America's new climate of fear

A lot of right-leaning bloggers have been writing of late about the new "climate of fear" in America; that people who are openly Republican or conservative are getting some shameful treatment from the liberals who surround them. Not having heard much from the other side, I just figured that this behavior was one half of the ugly partisanship that is rife nowadays, and which would die down following the election. Now Slate is carrying a report from a journalist who performed a little experiment. He dressed up as a Kerry supporter in a mainly Republican/conservative area, and as a Bush supporter in a mainly Democratic/liberal area. He got a much harder time from people in the liberal areas.

I don't even know what to say. This report, along with all the other reports of Republican campaign offices around the country being vandalized, is just appalling. This kind of behavior, this utter disregard for reason or moderation, is what gives liberals a bad name.