Should Republicans Field More Fighting Politicians?
Did Paul Ryan come across as too wimpish in his debate with Joe Biden? After all, Biden was rude, provoking, disruptive, intimidating, and smirching.
Do either Romney or Ryan look like they could fight their way out of a paper bag?
“White boys” who don’t know how to fight always back down. On another level it’s called being “professional” in the way that generals on television never show emotion, nor do police in the street. Throw anything at them, and they’ll be cool, calculating, and without passion–just like a computer, in fact, but not very natural.
Most white Americans have a long middle-class history of backing down, eating crow, letting the bullies have their way. It can happen on the personal level–or in international politics. Mark Steyn has noted that men lost their masculinity after World War II: “But in the space of two generations, a bunch of tough hombres were transformed into a thoroughly feminized culture that prioritizes all the secondary impulses of society—welfare entitlements from cradle to grave—over all the primary ones…the post-war history of almost the entire developed world.”
But evening news shows often try to satisfy a lingering Walter Mitty instinct in our culture. It’s common to see men from different countries often mixing it up, acting more like men used to. “Fighting politicians in different countries” show some pictures that Western men hope they never have to descend to. But when politicians allow Biden-type taunting to go unchallenged, then that type of behavior is actually encouraged. We’ll see more of it. It’ll get worse.
Once abusive, uncivil political speech becomes “normalized,” then some countries facing extreme crises will actually cross the line to combative behavior. Greece is a good example, where austerity-denouncing leftists have taken politeness to mean weakness–Joe Biden racheted up a notch. One Greek politician saw no alternative but to throw water and then a punch (after he was attacked). The melee was caught on video. Many will long for pre-feminist times when protection for women was taken for granted.
Voters responded favorably when Newt Gingrich stood up to the inappropriate questioning of John King during the South Caroline debate. No one likes the proverbial “90 pound weakling.” There seems to be a yearning in America for tougher politicians. But good old (than is, ancient) Greek moderation is best. If you’re down in the polls, it might not hurt to find out. If you’re ahead, don’t try it.
