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| Home Front: Politix |
| VDH: The Real Divide is Only in Elitist Minds |
| 2004-10-29 |
| Are things really as ghastly as they appear this election year? President Bush is derided as a liar, brain-dead and a coward, not just by fringe groups but by prominent members of the Democratic establishment. Major intellectuals and artists lament that John Kerry won all three debates by skilled debating — and yet gained little ground. Even the wives and children are involved now. Kerry and his running mate John Edwards gratuitously broached the sexuality of Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter; his wife fired back that Kerry is not "a good man." And just when we got a brief respite, Teresa Heinz Kerry derided Laura Bush as never having a real job — before apologizing that, yes, a decade at work in public school counts as real employment. Third-party ads, fueled by the money of multimillionaires, imply that Kerry was also a coward and traitor and that Bush was AWOL. CBS News anchor Dan Rather is caught promulgating clearly forged documents, an ABC memo warns against the chimera of objectivity, and Sinclair Broadcast Group agrees to air only portions of a clearly partisan film after Democrats howled. There is no need to mention the conspiracy theories of "Fahrenheit 911," Teresa Heinz Kerry's "scumbag" and "shove it," or Dick Cheney's use of the F-word. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #3 On 95% of the issues there is no major "red-blue" divide. Most Americans are a shade of purple, and the parties recognize this. Republicans will not challenge the absurdity that is affirmative action. Democrats will not challenge the pointless side show that is the death penalty. Neither party will challenge the catastrophe of illegal immigration. And neither party will talk sense on reining in entitlement spending. What galls the Hollywood-Manhattan-academic axis is the fact that they no longer have commanding social status as cultural avatars. Who cares what the New York Times' bestseller list, or their top book critic, says anymore? Everyone pays more attention to that online bookseller from Seattle. Who cares what the Times' OpEd writers or the major networks' talking heads say anymore? I can get better informed, and far more interesting and thoughtful commentary from a professor sitting in the San Joaquin valley or a part-time defense analyst writing a weblog from Australia. Wretchard and VDH have nearly as much influence today as any NYT OpEd writer, and much mroe credibility. There are no cultural elites anymore. The web has accomplished what 100 years of radical agitation could not: it has smashed cultural and social hierarchies and let "a thousand schoold of thought contend." |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-29 10:53:38 AM |
| #2 When self-important, self-absorbed, douche-bags like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackoff, Mikey Moore, Cameron Diaz, Seany Pennis, and every other hollywood loser starts pontificating on how us stoopid middle-Uhmerikans need ta vote, I automatically vote for the other guy. These people are so full of themselves, like they know more then any other cross section of the population. I could go to any factory or farm accross this nation and get a more informed opinion then from these morons. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-10-29 10:34:42 AM |
| #1 Hear, hear! "People like you preach tolerance and open-mindedness all the time, but when it comes to Middle America, you think we're all evil and stupid country yokels who need your political enlightenment. Well, just because you're on TV doesn't mean you know crap about the government. Now get your ass back on First Class and respect this class' right to make up their own mind." -- Mr. Garrison, Southpark |
| Posted by: gromky 2004-10-29 2:07:43 AM |