I dreamt that Republican John McCain ran for the 2004 presidency on an independent ticket, and selected Democrat Wesley Clark as his running mate. The Libertarian and the Liberal. The Democrats and the Republicans howled and danced, but the independent duo campaigned against the various wings pulling the Democrats and the Republicans off the political centre, and the political centre of America responded in droves. It was a landslide. A new party formed, pulling together the "left" of the Republicans and the "right" of the Democrats, casting aside two smaller parties with barely 25% of the vote, each.
The social conservatives were left to wonder why America "betrayed" them. The socialists, strangely, just shrugged their shoulders; of late they've grown used to irrelevance in America.
What We're Really Up Against
"What We're Up Against". That's what Tom Tomorrow notes in this entry in his weblog. Reading these posts he links to, it's easy to see why he's despaired of half of his nation.
Since treason is a capital offence, do you recommend execution of all Democrats? / Personally, I think we should keep a breeding pair around so we can show our children what nearly destroyed civilization.
To have people call you traitor for your political beliefs, to fervently wish your departure, or even your execution (even in jest) is a sad testament to how low humanity, much less political discourse, has sunk in North America.
But the Tom Tomorrows of this world aren't up against Bill O'Reillys and Ann Coulters. They're also "up against" James DiBenedetto, or more accurately, a reflection of themselves:
...as for "taking your country back", Paul - it's MY country, too, and the country of all those people who vote Republican, people who feel that, however much YOU might not like it, we are going in the right direction (or at least a better direction than the one that Howard Dean will, or Al Gore would have, taken us). You might want to consider that, Mr. Krugman, although I doubt you'll bother to."
James is responding to a column sweeping in its criticisms of Republicans, questioning their patriotism and plain humanity. It's no wonder that it hurts. I know that it hurts; it's the same sort of rhetoric the "right" has flung at the "left" for... well, ever. It's not hard to find people willing to foam at the mouth on both sides of the spectrum, but it is hard to find people willing to recognize those across the central divide as rational human beings worthy of respect.
James DiBenedetto's sentiment is heartfelt, and one that I'm sure resonates with those on the other side of the political divide, who have heard the chest-thumping of the foaming conservatives in the first two linked posts, or whispers at the water coolers, and other examples of people directly or indirectly telling them that they don't belong in the country of their birth. Both sides are starting to mimic each other in their blood-feud.
To this, my only response comes in the form of what I've already posted. Juliet is bleeding.