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Jewish World Review /March 1, 1999 /12 Adar 5759
David Corn
Post-Mortem Ad Nauseam
(JWR) --- (http://www.jewishworldreview.com) PAUL WEYRICH, THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT LEADER, blew hot air on Monicagate’s
dying embers recently when he threw up a white flag in the culture
war.
In an open letter, Weyrich, who has received millions of dollars in
subsidies from loony right-wing billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife,
declared Clinton’s acquittal an unqualified defeat of the social right:
"I think we are caught up in a cultural collapse of historic
proportions, a collapse so great that it simply overwhelms politics...
If there really were a moral majority out there, Bill Clinton would have
been driven out of office months ago... I no longer believe that there
is a moral majority. I do not believe that a majority of Americans
actually shares our values." He called on social conservatives to
"quarantine" themselves from "this hostile culture" and advocated they
withdraw from mainstream society, yank their kids out of the school
systems and create their own radio networks and "private
courts"—anything to escape what he calls "Cultural Marxism." In other
words, America—hate it and leave it.
Back in the 1960s, conservatives told lefties to take a hike if they
opposed America’s value systems. Now Weyrich is advising his own
conservatives to bug out in survivalist fashion. Maybe Scaife will give
him millions more so he can create his own quarantine camps.
Over at The Weekly Standard the reactions were slightly less hysterical.
The Rupert Murdoch-owned magazine published a forum of after-acquittal
analyses. First up—oddly or, perhaps, appropriately—was ex-Reagan State
Dept. official Elliott Abrams, who now heads an outfit dubbed the Ethics
and Public Policy Center. During the Iran-Contra days he pleaded guilty
to withholding information from Congress, yet now, as an advocate of
ethics, he moaned that, thanks to Clinton, "The value of an oath has
been undermined. The notion that public service requires men and women
of good character now seems quaint." One almost has to admire the
Standard’s cheekiness in allowing Abrams to preach about integrity in
government.
Other Standard responses were heartening to anyone who wishes to see
Republicans and conservatives further alienate the public. University of
Virginia Prof. James Ceasar called on the GOP to make "defending the
legitimacy" of the Clinton impeachment "a cardinal objective for
Republicans." He noted that Republicans "have discovered that they are
far less a party of populism, and far more a party of
constitutionalism." Yes, that does sound like the solid basis for a
successful electoral strategy. You go, Ceasar.
Contributing editor and Princeton Prof. John DiIulio decried Clinton’s
non-removal as a sign of the "creeping paganization of American politics
and culture."
(Another one, he suggested, is religious acceptance of
"any form of consensual sex between adults." Did he mean homosexuality?)
I can’t wait to hear House Speaker Dennis Hastert wail against the
"neo-pagans," a platform, no doubt, that’ll stir millions to sign up
with the Republicans. Contributing editor David Gelernter blamed the
press. Well, somebody had to. "House Republicans have never explained
themselves directly to the people," he maintained. Guess he missed the
hundreds of interviews the House managers eagerly provided, in which
they too accurately displayed themselves and their arguments in public.
By the way, the House Republicans also controlled a set of impeachment
hearings that managed to attract attention and provided them a platform
to make their case. Still, Gelernter wrote, "I wish they would do it
just one more time." One more presentation and that would do the trick
and win over America? He’s obviously in the final degenerative stage of
Wishful Republican Syndrome.
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Dennis Prager, a radio gabber in Los Angeles, observed in the same issue
that this national trauma showed that there "is a culture war, but it is
not symmetrical. Most conservatives despise two people: the Clintons.
Most liberals despise millions of people: conservatives, especially
religious ones. In general, conservatives deem liberals wrong; liberals
deem conservatives evil." Do they bother to factcheck at the Standard?
If so, let’s see the data underlying this assertion. Before repeating
this drivel, Prager should consult Weyrich, who seems both to despise
and to deem evil most Americans, particularly the liberals.
Cornell
Prof. Jeremy Rabkin noted that the Republicans failed because they
pressed ahead with Monica-related impeachment articles and left behind
charges that Clinton had wheedled campaign contributions from Chinese
communists and had run "blackmail and spying operations on opponents."
One problem: Those supposedly neglected charges were never proven.
(Thank Rep. Dan Burton and Sen. Fred Thompson, in part, for that.) And
Cornell allows Rabkin to teach constitutional law?
One wonders if Weyrich and his cult-like followers, once they construct
in Truman Show-fashion their own pure, alternate-reality world, will be
reading the Standard in their underground culture shelters. They ought
to, so they can keep in touch with the unrealities of the conservatives
who stay
It was stunning to see so many conservatives intellectually shipwrecked
on the shoals of Monica. Cranky Standard contributing editor Charles
Krauthammer noted a greater threat than Bill Clinton looms: Hillary. As
part of the continuing culture war, he prophesied, she will "undoubtedly
achieve elective office" and "the other side will now have a more
ideologically committed, more disciplined, and...more sympathetic
champion than Bill Clinton ever was." Perhaps it is time to head to the
hills with Weyrich.
JWR contributor David Corn is the "Loyal Opposition" columnist at New York Press. Send your comments to him by clicking here.
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