You’d think the Democrats would be doing the snoopy dance during this election cycle. They have accomplished so many of the things Obama promised he’d do during the campaign (and his two Chamber Maids, Reid and Pelosi, guaranteed they’d support) so long as Americans elected Democrats to office. We did, and they have accomplished much. Yet, I don’t see a great deal of talk about these things. As I skim the headlines looking for news on their strategy to strengthen their grip on power over Americans this November, what I see instead is this:

“I think the prospect of a Republican takeover — while not likely, but plausible — will be very much part of the dynamic in October, and I think that will help us with turnout and some of this enthusiasm gap.”
[snip]
“We’d better act as a party as if the House and the Senate and every major governor’s race is at stake and in danger, because they could be.”

So sayeth David Plouffe, at least… the architect of Obama’s stunning victory in 2008. But I can’t help but ask why this is the approach the Democrats are choosing to take.

After all, they stimulated the economy, and they saved our homes for us, and they’ve helped us buy new ones, and they’ve helped us get flood insurance. They’re protecting us from fraud, extending our unemployment benefits, giving paycuts to those evil profiteers that call themselves Doctors, all the while protecting our childrens’ free health care. They’re also helping us get jobs, and they’re making sure we have medical coverage (whether we want it or not)…while ensuring that we are protected from our health care providers and that we’ll be able to afford to pay for it. Heck, they’ve even raised our National Debt ceiling just to make sure they can pay for all these goodies.

What’s not to love here?

It’s an interesting dynamic that, rather than bragging about themselves and exaggerating good news (as Democrats are particularly adept at doing), we find them more worried about messaging how much less they suck than Republicans [emphasis mine]:

Democratic leaders are trying to frame the November midterm elections not as a national referendum on the party in power but as local choices between two candidates.

“We can win the contrast, but not the referendum,” Democratic strategist Steve Murphy said. “What is critical in this election cycle is for Democratic candidates to hold Republican candidates accountable for their views.”

Republicans see the Democrats’ strategy as a sign of weakness.

“When the issues are cutting against you, it is typical for a party in trouble to resort to other means,” said Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. “With the unemployment rate unacceptably high and President Obama’s approval rating falling, they have nothing left to run on other than character assassination.”

Hmm…we can’t hold Democrats accountable for their actions, but by golly we’ll hold those pesky Republicans accountable for what they think about what Democrats have done…

To spend donor dollars digging up dirt on the competition rather than using those funds to tout their accomplishments and trust the voter to side with the more benevolent benefactor, Democrats are showing what most of us already know-it’s time for them to go.

We’ll see soon enough whether the electorate is finally on to them, or continues to succumb to the “American Idol” mentality on how to choose a candidate to represent them.