Just finished watching the president’s rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was on fire. The guy is a natural. His phrasing and timing, especially comedically, are superb. It’s like watching a Queens master of Borscht Belt shtick. Even the expletive worked for surprise and emphasis, which is the proper rare use of an expletive.
His speech told of a resurgent America proud of its past and optimistic about its future. Not since Ronald Reagan has any politician communicated this effectively with the American public.
And then, there’s the other guys.
Yesterday former Attorney General Eric Holder, in commenting upon the president’s trademark slogan, opined “Exactly when did you think America was great?” He follows New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who said, “America was never that great.”
These men are, as has been said, “the political equivalent of the house wine at a suburban Indian restaurant.”
Raised to the pinnacle of American success, not only do they not appreciate the nation that put them there, but actively dislike it, if not detest it. The duo are the kind of people who comprise the leadership of the Democratic Party today. We also recall Michelle Obama sharing with us in 2008 that she was not proud of America, during her adult life, until her husband was elected president.
These are not mere policy differences with some of our political rivals. Their feelings for us go much deeper than that.
They believe the ideals of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution are not great. Neither the sacrifice of 300,000 American dead who rid the country of slavery. Saving the world from tyranny three times in a century? Nothing to be proud of. The moon landings and an economy that has made dreams come true for untold millions for over two centuries? Nope. Sucks.
Instead, they traffic in a hate addiction, a grievance industry. Their lens is filtered through decades of left-wing masochism that eschews the historical record for a cynical manipulation of the naive that makes despising America pay off for the left in a big way.
You’d think they’d move away to a place that better suits their ideologies, like Havana or Pyongyang. But that would deprive them of the succulent fruits of a system they loathe and seek to destroy. Nevertheless, toleration of their presence, though extremely distasteful, is the price of democracy.
So they’ll stay here and try to corrode our spirit from within; the very fact that Holder and Cuomo got to where they are shows their ilk is having success in that regard. Their inroads extend far into our culture and politics. Because of this there are those who think the Dems will triumph in the end, that we are running out of fight.
However, tonight’s rally shows that the battle still rages hot between the two parties, between two different tales of America.
It will not abate in our lifetimes.