So now we see it clearly. The old politics of fear, leavened by the well-tested politics of smear, now morphed by the "new-and-improved-Republicans-of-change" into the politics of sneer-TM.
I sat and listened the other night to the Republican trifecta -- first Thompson with his "folksy" actor's persona draped over his contempt, then Guiliani -- "Ratso" without the charm -- dripping venom and scorn so toxic the arena needed fumigation and, finally, after the five-day build-up: Sarah Palin, the quintessential high school "mean girl" archly delivering her scripted lines and licking her lips at the scent of prey, turned on by the blood lust in the arena.
I sat there and wanted to throw up. We can't let them do this to our country. Not again. Not this time. Enough.
It is clear that Palin -- once known as Barracuda Sarah who bullied her way onto her high school basketball team as point guard -- showcased her skills in running the offense for John McCain, while he took the "high" ground and promised to reach across the aisle and end partisan bickering. Classic good cop bad cop, with Palin as the attack dog.
And attack she did. Not Obama's positions, not his policies, but his character, his personal ethos, his dedication to service and community.
The Republicans won the 2004 election by playing the politics of fear and smear. They parlayed 911 into a policy of fear-mongering. They added smears to fears when they swiftboated John Kerry.
Having tried both fears and smears against Obama with only limited success, they have added the politics of sneer to their arsenal.
We have to fight back. We have to call them out on it directly. They claim they are the "new and improved Republican brand" but not only are they running on the same old issues with the same old policies, they now have trumpeted to the world in an unending four-day broadcast that they have embraced the same old tactics. Sneering at anyone who disagrees, suggesting that everyone else is "unAmerican" or unpatriotic or just not quite as "good" as they are. Sneering at communities and at those who work tirelessly to improve them. Sneering at those who have less. Sneering at Obama for daring to embody the American Dream without being one of them.
I am a woman who sobbed in 1984 when Mondale nominated Ferraro for the ticket, and voted for him primarily for that reason. (And am I glad, now, that Ferraro didn't win!). I can't wait for a woman to serve, finally, in my lifetime or my daughter's. But I am glad that we have come far enough that gender alone is not enough to engender support. And this woman does neither our gender nor our country credit. I am just so sickened by the spectacle, by the ritual disembowelment of an honorable opponent. I worry that it will be successful, that somehow the American people will once again be taken in by the smoke and mirrors, by the lies and the distortions and the sheer weight of the scorn heaped on anyone who dares to oppose them or pry them from power.
I turned off the speech, turned on my computer, and donated $50.01 to Obama. I knew, before even hearing the news the next day of Obama's $10 million haul, that it was going to be a big number, because it took forever for the donations' page to upload and process my contribution.
I have pledged to do more -- not just donate money, but also time. I live in California, which should be safe for Obama, but I will try and go to a neighboring state, like Nevada or Arizona to help GOTV.
We can't allow this to happen. We have to push back, and say: The Republicans would have you believe that they have "changed", but just as "hope" without action is meaningless, "change" needs to be more than just words.
Only in the Republican Party would someone who votes the party line "only" 90-percent of the time be called a maverick.
Nothing has changed. The same old policies, the same old divisive tactics, and the same old games played to distract and divide and defeat us.
We must not take our eyes off the ball. Palin may or may not have too many skeletons in her closet to survive the media process she is being subjected to. But even if she is shown to be what she is -- her work is done. She has set the tone, called for the ball, and brought it down the court and across the line for McCain to take it to the hoop.
My hope lies in the fact that Barack is a better basketball player, and will not be drawn in by her offense, but will coolly, calmly, step up to the line, rise above her, and sink a game-winning three-pointer under pressure.
With our help, he can do it. Together, we can do it. We must do it.
Enough.