Karl Rove's guru, Lee Atwater, studied tv evangelists and fundamentalist Christian groups. He saw their followers as a useful block of voters that could be compelled into a political base representing up to a third of the American electorate. With such a large base all you need to get elected is 20% or so of the rest of the people. If you could get everybody else fighting each other then at least 20% of these people will take your side. Atwater called himself a "Comparative" campaigner. What he did was highlight as many red button issues that divide people as he possibly could so as to skim off that 20%. Now with the help of the complicit mass media, the selection of Sarah Palin continues this strategy.
The morning after George Bush beat John Kerry I was driving my usual commute down the 101 freeway to South San Francisco. I was in somewhat of a depressed stupor wondering what the hell is the matter with so many Americans. Suddenly this large pickup swerved into my lane in front of me. The driver stuck out his arm and gave me a pronounced up yours with his finger. I knew this had something to do with Bush's win and that the mass media and his local peers had convinced him that I was his enemy. He was probably itching for at least an angry response from me. How he identified me as a Kerry voter I don't really know. My car had no bumper stickers but the license plate was framed with the name of the Oakland car dealership where the car was bought. He was clearly stereotyping to a degree. After giving me the finger he started looking in his rear view mirror for my response. I had no response for him other than any facial reactions betraying my thoughts that we're both losers now thanks to you. I had a sense that the Iraq war had something to do with it. Somehow I was anti-American or against the the soldiers because I wouldn't acknowledge that the Iraq war was a good idea and that victory was near no thanks to people like me. It wouldn't surprise me if that guy spent the whole morning pulling up in front of all the "San Francisco liberals" and giving them the finger. I started to think, perhaps with some self-deception, that this idiot will regret this someday and will see how he was being used by the real traitors. I thought about this guy as the war in Iraq turned into a bigger and bigger fiasco. I thought of him again after the Katrina disaster exposed the incompetent cronyism of the Bush administration. I thought of him during the times that the hypocrisy of Republican politicians and right wing religious leaders was so blatantly displayed with corruption and sex scandals. And again I thought of him during the mortgage crisis. Has he eaten crow yet I would think. Does he wish he could find me and apologize for being so wrong. I know, I'm in fantasy land. Blowhards admitting their wrongness is a rare occurrence.
Now I'm wondering what's going through his head. Is he again letting himself get riled up into an anti-liberal/socialist/gun-depriving/gay-marrying/tax loving/elitist frenzy. Does the reaction to the Sarah Palin selection by the "liberal" press get his blood pressure back up a few notches? And what about the fact that none of those amoral liberals want to acknowledge that thanks to people like McCain and Bush the surge is working.
When are we as a Country going to break out of this wedge issue trap that those with power and wealth keep setting for us. When is it going to stop being about moral Americans vs amoral Americans and become the truth seeking patriots vs. the truth hiding traitors. Why do Obama supporters and McCain supporters let themselves be drawn once again into the Sarah Palin wedge issue without questioning who created this issue and who's exploiting it? Why have we so conveniently before the election stopped once again asking questions about the stability of Iraq and once again, in our agitated state of distraction, turn Iraq into those who don't want to acknowledge the success of the Bush/McCain whoop-ass policy and the "real Americans" who do. Why can't we all get a higher awareness that doesn't succumb to the mass media lies but exposes them and holds Dick Cheney and the real traitors to account. Let's not have regrets for being gullible again. There wasn't victory in Iraq after the last election and it's a bald faced manipulation of all Americans to say there will be one this time if McCain becomes President.