Ante, raise, fold. Ante, raise, fold.

by David Safier

If Democratic politicians, their staff and consultants were poker players, they'd lose their shirts, but they'd lose them slowly. Holding 3-of-a-kind, they'd put some money on the table, then see a big chested Republican swaggering and blustering and slamming down some chips, and they'd fold. The Republicans might have a pair of 2s against the Dems' 3-of-a-kind, but that doesn't matter if the Dems don't call their bluff. And the Dems won't call, or raise. It's safer to lay down their cards. Better to lose a little than stay in the game and risk losing a lot.

Play it safe in high stakes poker, and you'll lose slow, but you'll lose every time.

It hurts me to watch the political battles lately. With a sizable majority in the House and the Senate and higher positive ratings than the Republicans, we've adopted the position of the battered minority, cowering under Republican assaults. Our hand is strong enough, we should be able to play the game with aggression and confidence. We should have the courage to call their bluff over and over, not fold our hand whenever they put more money on the table.

I don't see any coherent strategy from Democrats. I don't see any instinct for the game. It's disheartening and frightening. And the stakes are as high as they get.

This isn't a call for surrender, by the way. Quite the opposite. Democrats who say they're discouraged, who are ready to fold up their tents and go home after a year, are abetting Republican's plans to make big gains in 2010.

No, this is no time to quit. But damn it, Democrats need to take bold, aggressive stands. Democrats need to be thinking three or four steps ahead. Democrats need to risk losing a hand big, or they'll never win anything ever again.

I saw Democrats take a big risk when we backed Obama instead of Hillary (or the one safe bet, the white male in the race, John Edwards. That would have worked out well!). And I saw Obama's campaign take risks, lose a hand, then pick itself up and get right back in the game. But now that we think we have something to protect, we've lost our nerve. We'd better find our nerve again, and soon.