[Previous entry: "Keeping All Options on the Table"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Preview of Our New Right Wing NPR"]

06/14/2005: "Dittoheads Discover Political Correctness!"

Since Day 1 the right wing has been excoriating liberals for political correctness, but just this last week a great new political Rubicon has been crossed. Dittoheads have discovered a brand-new enthusiasm for PC! The impetus for this change of heart was Howard Dean’s observation that “Republicans are, by and large, white Christians.” The outrage that poured forth had all the trappings of a PC police action. First, the statement in question was, on the face of it, literally true. There certainly are Republicans that aren’t Christian or White, but those people are covered under Dean’s “by and large” caveat. Nobody has stepped up to offer facts that Republicans aren’t, by and large, white Christians. This leads to the second component of political correctness – outrage over mention of a taboo topic, usually race, and the third and final component – piling on. And oh have they piled on! Even Dick Cheney weighed in by saying “I’ve never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I’ve never met anyone who does.” I personally would have thought, not knowing the identity of the speaker, that it was Cheney rather than Dean being referred to! In any case, Dick’s statement is actually pretty reasonable. Considering that virtually all of his socializing occurs at right wing fat cat fundraisers, what are the odds that a Deaniac would be showing up there? The true significance of the discovery of political correctness by the right wing is that it adds yet another way for them to be able to simultaneously talk out of both sides of the mouth. Consider Rush Limbaugh’s explanation for the shortness of his career as a football commentator: “My comments were blown out of proportion by the PC police.” Now, Dittoheads can both use PC not only as a shield but also as a sword. While unimaginative people may say that hypocrisy is unappealing, they clearly don’t understand the power of the dark side!