Likelihood of Success

7 Responses to “It turns ugly”

1. James H Says:
   
   November 3rd, 2008 at 10:48 pm

   I’d like to offer this quote from a recent E.J. Dionne Jr. column:

   For years, many of the elite conservatives were happy to harvest the votes of devout Christians and gun owners by waging a phony class war against “liberal elitists” and “leftist intellectuals.” Suddenly, the conservative writers are discovering that the very anti-intellectualism their side courted and encouraged has begun to consume their movement.

   The cause of Edmund Burke, Leo Strauss, Robert Nisbet and William F. Buckley Jr. is now in the hands of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity — and Sarah Palin. Reason has been overwhelmed by propaganda, ideas by slogans, learned manifestoes by direct-mail hit pieces.

   An October New York Times article echoes similar sentiments.

   I wonder: Has the American right lost its intellectual bearings?

   
   
2. Ron Coleman Says:
   
   November 4th, 2008 at 12:27 am

   The cause of Edmund Burke, Leo Strauss, Robert Nisbet and William F. Buckley Jr. is now in the hands of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity

   
   
3. James H Says:
   
   November 4th, 2008 at 7:54 am

   Actually, I’ve cruised through some of the writings of those who don’t call themselves entertainers. Goldberg. Coulter. Malkin. I find their rants, particularly their Coulter’s conspiracy theories about liberals, pure and unadulterated drek. Now, even if we concede the paragraph about Hannity and Limbaugh is a mere rhetorical flourish, we’re still left with this:

   For years, many of the elite conservatives were happy to harvest the votes of devout Christians and gun owners by waging a phony class war against

   
   
4. m Says:
   
   November 4th, 2008 at 9:13 am

   A comments section is a good idea in theory, but James H is a good reason not to implement one. Citing E.J. Dionne for the proposition that on the Right, “[r]eason has been overwhelmed by propaganda, ideas by slogans, learned manifestoes by direct-mail hit pieces”? And this in the comments section of a post by Ron about concentrating on “legitimate issues, not demonization.” Maybe the irony was intentional.

   
   
5. James H Says:
   
   November 4th, 2008 at 9:19 am

   M:

   To what do you object? The quotation itself? Or that I cited E.J. Dionne? Your comment is unclear.

   
   
6. Jack Says:
   
   November 4th, 2008 at 10:52 am

   This all reminds me of an old story…

   In the case of life we court a few
   Supporters we would not,
   Had we but a’thought of them
   As they first truly thought,
   But that is business and the price
   Of the clients that choose us,
   We may not always all agree
   But there is no law we must,
   Distasteful I have found some friends
   In matters politic,
   But then again I’ve never met
   Perfected rhetoric,
   And although I am not best inclined
   To every Common Point,
   I see no intellectuals
   So astounding I’d anoint -
   Them king of what all others think
   As if thinking makes you Right,
   For better in your heart is not
   The way to human height,
   The Common Man should open self
   To varied points of view (’tis true),
   But intellectuals are also blind
   To think thinking goes unskewed,
   In perfect worlds are perfect ways
   Where all know virtue’s choice,
   But we live in a world unstained
   By concordance in our voice,
   Unless a man does advocate
   That he alone knows right,
   And follows up his worst demands
   With tyranny and slight,
   Then all men must agree to yield
   That others are not them,
   You won’t consort with everyone
   But that does not condemn
   The people with whom you disagree
   To being less than you,
   In somethings they are different
   In somethings close construed,
   It is so like a Razor’s Edge
   To fight the fight that’s right
   Without the need to scorch the earth,
   Burn everything in sight,
   But men need not to win the day
   To look upon the rest
   Whether foe or ally wrong
   As merely dispossessed,
   To win the game you lose a few
   That’s business on this earth,
   For all the rest they’re best convinced
   By investing in their worth,
   So to this I might say to you
   Find right where right is due
   And when in others you find wrong
   Convince them what is true,
   But if you think your thoughts are pure
   And cannot be as those,
   Remind yourself all naked man
   Have once worn error’s clothes.

   
   
7. BSG Says:
   
   November 7th, 2008 at 11:37 pm

   http://patterico.com/2008/11/07/examples-of-obamas-decency/

   You were the forbearer …