Politics: We all need to move past the hate

We all come across as patronizing at times. That’s human nature. Yet to suggest in this day and age that “a certain type of liberal intellectual elitist” is responsible for the division between left and right is downright laughable. With daily battles playing out in the media, with commanders like Karl Rove and such foot soldiers as Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity, the epicenter of the fault line can be emphatically traced to . . . political science professors? Charles Kuralt? Though the left has its share of verbal missteps and deliberate put-downs, it simply can’t compete with the far right arsenal when it comes to divisive rhetoric. Janeane Garofalo’s Air America is no match for legions of followers addicted to the bellicose braying of Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly, the top junkyard dogs of political discourse. I won’t pretend that Democrats lack the stomach for down-and-dirty name- calling – the blogosphere proves otherwise, every minute. Yet for some reason, liberals aren’t drawn to the siren call of major media provocateurs in nearly the numbers that conservatives are. Keith Olbermann’s blistering attacks on the current administration have made his MSNBC show “Countdown” a moneymaking hit, yet fellow word warrior O’Reilly has more than twice as many viewers. Rather than keeping score, however, why don’t we look at facts that indicate a new reality? The current election cycle is proving that many of us are putting down the weapons, trying to find a way to work together; it’s why John Edwards’ battle cry of “Two Americas” rubbed voters the wrong way. Instead, you know we’re looking at a new America when some young evangelicals find themselves drawn to Obama and when some older Democrats find a compatriot in Republican John McCain.

Source: tucsoncitizen.com via politisite