Kaus Deconstructed

Although Mickey Kaus’ “Return to Normalcy” argument for the Democrats has much to recommend it – it could be a winner, for example – it also contains a couple of big, logical inconsistencies in its Cold War analogy:

1. The Soviet Union, a relatively conventional state, preferred to attack us around the margins and was, logically, afraid to bomb the US in the era of “mutually assured destruction.” Al Qaeda, as it has already proven sufficiently, is an aggregation of religious fanatics and could care less. They are not “normal” in any sense.

2. It was Reagan, a Republican, whose policies defeated the Soviet Union in the first place. Most people generally acknowledge that now.

But forget these “minor” points. As I said, this could be a winner, though it of course depends on nothing explosive happening between now and November ’08 (I wouldn’t want to take that bet). And, as Glenn points out, the moveon/Howard Dean crew may be looking for anything but normalcy.