print“Ann Coulter could have easily dispatched of the ding-dong, as she did Keith Olbermann. A couple of masterful syllogisms mixed in with a few devastating facts, and that would be it. Alas, by denying Meghan McCain the satisfaction, Annie Orkin has left us with a pest-control problem.”
The excerpt is from “A Cow Is Born,” my latest WND column. You can catch it now on Taki’s Magazine, where the weekly column appears each Saturday. The current column is titled deliciously, “Media Discovers Woman Even Dumber Than John McCain.” Here’s more:
“… Just as you thought American pop-politics could go no lower, a woman with real curb appeal appears on the political scene. Meghan McCain might just be the greatest ditz to date to emerge from that big tent Republicans keep touting.
… Ms. McCain is not working with much—and is eminently qualified to dim debate in the Age of the Idiot. …
Yes, idiots have come into their own in a big way, courtesy of depraved consumers, and complicit TV producers and publishers, of pixel and paper alike. The duller you are and the louder you crow in contemporary America, the better you do. …
The housing house-of-cards was not the only ‘bubble in search of a pin’ in the modern-day USA. The intellectual bubble is also begging to be burst.
As for Republicans, if they don’t stop their love affair with idiots, it’s not a bigger tent they’ll be seeking, but a giant tin-foil hat.”
Read the complete column, “Media Discovers Woman Even Dumber Than John McCain,” now on Taki’s.
Update I (May 8): ABOUT THE WND TITLE. The original column came with an asterisk near the title and the following explanation and link:
*Title: “A Star Is Born” was a 1976 film starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, about a love affair between two rock stars; one a has-been, the other a wanna-be.
Ira, a reader (and BAB resident composer), was the only one to date who was familiar with the reference. I see that Free Republic has a lengthy thread about the title, asserting that the reference is to the heft of the heifer discussed.
An email to me would have clarified the matter, but, hey, this is the Age of the idiot. Complete knowledge is assumed. Conjecture soon morphs into assertion and certainty, and no one is the wiser. Curiosity can kill.
Incidentally, I owe the Age of the Idiot concept to my father, Rabbi Ben Isaacson. He truly captured the Zeitgeist with that one.
Update II: My dear WND editor added the original asterisked title explanation. I’ll have to avoid esoterica; it dates me. My editor at Taki’s simply chose to improve the title. Good call.
They should just recruit Britney Spears and get it over with.
Excellent column.
Nice work as always, Ilana. Thanks for doing this dirty work on our behalf.
It feels impolite and unkind to lampoon the stupid; however it must be done when they are held up to be ‘leaders’ or ‘spokespersons’, or worse, when they pretend to be political philosophers.
It needs to be done in this case. I was rather hoping after her first few appearances she would disappear into the memory hole, being unworthy of notice. I wish it were so, but apparently there is a total intellectual vacuum that will suck up anyone with a little peripheral name recognition potential. We can’t sit passively and let this kind of absurdity stand unchallenged. Thanks for doing it.
“So what if she is mediocre? There are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren’t they? We can’t have all Brandeises, Cardozos, and Frankfurters and stuff like that there.”
Who is Meghan McCain?
I see no problem with Meghan – a brain dead party needs brain dead spokespersons (hey- is she that much worse than Michael Steele??). The fundamental problem is that the Democratic party is a (relatively) honest socialist party while the Republican party’s government-expanding behavior does not match what passes for its “rhetoric”. Reading her columns on Aaron Shock and the Republicans don’t understand sex, it sounds like Meghan is in need of a stud (most likely a male version of a ditz). I think Levi Johnston is available.
It amazes me that these fools wish to embrace the “moderate” view. For some reason they think that is appealing to the voters. the reality is that if people want Democrats they will vote for them, and not Republicans who think that acting like Democrats is “cool”.
John McCain was from the Arlen Specter school of conservatism, why would his silly daughter be any different?
Who is holding up Meghan McCain and presenting her as a voice for the GOP anyway? The GOP, or their enemies?
Your new use of real political humor is terrific. Mort Sahl never told us he had a daughter too.
Drudge has always been foolish not to link you. Guess you need to move to Palm Beach — and get ripped at the Clevelander in S. Beach too! — with his good buddy Coulter to be in that group.
I think Meghan takes after her dad lol
Well written assessment of the bovine attributes of MM. Per chance if Coulter is not the choice for conservative leadership, thee is?
Scathing pith! Bravo!
[LOL. Conservatives don’t like people who buck the pary-line. I’m out.]
Esoterica? Please. Now if you had referenced the 1954 version (Judy Garland and James Mason) or the 1937 (Janet Gaynor and Frederick March), that would be esoteric.
Ilana,
My god, we’re doomed. Let’s hope she’s stillborn. In the immortal words of that great philosopher Rodney King, “Ca, ca, can’t we all just be moderate?” Where do we get these people?
This is exactly why I left the GOP some years ago. Every time they stand up for principles, they succeed. And as soon as they succeed, they go all wobbly and want to get along. They are afraid to lead — because they are afraid to be responsible for whatever happens, good or bad. They just want to keep their jobs. The Damnocrats have bigger game in their sights.
Very discouraging.
Steve Hayes
“My dear editor added the original asterisked title explanation. I’ll have to avoid esoterica; it dates me.”
Good grief! “A Star Is Born” is not esoterica. I knew that it referenced a movie, although I’m young and not great with pop culture trivia. Please consider the lack of recognition a sign of the Age of the Idiot.
[Thanks YOU]
Ilana,
“A cow is born” is yet another wonderful work.
I was moo-ved by your linguistic precision and utterly enjoy every word.
I am not surprised that the carcass that is the Republican Party would proudly herd yet another heifer into the spotlight with the intent of spreading its deadly hoof and mouth disease, especially when Meghan’s father is so full-ah-bull.
Rex C.
[Brilliant letter; hope to see more of your wit on the blog.]
Well, gag me with a spoon. Frank Zappa’s Valley Girl lives as a writer. At least that’s the tone of the articles by Ms. McCain, I caught. Since Mr. Zappa was a die hard Libertarian and Ms. McCain appears to be a Neo, I’m not sure “conservative” fits since I gather she was speaking of how the party should change to fit the current political fashion show, rather than stand up for principles. ie all things for all things hip, I guess. She’ll fit in with all the other ‘entertainment tonight’ guests.
It’s kinda evil to call her a cow… but I like it.
“The Masses”
[If my bit of satire is “evil,” G-d knows what you’d call the mass murders she and “McMussolini“ senior advocate as a matter of policy.]