More than any in our lifetimes, the 2010 congressional elections and 2012 president election need to be a battle of ideas.
But judging from the rhetoric coming from the political left, you have to wonder: Are liberals already out of ideas?
It seems all they can come up with these days are name-calling and personal attacks.
Conservative, God-fearing Americans are often called "wingnuts" -- as in "nuts" from the "right wing." Indeed, hot off the heels of the media's attempted character assassination of Gov. Sarah Palin last year, Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee recently called her one.
Hmm. There must be a lot of them around, since Palin's new memoir is sweeping America: It's No. 1 on Barnes and Noble's Web site and already a best-seller -- despite the fact that it's not even coming out until mid-November. Its first printing is expected to be 1.5 million copies.
It should say something that conservative thought is dominating the best-seller lists these days -- from Palin to Glenn Beck to Dick Morris to Michelle Malkin to Mark Levin, Ron Paul and more. Perhaps it's because Americans are hungry for ideas.
Instead, too often from the left they get barbs and childish name-calling. Town hall crowds were called mobs and Nazis. Those who oppose Obama's health care reform have been called racist, even by a former president.
It's just silly, really, and indicative of someone who has run out of real arguments.
Humorists often do the left's dirty work. Consider Bill Maher's recent glib assessment of Republicans: "And then you have the Republicans, which are just a bunch of religious lunatics, flat-Earthers, Civil War re-enactors and bimbos."
"And those are their good points," adds CNN Headline News host Joy Behar.
"It's not an ideological difference," Maher continues. "They just don't know anything. They're bimbos."
This is what passes for intellectualism and debate on the left these days.
Of conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck, Maher said, "It is not that long before we're going to find Glenn Beck dressed as a woman or playing with his feces or something."
With no sense of irony, Behar -- who said seeing Beck melt down on air "would be so much fun to watch" -- asked Maher, "What do you make of all this sort of hate speech" from conservatives.
Wow.
Each side has its extremists. But most of the extreme rhetoric today is coming from left field.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., apologized, and rightly so, after yelling out "You lie!" during the president's recent speech to Congress. But Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., has been miles more acerbic in saying "the Republican (health care) plan is 'don't get sick.' And if you do get sick, die quickly." He called Republican opponents of the Democratic health care plan "foot-dragging, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals." And he has refused to apologize.
It's time for all parties to be more civil -- and that goes beyond name-calling. True civility is about being smart -- being thoughtful and erudite and contributing to a constructive public dialogue.
Today's public discourse is like having a health-care debate in a day-care center.
It's time for the children in Washington, and in the media, to grow up.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010. All Rights Reserved.
You won't see any better on this forum...........as a matter of fact, I dare say you will see this editorial proven correct.
The libs on this forum will probably just prove the point today.
Excellend editorial! I can't even think of anything to add. Thank you!
Excellent!The first three posters are all the cheer leading that you will need.
What was this article? A propaganda piece for so called Conservatives? "
"What was this article? A propaganda piece for so called Conservatives? " Posted by ispy4u on Sun Oct 4, 2009 6:25 AM - Thank you ispy4u, AC's point proven before even 7am.
"It's time for all parties to be more civil -- and that goes beyond name-calling. True civility is about being smart -- being thoughtful and erudite and contributing to a constructive public dialogue." This statement is so true, but, therein, lies the rub. The rhetoric of the liberals and hard left isn't based on being thoughtful. The orchestration of their followers is based on feeling. Their appeal, their "logic" and their relation of "fact" is all about feeling. When the response from the opposition refers to facts, or reality in general, the reply is more feeling and little thought. The long time residents of D.C., on BOTH sides of the isle, seem to feel their seats are permanent. Too many decisions are made without response to the general public. Arrogance rules both houses of congress. The system needs a good flush.
I agree totally! It seems the only way the left will argue, is to use inflammatory rhetoric. Like crying"racism" or"bigot" or "hate speech" any time some one on the right says something they don't agree with. They love the concept of free speech as long as they agree with what you are saying. There needs to be more civil discourse but sadly the left only wants to win.No matter the cost to the country.
"Conservative" radio talk show hosts & their reactionary followers have a lot of insulting words for liberals including: bed-wetters, panty-waists, limp-wristed, weenies, cowards, traitors, unAmerican, appeasers, willing to "roll over" (used by The Chronicle editorial staff), draft dodgers, tree-huggers, wackos, Femi-Nazis, communists, hippies, unpatriotic, whiners, cry-babies, cut-and-runners, flag-burners, etc.. To make it perfectly clear for the record, it is a FACT that Sarah Palin IS a BIMBO. Anybody who thinks this woman has anything to offer America in the way of enlightened leadership IS stupid. Anyone who reads or listens to Dick Morris & takes this shyster seriously isn't playing with a full deck. I have written that America is deeply, perhaps irreparably divided. Fuggedabout "civil discourse" on talk radio or network TV. Ratings & advertising dollars are the bottom line. Liberals pay way too much attention to what Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly & other right-wingers say. Frankly liberals (many of them also members of the American elite status quo Establishment) are also self-centered, self-absorbed American introverts oblivious to the real world outside the madness of media
Wow JRHC - I actually agree with you for once, your last sentence that is.
