Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
Oh McGurn, you've done it again! The increasingly terrific Bill McGurn hits nail on head in this morning's Wall Street Journal. How come it's no big deal to the press when President Obama says he believes marriage is between a man and a woman — but when Rick Santorum says it, the media goes ballistic?
There's no mystery why. Mr. Santorum is attacked because everyone understands that he means what he says.
President Obama, by contrast, gets a pass because everyone understands—nudge nudge, wink wink—that he's not telling the truth. The press understands that this is just one of those things a Democratic candidate has to say so he doesn't rile up the great unwashed.
It's arguably the most glaring double standard in American life today.
Well, exactly. The same media that goes nuts when a conservative Republican cheats on his wife because, oh, the hypocrisy, loooves hypocrisy when a leftist does it in order to beguile the idiot people.
I'm not a social conservative, for the most part. More on the libertarian side of the divide. But the arguments of my socially conservative friends are anything but "hateful," or "bigoted," and they deserve a hearing. In some cases — abortion, for instance — they've convinced me they're in the right.
So the fact that the news media only wallops social conservatism when it's honest is almost enough to make me feel we have a corrupt, hypocritical, biased, low and even insidious group of people delivering our information in this country.
Nah. Couldn't be.
Anyway, read the whole column. It's great.
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Comments:
Jun '10
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
Liberals also project their own mindset on conservatives, unfairly. If liberals believe something, then you're damn well going to believe it too. In any case, they'll use the law to force you to do things whether you believe in them or not. They imagine that conservatives operate the same way. We don't.
Edited on February 21, 2012 at 4:52pmMay '10
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
I beat you to the link on the Member Feed. :)
What has appalled me especially in the several years is the extent to which the mainstream media is actively colluding with the Big Lie that is Obama.
While he everywhere actively betrays the rhetoric of his campaign and menaces the founding principles and values of our nation, he is continually presented by the media as reasonable, moderate, and post-partisan.
Voices on the right representing grassroots resistance to this assault on all we hold dear are depicted as completely outlandish: half ridiculous, half dangerous.
We are very far gone in corruption. I don't see how we will avoid disaster unless all of us who see what's happening get much more involved and committed than we have ever been up till now.
Feb '12
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
"we have a corrupt, hypocritical, biased, low and even insidious group of people delivering our information in this country"
And largely Marxist.
The media - and this includes the WSJ apart from the editorial board - loves to inflame popular envy with headlines about: "record profits" at oil companies (but not record revenues to the government! and never record profits in Hollywood or at Apple or at software companies, of course); "inflated" executive bonuses (but not inflated union wages and benefits); and "Romney pays lower taxes than Santorum" (not "Investment income usually taxed three times before it is taxed again"; and not "Half the country not paying any income taxes (and often getting refunds!).).
Bad enough that the government schools teach nothing about economics. The newspapers and television stations only worsen the ignorance, and pave the way for greater government control of all of us.
Jun '10
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
Good point heard on the radio this morning: In 2008, Obama needed to spend a billion dollars because he was an unknown. In 2012, Obama needs to spend a billion dollars to convince voters that all the things they know now are wrong.
Jul '11
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
Obama will be allowed to say completely conflicting statements in different states without media covering the hypocrisy.
May '10
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
"Obama will be allowed to say completely conflicting statements in different states without media covering the hypocrisy."Completely conflicting statements in the same paragraph and get away with it.
Feb '12
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
Or even in the same speech.
Jun '10
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
The double standard is a tried and true progressive tactic. Likewise, the bait and switch, and misdirection. Sometimes I stand in awe at the shear audacity of it all. But then it's easier to be amoral rather than live by a set of principles. Power is the reason d'etre for the left, and the Marxist maxim that "the ends justify the means" is the only justification they need. Argh!
Apr '11
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
Leporello: The media - and this includes the WSJ apart from the editorial board - loves to inflame popular envy with headlines about: "record profits" at oil companies (but not record revenues to the government! and never record profits in Hollywood or at Apple or at software companies, of course); "inflated" executive bonuses (but not inflated union wages and benefits); and "Romney pays lower taxes than Santorum" (not "Investment income usually taxed three times before it is taxed again"; and not "Half the country not paying any income taxes (and often getting refunds!).).
Bad enough that the government schools teach nothing about economics. The newspapers and television stations only worsen the ignorance, and pave the way for greater government control of all of us. · 1 hour ago
Leporello, you have hit the bullseye.
Feb '12
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
As one of the editors at PowerLine likes to say, "It's almost impossible to embarrass a Democrat," which should, in fact, be the most embarrassing thing of all.
Feb '12
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
"Randy Weivoda: Leporello, you have hit the bullseye." Watch out. You're now at the top of my donors list when I run for office. In the meantime, you have my vote for Editor-in-Chief of the New York Times.
Jan '12
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
You write: "we have a corrupt, hypocritical, biased, low and even insidious group of people delivering our information in this country." I would add, mostly ignorant, of the mores, beliefs, lifestyle of a major proportion of Americans. I do not impugn every journalist, but in many articles in many newspapers, the ignorance is appalling and makes me wonder why ANYONE would seek their information from them.
Nov '10
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
Certainly on the sound bite level, both candidates seem the same. But if you look at it in the larger context of their positions with respect to the role of the federal government - as well as to whether they will consider opposing positions - they come off very differently. Obama, like Santorum, believes that marriage is between a man and a woman, however Obama has also stated that his views are evolving, and that he believes that this is an issue that should be settled at the state, not federal, level, for example here.
From Santorum, OTOH, we are getting quite a mishmash of opinion. He hasn't done himself any favours with his comments ranging from limitations on privacy to bestiality, and his peculiar interpretation of the child abuse scandals in the Church. At the same time he does not appear to be offering a clear way forward on the issue of same sex marriage. That conflict is what leaves him open to ridicule on this subject; it is an important issue for many, and just saying "No" without much explanation isn't going to cut it.
Dec '11
Re: Social Conservatism is Good When It's a Lie
The other, related, Obama claim that nobody actually believes, and nobody will call him on is the matter of his "spiritual advisor", the bufoonish Rev. Wright. Who has spiritual advisors these days? I mean other than Bill Clinton seeking spiritual advice from Rev. Jackson re: the Lewinski matter.