Screed: With Treason, Ann Coulter once again defines a new low in America's political debate

Spinsanity ^ | july 2, 2003 | Brendan Nyhan

[The Raven]

With her new book Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism, syndicated pundit Ann Coulter has driven the national discourse to a new low. No longer content to merely smear liberals and the media with sweeping generalizations and fraudulent evidence, she has now upped the ante, accusing the entire Democratic Party as well as liberals and leftists nationwide of treason, a crime of disloyalty against the United States. But, as in her syndicated columns (many of which are adapted in the book) and her previous book Slander: Liberal Lies Against the American Right, Coulter's case relies in large part on irrational rhetoric and pervasive factual errors and deceptions. Regardless of your opinions about Democrats, liberals or the left, her work should not be taken at face value.

Context: The syndicated column and Slander

As we documented back in July 2001, Coulter's writing is not just inflammatory but blatantly irrational. For years, she has infused her syndicated columns with cheap shots and asides directed at targets like President Bill Clinton, the American Civil Liberties Union and Hustler publisher Larry Flynt (among many others). Liberals are indiscriminately denounced as a group as "terrorists" or a "cult" who "hate democracy." Slander, her bestseller from last year, quickly became notorious for its errors and distortions of the facts, which we detailed in our examination of the book. From deceptive footnotes to mischaracterized quotes to outright lies, Coulter broke all standards of reasonable political debate in her quest to paint a picture of a media that is unambiguously hostile to conservatives.

Jargon: How Coulter blurs distinctions in her rhetoric

In Treason, similar techniques are employed with aplomb. Consider her use of language. The accusation of treason is, of course, one of the most grave that can be made against a citizen of any country. Article III of the United States Constitution specifies that "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort."

In latching onto a powerful word with a specific legal meaning and casually leveling the charge as a blanket accusation against a wide array of people (as she did with slander, which is a defamatory verbal statement), Coulter is attempting to smear virtually anyone who disagrees with her views on foreign policy as treasonous. "Liberals have a preternatural gift for striking a position on the side of treason," she writes on the first page of the book. "Whenever the nation is under attack, from within or without, liberals side with the enemy. This is their essence." (p. 1)

At times, Coulter portrays liberals and the left as engaged in a grand conspiracy to destroy the United States:

While undermining victory in the Cold War, liberals dedicated themselves to mainstreaming Communist ideals at home... Betraying the manifest national defense objectives of the country is only part of the left's treasonous scheme. They aim to destroy America from the inside with their relentless attacks on morality and the truth. (p. 289) At others, she instead insinuates that disagreeing with her about US policy toward various hostile foreign countries or taking any action that could be construed as favorable to those countries' interests is equivalent to treasonous support for those countries. Here are two classic examples of this tactic:

As a rule of thumb, Democrats opposed anything opposed by their cherished Soviet Union. The Soviet Union did not like the idea of a militarily strong America. Neither did the Democrats! (p. 171) Democrats always had mysterious objections and secret "better" ways, which they would never tell us. Then they would vote whichever way would best advance Communist interests. (p. 177) In the end, Coulter doesn't care about such distinctions, and goes so far as to specifically reject any distinction based on motive in judging her standard of treason:

Whether they are defending the Soviet Union or bleating for Saddam Hussein, liberals are always against America. They are either traitors or idiots, and on the matter of America's self-preservation, the difference is irrelevant. Fifty years of treason hasn't slowed them down. (p. 16) Of course, Coulter must engage in a complicated set of rhetorical tricks to accuse liberals of "fifty years of treason" (in a 2001 column, it was only "[t]wenty years of treason" - did inflation set in?). The book is primarily focused on the controversy over real and alleged Soviet espionage in the post-World War II era. We can certainly stipulate that Soviet agents who worked covertly inside the United States government did commit treason. But Coulter broadens the term to include virtually every liberal, leftist, Democrat or member of the media, in each case obscuring distinctions between individuals and stereotyping the entire group.

[BIGZ]

The TRUTH hurts!

[NativeNewYorker]

I read Treason from cover to cover this week. It rocks. Period.

The Democrats have every reason to be scared sh!tless of a telegenic babe who calls a spade a spade.

