Dissent The Highest Form Of Patriotism?

In the aftermath of yesterday's inauguration and all of the commentary that has come out, the oft-repeated mantra so popular during the last eight years - dissent is the highest form of patriotism - is cropping up all over conservative outlets. Many people began retreating behind this phrase as a way of announcing their politics while also still trying to maintain their patriotism. Now conservatives ask if the slogan still rings true now that The One is in power.

In my reading this morning I came across this article found in the Denver Post by David Harsanyi. He closes with these lines, and I thought the last few sentences were especially powerful:

Obama challenges Americans to have "a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves." So if you find massive concentrated power in Washington a turn-on, you've found your higher purpose.

But surely, most of you have found meaning in something greater than yourselves long before some politician demanded it.

To require such fealty to power in the name of patriotism was once repugnant to the left. Now, with the right guy in charge, apparently it can once again be embraced.

Change, indeed.

I still want to reserve judgment about the next 4 years until at least some of it has played out, but I think this is an interesting and important point to make. I keep hearing about Obama's 78% approval rating and it blows my mind that anyone has even bothered to have a poll on this already.

The two-party system is a great feature of our country's government, and the opposing voice plays a vital role in helping maintain representation that operates on the middle ground, representing as many people as possible.

Here's to hoping that the dissenting opinion is still given ample room to speak even though sometimes it may have well-founded criticisms of the newly anointed president.