Bogeyman under the bed

The Republican ticket will make every effort to scare us. Fear is the only emotion strong enough to contend with the hope of better days offered by Obama and the Democrats.

The Republicans have tried the tiresome terrorist scares, but those have lost potency. An honest national policy should include well-tempered fear of al Qaeda and other sources of terror, but the Bushists have so often used that fear, for reasons related only to their power and not to our safety, that we're even more immune to it than we should be. Country first, my ass!

Now they're trying to scare the narrow-minded economics-illiterate with the John Birch shibboleth 'socialism'. They don't make any bones about whether a policy is fair or just or a good idea. They just want you to fear the bogeyman under your bed so that you'll run cowering to the Republican strongman.

Their problem - thank goodness - is that Obama looks calm and strong, while McCain looks scattered and panicky and unsure of what to do.