Bunker Mulligan "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." ~Mark Twain

I get frustrated not being able to read everything posted on the web. I look at Sarah’s latest post, which takes me to Annika’s site, which takes me to Danny O’Brien’s analysis of the Dean implosion. (Whew!)

Danny educates us with Kubler-Ross’s Five Stages Of Dying: A Case Study. The five stages are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. It fits.

I look at it beyond Dean, however. As I read this I couldn’t help but think of the entire Democratic Party. It’s demise would be a terrible thing for this country. But it is like an alcoholic who hasn’t yet hit rock bottom, and doesn’t know he needs to join AA.

Many people join AA, but aren’t quite ready for the personal commitment to make the program work. I’ve been very close to several people in AA, and have attended quite a few meetings with them. It is a commitment in physical and spiritual ways. The Democratic Party is almost there, and as an organization, must avoid the five stages and, instead, work on their own 12 steps.

Denial: This stage began in 2000. There are still remnants even today. In spite of numerous recounts in Florida which confirmed Bush’s win, some continue to believe he was “selected, not elected.”

Anger: Democrats have been in this stage almost from the beginning–probably since even before the 2000 election. Dean tapped into this.

Bargaining: Kerry’s war and anti-war record vs. Bush’s Air National Guard record. This hasn’t been an attack on Bush as much as it has been a bargaining chip. The sense I get from Democratic leadership is that “If you don’t bring it up, we won’t either” in regards to Vietnam.

Depression: This will come if Bush is reelected. There will be no hope left.

Acceptance: Here will be their best chance to fend off the Grim Reaper. They cannot simply accept defeat, but be willing to look at themselves honestly and ask, “Why?” Their own 12 steps.

I think Bill and Hillary already understand this. She will be ready to step in and bring the Party back toward reality. And they will be willing, oh so willing, to follow. The only question then will be whether she pushes them off the wagon.

Steven Den Beste is taking some time off. Writing can become work.

I thought about this in regards to my own writing this morning. I remember working on my book, and how much of a passion it was for me at the time. As it neared completion, and I began asking people to look at it, I got tired of all the advice. I incorporated some and ignored other. I think the entire thing suffered.

I’ve always written almost stream of consciousness, which means my prose sometimes gets wordy, sometimes curt, often incomprehensible. I seldom go back and edit. What you see is what goes through this thick skull. When I have written for publication, I’ve gone over text several times to try and get it right. Of course, editors have their own ideas. Air University Review did little cleaning up on what I wrote. Once, the thing they changed actually changed the sense I was trying to get across. Oh well. Airman Magazine did almost a complete rewrite of my article (the only one I ever submitted to them) and then praised me for my writing. The senior editor asked if I would be interested in joining their staff! Go figure.

I started this blog to write. Like Ted Kennedy, I have become incoherent, and think this is the best way to regain some of the skills I believe I once had. I’m constantly in awe of some of the writing in the blogosphere: SDB, John Jay, Wretchard, Sarah, Harry and Porphyrogenitus are but a few. This is not to slight the others I’ve linked to on my sidebar. In fact, I intentionally link to very few folks. These are the ones that give me inspiration to sit down at the keyboard and bang out a few words. And those links are there primarily for me. It makes it easy to jump over and check what Dave Barry or David Feherty has to say today. But if someone likes what I write, they can get further, often better information from the people I read.

Bogey told me to get back to writing things other than politics. He’s right. (He better be with that high-priced Cornell education in Communications!) Writing hasn’t become the chore it can be, and I hope the broad brush I use as a pen keeps it alive. As Sarah pointed out (and added a link as well) the daily journal becomes a habit and refuge. For me, someone who is definitely not a social butterfly, it gives me a community I can enter and leave at will. I like that.