The Osterley Times: Coulter calls Edwards a "faggot."

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Coulter calls Edwards a "faggot."

At a time when left wing bloggers are being attacked for their "bad language" and general "hatred and anger", Ann Coulter takes to the stage of the Conservative Political Action Conference and says, "I was going to have a few words on the other Presidential candidate, John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot." For this she was exuberantly applauded. Crooks and Liars have the video here.

Nor is this woman an aberation within the conservative movement, she is actually one of the biggest stars in it's firmament. In the words of Andrew Sullivan:

When you see her in such a context, you realize that she truly represents the heart and soul of contemporary conservative activism, especially among the young. The standing ovation for Romney was nothing like the eruption of enthusiasm that greeted her. . . .

Her endorsement of Romney today - "probably the best candidate" - is a big deal, it seems to me. McCain is a non-starter. He is as loathed as Clinton in these parts. Giuliani is, in her words, "very, very liberal." One of his sins? He opposed the impeachment of Bill Clinton. That's the new standard. She is the new Republicanism. The sooner people recognize this, the better.

So whilst the right fulminate over the comments of a few anonymous posters at the Huffington Post; the comments from Coulter, whilst not completely unchallenged by the right, are nevertheless never subject to the kind of outright condemnation that seems reserved only for the "angry, hateful left".

Remember, Coulter was invited to speak at this event despite the fact that last year, whilst speaking, she referred to Muslims as "ragheads". So it's not as if they didn't know who they were inviting or what she was likely to say. By inviting her, even after her comments at last year's event, they are endorsing her opinions.

So, far from being an aberration, Coulter is the face of the new Republican party.

And it's a hateful vision.

Read Glenn Greenwald's brilliant take on this here.

This is not about a single comment or isolated remark. The more Ann Coulter says these things, the more popular she becomes in this movement. What this is about is that she reflects exactly what sort of political movement this is. She reflects its true impulses and core beliefs. If that were not the case, why would she continue to receive top billing at their most prestigious events, and why would she continue to be lavished with rock star-adoration by the party faithful?