Barack Obama: Embattled Moderate?
Who’d have thunk it? President Obama, for all his reformist zeal and lefty street cred, seems to be suffering from the Moderate’s Curse: he can’t please anybody.
He’s catching flak from the right, naturally. We expected that much. As he prepared to address the nation’s schoolchildren, exhorting them to study hard and propel themselves through the gnarly thicket of academia, conservative parents everywhere dissolved in quivering mounds of gelatinous white terror.
I’ve never seen such utter hysteria over a sitting president, unless you count the left’s hysteria over George W. Bush. But the left’s hysteria was mingled with sniggering contempt for an out-of-control, semi-literate frat boy who lucked his way into the White House. What we’re witnessing in response to Obama is pure, unadulterated, pants-wetting fear — aided, of course, by the alarmist diatribes of right-wing pundits like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, who benefit from generating precisely this sort of hysteria among the faithful. Their audience catches the message all too readily, and runs with it: “That radical African NEGRO… he’s going to corrupt our fair-haired babies and turn them into state-worshiping socialists!!! We’re losing our country to foreigners!! HELP!!!”
Even more moderate and liberal spokespeople are questioning Obama’s right to lecture our kids on the cultivation of scholarly habits. They claim that the government has no place in the classroom, and that our president has no business dispensing moral uplift over a TV screen.
I disagree. I suppose I’ll always be a child of the 1950s: I miss the noble and kindly public virtues that shaped my first decade on this perplexing planet. Why SHOULDN’T our president be a role model for young people? Teddy Roosevelt was hailed as a hero by the American youth of his day, and nobody castigated him for his superstar status.
I know we’ve had precious few inspiring presidents during my lifetime, but I can’t fault Obama for trying. God knows our young people could use a little inspiration. Would those hysterical parents rather have their offspring listening to the rapper du jour?
So much for the right and its discontents. What puzzles me is the surging animosity of the left toward their Chosen One.
On second thought, maybe I shouldn’t be so puzzled. The left is a mindboggling patchwork of special interests: pro-choicers, blacks, Hispanics, gays, milquetoast liberals, hard-line socialists, Hollywood stars, environmentalists, preppie progressives and hardscrabble working stiffs. How can anyone — even someone as smart and personable as Obama — possibly satisfy them all? Whenever he veers toward the center, the left feels betrayed. Let him waffle on holy causes like nationalized healthcare or gay marriage, and he immediately hears about it. (“He’s our Negro… why isn’t he tap-dancing for us?”)
I feel Obama’s pain. The right lives in fear of his otherness; the left smacks him upside the head for not sticking to the official playbook. We embattled moderates need to give the president a hearty welcome to our ranks. He might not realize it, but he’s one of us now.
It’s Vacation Time!
Even moderates need to take an occasional break from the ongoing madness of American politics. So I hope you don’t mind if I slip away for a week of fun (what a concept!), visiting, and a lot of driving.
If my absence is going to leave a gaping void in your life, here’s a recommendation. Now’s the ideal time to catch up on all those three-way “Issues” debates in the column at right. See you after Labor Day!
Stay centered,
Rick Bayan
Why Moderates Matter
Every so often, especially during those dismal days when the traffic on The New Moderate dips into the low double digits, I begin to wonder why I’ve taken on this peculiar challenge. I’m not making a living from it. I probably won’t be called upon to speak before the assembled graduates of reputable universities or even pass the time as a televised talking head. So why do I do it?
Here’s why. The American left and right, bless ’em, seem to have gone certifiably mad. Their collected ravings, especially since Obama took the throne, would scare the breeches off our Founding Fathers. The right is terrified, paranoid, armed and dangerous. The left, already smug and obnoxious in victory, has been busy denouncing contrarian views as “hate speech.” They seem to feel a righteous, overwhelming need to cleanse the nation of incorrect opinions.
It alarms me that the political dialogue in our republic is currently being manufactured not merely by extremists but by maniacs. Two crazy opinions in opposition don’t necessarily cancel each other out; in fact, they seem to be intensifying the craziness on the other side.