You make the point of the article, Cain.
The editorial makes a good point, but I think misses the mark. When middle fingers are pointed in either direction, the conversation has lost any relationship to "discourse". "The other side does it worse" is like saying "he hit me first". There is always going to be some name calling. Whenever anyone runs out of fact or logic, they tend to denegrate their opponent with bad names. Cover your thin skin and stop whining about it. While I tend to lean toward the right, I do find the latest diatrab from the right a bit too similar to the left's during the Bush presidency. They're angry that their poor choice of a candidate failed to win the Whitehouse. Well... If you're unhappy, vote next time. Pres Obama could adopt every plank in the RNC platform and he'd be accused of some deviant conspiracy. As such, I do not listen to Beck any more. I do listen to OReilly when I get a chance. I don't even know if I can get Rush over here... Not that I've tried. Its been a while since I've posted here (I'm "out of town"), but see that the discourse has not changed much. Hello, Cain, I remember trading jibes with you a ways back. Hope all is well In Augusta
The point of the article was to bring civility back and discuss ideas rather than name calling. The name calling has always been there but it is more intense today. Politics has been reduced to a fight for power and not about the people. The news media plays along with this and "We the people" suffer for it. There are 5 things that will improve government and bring it back to "We the people."
1. Term limits for every elected position. 2. All laws apply to all elected officials. 3. Elimination of lobbyist, special interests groups, focus groups, and any kind of formed group that seeks to influence politicians. 4. Campaign finance reform. 5. Accountability with complete disclosure to the representative voters.
Oh I did forget one. 6. News media accountability. They need to report the facts only; without opinion and spin. Just like restaurants get a health rating, reporters and networks need to get a truth rating that can be seen by everyone while they are reporting news.
Out of ideas? What?! Health care reform, Peace in the Middle East, Federal intervention of private companies & banks, Green jobs technology, Advances in NASA & space travel, Iraq & Afghanstan war exit strategy, Gito closing strategy, and even pushing for a longer school year for schools. These are ideas being put forth, but whats the response: No! How can someone form their mouth to speak such lunacy about ideas? Try find an original thought in the (R) without, "smaller gov't, Bibles & guns, next generation's debt BS, Prayer in school foolishness, or the obsession with abortions" and the party is going the way of the Whigs. Again, no ideas? Ha!
Justus!!! I see some things haven't changed.
Until we can all appreciate the difference between the conservative and the liberal, we will not enjoy civil discourse which, let's face it, isn't that much fun anyway. Conservatives prefer to continue with existing evils while liberals want to replace them with others.
LOL, just read the SunTimes account of the IOC voting. It's Bush's fault that Chicago didn't win. LOL Good stuff.
A good idea would be for elected offical to somehow overcome the desire to accept the gifts and donations of lobbists etc, and work for the people that voted for them.
Bill Mayer is an idiot and anyone who watches him has to be dumb as a brick. The independent voters are beginning to realize who they voted for. He is a one term Jimmy Cater
Keep shaking your pom poms editorial staff and waving your Bible verse banners. We already know the things about your party: Fearful, no ideas, calling the other side names, sticking up for your bad boys. Total loyalty is the name of the game. We good....other side bad. No intraspection.
Name calling will not go away. Simply put: no one is interested in solving anything for the greater good. It's all about winning the argument. "I won, you lost" is the ultimate goal. Just listen to both sides and you'll agree.
From the LEFT? You've gotta be kidding me.
Conservative THOUGHT? You've gotta be kidding me.
I guess The Chronicle has never read the title of any of Ann Coulter's books. A day doesn't go by that Rush Limbaugh doesn't call someone a name. Then there's O'Reilly's "pinheads." Beck calls Obama a racist. The Chronicle has a lot of chutzpah. Just yesterday, The Chronicle was praising "The ego has landed."
Our present conflict with liberals pitted against conservatives is the same one that has been going on for the past 90 years since the Russian Revolution and later the Spanish Civil War in various places in the world. The world's wars, revolutions, coups and break-up of the Soviet Union have all been about socialism v. capitalism. These conflicts have been intense and violent obviously. The new hateful attacks from both sides here represent the geopolitical movement of the conflict to our country and the rhetoric is only the beginning.
Name calling should stop from both sides. You cannot discuss the differences in a logical fashion. I don't really think that most people really act on the information that they receive from Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh, et.al. They listen, they vent, and then they go do something else, except go out and vote.
To JHRC: I do not support or not-support Palin; but, I do know Palin brings more experience to the table than Obama does which is easy to do since Obama had a whopping 18 months in the senate prior to campaigning. Oh yeah, then there was the community organizer thing prior to the senate. Not to mention, at least Palin can make intelligent conversation without having to read a teleprompter each time unlike the bumbling liberal fool.
Justus: The left has ideas all right; their foolish unrealistic ideas will have them out-of-office come November 2010. Come November, you will experience "Change You Can Believe In".
By the way, how's Obama's change working out for you so far???
I like to compare Palin to Biden. Even Obama is making jokes about Biden now. Seriously, what in the world would happen with Biden in charge?