The American Spectator : A Fist Bump for Kevin Dowd

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A Fist Bump for Kevin Dowd

By Jeffrey Lord on 12.29.09 @ 6:08AM

A liberal columnist's brother begs to differ: Happy New Year, here comes 2010.

(Page 2 of 2)

Much is made about the need for civility in American politics, with much bemoaning of its alleged absence. For something to be absent frequently presumes it was present in the first place, and as any student of American history knows, from the get-go of the American Republic to be plainspoken is a hallmark of the American political tradition.

One has but to visit the turmoil of the John Adams–Thomas Jefferson election of 1800, the furies of the John Quincy Adams–Andrew Jackson elections of 1824 and 1828, or the raging of 1860 as civil war loomed over the Lincoln-Douglas race to understand that politics summons passion from even the kindest and gentlest of Americans. Harry Truman won the nickname "Give 'em Hell Harry" in 1948 -- and the election -- because he did give 'em hell, not because he refrained from doing so.

It is amusing to look back and see the foamings this year on behalf of civility or some mystically appropriate way of conducting political dialogue. The amusement comes because readers sense that such pleas appear simultaneously phony and self-serving, if not altogether wrong. Two cases in point were the David Frum Newsweek cover story attack on Rush Limbaugh and the Mark MacKinnon Daily Beast bleat about talk radio star and bestselling author Mark Levin.

The focus of Mr. Frum's hit piece -- and make no mistake it was that -- was not some ideological musing about conservative philosophy. It was, rather, a below-the-belt personal attack on everything from Mr. Limbaugh's clothes to his one-time prescription drug problem to his lifestyle. As it were, a call for civility neatly undisguised as incivility. As Mr. Frum is smart enough to know, that would be the only way he would get his name pasted on a Newsweek cover story, Newsweek a staple of the liberal media. (And a rapidly failing staple at that.) The particularly amusing part of the Frum attack (unless you were Mr. Limbaugh) was that all of this was cloaked in the guise of an earnest plea that conservatives should stop listening to Rush because he is out to "enflame" and "provoke." Sometime following this Frum made an appearance on Bill Moyers PBS-TV show, castigating hosts Limbaugh and Levin for not showing restraint in their comments, saying that he intended to be "absolutely prepared to fight with them."

This was, as readers quickly detected, faux outrage. No one has been a more skilled practitioner of the outrageously inflammatory political remark designed to provoke than the man Frum was talking with -- that would be Bill Moyers himself.

Having built an entire career after provoking the successful demonization of Barry Goldwater during the election between Goldwater and Moyers' boss Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Moyers' rhetoric since, whether about conservatives or conservative philosophy, would scald entire kennels of dogs. And yet -- face to face, with the opportunity at hand to call out Moyers on his incivilities -- Frum went silent, focusing instead on the alleged sins of Limbaugh and Levin. Did the cat have Frum's tongue? One suspects that what was really on display was selective outrage.

As with Mark McKinnon, who similarly jumped on the anti-Levin bandwagon citing a lack of civility, the question arises as to what is civility, anyway? Civility can be a good thing. But as mentioned when McKinnon unleashed his rant, the "civility" argument seems to have fallen into the hands of people who give a pass to everything from, as noted at the time, abject racism to character assassination to outright lying -- as long as these things are said politely. There is a reason for the plainspoken tradition in American politics, beginning with the observable fact that all too often the plea for civility is in fact nothing more than the usual double standard -- free speech for me but not for thee, giving a pass to practices or beliefs that are vividly uncivil in the real world of everyday life.

Free speech, often as not in American culture, begins at home.

WHICH BRINGS US BACK to Kevin Dowd's annual turn as the conservative guest columnist in the space the Times reserves for sister Mo.

Brother Kevin, like Sister Mo, was plainspoken. He is admired in this space (not to mention agreed with) as -- while the seasonal fires still glow -- we rather like the plainspoken tendencies of Sister Mo. With whom we disagree on, well, just about everything except the merits of being Irish. It is a reminder -- as if I didn't need one from my own extended family over the Christmas holidays -- that such divisions are the rule of thumb in America and among American families, friends, neighbors and colleagues. These types of political divisions are the rule of thumb now just as they will be next year and as they were last year, a hundred years ago and a hundred years before that.

This is, in fact, genuine diversity, the real thing, not the cheap imitation based on skin color and gender.

So in the spirit of the season, here's a lifted nog to the Dowds, Kevin and Mo.

But next week? Come the New Year?

I'm with Kevin. In the Virtual Newsroom, to Mo and to O, we will have to say no.

Happy 2010. Let's rumble.

