In George Orwell’s “1984″ the totalitarian government created a character named Emmanuel Goldstein whose image was broadcast every day during a period called “Two Minutes Hate.” The idea was that giving the people an enemy to regularly despise would keep them ideologically loyal. The American left’s treatment of Sarah Palin looks remarkably similar.

If one was unaware of the current state of liberal politics and “unbiased” journalism, one could be forgiven for thinking that John McCain has nominated a spawn of Satan to be his running mate. Or perhaps that is a stretch since one would assume that a devil’s disciple would have some “experience.”

Why such frenzied anger and vitriol directed at a newcomer to the national stage? Necessity. For almost eight years, the left and its media lapdogs have had their Emmanuel Goldstein, aka George W. Bush, to demonize absent any sense of balance or restraint. They have made character assassination such an integral part of their political strategy that the end of his administration has literally created a vacuum.

They have tried to present John McCain as a “Bush clone,” but the characterization hasn’t gained much traction. Likely this is because many Americans remember when the same media fawned over McCain’s “maverick tendencies,” aka taking stands against his own Republican party.

Enter Sarah Palin, an “empty canvas” in terms of national politics. A canvas which must be painted in such a way that it obscures the hypocrisy of liberal orthodoxy: “pro-choice,” e.g., doesn’t really mean choice–it means having an abortion. “Having a family and a career” doesn’t mean having one with “too many kids” or a less-than-glamorous occupation like running a fishing business. “Strong, independent woman” doesn’t mean hunting for one’s food, as much as the ability to say clever things at a cocktail party regarding men and their shortcomings. And “tolerance” never really means respecting individual convictions as much as it does abandoning them for the “proper” collectivist group-think.

In true Orwellian fashion, “dissension” (ginned up against Sarah Palin) equals (liberal) “unity.”

Orwell thought such demonization could be accomplished in daily, two minute doses. Even he underestimated how far ideologues will go when they feel threatened.

atahlert@comcast.net

Have PoliticalMavens.com delivered to your inbox in a daily digest by clicking here