Media Criticism

It is time to look at John McCain as the Republican nominee, no offense to Mike Huckabee and his valiant efforts on Super Tuesday. McCain was able to beat Mitt Romney and Huckabee in a diverse range of states from California to New Hampshire with the help of Republican voters. The fact that some independents voted for him is overblown considering the largesse of independents voting on the Democratic side of the ballot. Mitt Romney’s victories in places like Montana and Alaska along with Huckabee’s victories in Dixie don’t give the Republicans anything they don’t already have.

It is time for conservative pundits and commentators to realize that they have no value in helping the Republican Party. I will extend this beyond talking heads of the right to people on television who are dogmatic in their political beliefs. Ann Coulter saying that she would stump for Clinton instead of voting for McCain and Rush Limbaugh bloviating on about the destruction of the Republican Party show the ridiculous vacuum these “analysts” live within.

Imagine Ann Coulter running for Senate in whatever state she was spawned. It is difficult, isn’t it? Coulter emerging from the conservative coterie to debate a living, breathing Democrat who is experienced in dealing logically with alternative view points is unlikely in this lifetime. I cannot imagine Ann Coulter trying to glad-hand people for donations. I won’t even get into Rush Limbaugh’s limited potential as a candidate given his inability to stay on ESPN after comments about Donovan McNabb. These well-fed commentators know nothing of the challenges of the real world. They only know challenges to their narrow and previously untouched viewpoints that are as ridiculous as the platform of Lyndon Larouche.

The purpose of parties (and their advocates) is to represent a viewpoint unrepresented in the current political dialogue. The purpose of political leaders is to bring together multiple parties when possible to fix problems in an ad hoc manner. The reality is that political leaders ride parties until the realities of national politics make kowtowing unnecessary. Americans say they are sick of the two-party system but they are really sick of dogmatic party leaders. I think that the nominee for the Democrats and John McCain need to demonstrate that they are political leaders and not party leaders to amass any semblance of a mandate after January 2009.

Sometimes, if I’m having a really good day and need something to piss me off, I head over to Ann Coulter’s website. It’s impossible to be happy after reading that drivel. Of course, to cheer me up even more, I then head over to Michael Moore’s website, after which I promptly place my head in the oven.

I picked these two personalities for a reason: they represent two ends of the media darling political pundit spectrum. Both of them could use a trip to (and maybe even an extended stay on) the funny farm, but yet they continue to be popular. Ann Coulter is probably working on another book (with a title something along the lines of “All Liberals Burn In Hell and Other Stories for Small Children”), while Michael Moore is busy advocating anything, as long as it goes contrary to the ideology of the Bush administration.

Unfortunately, the whole “free speech” thing in the Constitution protects stupidity, so we can’t throw either of these brilliant political analysts in jail. But we have to do something, right? Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to handle political pundits:

1) Laugh. It’s no secret they’re pandering to a specific group of people, and they’ll say anything that will get them publicity. There is no bad press for one of these people. It’s pathetic to watch them battle for attention, and there’s nothing wrong with taking pleasure in their pain.

2) Research. Do back research on their sources and figure out what is true and what is not. Or, you can just assume that everything they say is wrong. Then you won’t be so angry.

3) Remind yourself that these people are entertainers, not educated political analysts. They are selling books, magazines, and movies. They are not to be taken any more seriously than Tom Cruise or Robin Williams. Understand, also, that they’re marketing to the people who agree with them. If you realize they’re not trying to change your mind, you’ll feel a lot better.

These tips have kept me from having a stroke; I hope they do the same for you.

Ann Coulter, Michael Moore, Pundits