Why I Will Never Be a Tea Partier
I have recently realized why I find the Tea Party phenomenon so grating. I have always believed that conservatism means not only a certain set of political views but also (and perhaps even primarily) a certain disposition (and there’s a meaningful distinction between a “conservative” and a “man of the right”). Long before I was old enough to form any political opinions, I was already temperamentally and aesthetically conservative. So right from the start I felt at home in the conservative movement. On the other hand, besides my views on weighty issues like fiscal and foreign policy, there are plenty of other reasons why I could never become a liberal. I get nauseous whenever I catch a glimpse of Oprah. I loathe touchy-feelyness (especially of the “let’s do it for the children!” kind). I hate victimhood and whining. I despise the lefties who stage rowdy demonstrations and/or protest in silly costumes (e.g. dressed as polar bears). Having actually lived in a totalitarian society, I resent when anything outside the proper scope of politics (e.g. arts, entertainment, lifestyle choices, recreation, sex etc.) gets politicized. I detest ideological conformity and intolerance. I abhor demonizing the opponents and questioning their motives instead of addressing the substance of their arguments. I abominate any kind of class struggle, pitting one group against another, dividing America in two (as in my former senator’s “Two Americas” speech).
Conservatives are normally the exact opposite of the liberals on all these counts, and that’s precisely what made me feel comfortable among them. I like cold rational calculation and even a certain mean streak inherent in conservatism. I like a no-nonsense attitude and the vibe of maturity and adulthood. The thing I admire most about Dick Cheney is that he was one of just four House members who refused to join the stampede to ban mythical plastic guns which ostensibly cannot be detected by metal detectors and X-rays – but in fact cannot even exist since it is technically impossible to make a gun without any metal parts. My favorite conservative hero is, of course, Ronald Reagan, who was constantly called an amiable dunce and worse by the media but always remained cheerful and optimistic (as well as deadly effective in front of a camera) and kept telling self-deprecating jokes. I liked it that Bill Buckley was willing to debate just about anybody, since I believe any rational argument can and should be engaged on the merits, no matter how repugnant the argument’s proponent may be as a person (after all, proving in a court of law that David Irving’s historical claims were fraudulent had a much more devastating effect on him than repeated denunciations of him as a Hitler sympathizer).
But what have we witnessed lately? Glenn Beck acts like Oprah. A lot of conservative politics is driven by feelings – e.g. feelings that the country is not the same as it used to be. Recent rationalizations for O’Donnell’s nomination in Delaware often amounted to saying that it’s just so much fun to stick it to the establishment. Can somebody please tell me what exactly is the difference between purging a moderate Republican just because it feels good and, say, dramatically increasing education funding just because it feels good?! Sarah Palin and many others whine about their victimization by the media, the elites, the ruling class, etc. And we are supposed to trust that leaders who cannot defend themselves from Katie Couric can defend us all from nuclear-armed China, Russia, Iran and North Korea? Tea Party demonstrations often have a carnival look. Latte sipping, arugula eating, windsurfing and vacationing in Martha’s Vineyard are now political matters – for conservatives! Many political topics nowadays cannot even be mentioned on the right, while on many others there’s only one correct opinion. Anyone who disagrees with Sen. DeMint is not welcome in the Republican Party – even when the balance of power is at stake. It is not necessary to actually analyze President Obama’s policy proposals – it is much more important to figure out whether he has a Kenyan anti-colonial worldview and how many degrees of separation are between him and Saul Alinsky. “Elites” and “ruling class” are now dirty words for conservatives, and there are two kinds of Americans: real Americans and Democratic voters. People living on the coasts are not merely mistaken about some policy issues, but their very lifestyle is highly suspicious and vaguely un-American.
I’ve been suffering from this cognitive dissonance for quite a while now. Are we really sure that Palin et al. are not liberals in conservative clothing?