Thursday, July 01, 2004
Our High-toned Conservative Media
The right-wing is constantly accusing liberals of debasing political discourse, via hateful screeds, ad hominem attacks, and outright lies. But that's because what they expect liberals to be is their mirror-twins. What they're actually seeing is just their own reflections in the mirror.
Here's a stellar example of carefully considered conservative thought, from the op-ed page of the Moonie Washington Times:
This is on the heels of Nicholas Kristof's column in yesterday's New York Times, where he sets the winger's claims that the Clintons murdered Vince Foster at the same level as Michael Moore's (and many other liberals) claims that Bush's justifications for war were lies. Sorry, Nick - but calling someone a liar is hardly the same as accusing him of being a murderer. A lack of nuance? Okay, there are spots where "lie" is arguable ... but rarely where the claims are demonstrably false. And many of the "lie" claims are, in fact, demonstrably accurate.
The right-wing is constantly accusing liberals of debasing political discourse, via hateful screeds, ad hominem attacks, and outright lies. But that's because what they expect liberals to be is their mirror-twins. What they're actually seeing is just their own reflections in the mirror.
Here's a stellar example of carefully considered conservative thought, from the op-ed page of the Moonie Washington Times:
One reason is that it's too blindingly obvious that Mr. Clinton's book should have been titled "My Lie." All of that stuff about Hillary being mad, making him sleep on the couch, going to marriage counselors for a year, yada yada, is all made up. They have had a pact for decades: He gets to fool around with women, and she gets to fool around with women (plus the occasional man like Vince Foster).Ahh, dontcha love well-reasoned, insightful political analysis?
Yes, she's bisexual — I disclosed that in an infamous Strategic Investment column in January 1993, and Dick Morris publicly revealed it a few years ago. You knew that, right?
The good news is that "My Lie" is going to sink without a trace upon the November election. One reason is that women can swoon over Slick Willie but they sure can't over Hanoi John. Mr. Clinton plays the charmingly lovable rogue who can lie through his teeth and get away with it. There is nothing lovable about John Kerry — pompous, arrogant, stentorian, pretentious and so un-handsome he looks like a cross between Herman Munster and Gomer Pyle.
This is on the heels of Nicholas Kristof's column in yesterday's New York Times, where he sets the winger's claims that the Clintons murdered Vince Foster at the same level as Michael Moore's (and many other liberals) claims that Bush's justifications for war were lies. Sorry, Nick - but calling someone a liar is hardly the same as accusing him of being a murderer. A lack of nuance? Okay, there are spots where "lie" is arguable ... but rarely where the claims are demonstrably false. And many of the "lie" claims are, in fact, demonstrably accurate.
