Thoughts from
San Diego on Law, Politics, and Culture

 
Steyn does it again
By Tom Smith

Steyn nails it again. Bush, Kerry, the difference. Lines like, no one is allowed to criticize Kerry, except his wife, and then only on days when she gives him his allowance.

Oh, and we better be caweful, because we are huwting Democwats feewings, wight and left. Here's Richard Cohen, saying Republicans are big bullies. He saw a fight once, and there was this bully, and this bully lost the fight, but the bully's friend came out, and beat up the good guy, and Cohen is sure the bully's friend was a Republican. Who are these people? I mean, I feel sorry for myself often enough, but I at least try to hide it, because I don't want other people to think I'm a total weenie. Didn't their mothers or whoever reared them teach them it's bad form to wallow in self-pity? From the reaction to Zell Miller's speech, you'd think he was up there ranting about the master race or something. What he said was, Bush is a strong man with good character, and a big supporter of the national defense. The Democrats, after McGovern, have become very weak on defense. No is no time for a weak defense; we have our families to think about. That's what he said; he said it like he meant it, and he probably did. That is supposed to be the pinnacle of hate-filled, below the belt, dirty politics. Yet I did not hear anyone suggest Kerry is in the pockets of any particular interest group, is a "dry drunk," a religious fanatic (even though the faction of the Catholic Church he belongs to, which couldn't even exist but for the high transactions cost of ecclesiastical discipline withing the Church, is a lot further out than Bush's born-again Christianity), an idiot, and so on. Even right wing 527's are not suggesting this. Yet Michael Moore is a guest of honor at the Democrat's convention. Some Vietnam vets obviously hate Kerry's guts, but they have their reasons. They think he behaved badly over there, and the deeply resent his anti-war activities. Look, Bob Dole said it all when he observed that Kerry had three purple hearts, but never spent a day in a hospital. If there's isn't a rule that says your wound has to be serious enough to require some significant medical attention, to get the medal, maybe there should be. Anyone who's clever enough to land a billionairess on the deck, obviously knows a think or two about gaming the system. I know we're the stupid party, but our intelligence can still be insulted. And if you're a Vietnam vet, I bet you feel like more than your intelligence has been insulted by the enormous deal that Kerry has made about himself, the "genuine war hero."

As long as I'm ranting, just one more thing, on this "questioning someone's patriotism" business. Unless I am very much mistaken, lots of people who will be voting for Kerry really are unpatriotic. I don't question their patriotism. I observe that they hate this country. They think its history is a chronicle of crimes against various classes of victims. They think it searches the world for pathetic countries to occupy and oppress. They think police, firemen, and people in the military are morons. They think 9/11 was at least partly our fault. They think invading Iraq was just the latest in a long series of crimes. They hate how America is spreading free markets around the world. They hate Americans for being so rich, so fat, so uncultured, so violent, and so successful. As an academic, I have met lots of people like this. I'm supposed to pretend I haven't? I'm supposed to pretend they really are patriotic, in some really nuanced way, even though they think America sucks? We all know people like this. Are we supposed to think any of them are Republicans? The Democratic party has plenty of patriots in it, true, but can there be any doubt that if you hate America, you should vote the Democratic ticket? That they are your persons? Democrats are the ones who make coalitions with the anti-American left. Are we supposed to be so polite as not to mention that when they get up, they're covered with doghair and fleas? No one's that polite, especially after being called a liar and a war criminal for months on end.

This may be overconfident, but it may not be too early for Teresa to start thinking of a really nice present to give John John to make him feel better about suffering humiliating defeat at the hands of such a obviously inferior man. Maybe a jet of his own? A new, really boss motorcycle? Maybe she could buy him a country he could be president of?

posted by thomas at 9/04/2004 10:15:00 AM