I’ve noticed something in our political commentary that I suspect I’m not alone in. When Democrats and liberals making sweeping electoral gains, it’s based on “hope” and “change,” on “civic engagement” and reversing a “culture of corruption.” It’s all very positive, upbeat, and high-minded. They want to build up the village. But when Republicans and conservatives make sweeping gains, or appear to be on the cusp of them, it’s based on negative, downbeat, and low-minded sentiments. They want to burn down the village.
Conservative ascendancy is rooted in things like “rage” and “anger” and is driven by “angry white men,” as if the elections are the outworking of some kind of troubling psychological condition. The late Peter Jennings embodied this view perfectly when he described the 1994 elections as a “temper tantrum” and compared what voters did that year to what you’d see from “an angry two-year-old.” We’re seeing the same thing now, on the eve of tomorrow’s elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York’s 23rd District. We don’t know how those elections are going to turn out just yet — but we can tell by the coverage how much of the press thinks they’re going to turn out. Let’s just say they’re worried it’ll be a bad day for Obama and for Obamaism.
