Algories gory veep.
Gary James
Monday, October 9, 2000 12:01 a.m. EDT
...I don't like Mr. Lieberman. In fact, I can't abide him. Whenever I see
him on television, I'm inclined either to mutter angrily at him or to
change the channel. The funny thing is that my wife, who is a Democrat, is
not at all offended by my behavior, or by my antipathy to Mr. Lieberman.
This tolerance is not the product of some elaborate marital pact, whereby
political disagreements are ignored in the interest of domestic harmony.
The simple fact is that she doesn't understand why, as she puts it, "he's
being treated like a saint."
The liberal elements in our media have, indeed, anointed him as some sort
of Old Testament patriarch. But he's just a politician, a
professional politico. He has said nothing spontaneous for two decades at
least, his life being a carefully calibrated exercise in unassailability.
He has plotted every aspect of his persona as carefully as the best
cartographer, measuring precisely how much of a Jew he can be, and as a
Jew how Orthodox, and as an Orthodox Jew how flexible, and as a flexible
Orthodox Jew how credible, and as a credibly flexible Orthodox Jew how
electable.
His policy flip-flops have been documented in the press, and I don't
intend to reiterate them here. ... My objection to Mr. Lieberman is not
fundamentally issues-based, although I cannot ignore that dimension
entirely. It is grounded instead in impressions I've come to draw from his
actions, his statements, and his moralizing code words. I detest his gaudy
invocations of God. (After the election someone should do a search through
a database of campaign utterances and reveal the precise number of times
Mr. Lieberman used the word.)
Most of all, I detest the way in which he casts himself--a Jew--as an
outsider in America. ...After the debate with Mr. Cheney, he thanked the
American people effusively, and ingratiatingly. It was the effusiveness of
a man posing as an outsider, of a man giving thanks to his generous
"hosts." Consider these words, which I quote in full from his closing
remarks at the debate: "If my dad were here, I would have the opportunity
to tell him that he was right when he taught me that in America, if you
have faith, work hard and play by the rules, there is nothing you cannot
achieve. And here I am, even the son of a man who started working the
night shift on a bakery truck can end up being a candidate for vice
president of the United States. That says a lot about the character of
this nation and the goodness of you, the American people."
These are the words of a man who went to Yale. But the man who
went to Yale would like us to believe that he is akin to an immigrant.
More: These are not words that bear a proletarian message. These
words are about his Jewishness. And they are thanking America for
welcoming a Jewish candidate into the political mainstream. These
words are pandering words, playing to an imagined gallery that would see
Jews as outside the mainstream, and giving thanks to that same mainstream
for letting him, a Jew, run competitively for vice president.
I'm an immigrant, and Mr. Lieberman's spiel is as unappetizing to me as a
cold chicken curry. I think Mr. Lieberman's a fraud. I think he's an
unctuous and fulsome fraud. He's also a dangerous fraud, because he's
taken everyone in, duped them into seeing him--Joe Chameleon--as a moral
wind vane. He is, truly, a moral equivocator (to use a word employed by
Frank Rich), a moral opportunist, a moral social-climber.
Looking back, I refuse to believe that his criticism of Bill Clinton at
the time of the president's impeachment was anything other than
opportunist. Mr. Lieberman's words then strike me now as having been made
with an eye on the main chance. He knew that there would soon be a new
dispensation in the Democratic Party--a new dispensation in America--and
he was pinning his colors to a new flag. He wanted to be the first so that
he could, later, be among the powerful. How else does one explain his
failure to put his vote where his mouth was?
Contrast this with his vote against Clarence Thomas, on evidence that
was substantially less compelling than the evidence against Mr. Clinton,
and on the basis of charges that were far less severe. No, Mr. Lieberman
wasn't really pained, or troubled, or horrified by the president's
behavior. He was, in fact, energized by it. He saw his own future in Mr.
Clinton's past.
There is less to Mr. Lieberman than meets the eye. And that is why I
dislike him...
