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The entire Republican platform was a big, beautiful empty cliche of freedom from taxes, government, healthcare, education, infrastructure, regulation and interaction with minorities.
Their mythical Whites R Us sensibility was a still photo of 1950's America reflecting their one and only vision of the future.
Among the myriad Thanksgiving-themed reads out there today, the best comes from Lori Borgman at OnTheCulture.com: "Thanksgiving is Spelled C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R." She reflects on the oft-maligned Pilgrims, and the spirit of gratefulness and courage that they exhibited when trying to settle in America. Here's an excerpt, but it's worth reading the whole thing, and considering that "Thanksgiving is a habit of the heart."
The Puritans, despite pummeling by untrue stereotypes, were a most remarkable group of people. The fortitude and resilience they displayed were heroic. They knew hardship both in the old world and in the new. The...
The Republican road to redemption will be a long one, because it's difficult to attract voters to embrace you when your actions tell them you hate them.