Blowing Smoke - Michael Wolraich [2]
That said, while I seldom hesitate to poke right-wing leaders in the eye or other parts of the anatomy, my objective is not to attack conservative ideology. Though I disagree with many tenets of modern conservatism, I believe that most of them have rational foundations, and I believe in the value of reasonable opposition. My target is not conservative doctrine but the paranoid rhetoric that some conservatives employ. I hope that moderate conservatives who are skeptical of right-wing paranoia can appreciate this book as well as liberals.
Whether you’re conservative or liberal, if you don’t regularly listen to Glenn Beck and other right-wing commentators, you may be shocked by the quotes that you’ll read here. My objective, however, is not to present a top-ten list of the darndest things that conservatives say. Rather, I aim to draw out a consistent narrative that right-wing leaders have been communicating to their audiences, sometimes subtly in the folds of a not-so-funny joke, sometimes explicitly in a provocative call to arms. I’ve tried to accurately communicate the contexts of the quotes, and whenever possible, I’ve included links to the original sources in the endnotes so that you can enjoy the full Fox News audio-video experience.
Due to time and space constraints, there are a couple of relevant topics that you won’t find in this book. In the early days of persecution politics, right-wing leaders often warned of feminist plots to emasculate America’s virile manhood. But opposition to the feminist movement is a complicated topic. These days, women’s rights plays a much smaller role in right-wing paranoia than it once did, so I left it out. Sorry, feminists. I also gave short shrift to abortion, another complex issue that has played a big role in the growth of the right wing. Conservatives have often used abortion to demonize liberals as “baby killers,” but otherwise the topic is tangential to the central theme of the book, so it didn’t make the cut either. Sorry, baby killers.
Finally, let me state for the record that I have not received funding from radical billionaire George Soros or any other progressive benefactors. However, if Mr. Soros or other wealthy philanthropists would like to do business, I would be happy to discuss terms. My rate for character assassination depends on the prominence of the target and the degree of smearing. The arrangement would remain strictly confidential, of course. Please contact my agent for details.
JUST AS I WAS WRAPPING UP the final edits on Blowing Smoke, Rachel Maddow aired another show about race relations in America. After a full year of white persecution stories on Fox News, her perspective seems to have changed since she dismissed Buchanan as old-fashioned. Presenting case after case of conservatives using racist scare tactics to promote white solidarity, she explained:
It’s about making white people feel like they are victims of black people. Black people are the racists. White people need someone to stand up for them. It’s good politics. It always has been in this country and it still is.5
Rachel Maddow clearly gets persecution politics. But there’s so much more than she described on that program. This is how it goes . . .
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HOW BILL O’REILLY SAVED CHRISTMAS
Introducing the Right Wing’s Magic Formula for
Turning Everything from Health Care to Holiday Greetings
into a Secret Plot against White Christian Conservatives
The central belief of every moron is that he is the victim of a mysterious conspiracy against his common rights and true deserts.
—H. L. Mencken
DECEMBER 2004. The nation was at war. As citizens blithely prepared for the coming holidays, sinister forces quietly chiseled away the moral foundation on which the