Politicians and their consultants appeal to our id. Passion is where the money and votes are.
Many Democrats probably viscerally agreed with Geoffrey Fieger's over-the-top ad accusing those against Obama of being deeply afraid of a black man in the White House. Many Republicans probably instinctively cheered when Sarah Palin declared that she is "just so fearful" because Obama "is not a man who sees America like you and I see America," which is to say that he's not a real American.
But the point of political commentary and discourse is to move beyond our basest impulses and get to the superego, employing logic and facts when analyzing political figures and dissecting complex social problems.
That's my job as a columnist. I call 'em as I see 'em. And right now Republicans run everything in Michigan, so I'm going to be looking harder at them. Jennifer Granholm and the Democrats got the same treatment from me in the four years prior.
So those on the fringe right can continue to howl that I am liberal, with their comments serving as a fascinating Rorschach test for their own biases and beliefs. I will continue to report the facts, analyze them and have a bit of fun along the way.
