You may have read that the Democratic Party canceled an upcoming debate of 2008 presidential candidate hopefuls in Nevada to be broadcast and moderated by Fox News because its head, Roger Ailes, made an inappropriate comment about Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden.
It will come as no surprise to many of the political junkies reading this column that the words ‘Democratic Party’ and ‘Fox News’ seem as congruous in word association and compatibility as well as, say, dust mites and hospital operating rooms.
Based on ongoing criticism by some liberals, methinks that the Democrats were waiting for an excuse to can this seemingly incestuous association with the Fox Network – and they found it!
Here’s what Roger Ailes was reported to say, as he was accepting an award recently and engaging in the normal blubbering babble we all have come to expect during such events.
"It's true that Barack Obama is on the move." I don't know if it's true that President Bush called Musharraf and said 'Why can't we catch this guy?"
Unartful? Probably. Uproariously humorous? No. Worthy of canceling a debate of presidential aspirants? Hardly.
There is one very amusing aspect to this case. MoveOn.org was reportedly against the Fox hosting arrangement from the git-go. Isn’t this the same group along, with other liberal constituencies, that calls for the U.S. to sit down and negotiate with its enemies in North Korea, Iran, and Syria?
If President Bush is expected to meet with Kim Jong-il, why can't some democrats sit in relative proximity to a Fox News anchor?
I’d say that’s a massive dose of hypocrisy – ‘hippo’hypocrisy – as in hippopotamus.
Of course, it’s most amusing to observe how self-serving we creatures can be, especially when viewed from the sidelines. This fight affects me not at all, so I am engagingly engaged in watching it unfold. If I were a principal in a battle directly affecting my wishes, hopes, and dreams, I, too, would likely appear to act just as silly as the players on this stage.
Hope for reconciliation, non-partisan hand-holding, and singing Kum Ba Yah are growing ever more unrealistic as daily reports like these emerge on the pages of our newspapers. Another Washington Post article recently reported that this partisan bile and vile is actually fueled by constituents – the rank and file – of the Democratic and Republican parties and not by the politicians themselves.
Alas, we are the enemy.
For some time, I’ve been serving as Contributing Editor to “The Forum” at the Understanding Government Foundation. My goal is to foster reasoned discourse. I refuse to label “The Forum” a blog or myself a blogger. That’s due to my perception of blogs being filled with vicious vitriolic venting, profanity, and debilitating personal attacks against those whose views differ from those doing the ranting.
As a freelance writer and CEO (Chief Expressive Officer) of YETMO: “You’re Entitled To My Opinion,” A Balanced Point of View, my mission is “to stimulate thought, debate, and introspection.”
Have I been wasting my time?
If we cannot or will not talk, deal, consider, reflect upon, respect, or attempt to understand the views of another person, how do we move forward? Is progress ever possible under these circumstances?
I feel caught in a vortex of crude behaviors and cruel attitudes with no prospect of escape.
Will anyone peer over the edge, look into the abyss, grab my hand, and pull me and the rest of us to sanity and safety?
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Fred W. Apelquist, III, M.Ed.
Approximately 580 words.
(c) March, 2007