Ronald Brownstein in the LA Times (sorry, annoying registration required — I did it, you can too) does some yak-yak today about the Miller-Cheney doubleheader last night, and comes down to the end with this little mystifier:
For more than a year, virtually every leading Democrat has argued that America will be more secure in a world where it is respected rather than resented. This week, by contrast, Republicans have repeatedly belittled the United Nations and presented foreign criticism of Bush as proof of his determination to protect America.
In the uncompromising words that have flowed from the podium this week, the GOP seems to be betting that in a dangerous world, Americans would rather be feared than liked.
God damn straight we would, even though from the tone of his article, Mr. Brownstein would apparently rather be liked than feared. I would MUCH rather be feared than liked. Eventually fear can be turned in to respect. Eventually liking leads to people taking advantage of you.