Shooting yourself in the foot

You can almost bet on a few people / teams to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory almost every single time with amazing consistency. I have just about included two parties to that list. One back home, sporting a lotus and other touting a donkey in the United States of America.

BJP, back home, has kind of reinvented the art of losing an election over a period of time. A party which once rose to prominance on the platform on being a "Party with a difference" and "discipline", proved to be anything but. I used to be a fervent supporter of the saffron party, solely because I was hoping against hope that they would prove to be an antidote for the Cancer that had maligned India.I guess I have myself to blame for such stupid optimism, as BJP proved to be yet another mutation of the very same tumour.

But, I still believe that anything, any alternative, is better than the Congress malice. The third front is a mysterious mythological creature which rears its head once in a while, only to go back into a prolonged hibernation at the first sign of defeat. And that would probably explain my disappointment when I see BJP refusing all the blatant attempts by the ruling coalition to hand power over to them in a platter. This must be the weakest BJP organisation since 1980s and the days of Jan Sangh. They continue to make blunder after blunder, with even the normally dependable Advani making a complete fool of himself with his remarks about Kandahar. I think the party is ripe for extremists like Modi to take over. They have perfected the art of allying with parties which harm them more than help them. All in all, even though Congress is trying its best to get out, like Nasser Hussien in the famous Natwest Final game, BJP would simply not accept the catches coming their way.

If you think that this epidemic is prevelant only in India, please do think again. The Democratic Party is proving to be an American version of the BJP. Incredulous as it may seem, Bush has been in power for 8 years now. The approval ratings of his Presidency had dipped to single figures. Four months back, polls showed that any of the Democratic Parties nominees would thump any eventual Republican party nominee in November. A Hundred and Twenty days though is a long time in politics. While John McCain has emerged as unlikely nominee from the Republican party, the Democratic Party is actively engaged in digging its own grave. Obama and Hillary continue to beat each other up, helping no one other than McCain. I have to say here that I certainly don't have any party affiliation. But I like Obama, especially after he gave The Speech on race, and it is once again disappointing to see some one who seems different, head down the road to defeat.

May be they should learn from the current Indian cricket team on how to win agaisnt all odds. And if they have to do it, they better do it soon, for the Indian team tends not to remember its winning ways for too long. :)

Sankar