It has been brought to my attention that there is an “inconsistency” in how I treat various political actors. How can anyone who describes themself as an Obama-Pelosi Democrat, have anything good to say about Ronald Reagan or Lindsey Graham?
Easy. Nobody’s perfectly good or bad. Sometimes people on the “other side” come up big at opportune moments.
You want consistency, watch Rachel Maddow. She’s perfectly aligned with Comcast ownership and her core audience…liberal, urban, Jewish, pro Israel. Plus, Rachel has a penchant for cheap shots against those already down with no realistic opportunity to defend themselves.
I like people that come up big when it’s difficult to do so. Which has caused me to speak well of people like:
Nancy Pelosi and Tucker Carlson
Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan
Bernie Sanders and Lindsey Graham
Tulsi Gabbard and Steve Bannon
Chris Wallace of FOX and Ayman Mohyeldin of MSNBC.
So, what’s the answer? What’s the code that causes approval and disapproval at WW?
Three things: GUTS; INTELLIGENCE; TRIBE.
GUTS. What takes guts in America today? The willingness to separate from the pack, and oppose the “conventional wisdom” when doing so involves taking personal risk. Like, for instance, incurring the wrath of ownership, for media personalities, or voters for office holders.
INTELLIGENCE. To be an effective actor in the public arena one must be capable of articulating a position coherently and persuasively. I tend to come down left of center, but I have no problem identifying Ronald Reagan as a vastly superior political actor than Joe Biden. But, what really endeared me to Reagan was his willingness to confront Israel early in his first term on selling AWACS planes to the Saudis and demanding that Israel cease its massacre operation in Beirut in 1982. See, Autobiography Ronald Reagan, Pages 416-419. So, for Reagan, my affinity is based on Guts and Intelligence.
TRIBE. I’m Irish Catholic and my tribe is under attack. So, when push comes to shove I will stand up for members of my Tribe. The media’s record of going over the top vile and unfair against Brett Kavanaugh and Steve Bannon (way beyond what they would have done against the late Sheldon Adelson, Jared Kushner or Stephen Miller) caused me to defend them.
So, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Comments are welcome at tomc[at]wednesdayswars[dot]com. Comments will be addressed in subsequent posts.