The Return of the Lesser of Two Evils

[Tom Rinaldo]

What will happen to America if Republicans take the White House in 2012? What will happen to the World? Can we live with the implications if Obama loses reelection narrowly if liberal activists don't back him as strongly this time as we did in 2008?

It wasn't supposed to be like this. The change we let ourselves believe in last time was the end to lesser of two evil politics. In 2008 we embraced hope and voted with pride. Now fear returns as our motivator with guilt, again, the familiar prod. That says a lot. In some ways it says it all.

No I will not back Obama now as enthusiastically as I did in 2008, nor will I feel any guilt over that even if he loses and the world goes to hell and I become homeless as a result. Because I can not manufacture genuine enthusiasm where none organically grows. It runs counter to human nature to assume otherwise. Great words can inspire strong emotions, but those emotions drain away when the words themselves fall flat. Live by the pen, die by the pen.

Republicans are the masters of fear. they long ago perfected that game plan. Democrats almost always come up short when fear of the Republicans becomes our clarion call. The lesser of two evils at best is a staged retreat from our deepest held aspirations. Yes that is preferable to a total rout or complete capitulation. But it is nothing to get enthusiastic over.