In “normal” times, the obsession in the right-wing blogosphere and media over President Obama’s request for “Dijon” mustard on his burger would have raised a few chuckles and then faded into oblivion. But one can easily see in this play the fatal affliction of the Republican party and the conservative electorate: the celebration of ignorance. Sarah Palin was the poster-child for the movement during the 2008 campaign; Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly et al are the media bomb-throwers for the (thankfully diminishing) segment of the US electorate who mock knowledge and education as “elitist”.
The Republican party will not regain its position as a major political force in America until it disavows the muscular stupidity of its principal supporters in the media. I can’t think of a single Republican leader who has the courage to take on that task.
… and yet it still goes on.
I’m waiting for Sean Hannity to get on the radio and say, “You know, I was listening to some tapes of my old shows, and I realized that I’m a waste of your time. So, here’s some classic rock to bide the time for the next couple hours.”
I fear it won’t happen.