Vampire myths are found in so many cultures because they are a psychological construct for evil. Evil is not generative; it battens onto the force of the living. It can only exist by co-opting more useful and creative drives.
From Dracula to the Sith Lord, we become familiar with the workings of evil through this sturdy structure. What can it tell us about the situation we are in now?
I explain:
Vampires are always creatures of the night. Even before religion offered their talismans in this fight, folklore soothed by reminding us that one thing always worked:
Sunlight.
That's the key to destroying Glenn Beck.
Look at the classic Republican bait and switch; George W. Bush. He was sold as a "Compassionate Conservative," whose "strong Christian values" would result in "getting government off the back of the worker." That's what the mass of people voted for.
Of course, that's not what they got. Now, they know what they are getting when they "buy" George W. Bush, and they won't buy it.
But Republicans are just changing the person they wrap up; the product hasn't changed. And a key point in their strategy is how they simultaneously get their base ramped up with the usual idiocies... and then repackage and water down this same idiocy for mass consumption.
Glenn Beck talks about herding people into FEMA death camps. Senator Grassley says, "Death panels? Yes, I think people should be worried."
That's how it works.
The same idea, "Democrats want to kill you!" is wrapped differently for different demographics. I don't think it would work if Charles Grassley stood up at Town Halls and said, "Yes, Democrats want to kill you. Discuss."
Pundits wouldn't endorse it. It wouldn't get on Meet the Press. What Glenn Beck says is the same thing Grassley says: Only it's too stark, too obviously batshit.
After all, Sarah Palin looked sooo good to the base. But even with creampuff questions from a compliant media, she was just toooo crazy. John McCain's "sensible maverick" wrapper couldn't cover that much crazy. It peeked out, and scared the hell out of plenty of voters.
Our assumption that our corporate media covers crazy extends only to the point where we realize that it's only certain kinds of controversy that gets derided.
They don't want to let the general public see too much of Limbaugh or Beck. They don't want the mass of voters to see that these raging demogogues really are the ones doing the party messaging. That's only for the Base; the Base the rest of their "mainstream crazy" springs from.
Their messages are santized and get the Pundit treatment; even though it's the same message. Different, brighter, more appealing wrapper.
Early on, we saw the power of President Obama calling Rush Limbaugh "the head of the Republican party." We enjoyed the "no he's not, yes, Rush you are" Windsock Activity. It was great.
That's why the Republicans had to put a stop to it.
It's a message they know is far too strong for the general public. The full strength Kool-Aid, without the cover of their mouthpieces watering it down, without the sugar of "sensible and rational" columnist spin, fools the people into thinking these positions are worthy of consideration.
They don't know what they are voting for. They think they are voting for Grandad's Republican Party, when they are really voting for Glenn Beck.
It seems to us, immersed in the Awareness stew, that "Everyone's gotta know the crazy stuff Beck does." It makes us despair over the vast numbers of people who seem to "buy in."
But they aren't. They are buying the cleaned up version.
If they knew; they wouldn't.
GOP Power, like vampires, works only in darkness. Wrapped in night shadows, their positions seem rational, sensible, just right. When the windows open and sunlight falls on the creature trying to seduce, we see the ravaged eyes and sharp fangs.
We don't try to ignore Beck. We don't try to undermine his reach. We can't reach his fans... we can't dig up anything that would make them turn away. His fans aren't rational. How can they be?
But the people reached by the Grassleys don't know they are really agreeing with Glenn Beck. Let's let them know what the Republican Party is all about.
Let the mass public know what's really lurking in the shadows.
Let's Mainstream Glenn Beck.