It’s said that the genius of the American system as created by the founders is that it can survive incompetent, venal or malign office holders. The system includes checks and balances precisely so that the actions of any one or a few individuals can’t capsize it. In this it is superior to either monarchical systems or parliamentary systems (which have fewer checks – Prime Ministers are often very close to elected dictators).
There’s a fair bit of truth to the statement – or there was.
The End of America’s Genius?
How I might have put it is that we've conducted a laboratory experiment on this theory in the last seven years, and found some holes in it.
Meanwhile, Larry Johnson had this to say about Barack Obama's fans and the subject of divisiveness:
If you think for a minute that the Republican party–who used Willy Horton on Michael Dukakis to devastating effect, who portrayed triple amputee and veteran Max Cleland as a bosom buddy of Osama Bin Laden, and convinced many voters that decorated combat veteran John Kerry was a fraud–will give Obama a pass come the fall then you are in serious denial.
But, unlike the attacks on Dukakis, Cleland, and Kerry, the ammunition that Obama has provided to his political foes is significant and deadly. But try telling that to Obama disciples.
No, He Can’t Because Yes, They Will
I will, but I figure it's not going to do much good. Johnson's own experience at DailyKos is just one more case in point.
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