The Politics of Hypocrisy

I wasn't going to post anymore on the tragedy in Arizona. I have published what I felt was important and then I was going to move on. However, one of the recurrent themes on this blog has been the hypocrisy so often displayed by political partisans on the left and and on the right and the selective ethic they employ in accusing those on the other side of the aisle of doing and saying terrible things that they themselves do and say, but somehow see as OK when it's furthers their own political agenda. Once again we see such hypocrisy in action.

Much has been made about the election map Sarah Palin published on her Facebook with cross hairs fixed on certain congressional districts that Palin wanted to target for a Republican takeover. Here is the map.

Many on the left have implicated this map as, at the very least, having an indirect connection to the tragic shooting in Tucson. Moreover, more than a few on the left tend to believe that this kind of incendiary and violent portrayal is a problem with the left only or at least when the left employs such media the "tone" is different or the message sent is somehow not the same (whatever in God's green earth all that means).

Well, once again hypocrisy in politics rears its ugly head. Take a look at this map published by the Democratic National Committee (and more recently the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee):

Now, my personal preference would be that neither map be published. I think at the very least, these two portrayals are frankly stupid. But the point is the language of war and violence and firearms and targeting and being behind enemy lines and taking our country back have been and continue to be part and parcel of our political debates and arguments ON BOTH SIDES! The fact is the hypocrisy here is obvious to everyone except political partisans who will go after the bad behavior of the other side while minimizing or excusing the bad behavior of their own. Whether its cross hairs through which someone views the target or the target itself, the message is the same.

As I said, one of the reasons I write this blog is to point out the rank hypocrisy present in both Republican and Democratic ranks... and I can tell you that over the years it has not been difficult to find. Indeed, if I posted something every time either side was playing the part of the hypocrite, that's all I'd be writing about. So, while I do not have time and space to point out all of the two-faced nonsense on both sides, I will continue to beat this drum until this blog or yours truly are no more.

When it comes to politics, I am an equal opportunity annoyer.