Is dissent still patriotic?

For years the left have lectured Americans that dissent is the highest form of patriotism. David Harsanyi at the Denver Post asks whether the left still consider that concept to be operative with a Democrat in the White House.

I suspect that we will quickly find that any form of dissent from the received wisdom of President Obama will be considered the worst form of racism and wholly unpatriotic. Patriots dissent only against Republican policies; opposition to Democratic policies indicates selfishness, hatred against the Other, ignorance and is unAmerican. Democrats and the MSM (but I repeat myself) have made this clear for years. Why would it change under an Obama administration?

I have a further question. How will the left respond if Obama continues the War on Terror and Bush's policies in fighting it? Will they simply accept the same actions because they are undertaken by someone they trust and support? Or will they take a principled stand in opposition? I suspect the former. Of course, many on the right may also reverse their positions to oppose actions by Obama that they would have supported under Bush.

I have no objections to dissent regardless of the object of the dissent, so long as the dissent is reasoned and does not interfere with the right of free speech by the other side. Dissenters who seek to silence speakers they disagree with violate one of the basic guarantees of this country.