Shifting the Debate over Conservative Bigotry

[ProgressiveAmPatriot]

Shifting the Debate over Conservative Bigotry and the Civil War in Iraq
by a progressive American patriot at the http://progressiveamericanpatriot.blogspot.com/">Progressive American Patriot blog

Unable to restrain themselves from making sexist, racist, homophobic, or just generally offensive remarks, conservatives seek to cover for their incompetence and bigotry by shifting the debate away from their own actions with diversionary talking points. After Ann Coulter called Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards a faggot, Fox News decided that the story was really about John Edwards using the remarks to raise money for his campaign. Don Imus, in an attempt to worm his way out of the controversy over what can only be described as sexist and racist remarks, made the story a referendum over hip hop lyrics and free speech. Today’s edition of the Des Moines Register reports that in response to a question about his remarks on bombing Iran, Republican presidential candidate John McCain said that “he will continue to use humor on the campaign trail.” Rather than look for the meaning and significance behind these remarks, the media has reported on his “quirky sense of humor” and the amazing technology of Youtube which spread the video. As conservatives, with the help of the media, spin these stories, Democrats need to make sure that the real story, the story of bigots and warmongers, is told.

Conservatives would like us to focus on Ann Coulter’s remarks and ignore the rest of them. Ann Coulter dismissed the uproar, saying that it was just a joke. If the issue is framed as whether Ann Coulter told a joke or an offensive remark, and we join the debate on these terms, we are missing the point. It was a joke! You could tell by the way everyone in the room laughed when she said it. The issue is not whether she was joking or whether she made a homophobic remark. The story is not Ann Coulter or her penchant for bigoted remarks. The issue is that the most powerful conservatives in America thought the joke was immensely funny. The story is that the Republican Party is controlled by bigots.

In case you missed it, Don Imus was recently fired for calling the women's basketball team of Rutgers University a bunch of "nappy-headed hos." Don Imus and the conservative media have spun the story as a referendum on hip hop lyrics and free speech. Hip hop lyrics of course being to blame for the remarks and free speech being the right to have your own radio show. Conservatives want us to debate them over their absurd talking points.

Conservative talking points are easy to shred. Clearly, certain hip hop lyrics were offensive before Don Imus decided to make this particular comment and Don Imus was a sexist and a racist long before he listened to a single hip hop song. Therefore it follows that if conservatives were truly concerned about the content of hip hop lyrics before Don Imus’ remarks, they would have held high profile hearings on the issue when they were in power. They did not hold such hearings. It also follows that if Don Imus had truly gotten his racism and sexism from hip hop, he would not have been a sexist or a racist prior to listening to hip hop. Again, we know better. It is easy to shred these talking points. However, when Democrats engage in this debate on conservative terms, they are missing the point.

Article continues at: http://progressiveamericanpatriot.blogspot.com/2007/04/shifting-debate-over-conservative.html

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