Stand clear
Two items of interest today. First, there is news that Michael Moore intends to make a sequel to his mockumentary Fahrenheit 9/11. According to Moore, "Fifty-one percent of the American people lacked information [on election day] and we want to educate and enlighten them. They weren't told the truth. We're communicators and it's up to us to start doing it now." Before you rush to Michael Moore as the ultimate purveyor of truth, check out these 59 deceits contained in Fahrenheit 9/11. But essentially, Moore believes that people who voted for Bush were not "educated" about the issues.
Moore is not quite as bad as Ted Rall, however. Rall doesn't claim that Bush voters weren't educated about issues; he says that simply aren't educated. "[I]f militant Christianist Republicans from inland backwaters believe that secular liberal Democrats from the big coastal cities look upon them with disdain, there's a reason. We do, and all the more so after this election. . . . Though there is a religious component to the election results, the biggest red-blue divide is intellectual. 'How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?' asked the headline of the Daily Mirror in Great Britain, and the underlying assumption is undeniable. By any objective standard, you had to be spectacularly stupid to support Bush. . . . So our guy lost the election. Why shouldn't those of us on the coasts feel superior? We eat better, travel more, dress better, watch cooler movies, earn better salaries, meet more interesting people, listen to better music and know more about what's going on in the world. If you voted for Bush, we accept that we have to share the country with you. We're adjusting to the possibility that there may be more of you than there are of us. But don't demand our respect. You lost it on November 2."
The condescension is remarkable. I hesitated to even give Ted Rall space here, but thought it would be enlightening. Liberals are now feeling free to say what they have always believed about conservatives. Whether this bile is likely to seduce any of those Bush voters to vote for a Democrat next time is a tough sell.
There is an old adage -- when your opponent is self-destructing, don't stop him. Michael, Ted -- have some more rope.
Moore is not quite as bad as Ted Rall, however. Rall doesn't claim that Bush voters weren't educated about issues; he says that simply aren't educated. "[I]f militant Christianist Republicans from inland backwaters believe that secular liberal Democrats from the big coastal cities look upon them with disdain, there's a reason. We do, and all the more so after this election. . . . Though there is a religious component to the election results, the biggest red-blue divide is intellectual. 'How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?' asked the headline of the Daily Mirror in Great Britain, and the underlying assumption is undeniable. By any objective standard, you had to be spectacularly stupid to support Bush. . . . So our guy lost the election. Why shouldn't those of us on the coasts feel superior? We eat better, travel more, dress better, watch cooler movies, earn better salaries, meet more interesting people, listen to better music and know more about what's going on in the world. If you voted for Bush, we accept that we have to share the country with you. We're adjusting to the possibility that there may be more of you than there are of us. But don't demand our respect. You lost it on November 2."
The condescension is remarkable. I hesitated to even give Ted Rall space here, but thought it would be enlightening. Liberals are now feeling free to say what they have always believed about conservatives. Whether this bile is likely to seduce any of those Bush voters to vote for a Democrat next time is a tough sell.
There is an old adage -- when your opponent is self-destructing, don't stop him. Michael, Ted -- have some more rope.
posted by Hal | 10:42 PM
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