Profiles in liberal hypocrisy

Meet Scott Lehigh – liberal columnist for the Boston Globe. It seems he, like many other elite lefties, has taken offense over the thousands of citizens across the country who have made it known at town halls in their communities that they do not support ObamaCare. They need to learn how to be more “civil,” he claims … but he has an interesting way of demonstrating so-called “civility.” In a column titled “When the kooks take the stage,” Lehigh scribbles (via Don Surber):

IT’S HARD TO SAY what’s more amusing, the wild-eyed rants at town hall meetings or the conservative attempts to portray those snarling sentiments as genuine mainstream anger about the president’s health care plans.

Some Republicans are gleeful in the hope that the testy town hall encounters will derail Obama’s signature initiative.

Question: Do they really think the country is dopey enough to mistake microwave mobs staging Potemkin Village protests as an accurate expression of true American opinion?

If so, they’re delusional.

Most people have a basic sense of civility. When asking a question of an elected official at a public meeting, they try to do so in a way that is intelligent and reasonably respectful rather than belligerent and boorish.

Not these crowds. The other night, listening to talk radio, I heard a learned political philosopher explain why: You simply can’t be expected to be civil when everywhere around you, tyranny is supplanting liberty in the land.

But alas for the conservative fringers, as a mode of communication, the angry, ill-informed, accusatory questions stop a wee bit short of being truly persuasive. I don’t know many people who say: β€œSee those agitated kooks making daffy charges? I want to be like them.’’

Well, sure, Glenn Beck. But not counting crazed right-wing media types, I mean.

[…]

All we’ve learned here is something we already knew: This nation never has to worry about suffering from a shortage of kooks, cranks, and ideologues.

Just don’t try to tell us they are level-headed, mainstream Americans.

Hmmm. When I looked up the word “civility” in the dictionary, here’s what I found:

1. courtesy; politeness.
2. a polite action or expression: an exchange of civilities.
3. Archaic. civilization; culture; good breeding.

Apparently, considering his use of the terms “kooks,” “cranks,” and “microwave mobs” (what the hell does that one mean, anyway?), Lehigh doesn’t know what the word “civility” means – wonder if he’s as clueless on the definition of the word “hypocrite,” which, frankly, suits him to a “t”?

As a side note, it’s hilarious how he went to great lengths to describe the alleged “Astroturfing” by conservatives, giving the issue a whole paragraph, while only giving a passing nod to liberal “Astroturfing“:

“Yes, I know that the White House has now ginned up its allies too, some of whom have been loud and aggressive.”

Gee – ya think?

Loser. (How’s that for “civility”?)

Cross-posted to Public Secrets, where I am guestblogging for Anthony this week.

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