As I contemplate my annual holiday visit to flyover country, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what’s going to happen when I run into people from among the misinformed 63 million. In the past, I’ve either ignored them and changed the subject to football or I’ve tried patiently to explain that, no, liberals did not want to force them at gunpoint to have abortions while they shot heroin.
No more. This year, I’m getting mad. I think the belief that those 63 million are reasonable people worthy of our respect and attention has been exposed as the falsehood it is. The damned pave their own road to hell, and I’m tired of treating the uninformed, Fox News-inspired misanthropy of the unwashed masses as an opinion worthy of my respect and serious discussion.
Anyway, I have the strong and growing feeling that part of the problem with Bush-o-philes is that we progressives have refused to confront them in their ridiculousness. If we take the Red Staters seriously, then we elevate their reactionary pedantries to the level of ideas that are actually worthy of public discussion. Time to ridicule and insult them - they’ll respect us, or they’ll get off the bus and let us drive.
So, if you voted for Bush - get the f*** out of my way this Christmas. Unless you want to wear your communion wine home from church.
Now Playing: Episode 352
McCain vs. Obama, More on Afghanistan and poppies and the story of the anthrax attacks takes a surprising turn.
Links Mentioned: Greenwald on the anthrax case … that NYT mag piece on Afghanistan … listen to the author on “To the Point” … the new McCain attack ad.
[Upgrading to WordPress v2.6 seems to have broken the embedded podcast player. Download the link above of click on the "Subscribe in iTunes" button instead. Sorry for the inconvenience!]
