Posted on 10/06/2004 4:06:31 PM PDT by mlmr
Everybody remembers the "Clinton-haters," the people who disliked our libidinous former chief executive so much they not only spread (mostly true) stories about his amorous exploits but spun rumors about various dark conspiracies in Arkansas and elsewhere.
However, Clinton's enemies were pikers compared to today's crop of people who, while they may or may not hate President Bush, certainly seem to dislike him very, very much.
I'm not referring here to people who merely disagree with Bush on one or a number of issues. It's easy to understand partisans getting upset over an opponent's policies, and certainly U.S. history is replete with examples of using political differences as grist for harsh criticism.
But Bush has been simultaneously portrayed as Hitler; as a moronic puppet of his advisors; as an evil genius; and as Satan.
All that and more (much of it unprintable) leaves conservatives in awe of the depth of rage being targeted at such a genial, outgoing guy - who also happens to be waging a serious war on our nation's enemies, just as a president is supposed to do.
It's possible to identify three basic streams feeding into Bush-hatred. One - let's call it the "Moveon.org stream" - is described by John O'Sullivan, editor of The National Interest, in the current issue of The American Enterprise Institute's magazine: "Most of the time (Clinton hatred) was simply the frustration of the Right with an opponent who was just too quick and too clever for them. Bush hatred is something else, something really significant. It's much deeper - a personalized version of American anti-Americanism.
"There is in this country a considerable cultural self-hatred," O'Sullivan continued. "The adversary culture fears and hates American power. So anybody who comes along and defends America's values self-confidently, and even pre-emptively attacks America's enemies, is going to be regarded by this sect as an agent of the Great Satan. The same hatred was directed at Reagan."
Second, "progressivism" tends to produce a conviction about the essential goodness of its causes, almost as if there were no consciousness of natural human imperfection. Leftists really think people are perfectible, and they believe they are the ones who know how to do the perfecting.
If there is something wrong with the world, therefore, it is not because people naturally screw up. It has to be a plot.
And since Reagan's days, Americans have voted for Republicans on a regular basis. Even worse, not the tame business-executive, country-club RINO type, but real social, economic and religious conservatives.
Even after Clinton (hardly a textbook liberal himself) beat Bush 41 in 1992, the GOP took over Congress two years later, and now the right-leaning party holds the presidency, both houses of Congress (though marginally in the Senate), most of the governorships and is even making strides in state legislatures.
But if you're a progressive, conservatives are dumb and you're smart. They're evil and you're good. They're devious and you're honest. (I know, I know, but that's how they think.)
So they can only come to one conclusion - the American people have been tricked, fooled and bamboozled by these devious conservatives. The left thinks it is entitled to rule, and yet people are spurning it - making fun of it, even. How can that be? It must be a plot, a conspiracy.
In their minds, the idea that people have considered their positions and rejected them is an impossibility, because they are right and conservatives are wrong. By definition.
Thus, leftists had to spin a myth of a "stolen" election in Florida, to prove perfidy where none existed. The alternative - that they, the good guys, could have lost fair and square, by the rules - is not credible to them.
Third, we should briefly note that a commitment to serious, historical, orthodox Christianity is another offense that Bush, and many other conservatives, offer to the progressive mentality. The anger relativists hold toward the idea of eternal moral absolutes knows no bounds.
Now, I have no idea who is going to win on Nov. 2. But if Bush should be the victor, what are all his detractors going to do? Wrap their heads in duct tape so they don't explode like the telepaths in "Scanners"?
No, I suspect they'll do what they did in 2000 - create another myth about a "stolen election."
You can already see it taking shape, in recent claims that Gallup polls showing Bush ahead are biased, or that presidential advisor Karl Rove was the one who gave Dan Rather his famously faked-up memos, or that the Bush campaign created and financed the Swift boat ads.
If Bush wins, it will be because a plot involving the "biased conservative media" did in Kerry.
The fact that no such thing exists will deter them not one whit. The left proved in 2000 that mere facts can't stand in the way of a really outstanding conspiracy theory, and this year will be no different - if Bush wins.
If not, well, I'll have plenty of topics for columns.
M.D. Harmon is an editorial page writer and editor. He can be contacted at 791-6482 or at:
mharmon@pressherald.com
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1236609/posts?q=1&&page=1
Good read and info..including Soros "file"
Yes, thanks, I read it this morning, scary.
Funny, all the DU types think the Republicans are up to such things, they could do to look a little closer to home.
But it is nothing new for the Left, I think, as the CPUSA and other socialist organizations have been funding similar efforts for years.
link at #161
Thanks for the info.
WOW. That is so true! Beautifully put.
The worst part of this is that I know the leaders of the left know this is a flat out lie, including gore himself.
That's a shame.
I will admit that I am uncomfortable with some of the generalities and comments made against Democrats on this site. I've gotten either thicker-skinned or thicker-headed over time (probably both) and tolerate it as a price for participation.
Fighting words have a nasty tendency to become fighting. Perhaps it's not Freeper-esque to admit fear. But I will. The poisoned political discourse I'm seeing of late scares the living hell out of me.
Good night and warmest wishes until we next meet.
Yes...Jesus wins....but we must stand with himagainst thes Christ Haters and Christian Haters.
I know,Sam, I was googling ACT and ANSWER, etc. before the war started in Iraq, then there's the TIDES foundation and some of things they fund..The wheels within wheels...the "international" socialist/communist ties.
I am fascinated by the way the communists can "take over" an interest group...The names change, the aim stays the same...May God protect us.
Just like Saul Alinsky said.
I understand.
After the elections things will calm down.
The Democratic party seems split into two groups.
The group represented by, say, Zell Miller.
And the group best represented by the Clintons and Kerry.
(Which is little more than a group of socialists and communists masquerading as Democrats.)
But, all parties will have 'sub groups' within them.
I suppose what we are seeing lately though is more of a struggle for teh very heart and soul of the Democratic party.
The communists want to take it as far left as they can possibly go, or farther.
And those that prefer to stick to the Constitution and have a love of country are being kicked out of their own party.
I'm not sure how this will 'play out' in the coming months, but it can't be anything good.
Good luck, and goodnight.
Thicker head?
Naaah, you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders.
See you tomorrow.
Just keep in mind that things will start to get hectic in the immediate run up to the election.
A few of those I spoke to often are sitting it out of forum during the election cycle this time.
They'll be back after the election is over, so as to avoid the inevitable mass wave of disruptors.
And I don't blame them, personally.
We'll see how this goes though.
Laters, -Darksheare
This article is right on.
And to think I was worried that the URL in the middle was a giveaway!
Don't mind me. Just changing my tag line.
I'm fixing that pretty soon, like this weekend. I got a BIG shipment of John Kerry's face on rolls of toilet paper that a gal is going to put in the ladies' rooms all around southern CA.
LOL!
Reminds me, I should change mine soon as well.
Yeah...I have some liberal friends that are good people (except for voting Democrat!), I can't for the life of me figure out how they can get past such things.
I like your definition of Bush haters!
Well well well ... ol' JFnK looks downright Kennedyesque there, eh?
Blecch.
Yes, none of the "liberals" seem to mind that such groups are funding their "causes." They need to wake up a little, and do some thinking.
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