Never underestimate the power of incompetence

I'm adapting that line from the Star Wars movie, when Darth Vader says "don't underestimate the power of the force".  Everyone likes to think things happen for reasons that have nothing to do with themselves, but this is a mistake.  It always happens that way.  Therefore, if you don't get the results you want, it is not because of evil or luck.  No, it is because you screwed up somehow.

Examples?  Let's take a look at politics.  Republicans like to blame the bias of the media for their lack of success.   But Ronald Reagan managed to be pretty successful politically even with the news media arrayed against him.  Reagan's enemies were not as competent as he was.  Those at the time liked to attribute Reagan's success to "luck", but if the success lasts a long time, it isn't luck.

The media is just as biased now as ever, but is there anyone on the Republican side as good as Reagan?  Looks like Perry may shoot himself in the foot a little too often.  Also, he couldn't reply as well as he could have when the liberal leaning question came about capital punishment.  Ron Paul?  He really stepped in it during the last debate.  He let the hypothetical question get the better of him.  If the Republicans lose this election, when they should win it, should not be attributed to anything but incompetence.

For Obama isn't exactly the picture of competence himself.  If the Republicans can't beat this guy, they don't deserve to win.

Not that Obama lacks any competence.  But his competence seems to come from running for office.  His governing style doesn't look like the picture of virtuosity.  You can't ask for a worse job of managing economic matters.  If you were to base his chances on the basis of managing the economy, he is in a lot of trouble.  It doesn't help him when he keeps blaming others for what is, in truth, his own fault.  But I don't see Republicans pointing this out enough.

This doesn't inspire much confidence.  Whoever wins may be the one who least weakly limps into office.  It won't come from a commanding performance in the election, unless something changes.  One would hope that if a change does come, the governing in the future will be better than the electioneering in the present.