More "theocracy!" silliness

Juan Cole, a professor at the University of Michigan, has penned a screed in which he compares Sarah Palin to Muslim fundamentalists -- "What is the difference between Palin and a Muslim fundamentalist?  Lipstick" -- and charges that "the values of his handpicked running mate, Sarah Palin, more resemble those of Muslim fundamentalists than they do those of the Founding Fathers."  Whatever.  I don't think it runs afoul of my sincere resolve to resist contributing to this blog becoming just another political site to note that the piece is full of falsehoods and, well, junk.  Putting aside the wrong done by the charge to Gov. Palin, and putting aside also one's preferences in the upcoming election, Cole's rant is of a piece with the "They're all theocrats!" meme that has so irritatingly cluttered up public discourse in recent years. Nathanial Peters, at First Things, has a better answer to Cole's question.