Anybody here familiar with the "tugboat theory"?

[Toots]

What this "theory" says is that huge ships have a hard time turning in close quarters and docking is difficult, so they use tugboats to aid them. The way a tugboat turns a huge ship is not by pushing directly against the bow of the ship but by going alongside in the same direction until it can gradually steer the ship around to the course the tugboat wishes. That is what a lot of "Moderate" Democrats seem to be attempting with their actions. They go along with the Republicans until they can gradually turn them around in the direction the Democrats want. It would appear the Republican ships are grounded out right at the moment and unable to be turned but the tide has turned and soon the ships will be once again under power with a Democratic tugboat alongside to guide it safely into the port...Murtha is one hell of a tugboat.....

[tocqueville]

1. I'd rather go for the Titanic theory

where the Dems play the role of the iceberg

[HereSince1628]

3. Unfortunately, we've got the Lusitania theory

with the radical right playing the role of the u-boat commander

[acmejack]

2. Did you just invent that theory?

I've seen it applied in the context of asteroids, but never in politics. Not bad, I'd like to think you are right & the "tugboats aren't adrift with navigational difficulties of their own.

[Toots]

4. No I learned this in a management course I took many years ago

It dealt with management issues and how not to buck someone head on as you get bad results. Gradually steer them to your way of thinking..

[occuserpens]

5. Yes, it is a good theory

The point is, tagboats serve large ships, there is no competition.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9073700

[skylarmae]

6. But, will the tugboat theory be construed with being republican lite?

Just wondering as our, 'democrats have no plan' image should not be allowed to worsen no matter what course of action or analogy. Remember, Kerry turned out to be a self-inflicting wounds coward instead of the decorated war veteran he is, by the end of the election cycle....

[Warpy]

7. Nice theory, but it's not working

in politics. Those "moderate" Democrats have now lost us all three branches of government, and the damage their timidity has done this country may well be irreparable.

All they've done is managed to collaborate sufficiently to ensure that the worst damage that could possibly be done to working Americans has indeed been done. Those "New Democrats" have given us horror after horror, extensions of the Patriot {sic} Act, abolition of bankruptcy protection, that giveaway to Big Pill disguised as welfare for seniors, and nearly every other awful thing the GOP has come up with. They've made sure we know there will never be a united front of Democrats against horrible nominees to the Supreme Court or anything else that continues this country's march to fascism.

Their way is not working, folks. Most people take a look at them and vote for the guy who at least promises them a tax cut and throws in a direct route to heaven to sweeten the deal.

[occuserpens]

11. Well, this theory is working OK

for the GOP

[xchrom]

8. republicans are not the ship

corporations are -- please provide examples where democrats are turning corporations in a direction they want?

[Al-CIAda]

9. 'republicans are not the ship..." -Astute observation. -n/t

[leftofthedial]

10. Anybody here familiar with the "torpedo-in-the-magazine theory"?