Playing the Nasty Card, by Murdock “Doc” Gibbs

A New Visions Commentary paper published December 2000 by The National Center
for Public Policy Research, 501 Capitol Ct., N.E., Washington, DC 20002, 202/543-4110, Fax 202-543-5975, E-Mail [email protected], Web
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A grade school teacher once told me bullies fight because they have a poor vocabulary. She said they express their anger with their fists – lashing out and hurting people – because they don’t know how to express themselves any other way.

Watching the tactics and behavior of spin-doctors, lawyers and other operatives during the recent election deadlock, I think we’ve seen bullies in action. Like the schoolyard bullies of my youth, modern political bullies forget about fair play, decorum, honesty and civility. They attack when they can’t defend their ideas honorably, logically and lawfully. Their first line of defense is to "be offensive," and their mantra appears to be win – quoting from Malcolm X – "by any means necessary."

Even before the Florida stalemate, who could forget liberal actor Alec Baldwin’s rabid rant on Conan O’Brien’s late night show, when he called for the murder of Congressman Henry Hyde (R-IL) and his family and the house managers of President Clinton’s impeachment?

Black writers cut down George W. Bush’s very bright and capable international affairs counselor, Condoleezza Rice – a woman who just happens to be African-American. They call her a "house n-ger," uppity and bourgeois. They say she is cut out of the same odious fabric as Supreme Court Justice Clarence (they add Uncle) Thomas.

I have watched and heard Vice President Gore’s lieutenants compare Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris to a Russian commissar – a Communist dictator! Several Gore lawyers also rattled off "talking points" of personal destruction, saying Harris couldn’t be trusted and she is "a partisan Republican Party hack" and a "crook."

Jesse Jackson insinuated the Bush brothers are racist, particularly because of George W.’s stand on hate crimes legislation and Jeb’s opposition to affirmative action set-asides.

If liberals don’t agree with somebody, they pull out the Nasty Card. It’s like, "Hey, if I call you a name, I don’t have to listen to you." It, in essence, nullifies people being taken seriously. It bullies them into becoming a "non-entity." Rather than discuss things, just say someone is "a racist" or "doesn’t care about the disenfranchised" or is "an enemy of the will of the people."

I’ve heard it said that, in a debate, the first one who starts shouting loses. The Democrats are doing a lot of shouting right now.

And when did Jesse Jackson become the only voice representing black people in this country? Jesse gives the marching orders and an army of liberal sycophants steps in line, creating those choice photogenic moments of agitation. Let’s hear from Ezola Foster, Reform Party presidential candidate Pat Buchanan’s African-American running mate, instead. Star Parker of C.U.R.E. could give Jackson a run for his money. Dr. Walter Williams could also add thoughtful clarity to a political discussion. None of the major networks, however, seem to want to hear the other side of black America (with the exception of the Fox News Channel). Instead, the media have become partners in the process – the bully-enablers.

The most pathetic part of the whole Block-Bush-From-Winning-At-All-Costs fight has been that nobody in the Gore organization reins in mouthpieces that spew out invectives to a willing media. There was hardly a word of censure or criticism of such nasty behavior. Bill Maher, host of Politically Incorrect can tell his audience that the only people living in Florida are the Cubans, old people and rednecks. Martin Sheen can call George W. a "white-knuckled drunk" and an alcoholic because Bush didn’t commit himself into a treatment center in 1976. The NAACP can use the James Byrd murder tragedy as a reason to attack Bush for refusing to sign the hate crimes bill. On and on it goes, and none of the liberal leaders call these people to task, to back off or to just shut up.

The liberals refuse to rein in their attack dogs. As the rap song asks, "Who let the dogs out?" They let the dogs out, and stand by approvingly as their bully dogs tear at their opponents.

This constant trail of ruthless rhetoric, hateful hyperbole and nasty name-calling – when does it end?

When they win, it seems. Or when their opponents have become so disheartened, discredited and disillusioned that they’ve got no more fight left to defend themselves. In the future, remember Lesson 101 in liberal political battles: if you feel like you’re going to lose, play "The Nasty Card."



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