Page: < 12

topics:
Barack Obama, Liberalism, Maureen Dowd

About the Author

Jeffrey Lord is a former Reagan White House political director and author. He writes from Pennsylvania at jlpa1@aol.com.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (21) | Leave a comment

D.R.Addots| 12.29.09 @ 7:25AM

Every time S.L.Turddard posts a rant here it bolsters your argument about haughty liberals. The dummies think personal attacks will expose us as phonies,but the vitriol says more about the perpetrator than the target. We can call that idiotology.

Richard Baker| 12.29.09 @ 8:28AM

Every family has its personal fool. Kevin has his. Mine is my little brother who became a biker/druggie/drunk. We all have our crosses to bear, don't we? Regardless, they are family and you love them in spite of their " little quirks."

Derek Leaberry| 12.29.09 @ 8:49AM

Kevin Dowd, like his more or less contemporary Pat Buchanan, are remnants of what was a fairly conservative social structure in DC pre -1954 and the Brown v- Topeka Board of Education case. My father was also part of that structure. Guys like Kevin Dowd played ball at Turkey Thicket, went to ball games at long demolished Griffith Stadium and ate at Hot Shoppes. But desegregation begot "white flight" and socially conservative whites like Kevin Dowd retreated to suburban Washington. Sadly, white conservatives have long been outnumbered even in suburban Washington as the national government has swelled enormously, acting as a magnet for the vile liberals who are attracted to Washington just as flies are attracted to horse flop. Plenty of Kevin Dowds exist in suburban Washington, even if they are a distinct minority. And, yes, Kevin Dowd is a much better person than his frustrated little sister.

Howard| 12.29.09 @ 9:06AM

A good article to ponder!. One thing that I'm looking forward to, despite the job losses that will occur; the early 2010 mass layoffs or closures hitting the Mainstream Media. I expect my local Boston Globe to either close, or be the size of the Fargo ND Gazette. That arrogant rag is sinking faster than the Obama administration. It was much easier for the Mainstream to control thought during the 1960's and 1970's. Limbaugh, Hannity, Fox News have torn open the monopoly in thought control.

Anthony| 12.29.09 @ 10:03AM

The Kevin Dowd column was a hoot! As one poster over at the Times mused, "which one of you was adopted"? Seeing that the Dowd pater is a retired cop or firefigher, I forget which, the answer is quite obvious.
It's not suprising that the Times caters to the wrong Dowd, which is why it's on life support, and I find it humorous that mean spirited sister Mo can't hold a candle to her warm, good natured brother Kevin. More to the point, this guy knows how to write. He's not only pithy and irreverent, he's got the leftist mind set down pat. I guess sister Mo is good for something after all.
Bob, methinks this guy would make a wonderful addition to TAS. We could be treated to a weekly satire of Krugman, Rich and Friedman, in addition to pompous sis.

Mattled| 12.29.09 @ 11:12AM

Howard (and Mr. Lord),

We need to speed up their (MSM) demise.

I have said repeatedly; the Media fails, Obama fails and so go the democrats.

Without them, he would never have been s-elected.
Nor Franken.
Nor Webb.
Nor Gregoire.

We need a "media" plan. Who is going to step up?
Steele? (yawn).

You Mr. Lord?
Mr. Tyrrell?

How about getting some syndicated programming on TV stations (GOP TV circa 1994 with Haley Barbour)?

How about some billboards? Nothing like seeing a Dems face or a Lib "journalist's" face up for a few weeks with LIAR slashed across their foreheads.

Let's fight!! Fight hard-----not dirty-----fighting clean got us nowhere (Remember: John McCain).

Let THEM prove the facts wrong. They can't. Just raising questions and suspicions will be worth it.

Marc Jeric| 12.29.09 @ 2:06PM

I agree - we have to fight hard (and dirty when necessary); but it will be almost impossible as long as teacher unions hold sway in our schools. Those teachers do not teach - they indoctrinate. Already 3 generations of illiterate nincompoops, impressed with self-esteem, populate the country. I mean - they voted for such bloviating gasbags as Carter, Dukakis, Mondale, Gore, Kery, Edwards - not to mention that disbarred felon Clinton, his wife the known record holder in cattle futures trading.

Daisy| 12.29.09 @ 9:20PM

Hey, Jeff, when is your book coming out?

Thank you for your work in 2009; you're always a great read.

Happy New Year!

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Brian Murray| 11.10.10 @ 3:38PM

It's good to discourse and, we should give credit tto Maureen for giving her brother an opportunity to be published in the times. Some of the comments here are small minded, we should all remeber neither side has a monopoly on wisdom or folly for that matter.