Smell the coffee

Samuel Johnson once wrote that “the prospect of hanging focuses the mind wonderfully”. Although the onus for the recent financial crisis has been heaped upon one party by the MSM — the Republicans —  the very gravity of the situation can demolish frivolity and produce unexpectedly clear thinking. This YouTube video clip shows Alec Baldwin blaming Barney Frank and the Democrats in large measure for the subprime crisis. He is entirely correct in saying there’s enough blame to go around on both sides of the aisle.

Despite the power of the MSM, facts have the irresistable force of reality behind them. And when facts have serious consequences they can burn through bubble-headedness like nothing else. Hanging, concentrate, mind = unexpected clarity. Although the conventional wisdom is that the Wall Street Crisis will benefit the Democrats, as more information becomes available to the public, the eventual effect will be less dominated by spin than by sober thinking. It’s the sheer size of the stakes that is confounding the snake-oil salesmen. The usual snarky rules don’t apply. If Alec Baldwin can face the facts because he must face the facts then anyone can. The financial crisis, rather than benefitting the Democrats as a party may in the end curse the parties equally, rebounding on the entire political class in Washington, an outcome not altogether anticipated by political strategists.