Americans face political identity crisis

Sometimes it's easy to forget there's a presidential election coming up in November. I can't believe it's only August now.

And I've never seen such a political identity crisis among the American public. The Democrats probably had this one sewn up, but I think they've blown it with their pandemic response - not as if the Republicans are any better. I'm on several online forums opposing lockdowns, and I can't even count the number of people who say they're lifelong Denocrats - even liberals - who are abandoning the party because of this. Some even say they're voting for Donald Trump.

I'm strongly inclined to vote Libertarian this year, but I can't say I blame anyone for abandoning the Democrats. The Democrats deserve it.

Americans' identity crisis doesn't just involve party affiliation but also ideological labels. Because of this fiasco, some who considered themselves to be on the left no longer do. In addition to equality, peace. and economic security, one of the main reasons for voting for more liberal candidates is protection of civil liberties. America's more liberal politicians would be considered on the right in many countries, but they've been marketed as progressives or at least moderates. Their pandemic policies have proven them to be anything but. No pandemic playbook supported these policies before. Their practices would have been considered outside the mainstream of both the Democratic and Republican parties 30 years ago.

Both major parties are guilty to an extent, but it's pretty bad that the rank-and-file left and right seem to agree that the nation's best governor for dealing with the pandemic is a Republican. But they also agree the best country for dealing with it is one that has one of the more progressive governments. Guess what, Democrats? The real left just isn't all that into you.

The modern Democrats have pulled off one of the biggest bait-and-switches in the history of politics - second only to the Republican noise machine we've covered for decades. People voted for progressive principles, but for months now, the politicians they voted for have been thumbing their noses at us. Who's laughing? Not us. In many cases, not even these politicians. Their personal babysitters and the media are the ones accepting payoffs from foreign dictatorships.

I've spent 30 years exposing what I call the right-wing media. I no longer think the media is right-wing or left-wing. Their motivation is money - much of it from overseas ruling parties like that of China - and they gin up fear to make a buck.

That damn sure isn't liberal.