It is becoming increasingly difficult to be a civil and temperate political columnist when the liberal media reach new low after new low in deranged attacks on the President and his family. If the inability of left-wing bigots to express themselves without four-letter words and personal insults were not enough, the double standard applied by their bosses and sycophants is beyond belief.
Roseanne Barr was terminated immediately when she characterized Obama’s crony Valerie Jarrett as progeny of the Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes. I still can’t figure out how a terrorist organization and old movie can have children, and I suspect that an explanation of the joke might have been more appropriate than her abject apologies. But she never had a chance, her bosses found it sufficiently offensive to cancel a wildly popular show that just happened to be the only one on television featuring pro-Trump (or anti-anti-Trump) humor.
Samantha Bee, on the other hand, got a free pass from her bosses and congratulations from self-proclaimed feminists and the Hollywood left for calling the President’s daughter a “feckless c…”. No doubt about Bee’s intentions to use a demeaning sexist term, the crudest she could have chosen, and broadcast it on her show. Her additional, less quoted, comment that Ivanka should put on something “low and tight” to stimulate her father was even more cringe-worthy. Yet her network’s only reaction is to congratulate her for apologizing. Bee and her bosses are apparently too dumb to remember how their heads exploded when a recording of Donald Trump using a much tamer word surfaced.
Nor was there any outrage in the media about Bill Maher’s use of simian comparisons, when he asked if Trump was “part orangutan.” They have no shame in their double standard, and they all know which side they are on.
We are well beyond the point that any sane person could claim these crude and personal attacks are tit-for-tat responses to something that Candidate Trump said during the campaign. Saying, as he did recently, that Maxine Waters should take an IQ test may not be the best way of pointing out how dumb her positions and statements are, but it is a far cry from sexist personal attacks on a President’s daughter.
True, most of the obscene language in attacks on the President or his supporters comes from talentless celebrities – Bee, Kathie Griffin, Chelsea Handler – whose only claim to distinction is their gross behavior and language. So no one expects them to make intelligent comments. But their choice of targets has clear political motivation and support from their employers.
These avatars of the left are not just doing their shtick of substituting obscenity for creative uses of language in humor. Samantha Bee launched into her sexist attack on Ivanka Trump in a monologue on immigration policy. Since there was little else of substance in that monologue, even when she was addressing immigration, the tactic is clear. Don’t try to engage on issues, just attack the person. It is so much easier to get a professional shock artist to call people names than to construct a logical sentence about the policy itself.
The problem is not just so-called comedians whose vocabulary does not get beyond four letter words. Stephen Colbert mostly watches his language, but he, too, substitutes personal attacks, condescension and demeaning jokes for substance. These comics and late night hosts have become instruments of psychological manipulation and social pressure to make their viewers feel that any defense of President Trump’s policies is deviant and antisocial.
I would rather have a root canal without anesthesia than watch any of them, but reports of the rest of Bee’s show reveal deeper problems. It was an emotional attack on Trump for doing exactly the same thing that Obama did. Her inexcusable attack on Ivanka for displaying a happy picture of herself with her son was to make the point that parents who cross the border illegally are being separated from their children. But that was also the law and the practice in the Obama Administration. None of these liberal icons attacked Michelle and Barack for enjoying the company of their daughters while illegal entrants were being separated. The double standard at work.
It is pointless for conservatives to push for the firing of Bee or Maher. It won’t happen and they, however despicable, would quickly be replaced with voices no better. Their job security does reveal the attitude of news and social media, corporations, film companies, networks and foundations controlled by “progressive” executives and billionaires toward the rest of us. Asking them to “play nice” and setting a good example in conservative commentary is pointless when their support of incivility is a purposeful strategy.
But we are left with a puzzle. Is the left so consumed with hatred of President Trump that it cannot even distinguish his policies from those of his predecessor? Or is it purposely drumming up hatred of the President and his supporters in order to marginalize all those who oppose the future that the far left and its media cheerleaders want for this country?
David Montgomery is retired from a career of teaching, government service and consulting, during which he became internationally recognized as an expert on energy, environmental and climate policy. He has a PhD in economics from Harvard University and also studied economics at Cambridge University and theology at the Catholic University of America, David and his wife Esther live in St Michaels, and he now spends his time in front of the computer writing about economic, political and religious topics and the rest of the day outdoors engaged in politically incorrect activities.
Mary Davis says
How refreshing to hear a point of view that is balanced & moderate in tone. I applaud Talbot Spy for offering a balance of diverse points of view.
Alan Boisvert says
Oh get over yourself. Trump is utterly useless and a moron.
Laurie Powers says
Disagree again. A more enlightened view in my opinion –
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-proper-response-to-roseanne-and-to-trump
Andrea Wollock says
Moderate? You call this article moderate? Have we become so hateful in this country that David Montgomery’s articles can be considered moderate? Very scary! No other Talbot Spy columnist offers such partisan, hateful rhetoric; all of the others base their positions on sound policy and facts. Yes, both sides of the political spectrum are guilty of finger-pointing and other nastiness, made more acceptable by the Trump administration’s lies and deceptions. Mr. Montgomery may have a long, distinguished resume, but he continually promotes divisions and hatred in his Talbot Spy articles.
Ezra FInkin says
Hatred? I do not happen to agree with Mr. Montgomery on some topics but I don’t think he is guilty of promoting hatred in his posts. I thought this was a strange topic for Mr. Montgomery to tackle…who gets fired and who gets censured over stupid comments. Are we supposed to keep a running tally of who gets fired and who gets to keep their job? I hope we can all agree that making statements for the sole purpose of offending and offending in a big way should be not be tolerated and considered for debate. The sole purpose of Roseanne’s comment was to offend and not to spark discussion. I don’t know why someone would want to defend Roseanne’s comment and this is why I thought the post strange.
Susan Gilbert says
By golly & gee whiz, Miss Andrea nailed it. Thanks.
David Montgomery says
Since I wrote this, a senior editor of the Atlantic speculated that the First Lady was avoiding public appearances because the President was beating her. The Tony Awards audience applauded DeNiro’s obscenity-filled rant against the President. Claims that I am hateful for pointing this out. I rest my case.
James Vanderzon says
Mr. David Montgomery, you make some very valid points, the treatment of Roseanne Barr versus Samantha Bee does seem hypocritical. However, you article, by simple analysis, is hypocritical. Watch Fox News tear apart Robert Mueller and his investigation into Russian interference, it is fraught with hypocrisy. Mueller has a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, President Trump has bone spurs. Robert Mueller has been married for 52 years to the same woman. Donald Trump has been married 3 times and bragged about infidelity. Samantha Bee used a very crude word to describe Ivanka Trump, an adult woman. Donald Trump bragged about grabbing the same body part of multiple adult women, many of whom confirmed his assertion. I would rather you talk crudely about my ‘junk’ than grab my ‘junk’. If the Russia investigation is a witch hunt, witches exist. There are 20 indictments and 5 guilty pleas. President Trump admonishes and disrespects democratic allies with 70 years standing and cuddles up to totalitarian dictators. Justin Trudeau is bad and Kim Jung Un is good, seriously? The FBI, CIA, and NSA are wrong and Vladimir Putin is right? What happened to the Republican respect for both the military, i.e. Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars, not bone spurs, and rule of law, the Justice Department and FBI. Mr. Montgomery please wipe clean both the left side and the right side of your glasses so you can see the whole story.