I was born and raised in small Minnesota towns that make Garrison Keillor’s Lake Woebegone look like the Big City. Diversity was the difference between the German, Norwegian and Swedish Lutheran churches; the Catholics had one place of worship, just outside city limits. I loved that life, I had a very happy, healthy childhood. But I am not naive about Minnesotans.

For seven of the 10 years I lived and worked in Lakeville, Minnesota, I dated a Black man. People stared. A lot. While the population has grown since I left in 1999, Lakeville is still predominantly white (nearly 95 percent) and primarily a community of two-parent households (73.5%). It would not be a stretch, I think, to assume Republican Presidential candidate John McCain’s fear-mongering campaign would work well in that area. People with children at home, people whose personal wealth has diminished in these dismal economic times, these people are afraid already.

Rather than reassure his friends with a positive, straightforward plan to restore domestic harmony and heal our economy, McCain has delivered more fear. It should come as no surprise, then, that his campaign rally in Lakeville drew people who are overwhelmed by fear. A father of young children told McCain he lived in fear of an Obama presidency. An elderly woman said she couldn’t vote for Obama, because he’s an Arab. I know people in Lakeville who were likely horrified by those words. McCain’s response, an attempt to step back from the rhetoric of fear, drew boos and jeers.

The reason for such a stunning reaction seems obvious to me. As CNN.com reported today, while McCain spoke about respect for Obama, this is part of a 90-second ad representing his campaign:

“Barack Obama and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Friends. They’ve worked together for years. But Obama tries to hide it.”

And this is what McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, is saying to rile up crowds at her rallies:

“I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America – as the greatest source for good in this world.”

To re-phrase a classic line from The American President: “We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you John McCain is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who’s to blame for it.”

Movie president Andrew Shepherd also said that’s how you win elections. Let’s hope that’s just movie talk.