In 36 hours, I have seen Allen West send an email to supporters, saying if the government shuts down, "all 535" members of Congress should be replaced, have read six comments on various media sites saying all incumbents should be turned out, and have even seen a member here say "the Ds and the Rs both" should be shunned as a result of this single-party terrorist act.
"Yeah! Let's throw 'em all out!"
No, let's not.
I understand many are angry and confused about the latest turn of events in Washington and may say things in the heat they'll regret later. I am guilty myself.
I also understand that many pay little attention to the men and women who govern them except in times of crisis, or at election time, or when somebody posts a selfie of their stiffie.
But the suddenness and ubiquity of this "all incumbents" meme suggests to this old coot that it is not a spontaneous expression of a deeply-held personal belief, but that it is a purposefully-floated spin, a desperate attempt to yield a drop of lemonade from this truckload of rotten lemons the Republicans have bought.
It is also possible that I'm currently paying much too much attention to political media at present.
So, help me out, if you would. Are you seeing an inordinate number of opinions of the "just throw out every incumbent" variety today? Is that a real, populist prairie fire I smell?
Or just the smell of newly-mown astroturf?