The Daily Kos is letting its metaphors run wild against conservatives. Ken Cuccinelli, a solidly conservative state senator running for Attorney General, is described as a monster:
And whether or not dragons exist, monsters do. Sometimes they run for political office. I believe if one looks at the public record of Steve's opponent, State Senator Ken Cuccinelli, one will see someone whose record in public office and his declared intentions have monstrous implications.
Then the blogger called "teacherken" says these conservative monsters and dragons should be killed. He might mean defeating them at the ballot box. Maybe. If the writer were conservative, no one would assume anything but the real words on the page: kill.
At the edges of some medieval maps one might see the legend "here there be dragons" with illustrations of sea serpents. These marked the end of the known world, with the fears inherent in the unknown.
And yet, as children know, the monsters and dragons are part of everyday existence. They are under the bed, they are in our imagination, some seek to use them to manipulate use - pace the Glenn Becks and Rush Limbaughs and others of their ilk.
Ken Cuccinelli is potentially more dangerous than either Beck or Limbaugh, because he would have the power of office, an ability to discriminate, to refuse to protect the rights of minorities he does not respect. He can distort our legal processes in very harmful ways.
But, as Chesterton reminds us, fairy tales help us to remember that dragons can be killed.
As horrible as the thought of the like of Ken Cuccinelli in state wide office might be, the people of the Commonwealth - and those who care what happens - can still make a difference.
Steve Shannon is worthy of the office of Attorney General on his own merits.
Ken Cuccinelli would not only be a disgrace. He represents something truly frightening in American politics.
Which is why we must demonstrate that this is one dragon that can be killed.
