One reason, I think, is that up until the last year or two, the GOP base has been much more organized, dating back to the late 70’s.

Thanks to blogs like yours, and things like Air America Radio (not to mention the unvarnished extremism of the Bush League) that’s starting to change. But politicians like Sens. Clinton and (let’s be honest) Kerry haven’t come to terms with that yet. And let’s face it, they have a point. The progressive base didn’t succeed in nominating, say, Howard Dean last year – many rank-and-file Democrats were still willing to go with a sellout in the name of “electability.”

After his loss, Kerry – like Gore before him – started to move back to the liberal politics that defined him before the 1994 GOP landslide. Hillary hasn’t caught on yet, though – after all, the politics of “triangulation” worked for her husband.

Thus, the question for 2008: will Democratic voters go for yet another “electable” sellout, ensuring that, even if they “win,” nothing much will change? Or will the progressive base finally nominate one of their own?

Of course, it strains credulity to imagine that a Republican controlled Congress would actually want to find out how the Republican President screwed up so very, very badly.

Football dislocates limbs, must be played in expensive armor, and encourages young men to shower naked in the presence of middle aged men, nevermind the denigration and objectification of women on the sidelines.