Somebody needs to speak up when the crazies step over the line — not to silence them, but to overwhelm them with common sense. Somebody needs to hold them accountable and help balance the boat.
Who are those intrepid souls? Who would risk the ire and ridicule of both opposing camps? The MODERATES, of course.
America needs us. I hope you plan to stay and help us fight a valiant fight.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, R.I.P.
Did I just say it’s been a slow news week? Scratch that. The “Liberal Lion” of the Senate will roar no more.
Whatever you thought of Ted Kennedy — from his tumultuous personal life to his vocal and predictably liberal leadership in the Senate for the past forty-odd years — you have to admit he was a force to be reckoned with. Even a force of nature.
His life made for fascinating and inspiring public theater, especially for those of us old enough to remember his bumbling beginnings. It was a privilege to watch Kennedy grow and evolve in stature from the callow, accident-prone heir-apparent whose presidential hopes drowned at Chappaquiddick… to a seasoned, impassioned, supremely effective and courageous old warrior.
Kennedy was a partisan Democrat to the end, of course — but he was an honorable and open-minded partisan. In fact, when his Republican peers were asked to name the most cooperative Democrat in the Senate, their top pick was Kennedy.
Who among us — friends, opponents or curious onlookers — can ever forget his surprise appearance at the 2008 Democratic Convention? Already battling the brain tumor that eventually killed him, he took the podium and poured every last ounce of his strength and passion into that speech. It was an act of breathtaking guts and devotion to duty.
I didn’t always agree with Kennedy, of course, but I admired his hearty eloquence, his conviction, his good-humored lust for combat, and his almost matchless record of service. He was the last of his generation of idolized and star-crossed Kennedy men. He won’t be forgotten.
I only wish he had lived to see Congress pass SOME form of healthcare reform. When it does pass (assuming the day ever arrives), I hope and trust that the program will be named for him. The old lion deserves that much.
Stuff Liberals and Conservatives Like, Vol. 2
Sorry, I’m having too much fun with this list to give it up just yet. Besides, it’s a slow news week; everyone must be on vacation except me. We’ll return to full-bodied prose with my next post.
Liberals Like: Conservatives Like:
Bird: dove bald eagle
Cheese: brie Velveeta
Patriotic Song: “If I Had a Hammer” “Over There”
Movie Genre: indie documentaries World War II epics
Exemplary English Person: John Lennon Margaret Thatcher
Examplary Catholic: Bobby Kennedy the Virgin Mary
Exemplary Gay Person: David Sedaris Alexander the Great
Exemplary Dictator: Castro Mussolini
Classic Talk Show: Dick Cavett Johnny Carson
Classic Sitcom: “All in the Family” “All in the Family”
Sex Position: oral missionary
Artist: Andy Warhol Norman Rockwell
Minor Holiday: Martin Luther King Day Veteran’s Day
Jazz Singer: Billie Holiday Al Jolson
Roosevelt: Franklin Theodore
Confederate Hero N/A Stonewall Jackson
Founding Father: Abigail Adams George Washington
Architectural Style: modern McMansion
Designer: Versace L. L. Bean
Composer: Leonard Bernstein Richard Wagner
Classic Author N/A N/A
American Villain: Nixon Obama*
*Status as an American has not been sufficiently proven.
I thought it might be instructive and amusing to compare the tastes of “blue” and “red” Americans. (Shall the twain ever meet?) See what you think.
With apologies to Christian Lander, author/webmaster of Stuff White People Like.
