We do not live in a genuine democracy, which would see people vote on every single issue.  Instead, we have a representative democracy — we get to vote on which individuals we’d like to see represent us in government.

People who want to hold those jobs (that is, the candidates) have to convince the majority of voters that the candidate has a specifically identifiable world view and will vote a certain way on specific issues.  The tags “Democrat” and “Republican” are useful shorthand for the identifiable world view.  The promise to vote a certain way on specific issues can become a bit dicier if the passing of time shows that even the majority who voted for the candidate are backing away from the issues.  In the latter case, what’s a candidate to do?

Well, if you’re Lloyd Doggett in Austin, Texas, you can tell your constituents that you intend to ignore them completely, an obvious reference to your mental superiority and their inferiority:

Witnesses said that when Doggett was asked whether he would support the plan even if he found that his constituents opposed it, Doggett said he would.

If you’re Harry Reid, you can call your constituents loud and shrill, always a sure fire way to win friends and influence people:

“In spite of the loud, shrill voices trying to interrupt town hall meetings and just throwing a monkey wrench into everything, we’re going to continue to be positive and work hard.”

And, of course, be sure to tell your constituents that they’re puppets who have no free will who are just being manipulated by evil corporations.  That will leave them feeling good about you:

Doggett says there’s nothing authentic about these protests.

“This notion of a grass-roots campaign is totally and completely phony,” Doggett said in an interview with ABC News. “The Republican Party has coordinated this apparent outrage and stirred it up.”

Doggett said that he’s happy for dialogue, but “there’s no way you can change the legislation to satisfy any of these Republicans and their insurance allies.”

The one thing you don’t ever want to do is revisit your position.  You don’t want to think about the fact that the economy has changed substantially since you made promises to spend like there’s no tomorrow.  You don’t want to think that a 1,000 page bill, filled with hundreds of details that allow the government to have control over people’s health and finances, while bankrupting the economy, might not be what people had in mind when they demanded more affordable health care.  And most importantly, you don’t want to admit that you have no idea what you’re doing.  To focus in again on Doggett, he has the best non-responsive answer on that last point:

Doggett contended that accusations that he did not read the reform bill are ridiculous, because he has helped write portions of it.

The mere fact that Doggett might have contributed a paragraph or two, or even several pages, or several tens of pages, to this 1,000 page Frankenstein is utterly unrelated to whether he in fact read any of those portions he did not write.  If this were a deposition and he were a witness, I’d be all over him like white on rice for that stupid answer.

Bottom line:  We have a representative democracy in which our elected representatives want us to keep our mouths shut.  They think we’re stupid, shrill and easily led.  I hope that, come this this November and every other November, voters remember the low esteem in which their own public servants hold them.

UPDATE:  The DNC makes the nasty, anti-voter rhetoric official policy amongst the Democrats:

The statement from the DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse:

The Republicans and their allied groups – desperate after losing two consecutive elections and every major policy fight on Capitol Hill – are inciting angry mobs of a small number of rabid right wing extremists funded by K Street Lobbyists to disrupt thoughtful discussions about the future of health care in America taking place in Congressional Districts across the country.

You’ll note that this is the kind of language the president uses when talking about terrorism — “incitement” and “extremists.” This type of language could lead to some confusion as to whether Democrats are able to distinguish between peaceful American voters eager to get involved in the political process and Hamas militants who blow themselves up in shopping malls.

They have met the enemy and it is you!

Meanwhile, the administration asks citizens to spy on each other.  Isn’t that what the Stasi did too?

UPDATE II:  Michelle Malkin neatly makes the point about the difference between mob rule (a distinctly left wing phenomenon, although not unique to the Left) and civic participation (a distinctly right wing phenomenon, although not distinct to the Right).

UPDATE III:  And Brutally Honest has the perfect “shoe is on the other foot” coda for this whole thing.

Things are not going well for Mr. Obama in Washington.  (Please note the studied lack of an honorific in the way I am referring to the man in the White House.  I don’t think he worked hard enough to earn it.  The things we learn when we listen to our BabBoxer tapes.)  I mean, what in the world is he to think when even Sen. Harry Reid directly opposes him regarding Israel?

The United States needs to back off Israel a little and put some pressure [on] the Palestinians instead, US Senator and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told US President Barack Obama in a letter.

[snip]

Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, wrote that he believes “negotiations will be successful only with a renewed commitment from the Palestinians to be a true partner in peace.”

