End Derangement Syndrome

It’s time to retire “Derangement Syndrome” from the blogging lexicon. First coined by Charles Krauthammer to describe the Left's unhinged hatred of George Bush (BDS), the term is now widely applied to anyone that disagrees with the position of one candidate or another.

Anyone that has spent any time in the left wing blog “o” sphere has encountered BDS to varying degrees. Those most affected, such as the two subjests pictured, through a mental process akin to “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”, can track any bad event in the world back to, "President Bush stole the 2000 election." Your milk has gone sour? Milk comes from cows. Cows live on ranches. There are ranches in Texas. Bush has a Texas ranch. Presto, Bush stole the 2000 election.


Of course without the imagination to coin a catchy pejorative of their own, (further evidence by their continued use of the term fascist for anyone that is not a socialist) the Left glommed onto the phrase and wrongly applied it to persons that dislike the Clintons (CDS) or Hillary in particualr (HDS). I say wrongly because the basis of derangement syndrome lies in a tendency to blame the president for virtually every ill in the world. It also refers to opposing a position advocated by the president just because he supports it, regardless if the president’s actions may have merit. i.e. The surge.

The Right certainly wasn’t against President Clinton’s policies, because for the most part they were positions co-opted from the Republicans. (See Krauthammer) Republicans also didn’t lay every ill in the world at the White House steps. Instead what you see is a loathing of the Clintons as a life form. A hatred of their machine, their tawdry affairs, their no holds barred, any means justifies the end style. Filegate, Travelgate, Monicagate, gates ad nauseum. More recently there is a whacked Bill Clinton performing damage control on his legacy with a willingness to say and do anything to get back into the seat of power which only adds to the revulsion. ( See Bill Shribman "Clintons Sybil Syndrome" Fortune Magazine 1996) Personally it is the fact that the man, or his wife we're not sure which now, led with a finger in the air checking the political winds and was unable or unwilling to respond to Al Queda.

What brought me to the conclusion that “Derangement Syndrome” has outlive it’s usefulness is the fact that now the term is being applied to certain Republicans that are not thrilled that John McCain (MDS)may be the nominee. The term has begun to loose all meaning. Perhaps Dr. Krauthammer can diagnose a disorder for the next resident of the White House. I suggest "Political Dementia Disorder." (PDD), We know we hate your guts we just can't remember why.