The Illustrated VDH

The Friday column by Victor Davis Hanson today on NRO is, per usual, outstanding. I was particularly heartened to see this clear eyed student of history look ahead to November 2 with this prediction:

If Bush wins in November, and I think he will, then there will be recriminations and fury of the like we have not seen since the Right imploded after 1964. For many of us lifelong Democrats, the very sight of Michael Moore perched next to Jimmy Carter at the convention in Boston says it all - the sorry coming together of conspiratorial anti-Americanism and self-righteous appeasement.

Also interesting to note his reference to being a life long Democrat, something I didn't realize about ol' VDH. With the likes of him and Zell Miller supporting the Bush candidacy, and assuming they represent a broader, pro-robust national defense, pro-American wing of traditional Democratic voters, I'm starting to believe Bush may pull away with this thing yet.

Perhaps because he's a Democrat, Hanson does a superb job in identifying the essence of the modern Democratic party and why they have the potential to alienate so many voters in their traditional base.

When upscale protestors swear at delegates and parade obscene signs in New York while John Kerry goes windsurfing in shades and racing gloves, you have a recipe for disaster for wannabe populists.

Americans instinctually are repelled by these images and right now this is what the party of the Left offers. The more the people get to see this, the more votes they are going to lose. So, I say rage on children of the revolution and sail on John Kerry. Just continue to be yourselves and everything should be all right. At least as far as the election goes. Because, as VDH reminds us, come Nov. 3, the world will still be there waiting for us:

We are not at the end of history, but rather at its new beginning. All the old truths--conventional warfare, the Atlantic alliance, petroleum-based affluence, conventional political debate, etiquette, principled disagreement, and the old populist Democratic party are coming under question. And the only thing that is clear from what will follow is that it will all be loud, messy, full of surprises - and occasionally quite scary.