Gary Kamiya has a good article up at Salon about how McCain is reviving the culture war with Sarah Palin, and how frightfully enduring the culture war seems to be, able to revive dead Republicans that are besieged by ill-advised wars and economic ruin. And he’s right, it is frightening, especially if it works.
But I have a question: Isn’t Barack Obama enough for the culture warriors?
As Kamiya outlines, culture wars are not about positive things. Culture warriors aren’t voting for something—-they’re voting against enemies established for them by fundamentalist preachers and right wing talk radio. If the Republicans truly feared that they couldn’t get the minions out to keep a black man out of office (and let’s not forget—-racial hierarchies are critical to the culture warriors), especially one with a funny name that culture warriors believe is a sign that he’s a secret Muslim (who they’ve deemed the Satanic enemy that must be defeated to bring Jesus back). Isn’t voting out of fear and loathing for Barack Obama enough for them? I would think yes. And so I’m feeling more persuaded that the post-Palin jump in the polls is temporary.
I want to address the ideas in this paragraph: