WORD ASSOCIATION: "I SAY 'DEMOCRAT.' YOU SAY...."

By Michelle Malkin

Here's a bit of a report by Candy Crowley at the Jihadist Sniper News Network putting people to a Democrat word association test (here's the link, but you don't need to click):

On the cusp of an election that could overturn the Republican majority on Capitol Hill, I jokingly asked a senior Democratic aide whether he had ordered new business cards to reflect majority status.

"Don't underestimate our ability to blow it," he said.

There is a reason Democrats are on edge. They have lost so many elections where it seemed they were running with the wind, the phenomenon is known in political circles as Democrats "embracing their inner-defeatest."

Herewith the proof: Democrats have been the minority on Capitol Hill for most of the past 12 years.

When George W. Bush leaves office in January 2009, Democrats will have occupied the Oval Office just 12 of the previous 40 years.

In the past two election cycles, Al Gore and John Kerry lost the entire South and most of the Midwest and West.

As part of our election series "Broken Government," CNN asked self-identified Democrats around Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles how they view their party. It was word association, "I say Democrat, You say --." Not scientific, but instructive.

Here is some of what we heard:

• "Disorganized"
• "Afraid to take a stand"
• "Not giving us anything better to look at"
• "A little soft"

Wanna play? Feel free to chime in.

You already know what my word is.