George Will, a conservative commentator with whom I rarely agree, actually hits one out of the ballpark today with his column, "The Christian Complex." I just hope that Jerry "Crybaby" Kilgore and Scott "Attack Tim Kaine's Religious Faith" Howell read the following lines from Will's column:
Some Christians should practice the magnanimity of the strong rather than cultivate the grievances of the weak. But many Christians are joining today's scramble for the status of victims. There is much lamentation about various "assaults" on "people of faith." Christians are indeed experiencing some petty insults and indignities concerning things such as restrictions on school Christmas observances. But their persecution complex is unbecoming because it is unrealistic.
Scramble for the status of victims? Persecution complex? Is George Will talking about "some Christians" or is he referring to the Kilgore campaign? It's tough to tell, because it applies so well to Jerry's constant whining about how mean ol' Tim Kaine is being so gosh darned nasty to him.
In particular, Kilgore has been claiming victimhood with regard to Kaine's supposed bigotry against his southwest Virginia accent. If this weren't so ridiculous, given that Tim Kaine is married to a woman from that exact part of the state, it would simply be hilarious. I mean, are we supposed to believe that Tim Kaine is bigoted against his own wife? Or maybe against his father-in-law, former Virginia governor Linwood Holton, a native of Big Stone Gap? Right...come to think of it, this IS hilarious!
Meanwhile, the conservative Democratic blog "Bull Moose" sums up the whole "Christian right wing as victims" idea as follows:
The right has become the mirror image of all they dislike about the left. Both the secular and the religious right kvetch about their victimization while they control at least two branches of government and their penetration of the media is thorough and growing. They are crybabies who patrol the halls of power.The left has an opening to both appeal to Republican moderates who are repulsed by the direction of their party and to the religiously observant who reject the leadership of the Dobsons, Falwells and Robertson's. The progressive approach should be as sophisticated and nuanced as Brooks' column.
Take back the pews! (Senator Obama, are you listening?)
"Crybabies who patrol the halls of power?" "Reject the leadership of the Dobsons, Falwells and Robertson's?" "Take back the pews?" We here at RaisingKaine couldn't agree more. The bottom line is this: it's high time for moderate Republicans and mainstream Christians to say "enough is enough." Enough to victimhood, and enough to the ultra-right-wing, "some Christians" faction which has attempted to hijack the formerly great "Party of Lincoln" (and of Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Barry Goldwater...).
Anyway, I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but at least for today I enthusiastically shout: "Go Get 'Em George Will!"