A reader at The Corner noticed something odd during a McCain forum at Columbia University:
Did you notice how McCain received absolutely NO applause when he talked about how Americans have shed blood around the globe in defense of freedom and should be commended for that? I thought to myself — is there not an audience at this event? The camera panned back and did reveal an audience. What kind of people don’t respond to such positive statements about the history of America?
A pretty sad commentary if you ask me.
Dr. Sanity has a transcript of the questioning, and adds this commentary:
I think this perfectly exemplifies what it has come down to in this country: a great number of Americans--mostly of the Democrat and brainwashed leftist persuasion--don’t think America is anything special. They live in the freest, best off, most productive, most generous country on the globe, and they don’t think that’s anything special.
Instead of being proud of their own country, they feel shame. Instead of seeing America as a “shining light on the hill” they believe it exemplifies all that is evil in the world. “No, no, no! Not God bless Amerika! God Damn Amerika!” And you wonder why the Reverend Wright saga didn’t take down the Obama campaign when far less incendiary comments have thoroughly destroyed previous presidential campaigns?
Good question.
I think a lot of it has to do with the sheer lust for power on the left. They want to be in charge of things, and if they think someone like Obama can bring them (or their party/ideology) that power they’re willing to overlook a twenty-year relationship with an America-damning pastor.
It’s a commentary on how America has changed over the last several decades. We’ve gone from a nation of people who just wanted to be left alone to pursue our happiness to a nation of whiners (yes, I said it and I mean it) enthralled by the bread and circuses of modern politics.
The circuses are the constant partisan slap fights and the infotainment reporters who cover them. The bread is the pork and entitlements every politician who gets elected promises.