I respect the arguments of Fiorina and his Culture Wars co-authors that the extent of polarization in the country is exaggerated. I understand that new media have given far-right forces greater attention than they deserve. Yet I can't help thinking back to the 2000 election and wondering what a replay of a tightly contested presidential election like that one would look like in the political, economic, and media environment of 2012. Imagine the lies and distortions and assumptions on the cable network shows, consider the weakness of authority in the country, and explain to me how we would contain the fury in the event, say, of Barack Obama's reelection in a disputed contest decided by a handful of votes. The voter fraud meme used to make voting more difficult for potential Obama voters will create real problems in keeping a lid on things. There are days when I worry, and paging through Fiorina's work doesn't calm me down.
The photo here is of Gore telling his supporters that it's over and that it's time for him to give it up and for them to go home. Try to picture Rick Perry giving the same speech in the aftermath of a tight and contested election.
