It's Not About Race, It's About Patriotism

Most of what we are hearing in the media is wrong. Senator Obama's polls have been dropping badly over the past two weeks and it is looking for the first time like the Democrats could be vulnerable in the general election. While the kerfuffle that really stuck to our nation's consciousness - the Reverend Wright sound bites - is rooted in race, it is really being attacked for it's anti-Americanism. This is the hammer that that right in one voice is using with a great deal of efficacy against the Democratic front-runner.

Their ultimate point is - in a moment of crises, with whom will President Obama surround himself, or put another more simply is he really for or against us "U.S.".

Some of the evidence against Senator Obama (to be fair I am leaving "evidence" out of quotes)

• Michelle Obama's phrase saying Barak's candidacy is the first time she is proud of America.
• Senator Obama was seen not holding his hand over his heart during a ceremonial event when others on stage were.
• Senator Obama's decision to not wear the American flag lapel pin
• And finally, the one that stuck, Senator Obama's preacher's sound bites.

Barak Obama's drop in the polls in the last two weeks coincides with the fact that the right is for the first time in forever, united again against a common foe. They have seen the writing on the wall before Senator Clinton has and have begun attacking the front runner.

The media and Rush like to credit his "Operation Chaos" where he takes credit for prolonging the "Uncivil War" (in Rush's terms) in the Democratic Party. In this case, it is the whole lot finally able to speak with a loud, common voice again against Senator Obama. The object is character assasination, the subject is Anti-Americanism; two of the talker's greatest strengths.

I blogged previously about the "Politics of Other". In Senator Obama's case they will try to portray the Senator as Muslim, Black, or Liberal, often in very subtle ways. I realized this week that there is more to it than just marginalizing Senator Obama and his supporters out of the mainstream and therefore out of the largest voting block. All of these "Other" have at their core (at least the way the right sees it) an Anti- American essence.

The Muslims can be extrapolated to Terrorists, Blacks to Malcolm X or Louis Farrakhan, and liberals to Marxists - all very anti-American in the polarized world view of the right.

I think this is a critical point. Questioning the patriotism of liberals really is the heart of the conservative attack against the left ever since the Cold War. It is such an effective political tactic as it is negative, personal, and easy for the populace to digest.

What it does is put the Democrats and their ideas on the defensive, so when we start talking about issues such as health care, soft instead of hard foreign policy, progressive tax rates, and rebuilding our infrastructure and social safety net, they can throw around other words like "Marxist" that will scare people out of really listening to the issues.

As an aside, a parallel discussion can be had of the right's use of the culture wars against the left. Of all the issues I mentioned above, they all seem pretty "Pro-Life" to me. Who is the real "Pro-Life" party?