Grand Old [American] Psycho

Sarah Palin has been exposed as a complete fraud and inveterate liar since her selection by the reality-deficient kingmakers of the GOP. Why, the AP just released a report (the what-- fifth of its kind?) revealing that her political career is nothing so much as a ham-fisted attempt to craft the sort of personal narrative that has come to define the Republican party in recent decades. Family members as props? Gladly. Political power as a means of personal vindictiveness? Natch! Crowd-pleasing rhetoric in please of policy and principle? Yes, please. And of course, that ol' time religion that's become the right wing's stock in trade: an unthinking committment to a sense of personal entitlement.

As hopeful as things look for the coming election, I'm afraid that it could go horribly wrong. If the rage and racism McCain's campaign is now aggressively courting erupts into violence, or if their disturbing attempt to disenfranchise voters becomes the final, desperate front in the attempt to maintain their empire of greed... well, I fear for the nation. But principled conservatives have already rejected their party leader, even if they've been overly timid in their convictions. The press is clearly uncomfortable with Republican attempts to exhort the party faithful to blind rage. And America appears once again to be demonstrating the unity that has made it a great and powerful nation, as well as a beacon-- thought it may flicker in stormy times-- of the Enlightenment values that have been our greatest legacy.

Still, I am afraid. The noblest thing we can do now is to assist our fellow Americans in exercising their rights as citizens. Our fellow countrymen shall not disappoint us if we ensure that all may exercise their birthright.