The Washington Post wastes more opinion space by allowing Kathleen Parker to pontificate on the relative popularity of civility. Apparently, we’re no more uncivil than any other generation of Americans, but bloggers and social media make us seem so. What we need are more debate teams in our high schools. I kid you not.
Here’s a test. Tell me who is more civil:
Tom DeLay or Steny Hoyer.
Dick Cheney or Al Gore.
Sarah Palin or Joe Biden.
John McCain or Barack Obama.
Newt Gingrich or Nancy Pelosi.
The Tea Party Movement or Organizing for America.
I could go on. I could mention people like Catholic League president Bill Donohue, or Ricky ‘Man-on-Dog’ Santorum, or Reps. Joe Wilson, Steve King, and Michele Bachmann. I don’t think they’re giving out any prizes for civility to Sens. Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn. Unless you’re more interested in Civil War than civil discourse, I don’t think the secessionist-talking governor of Texas will be getting any gold stars. Is it civil to try to introduce legislation demanding to see the president’s birth certificate? This list could become pretty comprehensive.
Dick Lugar is civil. Olympia Snowe is civil. After that, the list of civil Republicans starts coming with caveats. What’s most lacking with Republicans isn’t even civility. It’s honesty. I can’t remember the last time I heard the Republicans issue honest talking points. Their default position is to lie. They lie about evolution and climate science and the budget and what is and is not in proposed legislation. They lie about the color of the sky. How can you have a civil debate with pathological liars? Why would you even try?