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Here is a picture I am getting of the political landscape in the US right now. Bear in mind when reading it that I have been wrong about politics... Not sure exactly how often but way more frequently than not.

That said it seems to me like the wheels are really coming off the Southern strategy. I noted previously how the Republican racist innuendo tactics don't look like they're getting any traction -- tactics that have played a major role in not all, but several big national political contests I can remember. Frank Rich writes today (in an excellent column, I really recommend reading the whole thing) that "In the latest New York Times/CBS News and Pew national polls, Obama is now pulling even with McCain among white men, a feat accomplished by no Democratic presidential candidate in three decades, Bill Clinton included." -- This statistic really makes me do a double-take. It makes "white men" seem like a Republican voting bloc, one that is crumbling. And it seems obvious to me based on (again bear in mind that my political literacy is lacking in some key ways) that this bloc has been maintained over the last three decades through appeal to various bigotries. The Republican party has been banking on the strength of ignorance and god willing, they are going to see their investments go down the drain.

The right wing is almost certainly scared that this is exactly what's happening. Take a look at Belle's examination of this fright playing out at the National Review. The Apostropher links to an examination of what's going on at the top levels of the Republican party. 2004 made me extremely leery of hubristic thinking about political victory; but I am hoping against hope that Nixonland's publication marked the beginning of the end of the phenomenon it describes.

(And just to note: I have been waiting for this thing to happen, the thing that I'm speculating is about to happen, since I was 13 years old or so. Wishing for it is a major part of my political consciousness; this is part of the reason I'm skeptical about my accuracy of analysis. And anyways, well, I can still hope for some simulacrum of my dream...)

posted morning of Sunday, October 26th, 2008
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