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Some Conservative Leaders Catering to the Lowest Common Denominator
"This President has exposed himself as a guy, over and over again, who has a deep hatred for white people or the white culture,” wildly popular Fox News host Glenn Beck said of President Obama on Fox News Channel’s morning show Fox & Friends last week. Not content to stop there, Beck went on to label Obama the R-word: A racist.
“(President) Obama is the greatest living example of a reverse racist,” said radio talk show king Rush Limbaugh in May after President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.
Remember when it was a conservative criticism of liberals that they were too quick to label someone a racist?
Well, I do.
This criticism was on point. Many a fine person was labeled racist or sexist or whatever when there was scant evidence to back those claims up. Now, evidently, it is some conservatives who have decided to wildly wield the racist sword. Beck and Limbaugh are no small figures in Republican politics. Their shows are among the most popular on radio, and Beck’s television show brings in millions nightly. So when they speak, people are listening.
Is this how conservatives are going to present themselves in the opposition?
For all Obama’s faults, it is obvious that racism is not one of them. It is neither a politically astute strategy nor an honorable strategy to run around screaming people are racists when they obviously aren’t.
Last week in my North Star column, I admonished conservative leaders for not denouncing, and in some cases promoting, insane conspiracy theories about Barack Obama’s origins. Some blasted me in forums because I ignored the fact that the left also promulgates inane conspiracy theories. My response is this: “OK. And?”
Just because the left allows ridiculous and radical conspiracy theories to fester on their side does not mean that conservatives should do the same on our side. We’re better than that. We have a responsibility to clean up our own house.
Unfortunately, too many of our supposed conservative leaders continue to fail us by catering to the lowest common denominator.
[This post was adapted from my North Star column Obama a Racist? This is the Conservative Strategy?]
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