The Existential Angst of the Left

Howard at Oraculations noticed an interesting article at National Review and he riffs on it for a good bit: bq. The angst of the Left is worse than anything I've ever seen. National Review today has a partial list of the rabid ravings of some of our elites while leaving out a ton of other more maudlin howls. My take on all this is that the Left view politics as their religion. Whenever they lose an election it means that their God has failed. They think Jesus was a jerk off but that their politics are sacred. The Left expects that all their prayers and all their work must always result in material return; more votes. Votes must be counted as the business leader counts his return on investment. Japanese business failures kill themselves. A couple of Democrats have killed themselves, while others are in expensive therapy. bq. Had the Red State hooligans lost there would be no deep psychological reaction other than "aw fuck," a downed six pack or a few smoked joints, or perhaps---my particular favorite---a grudge fuck. The ones who were really upset would have gone to church and then most likely let it go til next time. bq. Our elites have nothing else to do during half their days but sit around posh eateries, private clubs, or sequestered communal watering holes and gossip with other gifted intellects much like themselves. All think the same. Nobody disagrees with anyone. They ain't kidding when they say "nobody I know voted for (fill in the blank). Like the cloistered monks of yesteryear they think everything they do, think, or say is "the word of God's messenger." The National Review article also makes an interesting historical point regarding another great American political party -- the Federalists: bq. America has had many frantic elections, some far worse: The election of 1860 led to the Civil War. But perhaps the closest analogue to the wrath of the Bush haters is the mentality of the Federalist party during the War of 1812. The Federalists had had great leaders (Washington, Hamilton) and great achievements (ratifying the Constitution). They thought of themselves as, and to a large extent were, the nation's elite. But as the 19th century dawned, this elite lost power, and lost its way. They could not accept defeat as a turn of the wheel, or a possible lesson to themselves. The nation, they thought, had become base (America was "infamous and contented," wrote Fisher Ames, prefiguring Jane Smiley). War maddened them, causing Federalist diehards to pray for defeat. bq. When peace returned, the Federalists collapsed � the first major American party to disappear. Democrats and liberals won't disappear. But they will prolong their stay in the wilderness if they give themselves over to frothing.