Liberals Like: Conservatives Like:
President: Kennedy Reagan
Music Genre: Folk Country & Western
City: San Francisco Las Vegas
State: Vermont Texas
Foreign Country: France N/A
Car: Volvo any American SUV
Pundit: Keith Olbermann Rush Limbaugh
Comedian: Jon Stewart Glenn Beck
Food: arugula salad corn dogs
Beverage: California varietal wines Budweiser
Movie: Reds Patton
Movie Star: Jane Fonda John Wayne
Filmmaker: Michael Moore Mel Gibson
Historical Figure: Martin Luther King, Jr. Jesus
Book: The God Delusion The Bible
Exemplary Woman: Hillary Clinton Sarah Palin
Exemplary Jew: Jon Stewart Jesus
Exemplary Black: Jimi Hendrix Uncle Tom
1969 Highlight: Woodstock moon landing
Code Word: diversity patriotism
Sex Symbol (male): Jon Stewart Arnold Schwarzenegger
Sex Symbol (female): Susan Sontag Sarah Palin
Hobby: recycling hunting
Fitness Activity: yoga hunting
Nonprofit: NPR NRA
College: Berkeley Notre Dame
Sporting Event: Wimbledon Super Bowl
Family Destination: Cirque du Soleil Disney World
Newspaper: The New York Times The Wall Street Journal
Magazine: The Nation National Review
Website: HuffingtonPost The Drudge Report
TV News Source: Jon Stewart Fox News
Quote: “I have a dream” “My country right or wrong”
Vice: profanity adultery
Heresy: Lincoln was gay Obama was born in Kenya
Bête Noire: white fundamentalists gay tree-hugging atheists
Euphemism: affirmative action family values
Delusion: “Everybody else is stupid” “Everybody else is going to hell”
Well, they almost agreed on that last issue. Maybe there’s still hope.
The Glenn Beck Update: O Glenn, Where Art Thou?
Pundit-provocateur Glenn Beck has suddenly been catapulted into the skydeck of American fame, thanks to the earnest efforts of left-wing activists to deprive him of his sponsors. But the man himself is nowhere to be found.
I tuned in to his morning radio show hoping for a juicy, over-the-top Beckian response to all the recent hubbub. Where was he? Why was I hearing the bland generic voice of a substitute host?
Beck is on “vacation,” we’re told. The blog TVNewser believes that Beck’s bosses gave him the week off to let the heat die down. Another account, fresh from one of Beck’s assistants, insists that the vacation was announced internally a month ago and just happens to be, y0u know, a weeklong, garden-variety summer vacation. Nothing unusual about a summer vacation in mid-August, is there? Even after half the American Left stomped on his fuzzy head, and his capitalist sponsors nervously deserted him like rats from a tilting ship.
The sponsor abandonment count is now up to twenty, including the latest defectors: Best Buy, Travelocity, CVS, GMAC and Walmart (yep, they’re a single word now, having done away with the twinkly star that came between the Wal and the Mart). ColorOfChange.org, the black activist group that initiated the de-sponsoring of Beck, seems to be proud of its exploits, pointing to coverage in The New York Times (We’ve made it!) and displaying the names of the former sponsors like trophy heads.
The debate continues to rage over at HuffingtonPost, and I’ve done my best to tip the arguments toward the center. In response to an article that characterized Beck’s anti-Obama rant as “hate speech” (to distinguish it from “acceptable” forms of dissent), I retorted:
Ever heard of the free markeplace of ideas, folks? A fundamental tenet of classical liberalism, it places faith in the wisdom of the people to reject ideas worthy of rejection. (Granted, it might overestimate public wisdom, but it’s still a noble and valid priniciple.)
Throughout the current Beck brouhaha, the left has attempted to assume control over the process. This is precisely what has been driving the right to paranoia: the notion that American leftists in power, like the Bolsheviks of yore, would ultimately censor all opposing viewpoints. Political correctness was the fairly innocuous first step; now we have left-wingers referring to opinions they don’t like as actionable “hate speech.”
But what IS hate speech? Does all criticism of “protected” minorities fall under that banner? Is it still OK to heap insults on unprotected groups, like white people, men, and Christians? You simply can’t control public opinion without letting your own prejudices upset the natural balance of ideas.
I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind over at HuffingtonPost. But if I can make one or two citizens of the left think about their prejudices for a few extra seconds, I’ll be satisfied that I’m doing my duty as a moderate activist. (What a concept.) Now I’ll have to go work my persuasive powers on some of those frenzied right-wingers while Glenn Beck is away.
