The following is from a comment by  Crow (crow@msn.com) to a thoughtful post on Moderation by Kevin Drum:

The point is that the neocon-led culture war (we can't lay the blame on all Republicans) and complicit national press have created the false impression that this country leans much further right than it really does, and worse, has redefined what it means to be a "conservative".

If these same forces can convince Americans that:
- Saddam was responsible for 9/11
- the biggest deficits in our history are the result of a Democratic recession
- tapping our meager remaining oil reserves will put us on the road to energy independence
- stem cell research is equivalent to human cloning
- evolution has no scientific basis and should be removed from school books
- lying in court about personal transgressions is impeachable but lying to start a war that kills thousands is not

And in general:

- the truth in such matters lies not with reality, but with a cynical, politically motivated, but broadly promoted front story,

Then surely we can be convinced that the American center, as represented in our "liberal media", is reflected in the views and policies of the Bush Administration.

Crow's belief that the country does not lean as far to the right as the neocons and the press think it does is what makes me nervous.  I'm older than some who might be reading this, and I remember vowing I would move to Canada if Richard Nixon ever became President.  I also remember the intense feeling of loneliness I felt after Reagan's second election; knowing that, despite all the harm he had done, a large majority of the people all around me every day, neighbors, co-workers and everyone, were so different from me.  I'm sure many of us felt that way when Shrub was elected by the Court, too.

I have been certain that the conservatives would be repudiated, only to be repudiated myself.  It sucks, and I will do everything I can to avoid feeling that way again.  Most of my effort will be devoted to getting a Democrat, any Democrat, elected; a little of my effort will be devoted to remembering that it might not go the way I want.

6:34:02 PM