David Klinghoffer of the Los Angeles Times:
Once the conservative movement was about finding meaning in private life and public service. But it has undergone a shift toward demagoguery and hucksterism.
Once, the iconic figures on the political right were urbane visionaries and builders of institutions — like William F. Buckley Jr., Irving Kristol and Father Richard John Neuhaus, all dead now. Today, far more representative is potty-mouthed Internet entrepreneur Andrew Breitbart, whose news and opinion website, Breitbart.com, is read by millions. In his most recent triumph, Breitbart got a U.S. Department of Agriculture official pushed out of her job after he released a deceptively edited video clip of her supposedly endorsing racism against white people. What has become of conservatism? We have reached a point at which nothing could be more important than to stop and recall what brought us here, to the right, in the first place, going from From neocons to crazy-cons Buckley's National Review, where I was the literary editor through the 1990s, remains as vital and interesting as ever. But more characteristic of conservative leadership are figures on TV, radio and the Internet who make their money by stirring fears and resentments. With its descent to baiting blacks, Mexicans and Muslims, its accommodation of conspiracy theories and an increasing nastiness and vulgarity, the conservative movement has undergone a shift toward demagoguery and hucksterism. Once the talk was of "neocons" versus "paleocons." Now we observe the rule of the crazy-cons.
Monday, August 2, 2010
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1 comment:
Keith: I have been thinking about this myself for days; great minds think alike. You are a good conservative Democrat and I am a moderate Democrat but the GOP is being driven by media and new media people rather than scholars and people trained in political science. The inmates are running the asylum. If a party can seriously consider Palin for president with Romney and Newt sitting right there, something is wrong. You and I both know both Georgia senators are more presidential material than Palin.
I appericate Glenn Beck because he told the truth when stating that his job is to get viewers and radio listeners---not run the country. According to Beck, he job is a form of political entertainment.
Keith, we both personally know good people in the GOP and you understand their concerns with the government and the economy. But, resorting to questionable tactics is unhealthy. We remember the footage of Rev. Jeremiah Wright and the gentleman was clearly upset and defensive about our community’s treatment in our great nation. He was mad but I don’t think that Marine veteran hated America. But flip the script: our friends in the Tea Party Movement are also upset and defensive. Wow, the same thing on the other side. I am Methodists and notice that some would impose our Christian faith all up in our government. I watch the History Channel and many of those founding fathers were weak in the church department. When people in the Middle East seek to push their faith into their government, we Americans trip out. I better leave this also but help decent conservatives when you can because some of the other conservatives have gone off the deep end.
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