The most disturbing thing about this Pedophile/Nobel Peace Prize nonsense?

[cab67]

34. it was an example of a "cannon retreat."

It's a phenomenon found across the political spectrum, but it's been especially prevalent among Republicans during the modern era.

I named it from Bugs Bunny cartoons in which Bugs is being chased by Yosemite Sam, who's portraying a pirate or a soldier. Sam chases Bugs all over, and eventually, Sam is led into the barrel of a cannon. There's a brief moment of silence before Sam yells, "Retreat!" But before he can get out, Bugs pulls the lanyard.

Here's an example:

The Schiavo case follows this model. Republicans at the time thought this would be a good way to excite religious conservatives who backed Ms Schiavo's parents, and that everyone else would either not really care or could be persuaded to support their cause. But by the time they realized just how unpopular their efforts were, it was too late to back off without causing even more damage to their image.

The same was true for another case in Florida - that of Elian Gonzalez. He was a 10-year-old Cuban boy in the 1990's whose mother died while trying to bring him to the US. HIs mother had divorced his father, who remained in Cuba. Every bit of relevant law - local, state, federal, international - said that Mr Gonzalez should be returned to his father. But the Cuban exile community in southern Florida was having none of it, insisting that Mr. Gonzalez remain with his mother's relatives in the Miami area.

The Clinton administration had to tread very carefully; there were always crowds around the the relatives' home, and an effort to get the boy and send him back could have ended badly. (In the end, it didn't. He was rescued by Federal agents and reunited with his father.)

There were a lot of Republicans at the time who thought this would work like the Shiavo case several years later - they'd shore up support among Cuban exiles without alienating anyone. But even in Miami, there was very strong support for returning the boy to his father. And by the time Republicans realized just how unpopular their position was, they couldn't back down without looking like hypocrites.