FOURTH TURNING ALERT. Andrew Sullivan:

Two apparently unconnected events converged to split the country deeply in two. The red and blue states, on the verge of what looks set to be a vicious presidential campaign, formally declared hostilities on one another. All it took to set the tinder ablaze was a presidential announcement and the mid-week opening of a movie.

Mr Sullivan is conflicted by this development, as he sees an opposition candidate that is not serious about national security, although likely to be more friendly to some kinds of freedom of association that the President's base dislikes.

We knew already that these two countries existed. We found out in the last election that they are excruciatingly evenly matched. But what we are beginning to realize is that, even during the war on terror, there is not now any chance of a real reconciliation.

Nor is there likely to be, given the way by which the divide arose. On one side we see the people who got all the publicity with "Ho-Ho-Ho Chi Minh" and "Out of the closets, into the streets!" On the other side, we see the people who were not impressed by such displays of authenticity.

SECOND SECTION. Herewith a post by a person not impressed by displays of authority either.