Well, here's what I don't understand -- it's the negative side of the capacitors that's pointing toward the transistors' bases, but then you also have the resistors connected to the bases as well. My understanding of capacitors (at least polarized electrolytic ones) is that they "collect" their charge from the positive side, so that shouldn't affect anything "downstream" (for lack of a more correct term), right? In which case the voltage coming across the resistors should continue straight into the transistors' bases.
Do I just fundamentally misunderstand capacitors? That could certainly be possible, they really seem like little round cylinders filled with black magic voodoo to me...