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Thursday, September 4, 2008 12:00 AM

The GOP's cheerful viciousness

Yet again, the GOP launches brutal personality and cultural attacks on the Democratic candidate. Yet again, Democrats seem determined to allow it to do so.

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  • Thursday, September 4, 2008 03:57 PM

    Are you kidding me?

    fresh off of watching Sarah Palin rip Barack Obama's face off using the most intense forms of derision and condescension

    What reality do you live in? Hardly any of her speech attacked Obama and it was pretty mild: digs at his lack of experience and the columns at the convention. That's "the most intense forms of derision and condescenson"? Do you remember Bush's characterization of McCain as a ticking time bomb of post-traumatic-stress rage?

    And how is Obama claiming that McCain means well but "just doesn't get it" not condescending?

    I mean, this is politics. Neither of these barbs can be looked at as a mean-spirited smear. It's just the self-assurance of each party that they are right, the opposition is wrong, and if people will just pay attention it will all be clear.

    The left's antagonism towads Palin baffles me. And I'm an Obama supporter.

    What I find more interesting, and what I see no one discussing, is the way Obama is still clearly (and to me, happily) controlling the discussion. Indeed, the Republicans seemed to be falling all over themselves eager to show that they, too, are outsiders, they, too, buck the system. That they, too, were, essentially, Obama. It was wonderful. And the whole Republican convention cheering when McCain was defined as an outsider, when the Republican Party is the bastion of insiders, was beautiful.

    I don't see Palin as vicious, but I don't worry about her, either. I think people will see who's the real deal.

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