Crazy Sells

Trey Ellis writes about the fruit of Democratic passivity in the face of wingnut craziness:

All right. So the Dems have been swiftboated again. The Republicans throw
out a series of outlandish lies worthy of a grade-school playground (whole-scale
granny-cide, John Kerry ate human flesh while patrolling the Mekong Delta) and
the Democrats try to just laugh it off. The Dems chortle, "Who would ever
encourage such nonsense."

Um, how about every single possible news outlet?

Crazy sells. Crazy brings eyeballs to the flat screen. How hard is that
to understand?

Even if it's against your nature, a rapid, vigorous counter-attack is
the only logical choice.

But the most corrosive effect of Democratic leadership passivity in
response to high-pitched lunatic right wing charges is to the Democratic masses.
There is nothing more dispiriting than watching the people you've elected to
lead you be bullied. Especially when the opponent stands at an historic level of
weakness. It's like watching your big, strapping dad get beat up by your scrawny
weasel of a next-door neighbor.