The Real Two Americas (Hugh Hewitt)

Weekly Standard ^ | 03/04/2004 | Hugh Hewitt

[NYpeanut]

JOHN EDWARDS had one thing right: There are two Americas. But he botched the description of the line dividing these Americas--not surprising given that, after all these months and all that trial lawyer cash, he managed only to win the Democratic primary in South Carolina, which is like a Republican winning only the GOP primary in Washington, D.C.

The dividing line between Americans runs between those who are serious about the world and the nation and those who are silly on these subjects.

Silly people listen to Michael Moore. Silly people issue marriage licenses to couples ineligible to receive them because they feel that it is important to do so. Silly folks think Dick Cheney is still running Halliburton and that Halliburton is running the war. Silly people make ads for websites that feature George W. Bush morphing into Hitler. Silly people think we've got Osama bin Laden stashed away in a cave waiting for a September debut. Silly people look to Maureen Dowd for insight into the world.

Because many Americans have slipped into the silly category, the rest of us are beginning to forget that those folks are indeed silly. Some people once thought of as serious have adopted silly positions. Such as, for instance, Madeleine Albright speculating that the United States has Osama under wraps. We respect the office she once held and resist branding Albright as silly. And thus some small bit of credibility becomes attached to her bizarre thought-process.

JOHN KERRY gave an extraordinarily silly speech in the Senate on Tuesday, stating, for example that "[t]here is a gap between America's Field & Stream gun owners and the NRA's Soldier of Fortune leaders." That's an absurd, self-serving comment, and just one of many. Another quote from the speech: "There is no right to have access to the weapons of war in the streets of America, and to those who want to wield those weapons, we have a place for them. It is the United States military." Again, there is little logic in that statement, either in the idea that "weapons of war" were being debated in the Senate, or that the military welcomes gun nuts. But because we have become used to absurd statements--divorced from facts and empty of argument--we get remarks like Kerry's.

In his victory speech later that evening, Kerry struck a familiar note. "Change is coming to America," he bellowed, as though no one had noticed the extra-legal circuses in San Francisco, New York, and now Portland. Kerry shouted that he had "no illusions about the Republican attack machine" that would now turn its attentions to him--this after Terry McAuliffe's charge that Bush was AWOL, Al Gore's charge that Bush "betrayed" his country, and Wes Clark's charge that Bush wasn't patriotic. (The nominee of a party advised by James Carville and Paul Begala warning of the coming of the "Republican attack machine" isn't offensive. It's just absurd.)

SO WE ARE LAUNCHED into a showdown between serious America and absurd America. John Kerry, again from Tuesday evening, stated bluntly that George W. Bush heads the "most inept, reckless, and ideological foreign policy in the history of this country." No matter how one evaluates recent events in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya--and they look pretty good to me--they cannot seriously be compared negatively with losing a war in Vietnam, watching Iran slide into virulent Islamism, or allowing Osama bin Laden to nest and metastasize in Kabul and its precincts. Still, millions of Americans will believe Kerry's outlandish excess not because of evidence that he has presented, but because they want to.

[Libloather]

Silly people listen to Michael Moore. Silly people issue marriage licenses to couples ineligible to receive them because they feel that it is important to do so. Silly folks think Dick Cheney is still running Halliburton and that Halliburton is running the war. Silly people make ads for websites that feature George W. Bush morphing into Hitler. Silly people think we've got Osama bin Laden stashed away in a cave waiting for a September debut. Silly people look to Maureen Dowd for insight into the world.

This - from the far left coast. Sadly, Hugh has been taken out of AM range on the right coast since his move to Cally afternoon radio. I did enjoy his broadcasts - during the days when he woke up extra early in order for his show to be heard 9am EST. He is good...

[goldstategop]

Liberals are funny when they're out of power. They're dangerous in office.

[Rummyfan]

Bump!

[RonDog]

You can still listen to him ONLINE:

	KTKZ 1380 www.ktkz.com Sacramento's Talk and News Station
	KCBQ, www.kcbq.com San Diego's Legendary Talk Station

[Valin]

As heard tonight on Hughs show Kim Jong Il has endorsed Gene Kerrey. Thus locking up that all important homicidal manic vote! While I havn't checked I'm sure it's headlined on his website.

[Travis McGee]

BANG!

"There is a gap between America's Field & Stream gun owners and the NRA's Soldier of Fortune leaders. There is no right to have access to the weapons of war in the streets of America, and to those who want to wield those weapons, we have a place for them. It is the United States military." (John F-ing Kerry)

There you have it folks. According to Kerry, the 2nd Amd is only about duck hunting.

[CSM]

By your numbers, 65 million people pay 90% of the taxes. Given the adult population is 280 million, I will stick with my statement. In fact, I might adjust it to less than 50% of the adult population pays 100% of the taxes. We are a nation very close to socialism. A percent shift in the opposit direction and we will plunge into full socialism.

This situation is the exact reason that the blue/red map showed the larger metro populations voted for Gore, while the non socialist parts of the nation voted for GWB.

[allrightythen]

Another conspicuous class of silliness...those that swallow (whole) any line of crap, as long as its served up by Republicans.

[BIGZ]

These are not my numbers they are the facts. 130 million out of 280 million filed an income tax.

[CSM]

I'm not arguing your number. I am using it to support my statement. Let's review, 130M tax returns, 280M people, 200M adults (population over 19). 50% of the 130M pay for 96.03% of the taxes. 65M people out of 200M are funding the majority of the services for the unproductive. 33% of the adult population is funding 96.03% of the cost of government. Sounds like socialism to me.

[BIGZ]

Thats exactly what I said.

[BibChr]

My first actual L O L of the day. Thank you!

Dan

[MeekOneGOP]

You bet ! ;^)