Elizabeth Hasselbeck and the Politics of Division

About a week ago in my Political Science class there was a discussion about Aristotle's views on the Rule of the People and Rule of Law. He said the following:

"Another kind of democracy is where the mass is sovereign and not the rule of law. This kind arises when decrees are sovereign instead of the law; and this happens because of the demagogues. In law-abiding democracies the demagogue does not arise; on the contrary, the best of people preside. But when the laws are not sovereign, there demagogues arise. This is because the demos becomes a monarch, one person composed of many; for the many are sovereign not as individuals but all together."

The main point the class came to was that we, as citizens, cannot allow demagogues to control our democracy.

Unfortunately, that is what America and her citizens have allowed the last seven years: a group of political charlatans(downright thugs if you ask me)disguised as elected political leaders of the free world whoring out the nation(after swearing an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States)to gain unlimited power in the Executive Branch, to serve at the whim of Corporate America, the extreme right-wing base of the GOP, and the defense contractors, all through playing on America's fears after the tragic events of 9/11 and the wave of patriotism that followed.

Last night, I posted a blog dealing with The View co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck introducing Republican Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin at a rally in Tampa Bay, Florida. What struck me wasn't so much the standard talking points she listed, but the moment when she spouted off the flag pin nonsense, saying how the Governor of Alaska wears it everyday with honor, almost implying to the audience of how, once upon a time, Barack Obama said that he did not wear the flag pin becasue as he called it "it became a substitute for real patriotism" and somehow he's not really a patriot like the woman she is introducing.

Mrs. Hasselebeck, it's one thing to passionately defend your candidate. It's another thing to suggest or imply the opponent is somehow unpatriotic for not having the equivalent of a piece of jewelry on their lapel coat. In these uncertain times, the last thing we need is more of the same politics of division and using petty issues such as a damn lapel pin to characterize your opponent Karl Rove and George Bush were infamous for during the last seven years of hell this country has gone through under their watch. We are tired of this divisive politics you, Sarah Palin, John McCain and the RNC are using. We may have different ideas and solutions on what is best for the country, but to say or even imply that one person or candidate is more patriotic than the other only helps feed demagogues and political bullies to divide our nation and its citizens instead of bringing the country together as one.

If Palin's campaign political speechwriters gave you this script to read and introduce to the potential Vice-President, then you should have said that I will not go out there are imply Senator Obama's love of this country. If you happened to write the intro speech yourself, you should be ashamed of yourself for sinking this low to highlight your candidate. You're better than this.