The American Spectator

/p> p> I, too, dislike Gretchen Wilson’s song and NASCAR. Also, I am conservative enough to understand that Bill O’Reilly is a populist and not a conservative. In addition to my dislike of celebrations of ignorance and worship of the mob, I also dislike effete, soul-less, pretentious posturing such as that celebrated by Mr. Judge. Sounds like he would have been quite at home in the party of Rockefeller. br> — Chris Lindsey /p>

In “Another Perspective” dated 1/4/2006, Mark Gauvreau Judge shared his very low opinion of Gretchen Wilson, modern conservatism, NASCAR and all the people who enjoy it, Laura Ingraham, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Christians who disagree with him and, of course, the President of the United States. He even trashed some conservatives as reading Theology for Dummies.

What a sad, sad man Mr. Judge is. In his terminal narcissism he actually thinks he is qualified to judge people he considers to be his inferiors. I’m sure his pathetic and diseased personality can only feel good about his own life by feeling superior to someone.

p>Ironically, the people who represent the things he truly cannot stand about modern conservatism, the people who defend things he considers “dumb, tacky, and second-rate,” aren’t affected by Mr. Judge’s little intellectual tantrum. They will continue to “work hard, go to church and play by the rules” as they did before and as they will continue to do long after Mark Gauvreau Judge’s words have been judged insignificant. br> — Gary Boatright /p>

I’ve always liked Mark Gauvreau Judge’s work, but I find at least part of his central thesis about the superiority of being a metrocon questionable and maybe even objectionable. While I agree that there is nothing to celebrate about being tacky or willfully ignorant (which I’m not sure his target group really is), I disagree vigorously that the “second growth” of spirituality involves learning how to purchase and wear the right clothing and accessories. Natty apparel has never been a sign of spiritual maturity as far as I can tell. Were it so the fashionistas would be the deepest folk on earth.

p>It is one thing to argue that many of today’s conservatives don’t hold a candle to William F. Buckley on style points (surely, they do not), but to conflate that point with spiritual maturity and depth evokes a Christianity of which I’m not aware. Certainly, a preference for Brooks Brothers over Wal-Mart does little to inform one about the nobility of a particular soul. In fact, the good book might make the opposite case. br> — Hunter Baker