Whatever the result of the November election, Sarah Palin is the scariest politician to appear [View All]

[Douglas Carpenter]

on the national scene in a generation.

It is entirely possible that this whole thing could fizzle out and even implode. I certainly hope so.

Even if Sen. Obama wins the Presidency and the short term goal fails, the extreme right might very well have found their voice.

Like many demagogues she has demonstrated an ability to wrap a right-wing extremist message in the language and imagery of working class populism to Orwellian levels - and she and her handlers are very, very good at it - so far, anyway.

MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT!! This is a VERY dangerous development, whatever the result of the November election!!

As I said, It is entirely possible that this whole thing could fizzle out and even implode. I certainly hope so. But ANYONE who is not at least deeply concerned about this is in denial!!!

Remember, Reagan sought and lost the Republican nomination in both 1968 and 1976. But he became the unifying figure of what emerged as the right-wing coalition which has now dominated the American political scene for a generation.

Before Ronald Reagan they had Barry Goldwater who lost in 1964 in one of the greatest landslides in American history. But he brought together the necessary elements to create this reactionary scourge which has so plagued our country and the world. At the time of 1964 most Americans considered Goldwater an extremist nut. "In your gut you know he's a nut." By the end of the 80's Goldwater was way too moderate and reasonable for the political movement he once led, a movement which came to dominate the American body politic.

I have a nightmare that whatever the result of the election, Sarah could very well emerge as the voice of the movement that Reagan once led and Goldwater was way too liberal to lead.

Again it is entirely possible that the whole thing could fizzle or implode. For the sake of the country and the world and the future of humanity, I certainly hope so. But, Reagan "could" have fizzled or imploded too, way back in the 60's or 70's, but he didn't. Now we are faced with someone who would make Reagan look like a Birkenstock socialist.