DOA Dems

Carol Pogash has a good analysis of the left in today's SF Chronicle:

Part of the liberal establishment has gone mad. Sophisticated citizens, many laden with multiple academic degrees, are firing off angry e- mails, convinced that the GOP has stolen the presidential election and that the naive media is participating in a widespread coverup. . . .

Lefties just can't imagine how citizens of Ohio, where the unemployment rate in some areas is as much as 15 percent, could vote for Bush. Gay marriage and abortion not withstanding, these liberals contend that the only rational explanation for a Bush victory this time is voter fraud. . .

Liberals wallow in a never-never-land of their own making. Rove couldn't have developed a better diversion. Their hatred for Bush, their belief that he has curbed civil liberties, trampled the environment, and plans make abortions illegal leads them to believe the GOP will do anything to succeed -- and that almost everyone else is a willing dupe of its ambitions.

Sensible diagnosis, if anyone's listening. They aren't, if the New York Times' letters page reflects the majority of Dems. The Times provides further evidence in long article called Who Lost Ohio. The Dems simply assumed "get out the vote" efforts would favor them. When it didn't, all were stunned:

A quiet disbelief descended on the room. You could hear the creak of a folding chair, a ringing cellphone, the intermittent sob. ''This is the end of the United States of America,'' I heard one man declare as he left the room.

The volunteers who had been watching the numbers on a laptop refused to accept what was happening; they decided it was Brokaw's fault, because he had put Ohio into Bush's column, while CBS was still calling it even. Cursing Brokaw, they abruptly flipped channels to Dan Rather instead, causing a minor uproar. ''Folks, the reason we changed the channel is because NBC is the only network that called it!'' one of the frustrated volunteers shouted.

Bouchard, watching this unfold from the back of the room, recognized the desperation for what it was. ''I hear the PAX network hasn't called it either,'' he said sardonically. ''Let's put that on.''

(via Kerry Haters)