Andrew Hagen

In one of the weirder moments of the presidential campaign thus far, Howard Dean has called himself “metrosexual,” according to the Denver Post. (*) The exact quotation is not provided by the Colorado newspaper’s web site, but it appears he was attempting to burnish his image as the candidate most favorable to alternative sexualities. Dean said he was for “‘equal justice’ for gay and lesbian couples.” It should be noted that “equal justice” is a troubling compound. Is he saying that in other cases, there should be unequal justice? Justice is supposed to be, if nothing else, equal.

The word metrosexual is an unfortunate neologism of recent vintage. (†) (‡)

It is not merely Dean’s language that is so troublesome, however. Dean’s comment adds evidence to the already convincing case that the former Vermont governor’s character is explosive, out-of-control, and convulsive. The comment will be used by comedians and satirists. It proves that Dean is his own worst enemy.

Update: 12 December 2003. Linked by A Horse Is a Horse. (§)

Conservative Democrat and retiring Georgia Senator Zell Miller will endorse George W. Bush in the 2004 election, according to Fred Barnes. (*) This is a particularly poignant development that highlights the foundering nature of the Democratic Party today. Miller has raised the question that the primary season vitriol and rhetoric of the nine Democratic presidential contenders may preclude broad-based support for the nominee in the national election. (†)

Miller’s book, A National Party No More (‡), will be in bookstores soon. It is described as a stinging rebuke to the Democratic Party which he served loyally for six decades.

I was recently told by a wise person, “If you vote, you take part.” That sums up a lot, especially when you consider that just 51.3% of Americans voted in 2000, the last US presidential election. (*) There are 369 days until the next one, November 2nd, 2004.

According to Roger L. Simon (*) ESPN has fired Gregg Easterbrook, a columnist who wrote “Tuesday Morning Quarterback” (TMQ) for ESPN’s web site, espn.com. Easterbrook had published a web log to the web site of the New Republic in his capacity as columnist and blogger for that magazine (†) that had been criticized by, among others, Roger L. Simon for anti-Semitic content. (‡) Easterbrook apologized and took back his remarks. (§) Simon has called ESPN’s firing of Easterbrook an overreaction. (**) Previously, Easterbrook took TMQ from Slate to ESPN’s web site, and perhaps could take TMQ somewhere else again. That is, however, not the point.

Easterbrook did step over the line. In the web log—a movie review—he charged that certain Hollywood executives were producing movies that portrayed too much violence for the sake of money, and in light of their Jewish ethnicity, considering the violence of the Holocaust, they should be especially ashamed. Obviously, that is a deeply idiotic statement and is troubling from the standpoint of anti-Semitism. As Easterbrook stated in his apology, the Jewishness of certain Hollywood executives has nothing to do with the charge that certain movies portray too much violence.

I would have liked to see a more introspective, self-questioning statement, but he did apologize. There is nothing of which I am aware that would lead me to think he has some recurring problem in this area. Now that Easterbrook has apologized, that should be the end of the controversy.

ESPN has, however, a large investment in being the “World’s Leader in Sports” and it cannot afford to be subjected to sustained criticism for racism or anti-Semitism. In light of the resignation of Rush Limbaugh (††) after Limbaugh commented on air about the race of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, ESPN may perceive that it has no margin remaining. That would be unfortunate, as Easterbrook is an excellent columnist for ESPN’s web site, and he apologized and took back for his troubling statement.

In my opinion, Limbaugh may have purposefully made his controversial remarks on ESPN so that he could leave ESPN’s employment prior to being checked into the 30–day treatment program for his painkiller addiction. (‡‡) Easterbrook shouldn’t pay for Limbaugh’s drug problem. It is not particularly relevant to Easterbrook whether Limbaugh should have been fired or not. Another, separate difference between Limbaugh and Easterbrook is that Limbaugh did not apologize, and Easterbrook did.

Is our culture really so fragile that we must never forgive anyone for this sort of mistake? If Easterbrook cannot be forgiven his off-the-cuff remarks made on a blog, it will only tend to stifle debate and discussion that must be engaged in one way or another. It is better to let these things play out in light of day, where exposure to truth will separate the truly nasty and despicable statements, like those of Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia (§§), from the ones that are honest mistakes, duly apologized for, like Easterbrook’s.

It may be safe for ESPN to fire Easterbrook, but his firing would be far more damaging to our society than the anti-Semitic content of his remarks. ESPN should not fire Easterbrook, and Easterbrook should take a long, hard look inside himself.

