Charles Pierce: Rahm Is a Genius, Says Dumb Person

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/29549-focus-rahm-is-a-genius-says-dumb-person-in-which-we-learn-why-hippies-must-be-destroyed

Okay, first, I love Paul Begala, but come on, dude. This dog isn't even considering hunting.

"Rahm Emanuel is a progressive mayor, period," said Paul Begala, a longtime Bill Clinton adviser and a friend of Emanuel who advises the pro-Hillary Clinton Priorities super PAC. "I don't think people should say a right-wing Democrat won. I think you've got to actually look at what he did and what he ran on."

Sure, Paul. You should remember that the next time you're on TV defending the Affordable Care Act that this guy wanted to strangle in its cradle.

First of all, for all this piece's seething contempt for Jesus Garcia and his campaign, he forced a hedge-fund fattened Democratic superstar incumbent into a runoff nobody expected, and the incumbent won the runoff by the same 11 points by which he'd finished in front in the preliminary. He won because he outspent Garcia six-to-one, something that the TBOTP piece merely alludes to in passing. But it's right there on how effectively to punch hippies.

To many Democrats, there are two possible lessons: First, that the professional left talks a much better game than it delivers even as it starts to make big promises about the presidential race. And second, that focusing voters on the progressive elements of a candidate's record, as Emanuel did during his runoff, can blunt a challenge from an ineffective opponent.

Especially if you have a limitless credit card given to your campaign from some of the dingier elements of the otherwise Republican plutocratic class. (Being buddies with the governor who's on his way to making Illinois into Scott Walker's Wisconsin is a lot of things, but progressive is all the way down the list.) You could say that Rahm sold his soul, but, frankly, that's like someone selling you the Brooklyn Bridge.

[scarletwoman]

1. K&R for Charles Pierce! nt

[cascadiance]

2. Sorry Begala, but only an idiot can claim that he's a progressive when he calls us "fing retarded"..

... as progressives.

So if being "progressive" that Begala claims Emanuel is means that Rahm also thinks of himself as "f'ing retarded", or is Begala basically lying by calling him "progressive".

Now Rahm may have some correct personal insight if he's calling himself "f'ing retarded", but he's wrong if he's trying to explain that by saying he's a "progressive" in such labeling.