Overdetermined

Here’s a good piece by Nate Silver in the Times. Simple point: once you get past the simple fact that the terrible unemployment rate has a lot to do with the Dems’ awful electoral prospects, it’s very hard to make any definitive statements about why they’re struggling. There are numerous theories, many of which are plausible, but very few of which have a really solid factual basis behind them. So everybody picks the theory that validates their assumptions.

Dems and Obama’s poll numbers are so bad because …

Republicans: Terrible policies and he’s probably a Muslim.

Right Democrats: No CEOs in the administration. And why does he keep getting into the black thing?

Down-the-Line Obamaites: Economy’s bad. Nothing he could do. Give it a rest.

Left Democrats: He wasn’t liberal or tough enough and me and my eight friends are deeply disillusioned.

Politico: Chronic failure to win the morning.

What else am I forgetting?