Last Man Standing

As I survey the carnage that was political discourse 2004, there’s a central idea rising as a wisp of smoke from the scorched earth where reason and truth once stood, and we’ll get to that central idea in a moment, but first, we need to review the battlefield and the weapons. This was a negative campaign – on both sides, but that is neither new or significant. Negative is OK if the negative is true and objectively presented. Positive themes are OK too as long as they are true and objectively presented. Thus what’s important is truth and objectivity. Surveying the field, the ugliest moments of the battle were when truth and objectivity were ripped to shreds by antagonism and bias. The scorched earth of this campaign was truth and objectivity.
Just like in refining, the important truth reveals itself after the burning is done. Both sides in this hard fought debate claim to be looking out for the interest of the majority, the middle class and the poor, but there is a difference between the blue regions and the red regions. The blue regions are where people are likely to ask government to raise money to help those in need. The red regions are where people personally do something when they see a need.
The blue regions hate poverty and injustice. They hate bigotry and prejudice. They want the government to use taxes (collected under the threat of force) to fix problems. And there’s nothing wrong with trying to fix those things (but the whole threat of force thing is disconcerting.)
The red regions love people. They love unborn children, They love the sinner – and want to discourage the sin. They love the proven traditional families and traditional values and they don’t trust new ideas and values that lack a successful track record. (Show me a society with a large overt element of homosexual culture that wasn’t on the decline.) They don’t want the government to fix things. They want the government out of their lives.
The blue regions do not love John Kerry, they hate Dubya.
The red regions love Dubya. They voted for him more than they voted against Kerry.
This is the wisp of smoke. Hate and fear won’t get you there. And if you don’t believe me, look at military history. Patriots defending the homeland (people that love their country) have a huge track record of success over foreign armies (that hate their country). The homeland was defended from the foreign armies on Tuesday. Those that love America as it is, defended it from those that think it is too homophobic, racist, sexist, unfair, capitalistic, fascist, intolerant. The campaign was brutal, and the victory was never certain. It had it’s darkest hours in an April of Abu Ghraib, the rumours of voter registration fraud in October and in the first guns (exit polls) of November. But each troop had one bullet, and each troop fearlessly took that bullet and ramped it into the chamber and let fly, even though the “exit polls” made it seem like a suicide mission. But it was only minutes after the first polls closed that the smell of fear began to rise from the ranks of blue. And there was cheering in the trenches when the enemy center broke wide open and the blue forces and the media that fed them began to plead for mercy (Also called reaching across the aisle and the “spirit” of bipartisanship.)
Just as those that loved Reagan and Clinton re-elected them (the only thing they have in common), George W. Bush and his elegant wife were confirmed by the outpouring of love for the things that mean the most to the folks that are the true heart and soul of this country. Hate and fear may occasionally or temporarily prevail, but it’s not the way to bet. I offer the following as proof.
Hillary Clinton will be the next President of the United States if the Republicans don’t nominate a candidate they love. She, perhaps more that anyone except Jacques Chirac, represents what they hate and fear. But hate won’t defeat her, because the army of Blue loves her.

Political leanings aside – Lennon and McCartney were right – Love is All You Need.