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Campaign Reporting Nose-dives During the Holidays; Meanwhile, Jeffrey Lord Wishes Dems a Merry Christmas
By this point in the already-interminable '08 election season, the temptations of the holidays are beginning to seduce even devoted political junkies away from Iowa, New Hampshire, and their YouTube satellites. Campaign reporters—being only human—are also a little distracted by holiday cheer. Witness the New York Times' post-Thanksgiving report on the candidates' eating habits (Barack Obama looks as though someone had to Photoshop a corndog into his hand; Rudy Giuliani will steal your food), or yesterday's giddy recounting of the brimming happiness of Dennis Kucinich. But Tuesday's piece in the American Spectator almost defies explanation. In a long essay lamenting the nastiness of politics, writer and former Reagan political director Jeffrey Lord (aka He-For-Whom-YouTube-Is-Too-Liberal), proclaims that his Christian faith obligates him to say something nice about each of the Democratic candidates. In "Merry Christmas to the Opposition," he praises Hillary Clinton for being "a great Mom" and commends John Edwards for inspiring people "to just keep their heads down and stay on their respective tasks in life."
Heartwarming, no? And incredibly patronizing. Despite going on for paragraphs about how
conversations with liberals inevitably result in "furious personal assaults that usually end with the liberal in question abruptly walking away or refusing to discuss the issue," he makes no effort to show respect for any of the candidates' actual work, ideas, or positions. No, he's not obligated to do this—maybe he doesn't respect those positions. But to accuse all liberals of refusing to engage their conservative counterparts on substantive issues and then refuse to do so oneself, citing the obligations that Christmas confers on us to rise above the fray, is so smug it's almost offensive. Like the Republicans for whom the filibuster is an affront to the civility of Congress only when the Democrats are using it, Mr. Lord needs to tone down the self-satisfaction and raise the level of dialogue to where he thinks it should be.
—Casey Miner
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That's odd. I usually find that when I try to discuss issues with any conservatives it's usually they who end up "abruptly walking away or refusing to discuss the issue", after their "furious personal assaults". Of course, occasionally those "furious personal assaults" go on long enough that it is *I* who walk away.
Gee...smug was not the intention. Nor was it to take on the candidates' ideas...there's plenty of time for that and I've already done it a lot as it is. I must confess that I am amazed that being a great Mom is not considered "actual work." But I take your point. I think all of these people have spent careers doing something they believe in...trial lawyering, health care, feminism, community work etc. Good for them. I really thought I communicated that with my reference to Hillary's 35 years of work on the issues. I was trying to get away from issues and focus on personal qualities. But certainly I realize just because I may not agree with issue X doesn't mean those who devote themselves to issue X aren't true believers who work admirably for their beliefs. To the contrary. Consider yourselves saluted.
Let's all agree then that its good to discuss issues...angrily stalking off in the middle of said discussion is not meritorius. So consider this brief comment a nod to your suggestion that I should tone down the self-satisfaction and bring the level of dialogue to the level I think it should be. I can't stand the self-satisfied. That is, of course, one reason I'm a conservative! Zing. :) Merry Christmas, Casey! And to all at Mother Jones!
Best,
Jeff Lord