“Arab states in the region must also act to support the peace process. All parties must recognize Israel’s right to exist, end terrorism, and respect previous agreements made with Israel,” he added in the letter.

Taking an opposite stance to Obama’s, Reid suggested in the letter that dealing with Iran’s nuclear program would aid in advancing the Arab-Israel peace process, rather than the other way around.

“It is… vital (the peace) process not take away from your commitment to deal with the ongoing threat from Iran… I believe that resolving the problem of Iran’s nuclear program will help facilitate the Arab-Israeli peace process,” Reid wrote.

I really didn’t think Reid had it in him. I don’t generally admire him either as a man or a politician.  However, I am impressed by and appreciate his willingness to take a stand against Obama regarding Israel’s security.

UPDATE:  Commenters, so far, aren’t impressed by what Reid did.  I am impressed on two grounds.  First, having built Obama up as the political messiah, even reading polls can’t make it that easy to turn on him.  Second, speaking of polls, the fact that Reid was willing to stand against Obama means that the wheels are coming off the Obama bus.

This morning Mr. Bookworm offered me something:  “Hey!  You want to blog about something Obama’s doing that I don’t like?”

I was curious.  “What?”

“This Employee Free Choice Act.  What’s up with that?”

“That’s been around for a while,” I said.  “It’s one of the platforms on which Obama ran.”

He asked, “What do you mean?  I’ve never heard of it.”  I forebore to point out that this might be an indictment about the NY Times, NPR and The New Yorker, which are Mr. Bookworm’s only news sources.

“Anyway,” I said, “it’s kind of old news.  Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Obama promised to enact it as one of their first pieces of legislation.”

Another why question:  “Why would they do that?  This is a piece of crap?”

“They’re doing it because it’s payback time to the union bosses.”

A blank look:  “What do you mean?  This is a piece of crap legislation.”

I explain:  “This isn’t about the legislation’s merits.  This is payback.  The union bosses deliver the vote; the politicians deliver an Orwellian act that’s aimed at turning every workplace into a union shop.”

The last plaintive words I heard drifting down the hall as I headed off to work were, “But I don’t understand….”

It saddens me a great deal that a bright person caught in the NY Times web managed to vote for someone when he had no idea what that someone was promising to do.  It also saddens me a great deal that a bright person is so naive that he can’t understand that a dangerous and crappy piece of legislation is on the table as part of political dirty dealing.  On the other hand, I’m pleased to see a little crack in the wall.  That, at least, might lead to bigger and better things.

This is about the most depressing video I’ve seen in a long time:

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s obvious that the media effectively got its message across — and it’s impressive how unperturbed these voters are by their abysmal ignorance.  The last woman, who is also the most charming, openly professes surprise at her ignorance, but discounts any possibility that more information might have changed her mind.  Aargh!!!!

If you watch this video, you should also read Paul Kengor’s article about the way in which modern education has drained students of any ability to think independently or analyze data, and has turned them into mindless Leftist drones.

UPDATE:  Deanna left a comment worrying that Democrats will simply discount this video, because it’s a small sample, and we don’t know the selection process.  However, in this case, the Dems can’t colorably make that argument, because this pathetic simply of ill-informed individuals (fed by NPR, CNN, the New York Times, or nothing at all) are actually perfectly representative of a poll Zogby conducted showing the voters’ profound ignorance of basic political facts:

512 Obama Voters 11/13/08-11/15/08 MOE +/- 4.4 points

97.1% High School Graduate or higher, 55% College Graduates

Results to 12 simple Multiple Choice Questions

57.4% could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing)

81.8% could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing)

82.6% could NOT correctly say that Barack Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing)

88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing)

56.1% could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing).

And yet…..

Only 13.7% failed to identify Sarah Palin as the person on which their party spent $150,000 in clothes

Only 6.2% failed to identify Palin as the one with a pregnant teenage daughter

And 86.9 % thought that Palin said that she could see Russia from her “house,” even though that was Tina Fey who said that!!

Only 2.4% got at least 11 correct.

Only .5% got all of them correct. (And we “gave” one answer that was technically not Palin, but actually Tina Fey)

There is no doubt that Democrats will discount this video, but that reason will be denied them.

I know nothing about oil shale.  Harry Reid, however, made it news by trying to sneak an amendment into a bill that would block developing oil shale.  With oil shale being news, I’ve now learned from someone who seems to be well-informed on the subject (one of Anchoress’ readers) that Reid is acting as if it’s 1970 when he tries to block its use as an energy source.  In fact, says that knowledgeable person, we have vast reserves, and they can be accessed through methods that have minimal environmental impact.

