Talking Heads - A Rant for Sunday

Slowly waking up this morning, listening to the talking heads on TV. And I'm brought back to a single question.

Have conservatives lost their collective minds?

If I hear one more conservative talk about how they're an "ideologue" but aren't "partisan" because they also criticize Republicans, I'm going to vomit on their shoes. Really, you claim non-partisan because you've criticized what you consider RINOs (even if you don't use that word) for not being "true to the faith" (there have been plenty of these over on Scalzi's Whatever, but specifically here I'm looking at you Tucker Carlson). If you think the rest of us are idiots you're to use to the people who are normally your audience. The rest of us remember history (long past and recent past).

And then to have the audacity to talk about those on the other side and how they're all in lock step. Really? How many votes have you seen in Congress where all the Democrats vote together, say, like the Republicans. Yes, look, there's a little guy standing behind that curtain trying to fake us all out with fireworks and a sound system. Oh, and if you think Jon Stewart is just Obama's mouth piece, and that NPR won't ever criticize the new administration, you really ought to start watching and listening. Jon has made fun of Obama already, many times. And listen to "Wait, Wait, Dont' Tell Me" on NPR. Through December and January they had a portion of their game called, "We Await Our New Benevolent Overlords" which had the theme music of "The Empire Strikes Back." Hilarious.

I think in this case what your confusing is that there is so much more to make fun of the Right than there is on the Left. Jon Stewart is a jester. He's taken the classic role of the one person that can criticize the King and keep his neck. And everybody is in his sites. He made fun of Bill Clinton, that's actually when he started. Newt Gingrich just gave him easier (and richer) material. When you watch his show, the parts you nod your head to and think, "he's just telling the truth here" when he's talking about those on the Left is the same way those of us on the Left think of his show when he talks about those on the Right. And he does both.

And Dick Cheney says the Bush Administration has accomplished almost everything they set out to do in Iraq? Um, Dick, where's the WMDs. Remember your initial rationalization for going to war? So, Mr. Former VP, either admit you lied to the country to go to war (and yes, you lied, I want you to admit to it), or admit that it was a distraction from the real war against Al Qaeda. You're policies failed. The attack on the embassy in Yemen gives the lie to your statement about how we having been attacked because of your policies. The rise of AQI gives the lie to your statement of how you we're defeating them. The rise of high seas piracy (yes, it had never actually gone away, see Indonesia, but under your watch it grew, substantially) during your term give the lie to "the world is a safer place."

Finally, if I have to hear one more story on Michelle Obama's arms I'm going to throw something. Back in the 90s when I went to work in Dallas, a coworker of mine also went there. She wore a pant suit to the office one day. People who worked there travelled from two floors away to see a woman in the office wearing pants. No, I'm not making this up. This coworker was, IMHO, very attractive, but it was the fact she was wearing pants that was so strange she became the unique object threatening their reality. Listening to all this about Mrs. Obama's bare arms reminds me of this. Women have been wearing sleeveless dresses in the rest of the US for over a decade. Get over it.

And while we're talking about it, why are most female news anchors now wearing just blouses when their male co-anchors are still wearing suits? And on some networks (here I'm thinking of Fox) the blouses aren't (IMHO) very "professional" but are more "girly". If they guys also were in shirt sleeves the difference wouldn't be so jarring. Considering how controlled appearances are on TV, I'm guessing this is a management decision. And one I find disturbing.