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PrintJanuary 11, 2023
A New York Times 'Republican' expresses his contempt for his party
The New York Times is not merely the carrier of articles fouled by false news. The Times is also a spreader of political hate speech.
For Exhibit A in this regard, I offer the comments of Bret Stephens, in his January 10 colloquy with Gail Collins appearing on the "Opinion" page of the paper.
Here is the headline:
Had enough?
In his third paragraph, we find this description of Republicans: "A few honorable exceptions aside, the G.O.P.is basically split between reptiles and invertebrates." (And who are the "honorable exceptions"? Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, who calls his fellow Republicans "terrorists"? Or, the execrable Senate Republican Leader who sandbags MAGA Republicans to ensure minority status for Senate Republicans and his own hold on power?)
The mean-spirited remarks of Stephens, in the January 10 edition of the print edition of the Times go beyond anti-Trump excoriations to the Republican party at large.
Stephens proceeds to claim that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy "hated Liz Cheney because of her backbone."
Boy, does Stephens have that wrong -- Liz Cheney is now an ex-congresswoman because the House GOP conference successfully resisted her plan to stab in the back the conference members, one by one.
Another added gibe at the House GOP from Stephens dismissed the entire group at large as a "Republican clown show."
By his vile comments, Stephens supports the notion that no one exceeds in venom the attacks of an apostate against the community he has deserted.
Behold, then the gift of Stephens to punditry: The Rancid Remarks of a Political Apostate.
No doubt, venom of this tone will gladden the spirits of the disgruntled, derisive, defiant "elites." But when does the bombast of bitterness ever lead to calm, rational, persuasive discussion?
There is, however, a lesson to be discerned for Republicans, from this latest example of political hate speech, from Stephens: The attacks from the totalitarians on Donald J. Trump encompass all who do not march in lockstep with the haters. Indeed, Mr. Biden made this quite clear, the evening of Sept. 1, 2022, when, in Philadelphia, he ranted: "Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic."
"Moderate" Republicans ignore the rancid declamations from the totalitarians to our peril.
Image: Adam Jones, via Flickr // CC BY 2.0
