Why We Fight

"We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C. We believe" -- here the audience interrupted Palin with applause and cheers -- "We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation. This is where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans. Those who are running our factories and teaching our kids and growing our food and are fighting our wars for us. Those who are protecting us in uniform. Those who are protecting the virtues of freedom."

- Governor Sarah Palin, 2 days ago

Do we need leadership in this country that distinguishes between "real" Americans and "fake" Americans? Between parts of the country that are "anti-American?" I cannot begin to describe how offensive I find these comments. How do you define what pro-American is? These talking heads seem to identify "Republican" with "American," and frankly there are two sides of the political debate here in the United States.

Although, after listening to what the other side has to offer over the past few months, I'm starting to feel like there's two sides to this debate in the same way that there were two sides of the McCarthy hearings.

Longer post coming in the next two days. I just thought that it would be nice to share my disgust. This election is no longer an argument between two competing viewpoints on what direction to take this nation. The very fiber of our nation's morality is at stake. I want moral issues to start becoming part of this race again - moral issues like how people get away with saying things like this, here in what is supposed to be a beacon of freedom and democracy? Because I seem to be on a Sorkin binge lately, I must note that comments like Palin's really sound a lot like the crazy conservative talk show hosts featured in the penultimate episode of Studio 60. Does "treason jingle" ring any bells?