Kevin D. Williamson
"The Divine Right of the Democratic Party"
"Some progressives do not think we have two legitimate competing political camps. They think the U.S. is suffering from an infection: the Republican party."
National Review, September 11, 2019
https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/09/democrats-dream-of-nation-without-republicans/
Williamson develops a counterattack in this piece to Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times, who has expressed desires to see the Republican Party disintegrate. Rather than defending the GOP itself, however, Williamson takes a broader approach and seeks to defend the American public. He does not praise the Republican Party, and in fact, he describes it in a rather unflattering manner, and so he looks instead at the successes of the Republican Party and how conservative America has influenced them. He claims that it is not Republicans who have gained success and that the Democrats and progressives despise, it is the collective conservative American public that is behind the flipside of polarized politics. No matter the party that represents them in the future, Williamson states, an attack on America's conservative interests in society will not be a matter of partisan discourse, but rather it will manifest itself as a disdain for political opposition.
While Williamson fails to discuss the relevance of political civility in this piece--and one could argue that he does little more than only further disgrace it--he nevertheless utilizes strong argumentary tools to formulate a compelling essay. In a (positive) turn of events, he is able to reference real statistical data and relevant current events as primary pieces of support in a surprisingly coherent fashion. However, it is important to note that the tone of the essay is all-too-familiar in the world of new-age journalism. The apparent exigence for this piece is not one that feels particularly mature, nor is this column as a whole seemingly relevant or helpful in discussing politics in any professional manner. Still, for casual readers, it is an interesting (but perhaps redundant, for some) opinion on the hidden implications of partisan-fueled and politically-dishonorable American journalism.
National Review, September 11, 2019
https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/09/democrats-dream-of-nation-without-republicans/
Williamson develops a counterattack in this piece to Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times, who has expressed desires to see the Republican Party disintegrate. Rather than defending the GOP itself, however, Williamson takes a broader approach and seeks to defend the American public. He does not praise the Republican Party, and in fact, he describes it in a rather unflattering manner, and so he looks instead at the successes of the Republican Party and how conservative America has influenced them. He claims that it is not Republicans who have gained success and that the Democrats and progressives despise, it is the collective conservative American public that is behind the flipside of polarized politics. No matter the party that represents them in the future, Williamson states, an attack on America's conservative interests in society will not be a matter of partisan discourse, but rather it will manifest itself as a disdain for political opposition.
While Williamson fails to discuss the relevance of political civility in this piece--and one could argue that he does little more than only further disgrace it--he nevertheless utilizes strong argumentary tools to formulate a compelling essay. In a (positive) turn of events, he is able to reference real statistical data and relevant current events as primary pieces of support in a surprisingly coherent fashion. However, it is important to note that the tone of the essay is all-too-familiar in the world of new-age journalism. The apparent exigence for this piece is not one that feels particularly mature, nor is this column as a whole seemingly relevant or helpful in discussing politics in any professional manner. Still, for casual readers, it is an interesting (but perhaps redundant, for some) opinion on the hidden implications of partisan-fueled and politically-dishonorable American journalism.
The takeaway here is that the author interprets media attacks on the GOP as attacks on conservative ideals. I can agree that the vast majority of media certainly do not promote conservative values, and while Goldberg is obviously far from right-leaning herself, it may be a bit of a stretch to say that her apparent desire to eliminate a Republican presence in national politics is, at its core, an attack on all conservatives. I suppose that there is no such thing as a "stretch" for most journalists, however, as they need a source of financial income too. No matter your politics, it should be obvious that both major parties have developed deep disconnections with the average voter, and ideology is starting to blind reason in all branches of our government. Oftentimes, I find myself criticizing the GOP more than the DNC, not always because of my politics, but usually instead because of how they present themselves. Perhaps this is also because of my political bias, as I naturally must hold significantly higher standards for those who are supposed to represent my own interest group and what I perceive to be as a more moral and righteous political theory in this government. If you claim to promote "free thinking" in society, then don't let these ignorant institutions dictate your own thoughts.
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