Extremist Folly of the Week #3: Nothing!
It seemed like a good idea at the time: to expose the stench emanating from both wings of that great flightless turkey known as American politics. Weekly revelations of extremist follies! What fun for us diehard moderates!
Well, I’ve reconsidered.
America has already overheated itself to the point of mayhem during this summer of our discontent. Hysterical town-hall conservatives and triumphalist lefties are postively boiling with mutual hatred and threatening to bring each other down. I don’t want to contribute to our civil discord in so obvious and polarizing a manner. When we’re this close to cultural civil war, we don’t need any more “ratcheting up” of rhetoric, to use Obama’s felicitous phrase.
Instead, I’ll go about my usual business here: posting on current issues that drive me past my “Speak up NOW!” threshold. The worst thing a moderate can do in these (or any) times is to keep silent. Believe me, I’ll speak up!
Ganging Up on Glenn Beck
It doesn’t surprise me that the educated gentlefolk of the left hate Glenn Beck. Since Obama won the presidency back in November, this baby-faced, quasi-bipolar, ready-to-weep TV and radio personality has morphed into something even stranger than he used to be.
I’d listen to Glenn Beck’s radio show a few times a week during my morning drives. He was a master of his craft… still is. Able to swoop effortlessly from outlandish comedy to mesmerizing melodramatics, he could make you hang on every word as if you were listening to the Gettysburg Address delivered by its author. He could say more with five seconds of silence than most radio personalities do in half an hour of gabbing.
Then came the strange and unsettling metamorphosis. Something about Obama’s election darkened his soul. (Either that or his bosses told him to crank up the partisan rhetoric.) Beck had never been especially partisan before. He was more of a libertarian maverick, sympathetic to the right but not bound by Republican articles of faith (like preemptive war and love of investment bankers).
Now he began to rant regularly about socialism, Obama, leftist tyranny, the evils of nationalized healthcare, and the inevitable silencing of dissident right-wing voices. He painted a bleak picture of an America stripped of liberty and justice by the demons of the left. He essentially slipped into the role of right-wing populist demagogue, urging his angry followers to rise up against ObamaNation through tea parties and noisy town-hall meetings.
When Obama initially sided with Henry Louis Gates after the Harvard scholar’s arrest for disorderly conduct, Beck turned livid. In an interview on national TV, he called the president a “racist” with a “deep-seated hatred for white people.”
That was too much for some folks. James Rucker, a HuffingtonPost blogger and executive director of ColorOfChange.org, a black activist group, has launched an attempt to drive Beck off the air by undercutting his sponsorship. In a letter to 600,000 COC members, he wrote:
Together we can stop Glenn Beck. Starting today we’re calling Beck’s advertisers, asking them if they want to be associated with this kind of racist hate and fear-mongering. When they see tens of thousands of people signing on behind that question, we believe they’ll move their advertising dollars elsewhere, damaging the viability of his show and possibly putting him out of business.
As of yesterday, 75,000 followers had signed the petition and ten sponsors (including big-gun advertisers like GEICO, Procter & Gamble, Radio Shack, ConAgra, Roche and S.C. Johnson) had agreed to pull their ads. Rucker triumphantly announced his victories on HuffingtonPost. Most of the left-leaning audience shouted huzzahs in their comments, though there were a few dissenters. I was one of them. I wrote:
As irresponsible and inflammatory as Glenn Beck can be, he has a right to air his views. Petitioning his sponsors to drop him is tantamount to attempting to silence him. When we start to muzzle people we don’t like, we’re sliding toward precisely the kind of authoritarian state that Beck and his followers are squawking about.
To which a loyal Huffingtonite responded:
Pullling corporate sponsorship is not muzzling anyone. [Beck] has no “right” to air his opinion on the airwaves, anymore than anyone else. Having your own show to voice your opinion is not a constitutionally protected right.
Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…
Those Wall Street Bonus Baby Blues
Let’s all extend our handkerchiefs to the weeping wizards of Wall Street. It seems that Kenneth Feinberg, the Obama administration’s official pay czar (I love that title, don’t you?) has started reviewing the salary and bonus programs at seven Wall Street firms. Not just any Wall Street firms, mind you: these Magnificent Seven own the distinction have having received, since the ignominious Financial Meltdown of 2008, multiple bailouts from the benevolent people of the United States.
The gentlemen who run these firms are wheezing and muttering about the possibility that Mr. Feinberg might downsize the multi-million-dollar bonuses they customarily award their top players. Cue the violin music. (“I weep for you,” said the Walrus to the oysters as he sorted out the largest ones for eating.)
There’s no telling how many beautiful bonuses Feinberg might gobble before he’s through. Rumor has it that he might challenge the guaranteed bonuses that most of these firms have been promising their most indispensable underlings. That’s right — guaranteed bonuses, without regard to actual performance. Not even the Yankees would be that extravagant… would they?
Feinberg is reviewing the pay packages for the top 25 bonus babies at each firm, and he has 60 days to decide whose bonuses get nibbled away — and to what degree. Since the gifts will be coming out of taxpayers’ pockets, even some of the performance-related bonuses might have to be miniaturized. (Oh, the pain!, cried Dr. Smith.)
I have a question. How can a bailed-out basket case like Citigroup even dream of promising a $100 million package to one of its traders after last fall’s fall from grace? That’s right: $100 million for one employee, which translates to roughly $300,000 a day. As Dave Barry used to say, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP.
The cool arrogance wafting about those secret corridors simply defies belief. Surely these folks must be immigrants from another galaxy.
We the People have taken temporary proprietorship of these damaged firms, and we don’t like to see them reward greed and recklessness any more than is absolutely necessary in a capitalist republic — especially with our money. In short, not to put too fine a point on it, WE OWN THEIR BUTTS — at least until they repay us for having delivered them from the gaping jaws of doom.
Furthermore, I don’t think any of those pathologically self-entitled reptiles deserves to earn 2000 times more than the average citizen of these states. Nobody does, not even immortal American icons like Miley Cyrus and Ashton Kutcher.
The heads of the seven indigent firms are sniffling and whining. They insist that federally imposed restrictions on bonuses would compromise their ability to attract and retain the best “talent.” (Talent? Of course they’re referring to the “talent” that invested trillions of our money in derivatives, credit default swaps and other nightmarishly arcane “financial products,” nearly bringing down the economy of the Known World in the process.)
These firms could hire newly minted MBAs straight out of Wharton and beat the sorry records of last year’s top “talent.” Hell, they could hire my five-year-old son and do at least as well. He’d probably advise them to invest in SpongeBob futures — clearly a more prudent choice than mortgage-backed securities.
I hope I don’t sound like a raving socialist. I’m not. (Raving, yes; socialist, no.) I’m not advocating that Obama’s pay czar oversee compensation practices throughout corporate America, even though those practices need serious reforming. (Golden parachutes, anyone?)
What I’m advocating, ultimately, is a return to the relatively sane salary scales of the 1950s through the 1970s. We had rich people and poor people back then, but even ballplayers and movie stars earned salaries that reasonably reflected their value — without mocking the honest toil of your average Joes and Janes. The fortunes of today’s top earners bring to mind the excesses of Bourbon France — just before the storming of the Bastille.
Back in 1970, on a trip to California, my family and I took one of those self-guided tours of celebrities’ homes in Beverly Hills. I remember noting that even megastars like Lucille Ball, Jimmy Stewart and Jack Benny (all of whom were neighbors on the same street) resided in unostentatious comfort rather than grandiose splendor. Their homes were roomy, respectable, tasteful and somehow adequate for their purposes. These good people contributed infinitely more to our lives and culture than the Wall Street traders ever will. Yet they didn’t need to live like 18th-century French aristocrats or Wall Street’s Masters of the Universe. They lived the way successful Americans deserve to live — nothing more or less. They had enough, and they were content.
I’d love to know what changed in America between then and now. Somebody should write a book.
THE NEW MODERATE 