Cuz The Lamest Parts of Radicalism vs. the Funnest Parts of Redneckism was a bad idea ANywayz
Watching McCain at the RNC last night got me optimistic. Despite efforts by Ds and Rs these last couple weeks, I think the 60s culture war is finally on its way out. The ‘bases’ will prove to be the fringes they always should’ve been (and probably were).
It’s partially that McCain and Obama just aren’t that into it (though they’ve been trying). It’s also that the culture war is so old and its battle lines have been redrawn so many times that its impossible to keep track. Look at Palin’s daughter. When I heard the news I remember thinking ‘wait - how am I supposed to respond to this?’ and you could see the pundits do the same thing - like OH we’re for teen pregnancy now.
But it’s more that there’s nothing left to culture war over. This morning I read Pat Buchanan’s 1992 RNC speech because a few papers compared Palin/Giuliani/Romney to that. And yeah, sorta - but what’s more striking is how so many things from that blueprint seem amazingly old-timey:
In New York, Mr Gore made a startling declaration. Henceforth, he said, the “central organizing principle” of all governments must be: the environment.Wrong, Albert!
The central organizing principle of this republic is freedom. And from the ancient forests of Oregon, to the Inland Empire of California, America’s great middle class has got to start standing up to the environmental extremists who put insects, rats and birds ahead of families, workers and jobs.
[…] Hillary believes that 12-year-olds should have a right to sue their parents, and she has compared marriage as an institution to slavery–and life on an Indian reservation.
Well, speak for yourself, Hillary.
Friends, this is radical feminism. The agenda Clinton & Clinton would impose on America–abortion on demand, a litmus test for the Supreme Court, homosexual rights, discrimination against religious schools, women in combat--that’s change, all right. But it is not the kind of change America wants.
Of all these issues (whoa, women in combat!) only ONE made it in any serious way to this years RNC. And I don’t think McCain or Obama are ready to fight just about abortion for 60 days. And yeah yeah, there’s been some ‘liberal media’ talk, but that’s a strategy for fighting, not an issue itself.
I woke up this morning saying things like “Maybe the Good vs. Evil debate can finally be replaced a Right vs. Wrong debate!” and now I realize that’s silly. But I do think this election won’t be about who was cooler 40 years ago.
L