This writer learned early in his career if you don’t have the votes you don’t have the power no matter what kind of rhetoric you can marshal.  In the games of cards one can almost feel a losing hand as you examine the chaos just dealt to you. You need to either change those cards within the rules of the game or fold them because the expert cheater facing you will win the game for certain unless you take some chances against the odds.  Don’t worry, this posting isn’t a tutorial for card players, it is more a metaphor for liberals and conservatives. 

Liberals, and not exclusively far left or moderates, have been rigidly playing a losing hand so consistently that they didn’t see the bankruptcy looming.  Even as they hope for a big turn around this election now that they have identified a cheater, this prognosticator has a bad feeling.  What they don’t recognize is much of America will vote for a cheater card shark rather than the ineffectual party afraid of the odds encountered in changing out a losing hand on the run. 

A modest proposal for Good

The liberals need credible, relatable candidates. Ironically the they could win if they focus the national agenda on the Constitution, law and order, morality and basic human rights for all. Nothing more and nothing less. It is ironic because those themes were largely their opponents former go-to agenda before the current president. Contrite liberals must go back into the community and screen for candidates who are hopefully not in the new rank of the “almost wealthy”.  The candidates must above all be straight forward, platform driven and  credible.  Character and credibility will be critical against a documented cheater.  As for credibility and wealth when you show up at a real western rodeo in an expensive western shirt, shiny boots, brand new Levi’s and a $800 hat, no one believes you are a cowboy because the real cowboys tend to wear thrift store Wranglers ironed and patched to pass for the day and the hat is stained by the cred of personal sweat.  The good candidates know in their hearts that working people are not stupid simply because they have to watch the budget and go to work everyday.  The shine of  almost wealthy locks a candidate into the wannabe status which is a loser for sure.  One can be liberal, middle income, religious, hard working, honest, transparent, unpretentious and devoted to real justice all at the same time.  If liberals want to win they have win back the honest working Americans by demonstrating a new committed way of being liberal. That would be good.