Who's a Faggot?
By now, everyone is well acquainted with this past weekend's Ann Coulter moment at CPAC. After the fallout and the distancing by some Republicans, there are at least two important takeaway points to be made. [I should make it clear that I do believe it is a positive development that companies are pulling their ads from Coulter's website and that many conservatives are distancing themselves from her remarks.]
First, the notion that Coulter's comments were somehow surprising of shocking is more than disingenuous. Coulter has a long history of making racist and homophobic taunts as well as violent statements. She wished for the blowing up of the NYT building; wished for the bombing of the Supreme Court; spoke of her chance to shoot Bill Clinton; etc. In other words, it should hardly come as a shock to anyone with a functioning brain that Ann Coulter would say something offensive. In fact, that is what makes her so popular on the conservative circuit. And it is why CPAC and other right wing confabs bring her back again and again.
And that brings us to my second point, which is the popularity of Coulter's brand of racism, homophobia and nativism within the conservative movement. Her faggot comment was met with approval, just as her "raghead" comments were cheered last year. This sort of "thinking" is what drives much of today's conservatives. It is outright hatred and xenophobia. And people like Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin are stars of this world, in large part because they are attractive females who legitamize the hatreds of their largely male followers.
It should come as no surprise that the rightwing has sought out, and promoted, women and minorities whose views would be less acceptable with a white male face. Malkin, herself likely an anchor baby, has spewed forth some of the most nativist rhetoric this side of the John Birch Society (she even wrote a book defending the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII). Dinesh D'Souza, an Indian-American, has given voice to many of the Religious Right's most outlandish views, such as America had it coming on 9-11 because of its tolerance of homosexuals and reproductive choice. There are numerous other examples, but the point has been made.
Coultergate has displayed to all Americans what many of us already knew. That the modern day conservative movement is nothing more than old fashioned racism, sexism and homophobia cloaked in new threads. The reality is that the far right, fueled by anger, intolerance and hatred, has unalterably corrupted our politics and our democracy. Maybe now more Americans will wake up to this reality.
First, the notion that Coulter's comments were somehow surprising of shocking is more than disingenuous. Coulter has a long history of making racist and homophobic taunts as well as violent statements. She wished for the blowing up of the NYT building; wished for the bombing of the Supreme Court; spoke of her chance to shoot Bill Clinton; etc. In other words, it should hardly come as a shock to anyone with a functioning brain that Ann Coulter would say something offensive. In fact, that is what makes her so popular on the conservative circuit. And it is why CPAC and other right wing confabs bring her back again and again.
And that brings us to my second point, which is the popularity of Coulter's brand of racism, homophobia and nativism within the conservative movement. Her faggot comment was met with approval, just as her "raghead" comments were cheered last year. This sort of "thinking" is what drives much of today's conservatives. It is outright hatred and xenophobia. And people like Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin are stars of this world, in large part because they are attractive females who legitamize the hatreds of their largely male followers.
It should come as no surprise that the rightwing has sought out, and promoted, women and minorities whose views would be less acceptable with a white male face. Malkin, herself likely an anchor baby, has spewed forth some of the most nativist rhetoric this side of the John Birch Society (she even wrote a book defending the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII). Dinesh D'Souza, an Indian-American, has given voice to many of the Religious Right's most outlandish views, such as America had it coming on 9-11 because of its tolerance of homosexuals and reproductive choice. There are numerous other examples, but the point has been made.
Coultergate has displayed to all Americans what many of us already knew. That the modern day conservative movement is nothing more than old fashioned racism, sexism and homophobia cloaked in new threads. The reality is that the far right, fueled by anger, intolerance and hatred, has unalterably corrupted our politics and our democracy. Maybe now more Americans will wake up to this reality.
posted by Anonymous at 3:25 PM
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