Rise of the Uncouth: Joe Wilson, Van Jones, Kanye West

Victor Davis Hanson comments on the increasing coarseness of public discourse in America. Lots of conservatives were embarrassed by Joe Wilson's outburst during the President's speech, for which he has been censured. But lots of people also expressed some emotions of which they were not particularly proud: This was a little bit of payback. And in the short term, it was successful for Mr. Wilson. The Democrats were forced to change their bill (because what the President said was not exactly true), and Wilson raised a lot of money for his next campaign. Still, the Republican members of Congress displayed more respect during this speech (in which there were also other inaccuracies) than Democrats showed to Bush during similar speeches.

Interestingly, the public is also now turning against some of the hate tactics of the Left like reflexive charges or (in the case of Maureen Dowd) fantasies of racism.

Back in the spring, there was a big debate on the PajamasMedia site about whether conservatives should use the liberals' dirty tactics against them now that the liberals had all the power. There were many persuasive arguments in both directions.

I tend to agreed with VDH's position:

The solution, of course, is for the majority to simply say enough is enough, and declare a personal code of decency: “I will not stoop to smear and slur, won’t interrupt a speaker, won’t call anyone a Nazi, won’t do to others what they’ve done to me.” Only that sort of code will end the craziness.

In the short-term it is a losing political formula for conservatives, but in the long term it is the only way to restore sanity and a winning strategy. The New York Times is moribund for reasons other than the Internet. Most (I have not bought a copy in 5 years) won’t read it because of the vitriol of a Maureen Dowd or Frank Rich, and the crass editorials disguised as news accounts on the front page. Obama’s ratings have dived because of the Gates mess, Van Jones, and the Chicago political style. Even Oprah is having problems, once America’s sweetheart went out in a fury on the campaign trail, and used her stature to play on identity politics.

No one needs to become Pollyanna or shocked at occasional tough hits (I’ve been booed and shouted down at a few public lectures by mostly middle-class students parading as “the people” on the barricades), but instead simply refrain from calling your enemy a Nazi or screaming at an official in the middle of a speech, or, like Maureen Dowd, dreaming of kicking Dick Cheney at a reception. The point is not to ostracize or point fingers at others in moralistic fashion, but just simply say, “That’s not my way.”

Otherwise?

Otherwise, we won’t have a tennis match, an awards ceremony, a Presidential speech, a congressional debate—much of anything without some hysterical rant from the unhinged. (emphasis mine).

Lots of interesting viewpoints in the comments.