It’s time once again for The Future American’s FAIL OF THE WEEK! Every Saturday, I name a person or group who has spent the past seven days behaving in a particularly idiotic way. Since it’s my belief that idiocy knows no politics, nobody is safe.
This week’s fail was brought to you by the handling of “the God/Jerusalem thing” at the Democratic National Convention. As the delegates voted on the party platform, Republican critics piled on them for a) failing to include the word “God” anywhere in it and b) refusing to define Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which, apparently, nations other than Israel are allowed to do. How did the Democrats handle it? Did they let the issue blow away on its own? Did they tell the Republicans to butt out? Neither.
A little bit of light to shed on the Jerusalem thing. It is not internationally regarded as the capital of Israel due to disputes over who, if anyone, would control it around the time the State of Israel was formed. It’s worth noting that Israel agreed to a 1947 partition plan that would place the city under international administration – a move I have endorsed – and the Arabs rejected that plan. Of course, since then, Israel has called Jerusalem its capital. Like it or not.
The early draft of the Democratic platform said only that it should be up for Israel and Palestine to decide Jerusalem’s fate. Republicans and staunchly pro-Israel Democrats didn’t like that one. Of course, less pro-Israel Democrats really didn’t like the sudden change, nor did they like the perception that Los Angeles mayor and convention chairman Antonio Villaraigosa said it was approved, despite not knowing for sure; this was a voice vote, and the voices for and against were equally loud. I’ll give the convention an extra shot of fail for thinking voice votes are a good idea.
As for the God thing, omitted in such phrases as “God-given rights,” former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) said this “suggests a party that is increasingly out of touch with the mainstream of the American people.” Apparently, the mainstream of the American people has a God quota it needs to fill every day. Or something. But for the Democrats to point that out would just create a different PR problem. Not that bending over and taking it is a particular image improvement, either. Pass the lube.
Is it any wonder that critics of the last four congressional sessions have zeroed in on Republican obstructionism? In this example at least, the Democrats don’t even have the stones to be obstructionist, much less principled yet willing to compromise. There are so-called conservative politicians in Manitoba who would call them weak.
