Comedy, Bill O’Reilly and the exposure of right-wing patriotism lies

Everything I wanted to say, not every thing, but most things, are said here in this report.  Some of the quotes are brilliant.

"In those pre-torture report days anyone who criticized the Bush administration was immediately accused of treason."

"Since when did asking questions become unpatriotic?

" Somehow, though, we live in an era when folks like Beck, O’Reilly and Hannity have cornered the market on patriotism."
"He reminded us that being critical can and should be a central feature of active citizenship."
 
"When the character goes to rest we will lose one of the most important figures in U.S. political comedy of all time."

Enjoy the piece
Mike Ghouse
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The comedian's hyper-patriotic persona was the key to parodying blathering know-nothings like Fox's Bill O'Reilly

SOPHIA A. MCCLENNEN 
Courtesy Salon.com 

Stephen Colbert, Bill O'Reilly (Credit: Reuters/Mike Blake/AP/Mark J. Terrill)

As we enter the final days of “The Colbert Report” there is much speculation about what will come next for the comedian when he goes on to host “The Late Show.”  One of the most important shifts for Stephen Colbert will be that he will no longer be performing in character as a parody of a right-wing bloviating pundit.  While that shift might signal a welcome opportunity for greater creative license for Colbert, it’s worth remembering the unique features of Colbert’s character we will soon be losing — features that include Colbert’s special brand of patriotism.

Consider this: When Colbert first launched his new show as a spinoff from “The Daily Show” our nation was awash in the culture of fear that followed the attacks of 9/11.  In those pre-torture report days anyone who criticized the Bush administration was immediately accused of treason.  Those who thought the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were ill-conceived and immoral, who staunchly opposed torture, and who believed our nation depended on an active, inquisitive and critical citizenry were silenced.  In those days it was common to hear of journalists and professors losing their jobs because they had dared to question the administration and ask more of the media.

That was the atmosphere when Colbert took the stage in 2006 to roast President Bush to his face at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Standing only a few feet away from the president, Colbert dealt a scathing blow to the hubris of the administration and the docile media that covered it.  The moment was a real watershed in our nation’s history, because it was the only time in the entire eight years of the Bush administration that anyone had directly critiqued Bush in such detail to his face.

How’d he get away with it? Well, one way he did it was by being a comedian. Behind the mask of satire Colbert was able to impersonate a Bush-loving pundit. He wasn’t disagreeing with anything Bush did — he was exaggerating his enthusiasm.  He was out-Bushing Bush. As he liked to put it: “George Bush: Great president or greatest president?”  Thus one of his favorite ploys was to play the role of the uber-patriot.  Colbert wasn’t going to let Bush and his cronies dictate what it meant to love your country: He was going to outdo them.

Now the right has controlled the idea of patriotism for so long that it is easy to forget that there is no logical reason to think that Rachel Maddow loves her country any less than Glenn Beck.  Since when did asking questions become unpatriotic? When did bursting into tears mean you care? Wasn’t our nation founded by rebels sick of an oligarchy? Somehow, though, we live in an era when folks like Beck, O’Reilly and Hannity have cornered the market on patriotism.

Geoffrey Nunberg reminds us that the right has specifically attacked the patriotism of the left for decades.  And, he notes, the attacks have largely worked.  Ask yourself if the phrase “liberal values” seems weird when compared to “conservative values.” It does, doesn’t it? Nunberg explains that that weirdness is not because the left has no values; it is because the right specifically fought to control the idea of America. Somehow along the way questioning the right became equivalent to questioning your nation.

And that’s where Colbert and his character come in.  Bolstered by the satire of Jon Stewart, whose “America: The Book” served to offer another view of what it means to be American, Colbert developed a character who was ready to reclaim American values for those who think critically.