Before I go on this subject, it reminds me again of my point that those who now style themselves Progressive are actually regressive.  The valid debate about abortion is conducted as if out-of-wedlock pregnancies are a heinous social sin, birth control is unavailable, and back alley abortions are commonplace.  The debate about racism is conducted as if Jim Crow still controls, not just the South, but the whole nation.  And now we learn that Harry Reid’s non-debate, sneak tactic about oil shale is, in all probability based on information that is 30 years out of date.

I don’t know about you, but I’m impressed as all get out by McCain’s decision to stop campaigning for a while and serve his country during what may be the most significant economic crisis since 1929:

Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.

I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.

We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved. I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night’s debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.

Because of McCain’s consistent record of service to his country, this does not look like campaign grandstanding.  It looks like the real deal.

And because McCain has consistently sought to debate with Obama — and Obama has always run shy — it also doesn’t look as if McCain is running from the upcoming debate this Friday (which McCain has asked to have postponed).

Speaking of running from debates, this is one debate — the one where he’s standing opposite an empty podium — that Obama doesn’t want to miss.  He has refused McCain’s request that they set aside campaigning for a few days and get down to the business of helping this country through a major financial crisis.

Harry Reid’s statement supporting Obama was predictably stupid:  “Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid issued a statement saying the debate should go on because ‘we need leadership, not a campaign photo op.’”  If I understand this correctly, rolling up your sleeves and getting to work on an imminent crisis that needs to be addressed immediately is not leadership, it’s a photo op.  Appearing on a stage for a two hour debate that could just as easily be rescheduled to another day, is leadership, not a photo op.  Bizarro World, my dear readers, Bizarro World.

John McCain — Country First

Barack Obama — Obama First

John McCain — Country First

Barack Obama — Debates Only Without Opponents

John McCain — Country First

Barack Obama — Not Ready to Lead

(BTW, here’s James Taranto with some of the political manuvering that led up to McCain’s surprise move, which had it’s genesis in an Obama initiated effort to force McCain to sign off on a Democratic bill.  Not only did McCain refuse to do so, he also made Obama look incredibly selfish.)

UPDATE:  Confederate Yankee has a great suggestion for Friday’s debate, if Obama insists on going ahead with it.

The story is amazing and the source — the normally anti-American Spiegel (a German magazine) — is equally amazing.  According to this story, things in Baghdad are going really well, and the citizens have a renewed sense of well-being and purpose:

There is an unexpected air of normalcy prevailing in Baghdad these days, with consumption flourishing and confidence in the government growing. The progress is astonishing, but can it last?

Pork is available in Baghdad once again. Not just in the Green Zone, where US diplomats can enjoy their spare ribs and Parma ham, but also across the Tigris River, in the real Baghdad, at “Al-Warda” on Karada Street. Bassim Dencha, 32, one of the few Christians remaining in Iraq and the co-owner of Baghdad’s finest supermarket, has developed a supply line from Syria. As a result, he now has frozen pork chops and bratwurst arranged in his freezers, next to boxes of frozen French fries and German Black Forest Cakes. And the customers are buying.

For four years, selling pork or alcohol in Baghdad was a security risk. But the acts of terror committed by Islamist fundamentalists, who once punished such violations of their interpretation of the Koran with attacks on businesses and their owners, have gradually subsided. The supply of imported goods is also relatively secure today, now that roads through the Sunni Triangle are significantly safer than they were only a few months ago.

“It’s worth it again,” says businessman Bassim Dencha. “All we need now is enough electricity to reopen our refrigerated warehouse.”

And on and on, with details of progress and optimism.  The story (of course) points to the fragility of this renewal, and has doom and gloom statements about its sustainability, but the story’s general tenor is cautious optimism.

Do you think Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi or Barack Obama have read this?  Do you think they care?  How about the New York Times, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, Newsweek, Time, etc., ad nauseum?  I doubt any of them want to see stories like this published in America between now and November.  It will be devastating to their oft repeated message that the Iraq War is unwinnable (since this report allows for the possibility that we won), and that Bush was a horrible, malevolent idiot, whose wrongful conduct taints all Republicans, practically mandating an Obama victory.

Please go to the Spiegel story and email it to your friends.  More people should read it and see what they’re missing when they open America’s papers and magazines, or turn on the news channels.