Mathematicians see the outlines of primal truths when a proof reveals the elusive elixirs of both simplicity and elegance. It is a fleeting peek into Mother Nature’s cookbook. Similarly, these elemental elixirs sometimes reveal themselves in politics. They can be glimpsed in the cogency of the well-turned phrase.
From the moment Barack Obama swore “So help me God” on that glorious inauguration day, he became a valiantly embattled figure. How could he not? And yet, a simple quote by Niccolò Machiavelli goes to the heart of the vitriol Obama often faces: "Men's hatreds generally spring from fear or envy."
Is it not, at long last, fear - both political and cultural - that drives much of the American Right in its many guises (the Tea Party being just one) today?
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