Posted on 06/09/2006 12:42:21 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
Liberals in America have been staging a new strategy on winning public-policy debates: Simply provide spokespeople that no one is allowed to respond to. Ann Coulter had the gall to challenge that and let loose with some direct observations in her newest best seller, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," and true to form, liberals have been fomenting in response.
The reason they are is not because Ann has broken some sacred respect that one should have for a grieving mother, wife or relative. Rather, the reason they are so outraged by this is because it stabs through the heart the strategy of hiding behind spokespeople who "can't be criticized."
Matt Lauer, Hillary Clinton and Alan Colmes have been laughable in the trumped-up outrage that they share for the statements Coulter makes in "Godless" in reference to the "Jersey Girls." The Jersey Girls are four wives who lost their husbands on 9-11. They jumped into the 2004 election debate early on, cutting commercials for John Kerry, and they are on record for saying some rather hideous remarks about Condoleezza Rice and Karl Rove, not to mention President Bush.
In recent years, liberal spokespeople have grown infamous for self-destruction when they are put into arenas where free debate, give-and-take response and actual dialogue take place. As Ann argues rather convincingly in her new book, this sets up the structure of "liberal infallibility." In other words, liberals' use of victims of tragedies would never be criticized, so the plan is to find as many victims to become the mouthpieces for the left as possible.
An interesting point: When the GOP invited widows of 9-11 to participate in their national convention, charges went up from the left of "pure political posturing." Yet any observer of those who participated would be hard-pressed to know of a single critical thing they said about the president's opponents. The presentation they made dealt with the need for America to remain strong in its stand against terrorism. Kerry's name was never even invoked, and their involvement in the public debate ended that night.
The Jersey Girls, on the other hand, have consistently spoken out and advocated on behalf of leftist interests through the 9-11 commission's findings to the operation of the global War on Terror, the elections of 2004, etc. In other words, they chose, or the liberal Democratic Party chose for them, to enter the fray, to don the gloves and to mix it up.
But what if they're wrong? What if, even in as much pain as they have endured at the hands of terrorists, the substance of what they argue for is as loony as the day is long? Even if Cindy Sheehan lost her heroic son in the War on Terror, does that now mean that everything Cindy Sheehan says is correct?
Which is Ann's point.
Ann's criticism is legitimate. If liberals in America wish truly to have a debate on the issues that we all have strong emotions about, then stand and make the point, but don't hide behind those who are ineffective, unskilled and often wrong in their views, simply because they're victims.
For the last few weeks, Rep. Jack Murtha has been crisscrossing the television pundit circuit criticizing the brave Marines who fell under attack via an improvised explosive device, after which some women and children tragically ended up dead. The Marines claimed that they were fired upon and that those firing upon them did so from behind women and children being used as human shields. The jury is still out, but thus far Murtha has yet to present evidence that contradicts the Marines' account.
Liberals are using the exact same tactics today – firing upon people of faith who believe in God, who believe God's model for marriage is what society should promote, but they do so from behind victims against whom, they believe, no one would fire back. People like the Jersey Girls, Joe Wilson, Cindy Sheehan and Jack Murtha. They do so knowing that they would lose in substantive, equitable fair debates.
Coulter's critics have tried to turn her book into a verbal Haditha. Hillary Clinton was excessively unwise in doing so. Coulter decided to do the brave thing and do something that nobody else would. In doing so, she is again undergoing every ounce of scorn and vehemence that the left can pour out, but she is doing so for the well-being of political discourse in general.
By paying the price for us, she also challenges us to not be so timid, to fight for the integrity of substance and not to fall for the idea that a victim can never be disagreed with.
What a twisted world it would become otherwise.
MEGA PING!!
Kevin has hit the nail right on the head. Thank goodness for Ann cutting through all the PC cr*p. So many Pubs are too polite, or too cowardly to do so. She's one of the few that has a set and actually uses them. Ann's my kind of pundit. We think alike, and I hope more people take on a bit of her persona if we are ever to defeat the slimeball Dems who have hit below the belt for their entire existence. You can't always stay above the fray.
