Do Democrats suck at Poker?

Gambler by Kenny Rogers.

He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

Democratic politicians have bad poker faces, they play their cards too conservatively. The only way to win at Poker is to have courage.

In poker, one must have courage: the courage to bet, to back one's convictions, one's intuitions, one's understanding. There can be no victory without courage. The successful player must be willing to wager on likelihoods. Should he wait for absolutely risk-free certainty, he will win nothing, regardless of the cards he is dealt.

For example, take a player who has never acted with initiative — he has never raised, merely called. Now, at the end of the evening, he is dealt a royal flush. The hand, per se, is unbeatable, but the passive player has never acted aggressively; his current bet (on the sure thing) will signal to the other players that his hand is unbeatable, and they will fold.

His patient, passive quest for certainty has won nothing.

The Democrats, similarly, in their quest for a strategy that would alienate no voters, have given away the store, and they have given away the country.

Go read the rest of David Mamet Op-Ed in the LA Times.

David Mamet in this Op-Ed gives example of when Democrats has sure winners (Gore, Kerry) at the start but at the end they loss to a bold Republican party.

Democrats need to step up to the table and play their cards.

The Democrats are anteing away their time at the table. They may be bold and risk defeat, or be passive and ensure it.

Indeed.