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
*WHOMP!*
Check again.
Awwww.....
They took it awy!
I will briefly translate the New York Observer articles you graciously provided links to: the defeat of Bush will reinstall the John Lindsay liberals who know more than the Great Unwashed like you and me. They party at the right restaurants, socialize with people with the right degrees, turn over US foreign policy to "those in the know" like Richard Holbrooke, the CFR and the UN, like Lindsay would rather meet with some obscure poet named Yevgeny Yevtushenko instead of attending Memorial Day parades and spend no time in the flyover country between NY, DC and LAX. The other side of the coin is that if you were anywhere near New York when John Lindsay was mayor you remember what a complete disaster he was, how filthy and crime ridden even Manhattan became and how he and his fellow idiot liberals nearly ruined the city for generations.
Yeah... just caught that.
Not even a greasy spot on the pavement....
yup.
They did.
*sigh*
Well,it Is only Wednesday.. and we got to play a little with one or two others....
True.
They have lefta few for us to bat about and practice different macadamisation techniques on.
The same is true of Jimmy Carter, but I think he is not hated by the secular Left.
Simply and to the point.They hate George Bush because he loves GOD! Anybody that loves and believes in GOD to them is stupid! Thats what were dealing with here!The extent of their hatred will in the end turn in on them. [No matter who wins this election]
You're out of your ever loving mind.
i think it's because they are happy with how the Freepathon went.... less than 24 hours and it got blown away!
Theyre already lining up and hiring lawyers for recounts! I believe we should be ready for this and get our own legal teams together. Get ready for another recount debaucle!
This is not correct, gov clinton was not quick or clever, if he had been, he would have never said, "I did not have sex with that woman".
Most of us disliked gov clinton, simply because he was sleazy.
People were saving cash to push this one over the top quickly.
Plus there's still more on it's way.
"They Ninja'd the lewt and stuffed the donate box!!"
*chuckle*
I love FR, always a surprise, record, entry into lore, or something neat happening.
You hit the nail on the head. Bottom line....and the other stuff is just that stuff.....It's all about JESUS CHRIST in our President. The world hated JESUS CHRIST...and the scriptures teaches us they'll also hate you. Which is any believer in JESUS CHRIST. And further more...we don't care one little bit!!! I've read the last chapter and we WIN!!!
We just haven't heard their message. As soon as we hear their message, we'll all see the light.
I love FR too.
Since i am mostly sitting around the house waiting for the phone to ring, it's practically my only social out-let other than messing with the Kid.
I love it for the news I won't hear through the main outlets.
Like the AFL-CIO union thugs strong-arming their way into Bush HQ's.
Doubt highly that the MSM will report it let alone condemn it.
If they do mention it, it'll be in tiny snippets quickly passed over.
That kind of garbage has been going down in several states, basically communist style intimidation tactics.
>> Her's the TRUE reason.....he's a CHRISTIAN.....a practicig Christian...tha' why they DETEST him.
That's it. Leftists hate Judeo-Christian morality.
I saw that!
Shocked me!
Hadn't gotten that they were AFL-CIO, though.
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