Democratic Panic

Joshua Marshall makes a good observation and point about a building "Democratic panic."

And today I realized -- somehow suddenly -- that what had been a congealing sense that the second half of August had been a bad couple weeks for Kerry had turned into a galloping panic that his campaign is in disarray and hope for his candidacy may be close to over.

All I can say is, really, really, shut up and calm down.

Politically, this is one of the worst things about Democrats -- and it has many sources. As a group they seem to have a great tendency toward becoming disheartened, turning on their candidate, doubting his strategy, doubting his advisors, and so forth.

But Democrats themselves need to be a lot tougher and hardier about the cycles campaigns go through. And that applies to self-serving Democratic 'insiders' too.

Discipline pays rewards.

I couldn't agree more that there is in fact a real and growing sense of panic among many Democrats which is both unjustified by the facts and uncalled for at this stage of the election cycle.

I can't make any promises that Kerry will win, but the man has proven himself a shrewd campaigner in the past, and his campaign actually seems to have things pretty much under control.

I remember there having been a "panic" in the Deaniac camp in the days just before Iowa, and I personally feel the results were disastrous. Instead of second-guessing their candidate's appeal (which isn't all that great, regardless), Democrats should focus on explaining it. "Appeal" is a verb as well as an adjective.