Miracles

What's the record that you overrated the most when you were a kid -- that is, say, in high school (assuming you're not one now, that is)?  Mine was the Jefferson Starship song "Miracles."  I thought it was one of the Greatest Records Ever.  Something about that slick production got to me -- I overrated Alan Parsons Project stuff, too.  I guess when I was fifteen or whatever it sounded sophisticated.  Obviously, I now find it horribly, horribly, embarrassing.  I mean, overall, I'm not ashamed of my high school taste in music, not at all, but that one's a doozy.  I didn't just like it, mind you -- I thought it was really, really good.  Ugh.

Which brings me to Kevin Drum's terrific post today (see, it's called "Obama the Miracle Worker," so I'm being slightly clever here.  I know, very slightly).  You know what?  When I was in high school, I probably spent plenty of time -- I know I spent plenty of time -- with my rational mind mostly out to lunch.  We all did, right?  So I can blame my other brain, the one that was goofed up on who knows what sort of (normal) teenage emotional mess, for falling for that record.  You know where I'm going....a whole bunch of Democrats are going to look back at the things they said this week and cringe.  Really cringe.  And then there are those who managed to avoid sounding like addled four year olds who have never seen any sort of political setback before. All of which is to say -- if you're a liberal, try reading what Kevin Drum has to say, and if it doesn't make sense, take twenty-four hours off from politics, and then go back and try again, and repeat until you can feel the fog starting to lift.

In other words...of course Obama tried to pass health care reform.  Anyone who wastes time analyzing why, or whether it was a good decision, is missing something pretty central to how politics works in the USA.

(UPDATE:  You know what?  I'm still catching up on my reading after spending time digging through Reagan stuff all day, but Drum has been on a roll.  Democrats and/or liberals shouldn't miss this one, or this one, or this one, either).