Appeasement Strategy

Steve Benen's thorough and effective dissection of Charles Krauthammer's column today scolding America for Cordoba House is a powerful piece of work that reads in part:

But Krauthammer is making a compelling case against an idea that doesn't exist. Literally no one is suggesting that the Cordoba House be built "at," "over," or "on" Ground Zero -- it's proposed location is a couple of blocks away. Indeed, within a two-block radius of Ground Zero, there are all kinds of establishments -- restaurants, coffee shops, office buildings, churches, strip-clubs, etc. -- and Feisal Abdul Rauf wants his proposed community center to be among them. What does Ground Zero's sacred qualities have to do with this? Nothing at all, which is why this debate is so ridiculous.

Also note the lesson Krauthammer believes Pope John Paul II was offering: "This is not your place; it belongs to others." In this case, who are we to believe "others" are? On Sept. 11, 2001, the victims included innocents of every race, ethnicity, and religion. Krauthammer seems to suggest Muslim Americans are the "others" who should stay away. That as absurd as it is offensive.

Benen goes on to a scathing rebuke to Krauthammer's nonsense and it's something that needs to be said.

The problem is that Cordoba House may never be built.  Not at the current site.  At some point very soon (I'm going to say maybe as soon as on the Sunday shows this weekend) you're going to see at least one Democrat come out and say that Democrats should oppose the Cordoba House project because it will only empower the Republicans and give them a massive fundraising symbol and now that it is completely a political issue, that it will require too much political capital to get it done.

In other words, you're going to see the Democrats start to fold on this in much the way David Paterson already has.  It will be couched as a strategy decision, so I expect to see it come from one of the perennial Dem strategists that float around on this.  "There's no political upside to defending Cordoba House" Dems will be told and nothing but downside to it in an election year.

Expect to see a quiet but concerted effort to nix the project and quickly due to poll numbers.  Defending an unpopular minority is exactly why we have a Constitution that promotes equal protection and religious freedom under the law.  The Court of Public Opinion however suffers from no such mediating influence.

My gut is screaming that the fold is coming.