When The Fringe Begins To Define You

Every time Sarah Palin makes a speech referring to people in small towns as "real Americans", I always think, "Jeez, that's a pretty quick way to alienate a lot of voters." It takes only a simple Internet search to see that 80 percent of Americans live in cities.
The suggestion that all these citizens are somehow not real, not patriotic, or not American is patently absurd. Tell a mother in New York City who lost a child on 9/11 that she hasn't sacrificed for her country and watch the look on her face.
Americans - small town people, big city people, white, black, Hispanic are all Americans.
There is an excellent post today at the Daily Dish that is an accurate description of what's been going on in this country for the last six months - and it's well worth a click on the link.
I too wonder why more conservative politicians have not stepped forward to say, "Hey, calm down." I have a feeling the first one who does could make a fresh new leader for the Republican party. Someone who is ready to shed the resentment, anger and fear that has come to define the new conservatism. But where is this person?