Too often Bush has been like a pinata (a little Mexican lingo there, just for Jorge), by not fighting back against his political enemies. And what has it gotten him other than incredibly low poll ratings. Time to take it to the enemy, not shy away to avoid a fight. Put the gloves on!
His name was Ronald Breitweiser, BTW.
Ann is right. Interestingly Ann is more of a leader of public opinion than this President. I love the guy but he needs a great speechwriter like Reagan had in Peggy Noonan.
PS. Actually, all she mentions is that he died on 9/11 along with 3000 others; she doesn't specify where (WTC) or how (he was trapped in the offices of Cantor Fitzgerald above where the first plane struck the North Tower).
ping
Quite the contrast from the grieving parents of the FIVE Sullivan Brothers (lost at sea in WWII); who went on a nationwide tour to drum up support for War Bonds.
Don't think he shouuld have brought this point up. It brings into question an otherwise fairly decent rant.
When the Jersey Girls put themselves in the public place -- the assumption is made if can dish it out they can take it. They've bargined away their right to our blind sympathy.
It's Gone with the Wind -- the widow's wearing black but she's tapping her foot and wants to dance. Flirting and on the dance floor doesn't garner the same respect...
It's not a new strategy, it's an old strategy. The left's Kristen Breitweiser of Viet Nam is currently a United States Senator named John Kerry.
Excellent Post. You go girl, Ann!!! God bless you!!! These women and the Democrat Party are nothing but scum and vermin and they hate America!!!
The socialist press made pretend there weren't any.
These 4 idiots don't represent 9/11 widows and the more they open up their mouths the more apparent it will be.
Worse, actually, as he has done so without bothering to wait for the facts, which might interfere with his agenda.
Whatever the outcome of the investigation, he will have achieved his desired effect of smearing the individual Marines, the Corps, the military in general, the war, and the Administration--and we don't even know who the victims are victims of.
If the Marines are found culpable in any way, he gets to say "I told you so!", and if not, the grumblings of a coverup will not lag far behind the verdict.
In effect, he has established an unassailable position (in some eyes) by speaking out against killing "unarmed innocent civillians" in a time of war and he is milking it for face time in the media which amounts to 'face' in the Party apparatus (for attacking all the Left holds in contempt), and free campaigning among the moonbats at home. Cashing in.
How 'brave'. /sarc
I've heard speaches where they go into a great more detail. The line typically goes something like "my husband was killed in the WTC attack, its Bush's fault. Because of my husbands death I have the right to dictate national defense policy"
Of course I'm paraphrazing but its the general theme I've heard from these people.
The Dems sent wheelchair-bound Max Cleland to Texas during Dan Rather's TANG fiasco (not only a veteran, but disabled) and then of course there was the ultimate insult to those who served with honor: John Kerry's "reporting for duty."
..."Personally, I found it striking that in the bio at her blog, Kristen Breitweiser doesn't even bother to mention the name of her deceased husband, or anything else about him aside from his having died at the WTC. She does however manage to fit in the name of her golden retriever..."
Your observation is very telling..Ask his parents how they feel about his death and you will get true grief..A loving wife is not going to use her husband's death to vent some kind of hatred inside herself or to use the event of his death to gain some kind of recognition for herself. I have been told that a year of deep grief is required for every 10 years of marriage when a loved spouse passes away. I have seen no evidence of "deep" grief in these women. "The Jersey Girls..The Dixie Chicks.." To me, there is no difference. Most of the 9-11 families are still in grief and our hearts go out to them..50% of marriages end in divorce..How do we know these were loving unions to begin with? I heard someone say last night that Ann Coulter is a national treasure. I certainly agree. She calls a "spade, a spade." We love you, Ann. Keep on telling it like it is.
The Donks tried to "Pull a Sheehan" with Murtha as well, by describing him as a Marine hero who was consistently hawkish on the Iraq War. Anybody who opposed Murtha was attacked as being disrespectful to a military man, and the question was swiftly shifted to Murtha's supposed "conversion" to the anti-War cause, instead of the question at hand.
It was a very deft play, but completely cynical. Thankfully Murtha has fallen into complete frothing-at-the-mouth Liberal moonbattery, and the technique is no longer effective.
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