Who is screwing up America?

So right-wing bloggers were asked the question: Who is screwing up America? Here's the result. They had 47 responders and each was supposed to submit 20 names. Howard Dean and Michael Moore tied for first at 26 votes each. The really funny thing is, with 47 bloggers and 20 choices each, I'd expect more consensus on who is really really bad. I mean the worse demons of liberalism could barely muster half the votes. If the same quiz were given to the left wing, Bush and Cheney are virtually guaranteed 100% showing. It's like the right wing can't agree who to blame...maybe that's why they need a poll.

One of the responders, Lee, takes the survey to task and establishes a working distintion between conservatives and republicans. His top choices were the head of the Executive and the entirety of the Legislative. Lee is about as conservative as they come, but he can at least piece together cause and effect. It's worth reading both his list and his post. Lee represents a group of people who will never vote Bush out of office. They are not apologists per se, but no matter how bad they feel they will vote for Bush anyway. Still, there is some sliver of hope that people like Lee can effect some changes from within, possibly weeding out bad eggs in the primary process. Lee's attempt to explain the basics of accountability is a fine start.

I'll follow his take with the added observation that so few of their choices wield any power. C'mon, Al Sharpton is screwing up America? I guess conservatives pay more attention to him than anyone else. Al Gore: even more of a has-been. 8 Senators on the list, but not Congress itself?

Here's the issue. Conservatives (or maybe just Rebuplicans, they used to be harder to separate) have been whining for years about how oppressed and victimized they've been. They have a nearly universal martyr complex, but it just doesn't work when they're the ones running Rome. Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. Our emporer is a mover and shaker. He deserves credit for our current state.