Christopher Hitchens makes it know he is, um, a "bit displeased" at the selection of Governor Palin and her stunted views on scientific knowledge:
"This is what the Republican Party has done to us this year: It has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who despise science and learning are not anti-elitist. They are morally and intellectually slothful people who are secretly envious of the educated and the cultured. And those who prate of spiritual warfare and demons are not just "people of faith" but theocratic bullies. On Nov. 4, anyone who cares for the Constitution has a clear duty to repudiate this wickedness and stupidity."
Hitchens refers to this race towards the intellectual bottom as the "GOP ticket's appalling contempt for knowledge and learning."
Despite the Anti-Elite, we've still come a long way in terms of scientific advancement since God created the earth 6,000 years ago. Cut them some slack, Hitch.
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When the Palin selection was first made, Hitchens was of the "let's see what she does with this" school of thought. The "in what respect, Charlie" interview allowed him to dip his big toe in the warm waters of liberal outrage. By the Couric interviews, he had rolled up his trousers and was wading ankle deep in our restorative bath. Now, with the Ayers crap, the "thanks but no thanks" crap, the hostility to science, books and learnin' in general, Hitchens has jumped in over his head in the deep end of "are you shitting me" territory with her.
Still, watching Hitchens get waterboarded and cry like a wee girl after 5 seconds is some amazing stuff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LPubUCJv58
Hitch will be absolutely sloppy-hammered for the next 7 days. He may resort to talking about Palin's private parts by the weekend.
This is a watershed moment for Hitchens, or anyone with his thought process. Hitchens should be careful, because what he's wished so hard for may just occur... and what happens when the country is put firmly under the control of the ivory-tower elite if they then eff it up even worse? Does it destroy everything he's argued for - that we could make real progress in the world if we'd get rid of the fanatics and let the educated and pragmatic run things? His line of thinking will either be absolutely vindicated or utterly disproven.
Not necessarily. I'm not entirely confident that Obama is even going to get the chance. I think the right wing of the Republican party is going to unleash a relentless barrage of hate, vitriol and scandal-mongering on President Obama that will make their attacks on President Clinton look like a game of cribbage. He will not have a moment in office before they seek to destroy him. The Limbaughs and Hannitys and Coulters are creaming their panties right now over the prospects of launching attacks from before day one.
President Elect Obama, huh - not even waiting for November 4, Leon Lett?
Not saying it's a forgone conclusion by any means. I'm just saying that the hypothesis is flawed, because I don't think Hitchens will be given the chance to see whether his meritocracy hopes will come true, because even if, and it's still a big if, Obama wins, I think the radical right makes it absolutely impossible for him to do anything other than respond to baseless attacks.
Dems will not get a filibuster-proof majority, and the Republicans who are winning their elections handily, with the exception of Susan Collins of Maine, are the most conservative, most ideologically driven ones. I think they make things very very tough for Obama to do anything,if he wins, including judicial appointments.
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