I Guess This Makes Kos The "Enemy"

The latest home run from Jim Geraghty:

Wasting one's breath arguing over the Kos discussion about similarities between American conservatives and al-Qaeda and the Taliban is pointless. But there was one comment by Kos that stuck out, even in such a far-out, obviously intentionally-outrageous accusation.

Remember, the point isn't that the American Taliban is just like Al Qaida (THOUGH GIVEN THE CHANCE...), the point is that there's no reason that liberals would ever "root" for Al Qaida or the Taliban or any of the crazies in the Islamic fundamentalist world.

"Though given the chance?" Is the argument that I and roughly 62 million other Americans who can be called right-of-center would be mass murdering terrorists, if we just had the opportunity? We just haven't been able to slaughter people the way we want because we haven't had the chance?

I think this is more than a snotty aside, or the usual overheated rhetoric. Somewhere along the line, political divisions became so intense and passionate that people began to see those who disagree as a mortal threat. During the Democratic primaries, quite a few folks including myself got irritated when Howard Dean responded to attacks from other Democrats by saying, "Let's remember who the real enemy is. I'm not the enemy. George Bush is the enemy."

No. Bush is an opponent. We could even call fellow Americans who we disagree with rivals, or challengers, foes, or maybe even adversaries. But bin Laden is the enemy. There is a difference.

Not to the far Left, there isn't. And it's people like the Kos-sacks that run the Democrat Party.

If they really believe that their political opponents are the literal equivalent of al Qaeda, what do you suppose they would do if they ever got back into power?

Wait, let me rephrase that. If liberals really believe that their political opponents are far, far worse than al Qaeda could ever be, what do you suppose they would do if they ever got back into power?

I'll remind you all again that Hillary Clinton is the most likely successor to George W. Bush as POTUS.

At the end of Star Wars II - Attack of the Clones, Yoda sighs, "Arrived, the dark times have."

We're not quite there yet, but our equivalent is coming into view over the far horizon.