the summer as the public protested against the Democratic health care plans. Peaceful protesters were called terrorists and facists, and falsely accused of fomenting violence.

Jacobson referenced Steve Benen's article in Washington Monthly discussing the next strategy for the Democrats, where Benen offered:

...I'm wondering, though, about some of the possible attacks on Republicans.

The GOP isn't in power right now, but the party still has vulnerabilities to exploit...

Republicans have spent a year trying to drive away moderates, and taking orders from a drug-addled radio talk-show blowhard. Instead of moderating its message and direction in the wake of humiliating failures in 2006 and 2008, today's GOP moved even further to the right -- becoming the home to Tea Partiers, Birthers, Deathers, Oathers, and "Freedom Fighters."

The Daily Kos today, in a piece "dedicated to the ridicule, mockery and scorn of the idiotic, wingnut, knuckle dragging dumb as a stump, baggers" provides a thorough and up-to-date definition of the term and includes Ronald Reagan in its list of "baggers."

Recently, David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, was brought back on board by the administration to add value "in terms of strategy and tactics," according to senior adviser David Axelrod.

Hopefully this kind of rhetoric is not what Plouffe meant when he said: "Let's fight like hell" in his strategy outline, "November doesn't need to be a nightmare for Democrats".