Schadenfreude (Pt. II)

As an addendum to my post on Thursday, I present this video-



Ignore the Coulter endorsement of Clinton (telling, but not my primary focus). Instead, focus on Hannity's concerns about McCain. What angers the man who once compared liberalism to terrorism and despotism in a book title? It's the idea that McCain once opposed the tax cuts-- aka trickle-down economics, take 2-- ignoring a) he flip-flopped and now supports them, and b) the Bush economic policies have the economy on the cliff of recession. And that McCain doesn't think that destroying an animal refuge to drill holes in hopes of finding a few more drops of oil is the key to solving our massive energy problems. And the idea that McCain has an immigration proposal slightly to the right of the one Reagan enacted, and that he doesn't think it's right or feasible to find, and deport, 12 million undocumented people living here with the limited government resources that conservatives advocate for. And that he rhetorically attacked our sacred fortress at Guantanamo Bay. And that he insulted Rumsfeld, military genius. And the idea that him having acknowledged disparity once or twice during the campaign constitutes 'class warfare'. Etc.

In many ways, the right's attacks on McCain are a lot more revealing about its current character than are their attacks on Clinton or Obama. These people are authoritarians; conservatism itself doesn't matter to them... they want a leader to give them orders and never show signs of doubt or regret (one thing they loved about Bush). By textbook conservative definitions, McCain should be their guy, but instead they go for former liberal Romney because he is willing to lie to them and be whoever they want him to be.

(Judging by McCain's success thus far, most voters are far more rational, of course)

The far-right started jumping the shark with Terri Schiavo, and it's been downhill since. And I have enjoyed every second of it. Their insanity gave us Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid in '06; it will likely give us President Obama or Clinton this year. So to Rush and Sean and all the rest, I say thank you. We honestly couldn't have done this without you.