TMQ was part of ESPN’s “Page 2″ feature. Feedback can be directed to ESPN. (***)

Update: 30 October 2003: Charles Krauthammer opines on the subject. (†††)

Update: 13 November 2003: TMQ has a new home. (‡‡‡)

It is a report not yet confirmed. I don’t like to put unconfirmed reports on this site, but the media has been burying important facts, and thus I feel this needs extra attention. In particular, it is not well known that Al Qaeda did exist on Iraqi soil prior to the invasion. The Ansar Al-Islam branch of Al Qaeda maintained an open and notorious base in Iraq. Saddam allowed the base to exist on Iraqi territory, thus making Iraq a haven for Al Qaeda.

This report makes allegations beyond that. (*) First reported in the newly free Iraqi press, the report states that Saddam Hussein personally ordered about 100 Al Qaeda operatives trained in terrorist methods in Iraq by Iraqis. The training took place about two months prior to 9/11. At least some operatives were trained in the hijacking of airplanes. At least some left Iraq after their training was complete.

The report does not say when their training was complete. It does not say whether the primary source for the report, an Iraqi, could visually identify any of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers from their photographs. The report could tie Saddam directly to 9/11.

It does say that many of these Al Qaeda operatives stayed in Iraq and fought US and allied forces during the invasion under orders of Saddam Hussein. Therefore, according to this report, there was an additional Saddam–Al Qaeda link prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Finally, the report is unconfirmed. The excerpt of the report translated by MEMRI is full of details, lending the article some credibility. We will have to wait to be sure, however.

Updated 8 March 2004 for clarity.

Columnist EJ Dionne observes that the Democratic Party is becoming the party of the educated upper middle class, illustrated by the California middle class’s antipathy for Gray Davis. (*) Unfortunately, the party that claims to disdain exclusivity is itself more and more the party by, for, and of the elite.

By a significant margin today, California voters have recalled their Democratic governor, Gray Davis, and chosen actor, body builder, and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger to replace him. (*) Schwarzenegger’s most famous role is in the Terminator movie series.

Hard-core Democratic Party loyalists are very upset. (†) They are looking for someone to blame. They should take note that 72% of voters, in an election that saw a large turnout, disapproved of Gray Davis’s performance as governor. Disappointment blurred into anger today as ballot rage swept the unpopular governor from office. The stunning Republican victories in November of 2002 (‡) combined with the recall now threaten to become a trend. Instead of reacting to the strong and unmistakable message sent by voters, the Democratic Party has been digging into its positions, even deeper than before. The party has not yet taken into account the maxim: when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

Originally, the Democratic Party brought together the interests of farmers and pioneers. In the 170 years since the inception of the modern party, during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the party has changed with the times and metamorphosed into what it is today: a coalition of trade unionists, environmentally-conscious voters, senior citizens, ethnic minorities, feminists, and gay rights voters. Democratic beltway insiders simply call them “the groups.”

One may debate the prudence that guides the policies and platforms that emerge from this coalition. Gray Davis, however, had bought into the patchwork message whole hog. He signed a bill that would intentionally provide driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. (§) In light of automatic voter registration for driver’s licensees, it appeared to be nothing more than a ploy to attract Hispanic votes while rendering citizenship meaningless and endangering homeland security. A hefty majority of Californians opposed the law. It was, however, utterly uncontroversial in routine Democratic Party politics. This practice of defiant political maneuvers that go contrary to the broader public’s wishes has become common for Democrats.

As times change, so political coalitions must change if a party is to hold a majority. If the Democratic Party of today still sought only the votes of farmers and pioneers, it would consign itself to minority party status. “The groups” cannot hope to bring together a consistent majority of voters. Their numbers compose a majority, but many members of the groups are no longer loyal to the party. Times have changed. Our country has been forced to enter into a long war on terrorism and the Islamic militants behind it. There is room for alternative opinions, but there is no room for defeatism. The old style social and economic programs do not work in a modern economy. The success of welfare reform—namely, lower poverty—is only the most striking example. In a society rocked by social upheaval, cultural coherency has become more important and libertinism less justified.

It is time to revamp the core platform of the Democratic Party. It is now the 21st century; an update is required. The core values of progressives should be reassessed, as they always should, but the ideas of human progress and freedom remain the same. In doing so, a new political coalition will naturally be formed.

For progressives, ideological retrenchment is not a road ahead, but a road block. Unfortunately for progressives, there are few of us who have gotten the message. Gray Davis is among those progressives who have refused to rethink, and today, for his arrogance, the Governor of California has been terminated.

Photo credit: Gray Davis web site, www.gray-davis.com.