One's a comedian; the other is a nice guy who has helped destroy what's left of the Democratic party. Here are their pieces of advice to the Democrats. Bill first:
Go for the jugular as the Republicans always do with Democrats. Just keep saying, "The Republicans lost the war in Iraq." Scare the hell out of people about all the ways we are unsafe: from global warming to terrorists so easily being able to penetrate ports or nuclear and chemical plants.
Beneath the comedy, it's a great point. The real criticism of this administration is that they have screwed up a war they descibed as vital to our national security. Call them on it! Outflank them on national security. Of course, to do that, you actually have to believe in fighting the terrorist enemy on his terrain, recognizing the still-great danger and wanting to win in Iraq. And that's not true of a lot of Democrats, who think we have already lost. Which brings us to Shrum:
The war in Iraq is over except for the dying. Campaign for a date to bring our forces home. Speak for Americans on big issues like gas prices, health care, the environment and alternative energy. Don't be afraid to say we're for the people, not the powerful. Be Democrats -- for a change.
This has to be the dumbest piece of advice ever. Don't be afraid to say we're for the people, not the powerful. Isn't that how Al Gore lost an unlosable election? It may be ideological cialis for Shrum's generation, but it's the phoniest, most hackneyed crap to most voters. It evinces the same cringe-factor as that awful Democratic talking point about "working families." The transparent condescension of the entire rhetoric is invisible only to them. How, one wonders, does this man stay in business? He has been saying the same thing for decades. Every campaign he has run that has followed his advice has failed. He's a lovely man, but it must be said you'd get better political analysis from a random person on the subway. There are a lot of people out there who could use the money. Why piss it away on Shrum one more time?