Madfloridian's Journal - Right after the 2004 election.. we read this from a blogger's wife. About victimization.

This was written after the crushing election results in 2004.

We have read this here before, but it can not be posted enough. It was written by the wife of Mathew Gross, a blogger and former blogmaster for the Dean Campaign.

The Politics of Victimization

Submitted by Mel Gilles on November 7, 2004 - 10:11pm.

Mel Gilles, who has worked for many years as an advocate for victims of domestic abuse, draws some parallels between her work and the reaction of many Democrats to the election.-- Mathew Gross

Watch Dan Rather apologize for not getting his facts straight, humiliated before the eyes of America, voluntarily undermining his credibility and career of over thirty years. Observe Donna Brazille squirm as she is ridiculed by Bay Buchanan, and pronounced irrelevant and nearly non-existent. Listen as Donna and Nancy Pelosi and Senator Charles Schumer take to the airwaves saying that they have to go back to the drawing board and learn from their mistakes and try to be better, more likable, more appealing, have a stronger message, speak to morality. Watch them awkwardly quote the bible, trying to speak the new language of America. Surf the blogs, and read the comments of dismayed, discombobulated, confused individuals trying to figure out what they did wrong. Hear the cacophony of voices, crying out, “Why did they beat me?”

And then ask anyone who has ever worked in a domestic violence shelter if they have heard this before. They will tell you, every single day.

The answer is quite simple. They beat us because they are abusers. We can call it hate. We can call it fear. We can say it is unfair. But we are looped into the cycle of violence, and we need to start calling the dominating side what they are: abusive. And we need to recognize that we are the victims of verbal, mental, and even, in the case of Iraq, physical violence.

More from the post. Things to remember.

Listen to George Bush say that the will of God excuses his behavior. Listen, as he refuses to take responsibility, or express remorse, or even once, admit a mistake. Watch him strut, and tell us that he will only work with those who agree with him, and that each of us is only allowed one question (soon, it will be none at all; abusers hit hard when questioned; the press corps can tell you that).

...."And watch the Democratic Party leadership walk on eggshells, try to meet him, please him, wash the windows better, get out that spot, distance themselves from gays and civil rights. See them cry for the attention and affection and approval of the President and his followers. Watch us squirm. Watch us descend into a world of crazy-making, where logic does not work and the other side tells us we are nuts when we rely on facts. A world where, worst of all, we begin to believe we are crazy. How to break free? Again, the answer is quite simple.

First, you must admit you are a victim.

Mel ends with saying "Even if you do everything right, they’ll hit you anyway."

Yes, they most certainly will.

In a way it is much like the Stockholm syndrome.

About the Stockholm Syndrome.

Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response sometimes seen in an abducted hostage, in which the hostage shows signs of loyalty to the hostage-taker, regardless of the danger (or at least risk) in which the hostage has been placed. The syndrome is named after the Norrmalmstorg robbery of Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg, Stockholm, Sweden, in which the bank robbers held bank employees hostage from August 23 to August 28 in 1973. In this case, the victims became emotionally attached to their victimizers, and even defended their captors after they were freed from their six-day ordeal.
Wikipedia definition

It could be loyalty, yes, but it is most surely mixed with fear. There are still things being done and said that make little sense to most of us in the party. It seems more than just not understanding how the game is played.

George Bush doesn't strut as often as he did then, but he does still do it way too much.

There are at times more voices speaking out, but if they are not cautious enough....they soon hear from the media.

At times it feels like we are coming out of the dark, then a little bit later like the same old strategists are grabbing hold again. Pulling our leaders back into a safe zone that doesn't displease the right.

Tug of war. Not ready to acknowledge the progressives in the party, not quite as ready to go back into the dark. Confusing.