The Immutable Laws Of Hubris

[grantcart]

We see these laws in effect every day. Sometimes sad (like the demise of Senator Edwards) or funny (like the arrest of O'Keefe) there are certain knowable laws that effect human interaction.

These laws are known as the Grantcart Immutable Laws of Hubris.

Law One: Hubris goes before the fall.

Over and over again we see people who rise in their own mind to a point that they feel they are special human beings. My grandmother called it "being too big for your britches". It has been observed in ancient times (Aesop's Hare and the Tortoise) and among modern megastarcelebrity (Tiger Woods chases Tail).

Law Two: Events that generate a contagion of Hubris generate an exponentially higher rate of unintended consequences.

See American involvement in the Vietnam War, American involvement in the Iraq War. It is reasonable to argue that the election of President Obama could never had occured without the hubris of Bush/Cheney.


I have noticed that the concern and worry of GD and GDP have started to infect the Barack Obama Group due to recent events.


President Obama is the opposite of hubris. Dignified and courteous he is consierate of others, possibly to a fault. Highly intelligent he never the less is extremely grounded. Indeed his greatest fault may be that he vastly over estimates the intelligence of the rest of the country and thinks that they will easily grasp complex issues.


Now looking at the events in Massachusetts, of course we are disappointed. However the Immutable Laws of Hubris are already showing us that, in the long run, they will benefit the President.


1) If you turn on Fox News or listen to the Republican leadership you can see that they are absolutely giddy about winning MA by 52% with a well run campaign against a terrible (and yes hubris filled) Democrat candidate.

They will over play their hand. Only 25% of the country agrees with them and their bloviation.

2) It takes away the myth that we had 60 Senators. We had 58 and two Republicans. (By the way have you noticed that the same people who keep saying "I told you so" about President Obama are the same ones that predicted that Senator Spector would be a disaster. Well I would trade Spector for Nelson or Lieberman any day of the week.)

Now the Republicans cannot hide behind the meme "Democrats had the votes but couldn't deliver". This will give the American public a preview of what 2011 and 2012 will be like if they vote Republican. Republicans will be able to stop legislation but they will pay heavily if all they can do is say no. The problem that the Republicans face is that they are only unified in being negative. Once they have to come up with policy alternatives they will split apart. Snowe, Collins, and yes even Brown, are not going to be satisfied with half of the crap that is popular in KY.

3) The Teabaggers will be invited in to the Republican Party and will be given keys to the policy safe. This will push the Republican Party even further to the right. But (and here is where the 2nd law has great effect) everyone in the Teabagger movement will credit their own individual (and often contradictory) messianic answer and they will fight each other to the death.


If Brown had not won then the fall election would simply be a referendum on Presidentn Obama and the Democrats delivering when they had 'absolute power'. Now Republicans will be held accountable and they have invited the Three Stooges to take over the percussion section of their orchestra and they have invited Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh to be guest conducters.

The President will still be the intelligent and humble leader that we all know him to be. Quietly he will confront the nation's greatest problems and engage the best talent to find the answers. In November the country will have a chance to give him the legislative numbers he needs to get things done.

[Cha]

1. Thanks grant for the

analysis..always an interesting read.

Here's to November giving us lots of great Dems to help get even more accomplished in Washington.

[TicketyBoo]

2. I surely hope

you're right.

There have been many decisions President Obama has made that have made me scratch my head. I'm nearly bald from head-scratching. But I really trust him. I'd never think of railing against him. I really do think that everything will be okay.

[Kaleva]

3. Damn! The Op is a prime example of why I enjoy coming to DU.

While the place can look like a zoo full of monkeys who do nothing but fling crap, every so often one comes across a well written OP that makes a person stop and think.

[nxylas]

4. I especially like number 3

We're already starting to see splits in the tea party movement. How long do you think it'll be before they become like the rival Jewish revolutionary groups in Life of Brian?

[grantcart]

6. The Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Palestine lol

[goclark]

5. And the BOWinner Award goes to grantcart!

Excellent post my friend.

[cliffordu]

7. KIcketty.

nice.