the self righteous left?

When did the left wing in America start competing with the religious right for who could be the most self righteous? Both before and after the election, it hasn't stopped. They say Bush is a moron. Anyone who votes for him is an idiot. The "red states" are so ignorant, etc, etc. Today some jackass at the popular Slate.com published this column. To summarize the article, nearly 60 million people voted for Bush because they're ignorant rednecks. The writer reaches all the way back to the 1860s to paint residents of "red states" as hopelessly ignorant hotheads. If such a column was rare, it could be chalked up as one dumbass spouting off, but it's not very rare at all right now. You either believe what I do and vote for my candidate, or you're a hopelessly ignorant and stupid sheep.

"Shut up, ignorant Bush supporter!" some might respond to me. Well sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't vote for Bush. I voted for Kerry as I struggled to pick the lesser of two evils. But some of Kerry's supporters continue to disgust me. When they rant about how ignorant 60 million people are who voted for Bush, how the "red states" are sheep-like religious whackos, etc., they're the ones who end up looking ignorant. This country is polarized and such foolish attitudes only make it worse. Should those on the left continue to take such elitist views toward those on the right, the results of this election will repeat themselves again and again.

As Dr. Neil Browne, a professor I had in college, pointed out one day in class when referring to any of the really big controversial issues around which there is so much disagreement for so long... remember that there are some very intelligent people out there who completely disagree with you. It is a fool who thinks that anyone who doesn't support his candidate must be stupid. Unless of course his candidate's only opponent is Al Sharpton. :P