Via CNS, a fun companion piece to Scarlett Johansson insisting last night that she’s drunk on Obama Kool-Aid. This cuts to the core of it, doesn’t it? It’s not merely that The One’s intentions are presumed virtuous, it’s that the GOP’s are implicitly malignant. Which, to beat a dead horse, reminds me again of the merits of “epistemic closure.” What’s the point of engaging someone who assumes you’re out to do harm? You can debate policy to find the best means to a virtuous end, but only if both parties first accept that a virtuous end is what the other’s after. We long ago passed that point in our politics, at least in terms of how the lefty and righty bases relate to their opponents. And of course, we long ago passed it in terms of how the media covers conservatives. What good would it do for a racist violent Nazi teabagger to try to engage, say, Frank Rich? He’s “trying to do good” and you’re not. Teabagger.

This also explains how blacklists form, incidentally. No one gets blacklisted for being “misguided.” Presumed malevolence is a prerequisite. Mission accomplished.