09 November 2012

Facing the Truth of OIP Derangement Syndrome

On Tuesday evening, many Republicans discovered that they had been suffering from a form of OIP Derangement Syndrome—or at least discovered the consequences of it.

People close to the Romney-Ryan campaign, journalists carrying water for it, and many supporters had convinced themselves that there was something seriously wrong with American political polling. It simply couldn’t be true that more Americans supported President Obama, especially in swing states that offered the balance of victory in the Electoral College. No, something must be skewed with those surveys, many Republicans insisted.

The surveys were, in aggregate, correct. President Obama won reelection solidly, by a margin bigger than his predecessor’s. Furthermore, Democrats picked up seats in the Senate and outpolled Republicans in the House, though still not gaining control in the that chamber. The world got to see a full-blown case of OIP Derangement Syndrome as right-wing money manager and FOX commentator Karl Rove denigrated his colleagues on live television while real numbers continued to pile up against him.

Another symptom of the derangement was fixation on voter fraud, a concern that was really a thinly disguised way to suppress votes for President Obama. But people with OIP Derangement Syndrom convinced themselves this was a widespread problem, and, unable to find any actual examples, manufactured their own. A voting official in Oregon filled in blank lines on absentee ballots with Republican candidates. A New Mexico poll watcher was arrested for trying to obtain a second ballot.

Unfortunately, the election doesn’t appear to be have cured OIP Derangement Syndrome. Sufferers continued to:
Will the fever break soon? Will we be able to discuss political differences from a basis of shared facts and logic? Or are we doomed to another four years of right-wing lies, hypocrisy, and contempt?

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