Charles Krauthammer's latest column (you can find it, among other places, here) is a case study in how ridiculously, absurdly out of touch right-wingers have become. They just got seriously spanked at the polls. No one supports their war. No one supports their President. They are objects, not of awe and respect because of their intelligence and perspicacity, but objects of derision because of their insane insistence that reality will one day conform to their beliefs about it. In the midst of a national referendum that solidly rejected such fantasy-prone politics, Krauthammer recedes even further from everyday life by declaring that America's problem is that it is too good.
One hesitates to take seriously such drivel, because in doing so, it becomes legitimate discourse rather than the nonsensical ramblings of a mind bereft of any contact with the universe. I point to it, not to either "criticize" it (the piece is self-mocking, although Krauthammer seems blissfully unaware of that) but to show how empty the pundit-calss mind has become. While some are spinning fantasies of war with Iran, and others see the Democratic election victory as a temporary bump on the way to total Republican hegemony, and the President eagerly seeks to feed more bodies into the Iraq meat grinder, Krauthammer outdoes all of them in a kind of parody of serious commentary. It is bad enough that, seven weeks after a national referendum repudiating Bush Administration policies there is actually an official discussion to intensify those policies, rather than one on how to undo the damage that has been wrought on our country, our military and its infrastructure (remember when the Army Chief of Staff said that the Army is now, not would be or might be at some future time, broken?), and our standing in the world. It is bad enough that the Democrats have yet to receive from the press the credit they deserve for forging a victory on positive issues. It is bad enough that Cokie Roberts still chokes up air time on NPR (that is tax-payer funded, right? I hate paying her salary!). Krauthammer severs the last bit of umbilical tethering him to earth and floats away to a place where America is so wonderful, so powerful, so awesome in all its splendor that we have forgotten it is important to throw to the lesser peoples of the earth various bones of some sort - World Cup Women's soccer victories, various Olympic medals, the Ryder or Davis Cups. After all, the Old Europeans need something to salve the wounds of losing their empires to their Betters.
In a week, exactly, from today, the Democrats take control of Congress. After the first four days of intense legislative activity, it might be possible that a new media narrative takes shape. President Bush has already signalled, in a defeat for his party die-hards in Congress, that he would sign minimum-wage legislation that was not tied to any action on tax cuts for the wealthy. He has also signalled that he is open to legislation allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices in the new presecription drug plan, which could force down the cost of the program and make it much simpler to use (my parents are both in the plan and are both highly intelligent, educated adults, and can make neither hide nor hair of it frontwards or backwards). Perhaps, as things actually change, the Krauthammers of the world will sink deeper into the background noise of public discourse. I am not saying it is likely. I am hopeful that it is possible.
Virtual Tin Cup