[Dr Warmoose]

You people all notice that he levels unsubstantiated charges against her that the Ann Coulter who routinely verbally body slams any liberal through logic, reasoning and cutting wit, when composing her book uncharacteristically becomes "irrational".

Nothing but platitudes and whining. "Nothing" also describes the contents of their case against her.

[jimtorr]

.......quickly became notorious for its errors and distortions of the facts, which we detailed in our examination of the book.

As I recall, SpinCity's review of "Slander" was notorious for its errors and distortions of facts (commonly called lies). Brendan is at it again with "Treason".

Spin-Whatever is certainly aptly named.

[Dr Warmoose]

I read Treason from cover to cover this week. It rocks.

I haven't purchased her book. Slander started off like gangbusters, and towards the end it looked like she ran out of steam, was under a deadline, or just had to fill up fifty more pages with something. I hope that this isn't the case in Treason.

[Lion Den Dan]

All of the foot note material is very painful.

[cubreporter]

If the writer and the dems can't stand the heat let them get the heck out of the kitchen!!!!

[Hunble]

For someone with a sick mind, 2 + 2 = 4 is "irrational" and beyond their ability to understand.

[jimtorr]

Ann Coulter ......... when composing her book uncharacteristically becomes "irrational".

Remember, now, that in the "liberal" world view, anybody who disagrees with the party line is by definition irrational.

[NativeNewYorker]

Well, it ain't The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

It is uneven, and reads as if it were dashed off on deadline, yes.

For well-informed FReepers, there's not much new material.

But as a popular broadside aimed at a clueless public, it is fine.

[Lancey Howard]

These college Democrats crack me up.
You can almost see this one crying in anger like a six year-old as he tries to compose his little "review" of Ann's thoroughly documented book.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Barf alert??

[TheDon]

In a radio interview I heard recently, Ann asked that a caller be allowed to continue his rant as it was a perfect example of the tactics liberals use. They don't dispute the facts, they attack the "bearer" of the facts. Ann mentioned that is one of the things her book talks about.

I just bought my copy at B&N, I couldn't resist buying a copy after all I've heard about it on FR.

[Right Wing Professor]

Truth hurts
Truth scars
Truth wounds and mars
Any heart not tough
Or strong enough
Take a lot of pain
Take a lot of pain
Truth is like a cloud
And it holds a lot of rain
Truth hurts
Oooh, truth hurts.

You're wrong, I know
Baby, what's so
I know a thing or two
Ooo honey, I learned from you
I really learned a lot
I really learned a lot
Truth is like a stove
It burns you when it's hot
Truth hurts, (ooooo), truth hurts

[hatfieldmccoy]

Ah Annie
That's my girl!!!

[Tamzee]

Typical slam of a conservative political argument... they can't deny the facts so they resort to name-calling and unsubstantiated accusations against the author.

It was entirely to be expected :-)

[ChadGore]

Wow, Ann really hit a never. She must have struck the truth.

[Bubba_Leroy]

Gee, I wonder what as the liberals so mad? Could it be ...

Top 100 Bestsellers
Updated Hourly

	1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) by J. K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator) Price: $17.99 You Save: $12.00 (40%) Used & new from $12.00
	2. East of Eden (Oprah's Book Club) by John Steinbeck Price: $9.60 You Save: $6.40 (40%) Used & new from $8.15
	3. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Price: $14.97 You Save: $9.98 (40%) Used & new from $11.99
	4. Treason by Ann Coulter Price: $18.87 You Save: $8.08 (30%) Used & new from $14.85
	5. The South Beach Diet by Arthur Agatston (Author) Price: $14.97 You Save: $9.98 (40%) Used & new from $12.95
	6. The Essential 55 by Ron Clark Price: $13.97 You Save: $5.98 (30%) Used & new from $12.95
	7. The Kennedy Curse by Edward Klein (Author) Price: $20.97 You Save: $8.98 (30%)
	8. Harry Potter Paperback Boxed Set (Books 1-4) by J. K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré (Illustrator) Price: $21.67 You Save: $9.29 (30%) Used & new from $18.90
	9. Living History by Hillary Clinton (Author) Price: $16.80 You Save: $11.20 (40%) Used & new from $14.45

[Bubba_Leroy]

Treason has been beating Hitlary's Lying History since before Treason started shipping.