Rank Hypocrisy

“Hypocrisy is a sort of homage that vice pays to virtue.” So said François de La Rochefoucauld. And this familiar saying has been no better illustrated of late than in the reaction of the Democratic Party to the Weiner affair. What no one – not even Republicans – seems willing to point out is that Weiner's escapades are not considered intrinsically wrong by Democrats/liberals -- no, not in the slightest. Tacky, maybe – a bit silly... but, really, just harmless fun. An expression of joi de vivre, of “healthy sexuality”. (I would have said “manliness”, but that has unfortunate political implications and is psychologically threatening to liberals of all genders.) So when Nancy Pelosi, in her usual namby-pamby way, starts oozing words like “with the love of his family, the confidence of his constituents and the need for help... Congressman Weiner should resign from the Congress” -- she's not talking about his welfare in the slightest, or that of his family or even his constituents. What's she's doing is trying to cover Democrat butt (including her own) in the next election. And of course, Obama has piled on as well, as have the media. The only party we haven't heard from is Weiner's wife, who is not only expecting but also works for Hillary Clinton – now there's a level of job conflict and stress that I haven't seen in years!

And, according to an AP article, “Weiner... has sought treatment at an undisclosed location...” Yeah, I'll bet. I don't think he's having a sit-down with an Evangelical “counselor” in order to gin up some contrition for his crimes against good taste. I doubt if he sees anything wrong with what he did either – it's just those hicks, ignoramuses, and “haters” out in flyover country that get up in arms about these things, and... not even his own constituents! They're totally chill about the whole thing. But those cowardly Democratic colleagues of his are afraid his antics are going to poison the well with some of their less-enlightened constituents. So because of what a bunch of knuckle-draggers out in the sticks might think, and how that might affect other Democrats (but not him!), he has to resign. There's just no justice.

The Republicans, at least, can look upon all of this with subdued glee, since they are a bit more likely to hold to the same standards of conduct as their constituents. I say “a bit more”, since the Republicans are a fallible lot, to be sure – but their hypocrisy is of a different sort. For them, it's more of a personal matter – preach one set of values, do something else on occasion, and when caught express more or less sincere contrition. But one never gets the impression that the Republicans are “Swedes ruling a nation of Indians” -- which is the impression the Democrats give every time. The Democrats truly despise many, if not most, of the people whom they are supposed to represent – a fact that should trouble the voters much more than it seems to. At least when Mr. & Mrs. Average American vote for the typical Republican, they are voting for someone who seems to share their core values, and who acts accordingly most of the time – whereas when they vote for a Democrat, they are voting for an opponent in the culture wars, who would like nothing more than to annihilate their values... and them as well, if need be.