I realize that a few too many Republican campaigns have decided to give up entirely on a civil political discourse, but things in Oklahoma have taken a right-hand turn at extreme and have ended up in loony-ville.
Wednesday, Patrick Davis, the political director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, cast the race as one of “good versus evil.”
It was the second time this week that phrase had been used about the race, both times by a Republican. Monday, Tom Coburn, the Republican nominee in the race, said in Tulsa, “This is a battle for the culture of America, and I would describe it as a battle of good versus evil.”
Coburn, despite being the overwhelming favorite of Oklahoma Republicans, is mad as a hatter. To be sure, this is truly insane, but it’s hardly the first jaw-dropping crazy he’s said lately. Coburn also explained his support for executing physicians who perform perfectly-legal abortions and he believes gays have “infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country” and represent “the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today”
And now he believes his Senate race pits him (good) against a centrist Democrat (evil). The mind reels.
Keep in mind, Coburn isn’t just some fringe nut that the Republican Party keeps at arms length, like Alan Keyes or that eugenicist loon in Tennessee. Coburn is a Republican in good standing, a popular figure in GOP circles, who enjoys broad support from party leaders and the NRSC. Indeed, Bush chose this guy to head his presidential AIDS commission.
Naturally, Coburn’s centrist, qualified, and reasonable opponent isn’t taking kindly to the “evil” remark and said it demonstrates misplaced priorities for the Republicans.
Democrat Brad Carson on Wednesday condemned “nutty, extremist comments” portraying the U.S. Senate race between himself and Republican Tom Coburn as a battle of good versus evil.
[…]
“The battle with Al-Qaeda is a battle of good versus evil,” said Carson, representative from Oklahoma’s 2nd congressional district. “Osama Bin Laden is evil, not your political opponent.
“These kind of nutty, extremist comments only further lead to the polarization of our democracy. This isn’t political jihad, this is an election.”
But for radical right-wing of the GOP, this is a jihad. Dems, in their wordlview, aren’t just wrong; we’re “evil.”
At some point, if there’s any kind of reasonable center left in the GOP, someone responsible is going to have to stand up and say, “Enough is enough.” Then again, I’m not counting on it.