The Manchurian Committee
2012-05-13 - by
There is only one logical explanation for what happened at the Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting: It was a vast right-wing conspiracy masterminded by the Dr. Evil of North Carolina politics, Art (“I Am Not An Heir”) Pope.
Here’s how the nefarious scheme worked:
Years ago, Pope saw that David Parker had run so many times he was bound to be elected party chair one day. Pope realized that Parker’s overweening ego and arrogance would make him a useful idiot.
Then Pope saw the usefulness of the Howard Dean-inspired netroots activists who flooded the party. He especially liked their contempt for any Democratic politician craven enough to get elected statewide – and for what Parker pilloried as “centrist consultants,” i.e., political professionals who try to get candidates elected in a state conservative enough to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages and civil unions by a 61-39 margin.
Once Pope had moved the pieces into place on the chessboard, he needed a triggering event. So he arranged the sexual harassment scandal involving Jay Parmley. Parmley saw the right-wingers’ hands behind it all, but everybody scoffed.
Then all Pope had to do was spring the trap. And his timing was perfect: four days after the primary and gay-marriage referendum and four months before the national Democratic convention.
His plot was almost foiled when 206 executive committee members refused to go along. But Pope’s dupes carried the day.
Now, as Democrats survey the ashes of their party, they can only say with dismay and grudging admiration: “Well played, Mr. Pope, well played.”
The Manchurian Committee
2012-05-13/
There is only one logical explanation for what happened at the Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting: It was a vast right-wing conspiracy masterminded by the Dr. Evil of North Carolina politics, Art (“I Am Not An Heir”) Pope.
Here’s how the nefarious scheme worked:
Years ago, Pope saw that David Parker had run so many times he was bound to be elected party chair one day. Pope realized that Parker’s overweening ego and arrogance would make him a useful idiot.
Then Pope saw the usefulness of the Howard Dean-inspired netroots activists who flooded the party. He especially liked their contempt for any Democratic politician craven enough to get elected statewide – and for what Parker pilloried as “centrist consultants,” i.e., political professionals who try to get candidates elected in a state conservative enough to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriages and civil unions by a 61-39 margin.
Once Pope had moved the pieces into place on the chessboard, he needed a triggering event. So he arranged the sexual harassment scandal involving Jay Parmley. Parmley saw the right-wingers’ hands behind it all, but everybody scoffed.
Then all Pope had to do was spring the trap. And his timing was perfect: four days after the primary and gay-marriage referendum and four months before the national Democratic convention.
His plot was almost foiled when 206 executive committee members refused to go along. But Pope’s dupes carried the day.
Now, as Democrats survey the ashes of their party, they can only say with dismay and grudging admiration: “Well played, Mr. Pope, well played.”