And now that it is over; now that the votes no matter how peculiar have been cast and nothing has really changed, what do we do?

I suggest we look within and ask ourselves some hard questions.

Why do we build phone booth kingdoms and believe they encompass the globe? We dash to and fro our little gatherings, counting the days until and saving our pennies for the next CPAC, FreePac, BlogCon and what have you where we will huddle together, safely ensconced in our belief occupying the hotel bar equals occupying the general public’s hearts and minds. We give ourselves awards, claiming to embody Andrew Breitbart’s spirit when in deed we are fragile shadows of the man. We speak to only each other and only when doing so increases the odds of grabbing a larger slice of a stagnant pie. We argue among ourselves over which of us is the greatest in the kingdom of the Konservative Kool Kidz Klub, all the while firmly believing we are preaching the conservative message to the masses. No, no we’re not.

Why do we claim God’s blessing should be upon us when we not only harbor, but herald those doing the devil’s work? We cherish hardcore pornographers and give grifters emphatic support. We turn a blind eye to adulterers. We speak loud and long about the sins of the other side while either pretending we have no sin among us or excusing the actions of any among us who are on “our side.” But of course. The definition of a brother in arms is one who spits in the face of Christ on the cross provided they also pat us on the back. Gee, who knew.

As long as we glorify ourselves and not the message; as long as we spend far more time helping ourselves to more political ego tripping junk food than we do helping others; as long as we practice the principle of believing our actions, no matter how reprehensible in God’s sight, are sanctified by how fervently we preach to the choir…

… we wonder what’s gone wrong?

Really?

Ah… really?

This failure is ours and ours alone. We were the ones tempted and tantalized by the sweet candy of pride. We were the ones who denied we could ever become addicted even as we shot up time and again, each time seeking a bigger and stronger dose of that which we most craved — power among and praise from our perceived peers. We called it taking back our country. In fact it was nothing other than taking ourselves and placing ourselves above all; making out of ourselves a cyberspace Ozymandias boasting of our great works even as they were revealed to be sand castles in a storm. We were called to speak to others about breaking the seductive bonds of unaffordable entitlement. Instead, we strove to build our own entitlements of prestige and glory in a most unholy mutual admiration society.

Political junkies have no one but themselves to blame for the needle and the damage done.