Chilling Season

You might have noticed that bkm, the spinswimmer, Jim Geraghty and Stanley Kurtz over at NRO are noticing that there is a chilling climate of fear creeping into this election season. Their observation is based on the somewhat disturbing reports coming in from various places around the country.

We have seen what thugery has done in Venezuela. The popular "revolution" of Chavez has quickly turned into unadulterated totalitarianism. Class envy, and hate fueled his revolution.
Now in our own country we are seeing hate as a driving and motivating political force. The politics of hate is a powerful force to unleash on a democracy. While we have all heard of the brown shirts that emerged as the Nazi hate machine rose to power, how many of us recall the vile hate-politics of Indira Ghandi and her decimation of India? Invoking this force called "hate" may provide some immediate political gains, but at a dear, dear cost.

We have already witnessed the erosion of cordiality and the brushing aside of "politics stopping at the waters edge." This election cycle shows that we are surrounded by campaigns saturated with vitriol, increasing levels of invective (even on foreign soil), and now actual programs of violence against the very symbols of democracy - the campaign office.

Hate is a powerful force, but once unleashed this force obeys no master.