Déjà vu All Over Again

I believe that WorldNetDaily founder Joseph Farah is spot on when he insists that moral clarity, not just the economy, is a huge issue that needs to be addressed in the 2012 elections. A couple of illustrations should prove this point.

First, the “Occupy Wall Street” protestors and those that support them. This movement is reminiscent of the Vietnam War protestors, many of whom exhibited bad public behavior including violence and destruction of property in some instances. And, much like the war protestors of a previous generation (although some probably have participated in both), these groups are gaining traction in the public relations arena because the lamestream media are downplaying their extreme elements and giving them the most sympathetic treatment that they can. This certainly brings back sour memories of the sympathy evoked on news broadcasts for dope-smoking, long-haired war protestors who didn’t care why we were fighting the war, just that they had no intention of participating. These people were given a credibility and respect that they didn’t deserve, since (1) their intentions were anything but sincere, and (2) their numbers were not anywhere near as large as what we were led to believe. Sound familiar?

Second, Bryant Gumbel, who is looked upon by most Americans as a respected and talented journalist, made another insensitive remark last week, just the latest in a career filled with them, if only people were listening. This time, Gumbel lashed out at NBA commissioner David Stern for the way Stern is running the “lockout” situation that is disrupting the upcoming pro basketball season. In doing so, Gumbel likened Stern to "some kind of modern plantation overseer" and said the commissioner treats the players like they were "his boys" and "hired hands." Now, let’s back up the truck a second. These “boys” and “hired hands” are, by and large, fabulously wealthy because of their basketball skills. And the fact is that the current proposal on the table awards a larger piece of the revenue pie to the players than to the “evil rich” owners.

How anyone can compare those in that situation to slaves is outrageous and should lead to disciplinary action against Gumbel—right? After all, if Hank Williams Jr. can get fired over a poor analogy that invited false accusations of comparing the president to Hitler, shouldn’t Gumbel pay a price for these outrageous remarks? Or what about the time when Gumbel, after “interviewing” Family Research Council president Robert Knight on a news program and browbeating Knight about why it should be acceptable for gay men to serve as Boy Scout leaders, was heard calling Knight an unprintable name, the one that starts with an f-word and ends with an a-word. This is the same Bryant Gumbel who was the lead anchor on NBC’s “Today” show for several years—a position which supposedly demands an objective journalist. Gumbel has proven over the years to be anything but that. And yet, he continues blithely on with his supposed “cutting-edge” sports programs on a major cable network because, in today’s America, tolerance of anything (except authentic Christianity or conservative political thought) trumps accountability every time.

Memo to Republican candidates: You are, whether you care to admit it or not, in a war with your opposition—a war that you can ill afford to lose, not just for your sake but the nation’s. For starters, you’re not impressing any of us by continuing to kiss up to the lamestream media. And no matter how much you may deny this, what else can we think when most of your debates have been run and “moderated” by the enemy? But this is just a symptom of a larger cause—the belief too many Republicans still have that they can work constructively with these people. There’s really only one way to handle them, and that is to work tirelessly toward their utter defeat.