One thing is certain – we live in a debased era when it comes to wisecracks. No Groucho Marxes or Dorothy Parkers remotely in sight. I was reminded of that when I heard-read-saw (how could you miss it?) Ann Coulter’s comment at CPAC yesterday, calling or semi-calling John Edwards “a faggot.”
That tasteless and dimwitted joke had nothing to do with Edwards and everything to do with Ann. She, not the candidates, had to be the story from CPAC. Just like the kid in the back of the classroom climbing over her seat and frantically waving her hand – “Call on me! Call on me!” – she just couldn’t stand not to be the center of attention.
Of course, Ann makes a pile of money off that pathology – a circumstance that does not encourage her to reform. In our media culture, subtlety is, to say the least, not rewarded. Speaking of which her semblable, Howard Dean (“Me! Me! Call on me!”), has now jumped into the fray, demanding the Republican candidates denounce Coulter’s remarks. But which ones does he mean anyway? The major candidates like Giuliani, McCain and Romney or the string of also-rans running all the way down the page at one or two percent as well? This might be a good opportunity for someone like Mike Huckabee to get up there with the big boys by making the first denunciation. And what about unannounced potential candidates like Gingrich? Is it fair to ask him to formally denounce Coulter when he’s not in the race. Come on, Howard, you’ve got to be fair – you have to make this clear. And just think – this will give you another chance to hold a press conference … Me! Me! Me!…. And then we can have Coulter responding … And Al Franken …. what a wonderful, enlightening world.
UPDATE: Btw, the Democrats should love Ann Coulter. Nearly every time she opens her mouth, she helps them get elected.
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