Men have been seeking the Holy Grail for two thousand years.  The Republicans sought the American political equivalent—control of the White House and both chambers of Congress—that had eluded them since the first year of the Eisenhower Administration, for almost five decades before they finally solidified it in 2002.
 

Now, in just four short, but alienating years, they have lost it.  Probably for a long time.  And with good reason.  After years and years of arguing for limited government, individual rights, free enterprise, and a strong national defense, they swept into decisive control of Congress in 1994 in a record-setting repudiation of a new President.

 
Then they promptly turned their collective backs to the voters who finally had believed their message.

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The talk shows are full of it.  Television lives on it.  Newspapers feature it.  Bumper stickers proclaim it.  Neighbors argue about it.  And candidates spew it—incessantly and voluminously.  Look out!  It’s alive!  Run for it! 

The nasty is here.

The lazy days of summer gave way not to leaf-watching and fall football, but instead to another of those gawdawful, interminable, mud-slinging, truth-trampling, intelligence-insulting marathons we call campaign season.  Whereas autumns are fondly remembered for their brilliant displays of foliage colors, crisp nights, and cool rains, campaign seasons are anticipated with loathing, endured with cynicism, and notable only for the increasing intensity of nastiness embraced by dueling campaigns.

No sane person can stand it.  Liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, seasoned citizens and Generation Xers alike, we’re all disgusted.  Most of us still haven’t recovered from 2004—MoveOn.org vs. SwiftBoat Vets; Bush-haters and Kerry-bashers—and they’re already lining up to duke it out in ‘08.  Last time we even went into extra innings in an unprecedented and unparalleled transformation of our democracy into some kind of perverse street brawl.  Is anybody not cringing?

What has happened to our genteel society, our respectful disagreements, and our traditional encouragement of diverse opinions? 

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