The closest parallel I can think of to current American politics is Israel. There was a time, not that long ago, when moderate Israelis downplayed the rise of religious extremists. But no more: extremists have already killed one prime minister, and everyone realizes that Ariel Sharon is at risk.

America isn’t yet a place where liberal politicians, and even conservatives who aren’t sufficiently hard-line, fear assassination. But unless moderates take a stand against the growing power of domestic extremists, it can happen here. — Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: What’s Going On?” href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/29/opinion/29krugman.html?”>The New York Times > Opinion >PAUL KRUGMAN
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Bush “enjoys the stubborn conviction of the unreflective mind.” — Michael Kinsley