Mr. Varadarajan is deputy editorial features editor of The Wall Street
Journal. His column appears Mondays.
http://opinionjournal.com/columnists/tvaradarajan/?id=65000397
Lloyd R. Parker
: BY TUNKU VARADARAJAN
:
: ...I don't like Mr. Lieberman. In fact, I can't abide him. Whenever I see
: him on television, I'm inclined either to mutter angrily at him or to
: change the channel. The funny thing is that my wife, who is a Democrat, is
: not at all offended by my behavior, or by my antipathy to Mr. Lieberman.
: This tolerance is not the product of some elaborate marital pact, whereby
: political disagreements are ignored in the interest of domestic harmony.
: The simple fact is that she doesn't understand why, as she puts it, "he's
: being treated like a saint."
Gee, antiSemitism rears its ugly head. Who would have thought it'd be a
right-wing, conservative, Republican to raise it?
: The liberal elements in our media have, indeed, anointed him as some sort
Gary James
"Lloyd R. Parker" wrote:
>
> Gary James (cnj...@homemail.com) wrote:
> : BY TUNKU VARADARAJAN
> : Monday, October 9, 2000 12:01 a.m. EDT
> :
> : ...I don't like Mr. Lieberman. In fact, I can't abide him. Whenever I see
> : him on television, I'm inclined either to mutter angrily at him or to
> : change the channel. The funny thing is that my wife, who is a Democrat, is
> : not at all offended by my behavior, or by my antipathy to Mr. Lieberman.
> : This tolerance is not the product of some elaborate marital pact, whereby
> : political disagreements are ignored in the interest of domestic harmony.
> : The simple fact is that she doesn't understand why, as she puts it, "he's
> : being treated like a saint."
> :
>
> Gee, antiSemitism rears its ugly head. Who would have thought it'd be a
> right-wing, conservative, Republican to raise it?
You must know far more about the author, Mr Varadarajan than I do. He
does make a pretty good case against the sanctimonious Mr Lieberman. I
didn't realize all criticism about a Jew was anti Semitism ? Am I wrong
Right Jack S--- ?
Gary James
"Lloyd R. Parker" wrote:
>
> Gary James (cnj...@homemail.com) wrote:
> : BY TUNKU VARADARAJAN
> : Monday, October 9, 2000 12:01 a.m. EDT
> :
> : ...I don't like Mr. Lieberman. In fact, I can't abide him. Whenever I see
> : him on television, I'm inclined either to mutter angrily at him or to
> : change the channel. The funny thing is that my wife, who is a Democrat, is
> : not at all offended by my behavior, or by my antipathy to Mr. Lieberman.
> : This tolerance is not the product of some elaborate marital pact, whereby
> : political disagreements are ignored in the interest of domestic harmony.
> : The simple fact is that she doesn't understand why, as she puts it, "he's
> : being treated like a saint."
> :
>
> Gee, antiSemitism rears its ugly head. Who would have thought it'd be a
> right-wing, conservative, Republican to raise it?
You must know far more about the author, Mr Varadarajan than I do. He
does make a pretty good case against the sanctimonious Mr Lieberman. I
didn't realize all criticism about a Jew was anti Semitism ? Am I wrong
right my schmuck friend ?
GJ
TheNIGHTCRAWLER
We vote sensible people into office (one hopes). Those sensible people
then listen to all the ranting and raving of those they represent. A
vote
is taken by the people to represent their sentiments. It is then up to
the learned elective to interpret the will of the people and make the
right decision.
Otherwise, Mickey Mouse would have been elected as our president long
ago. The REAL mickey mouse, you know, animated cartoon dude for those
who don't get into politics.
I'm surprised by the lack of campaign ads. Why? Because Mickey Mouse
doesn't have a vote. You voted to put someone in office that you
figured would make the right choice.
You voted for your prez already. Remember that.
I want Barnes making that choice in the future.
TheNIGHTCRAWLER