Entering the conservative pundit fray, Colbert created a show that consistently painted him as hyper-patriotic.  As I explain in “Colbert’s America“ and in “Is Satire Saving Our Nation?,” one of the unique features of Colbert’s satire has been the way he defined his character as an American patriot. From the red, white and blue theme of his set to his two books — “I Am America (And So Can You!)” and “America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t” — Colbert’s character was deeply tied to the idea that it was time to fight to redefine what it means to be patriotic. Colbert’s books were a direct spoof of pundit books like Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing Patton,” “Killing Kennedy” and “Killing Lincoln.”  Colbert showed us that not only had we taken for granted the idea that the right defined patriotism, but we had also lost our own language of national values.  He reminded us that being critical can and should be a central feature of active citizenship.

Listen to any right-wing pundit’s show and you will note that it is not possible for any of them to do a segment without suggesting that they are the true patriots and that, by association, the more their audience loves them, the more they love their country. In response Colbert encouraged his fans to be the Colbert Nation. This meant that he could address his fans saying, “Now, Nation …” in a fun pun that could mean his fans or could mean the country as a whole. While adoring their pundit leader, Colbert’s fans could also benefit from the critical thinking offered by satire and by political comedy.  For the first time in decades we had a comedian critiquing the right and suggesting that such critique was the highest form of patriotism. Finally we had someone remind us that you could care about your nation and simultaneously find American exceptionalism disturbing. Colbert showed us that we are the ones that define our national identity and that it was time to get into the game.

All of this was on display when Colbert shot one of his final episodes in Washington, D.C., with special guest President Obama.  The special episode opened with a sequence depicting portraits of famous presidents — except all of them had had Colbert’s face superimposed on them.  He reminded viewers of his many interventions into U.S. politics: his rally on the National Mall with Jon Stewart in 2010; his run for president; his super PAC; his ongoing series “Better Know a District” and more. And then he did the most patriotic thing of all: He let Obama deliver a modified “The Word” segment – dubbed this time “The Decree” –where Obama playfully responded to critiques of the Affordable Care Act and encouraged the young audience to exercise their right to healthcare.

While we can console ourselves with the satirical brilliance of John Oliver on his HBO show, with Jon Stewart’s continuing tenure as host of “The Daily Show,” and with Larry Wilmore’s upcoming “The Nightly Show,” the fact remains that none of them will ever use satire to reclaim America for progressives like Colbert’s character did. When the character goes to rest we will lose one of the most important figures in U.S. political comedy of all time. With a boyish grin and a twinkle in his eye, Colbert reminded us that we are all patriotic when we ask more of our nation, when we refuse the status quo, when we favor truth over hyperbole, and when we remain committed to fighting for our values.

Sophia A. McClennen is Professor of International Affairs and Comparative Literature at the Pennsylvania State University. She writes on the intersections between culture, politics, and society. Her latest book, co-authored with Remy M. Maisel, is, Is Satire Saving Our Nation? Mockery and American Politics.

MORE SOPHIA A. MCCLENNEN.

Obamacare Is Good for America, Time for Republicans to Realize It

Huffington Post - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/obama-care-is-good-for-am_b_4082498.html

I am a moderate Republican, and am here to tell you, that neither I, nor the Republicans or the Americans gave permission to Ted Cruz to turn the nation upside down, we cannot break the rules and do what we please. You and I are safe today, and our government remains a model of stability to the world because we are a nation of laws. We have systems to follow, a due process to hang on to, and rules to obey.
This act cannot be approved by conservative Republicans either, who prefer stability over chaos, and are disciplined enough to follow a system. That is how democracies work.



Ted Cruz sounds like a class room bully who frightens the kids and gets away with it. He is indeed excess baggage of the Republican Party that can be done with. Can the Senate or the president fire him? The answer is obviously no, because we have a due process to do everything, and it is embarrassing that the Republicans got bullied by him, and even the conservatives threw the system of due process out the door. It is not good for the country, it brings chaos.

Shame on me and fellow Texas Republicans for voting him in, but 2018 is not too far, we will do the right thing, but do it respectfully obeying the law of the land.

The prime responsibility of Government is to protect her citizens from external and internal enemies -- the external being other nations attacking us, and we need not worry, we have got the best defense forces in the world. However, we are not defending millions of Americans with our #1 internal enemy; disease, which is crippling productivity of Americans from contributing to the greatness of America.

