A GLOWING MOMENT

A bright idea.

Chris Christie's War on Love

This great moment of Chris Christie's speech choked me up. (Not really.) But it signified an important Rubicon moment in Republican party strategy. Many missed his declaration of the War on Love. Follow closely:

The greatest lesson Mom ever taught me, though, was this one: she told me there would be times in your life when you have to choose between being loved and being respected. She said to always pick being respected, that love without respect was always fleeting — but that respect could grow into real, lasting love.

Now, of course, she was talking about women.

But I have learned over time that it applies just as much to leadership. In fact, I think that advice applies to America today more than ever.

I believe we have become paralyzed by our desire to be loved.

Our Founding Fathers had the wisdom to know that social acceptance and popularity is fleeting and that this country's principles needed to be rooted in strengths greater than the passions and emotions of the times.

Our leaders today have decided it is more important to be popular, to do what is easy and say "yes," rather than to say no when "no" is what's required.

In recent years, we as a country have too often chosen the same path.

It's been easy for our leaders to say not us, and not now, in taking on the tough issues. And we've stood silently by and let them get away with it.

But tonight, I say enough.

....

Tonight, we choose respect over love.

We are not afraid. We are taking our country back.

video at Politico

So, continuing last week's Republican theme of screwed up, twisted views of women, we have Christie saying "All right, Mom, I'll take your advice. Who cares if a woman loves me? What basis is love for a relationship anyway?" And he repeats this as some sort of wisdom of the ages. Jerk.

Then he transfers that sick idea to the politician's relationship with the entire country. Thus, "The people are my bitch, and I must pimp-slap them if they don't give me my money."

And so, the circle is complete! The Conservative mindset is revealed as the smokescreen blows away in the wind. This is a War on Love itself. Hell, according to Christie, even the vaunted founding fathers had no place in their hearts for such a trifling emotion, such piffle. They were as hard and cold as their chiseled stone statues. Forget that part in the Declaration of Independence about friendship with your enemy in peace, and while you're at it, burn their love letters home. No, the people must be hated, loathed, and abused. Severely.

This country needs a strong hand, according to this ideal of governing mouthed by the governor, and if leaders like he are hated and feared, that's the goal. Being loved, or doing something for people that causes you to be loved by them, why that's weakness and failure. Love itself is a sign of something gone terribly wrong, a country utterly lost. It must be stamped out. Specifically, he is saying, "We thrive on your hatred of us!"

And so, from the people who declared the Culture War, we now have the War on Love. Welcome to it.

PAUL RYAN AND THE ANTIGOVERNMENT CROWD

Dear Paul Ryan,

If you're so damn antigovernment, could you please stop running for higher and higher office? It makes you, dare I say, government.

The rest of the antigovernment crowd is always headed up by senators, congressmen, governors, and the like. These people are the government.

This should be obvious to anyone, but I feel it needs to be stated. The media seem never to point out this simple truth.

AT THE THRESHOLD OF LIFE