My fellow Republican need to understand that a healthy America makes us a productive Americans, the health care is an investment in human capital, and not a charity or subsidy. A corporation would rather have productive employees than the ones who get sick frequently and lower its productivity. It behooves for us to invest in the health care, even it were totally paid for by our taxes. Healthy Americans makes a healthy America.

The Affordable Care Act is not a political issue. It is neither Republican nor Democratic, it is an American issue, and it has two dimensions; legal and human.

It is illegal to drive on the wrong side of the road, it is illegal to go 40 MPH in a school zone during the school hours and it is illegal to rob the bank at gun point. It is illegal to bust onto Capitol Hill and stop their proceedings; it is illegal to stop the congressman from doing his duty if we don't like him or her. It is illegal to mess with the established systems.

The Affordable Care Act was passed by the Congress, the Senate and signed by the president and ratified by the Supreme Court. It is a shame that few of the Republicans to claim that no Republican voted for it, that is gross disrespect to our system. We honor all the legislations passed by the elected representatives. This is a dishonorable act on the part of the few and illegal. Shouldn't there be consequences for breaking the law? Shouldn't I be arrested if I block Ted Cruz from entering his office and doing his job just because I don't like him?

The human side of the equation is inhuman, that these nuts continue to be rewarded with a paycheck, and deny the same to 2 million federal workers. I was listening to NPR, some congresswoman said, she has got to have her paycheck because her son goes to college, what about the 2 million Americans, and don't they have kids? Why should you be bloody special?

Then my own story -- I could not afford the expensive health insurance, and was hit by a massive heart attack on July 9 this year and will be indebted for life to pay those bills. Then they say I needed a Quad-pass surgery and I was tense, and did not want to get into debt, no one would sell me the insurance. Thank God for the affordable health care, my wife found me the company to insure me with the pre-existing conditions. I am paying $380/month compared to $800 quotes I had received before. There are millions of Americans out there who can't even afford that. 

What Republicans need is an education in business besides basic biology and mathematics. We need to understand that the economy expands with volume and brings prosperity to everyone. If we make insurance affordable, the enrollment volume will pay for it, there is more money in the piggy bank to even out with the consumption. Then of course, a healthy America is good for the economy, good for business and good for the American spirit.

Video on Youtube

I urge my fellow Republicans and Americans to call on the Congress and demand to reopen the government. I have sent faxes and published the same. Please remember evil exists not because of men like Ted Cruz, but because of men and women like you and I, who do nothing. What are we afraid of doing the right thing? Please pick up the phone and make the call to your representative. You can find his or her number at here.
Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day

Ted Cruz On Latino Vote: Republicans Need To 'Do Better'

I voted for Ted Cruz and I am glad he makes this statement, "If that happens, no Republican will ever again win the White House." if Republicans do not include.  More sane voices will emerge. Mike Ghouse

Courtesy : Huffington Post

Less than a week after he was elected to the U.S. Senate, Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was candid about the GOP's troubles courting Latino voters.

In an interview with The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza, Cruz opened up about concerns in some of the nation's largest states, headed by Texas.

“If Republicans do not do better in the Hispanic community, in a few short years Republicans will no longer be the majority party in our state," he said.

Cruz added that losing a state like Texas, which carried 38 electoral votes in 2012, would hold national implications.

“If that happens, no Republican will ever again win the White House," he said. "New York and California are for the foreseeable future unalterably Democrat. If Texas turns bright blue, the Electoral College math is simple. We won’t be talking about Ohio, we won’t be talking about Florida or Virginia, because it won’t matter. If Texas is bright blue, you can’t get to two-seventy electoral votes. The Republican Party would cease to exist. We would become like the Whig Party."

Cruz' words paralleled those of Mitt Romney adviser Carlos Gutierrez, who said on Sunday that Latinos were "scared of the Republican party." The former Commerce Secretary attributed that fear to the presidential primary process, which he said forces candidates "to say outrageous things."

President Barack Obama was reelected last Tuesday with the help of near-record levels of Latino support. Various polls found the incumbent Democrat securing more than 70 percent of that voting bloc.