DVD Review: Kings (NBC)

I have a weakness for cancelled TV shows. I don’t really know why, as in my opinion most TV shows that are cancelled deserve their fate. Sacrilige, I know, to suggest this to TV fans, but let’s face it–there’s a lot of dreck out there, and that does include the show you liked.

That said, some shows just have lousy luck. They’re ahead of their time (Action!, Profit) or they’re the victim of network meddling (Firefly), or they just have a tough time finding an audience (Arrested Development, Pushing Daisies). In those instances when a truly good show fails in the ratings, t’s nice to know that some of these “Brilliant But Cancelled” shows still survive today on DVD.

I received the DVD release of Kings as a gift for Christmas, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am to have missed it when it originally aired. If my watching it could have helped the ratings a tiny bit, I would have made more effort.

‘Kings’ was easily the most ambitious show to debut on American TV in ages. It takes as its inspiration the Old Testament tale of the struggle between King Saul and the young shepherd David, as Saul loses the favor of God and David begins his rise towards power (and his relationship with Saul’s son Jonathon).

The writers place the story in a modern setting– a fictional kingdom called Gilboa that in thirty-odd years has been dragged from a near-Stone Age state to a contemporary state by its beloved but ruthless king Silas Benjamin (played by the exquisite Ian McShane). Silas came to power by leading a coup against the depraved former king, Vesper Abaddon (what a fantastic name for a villain!), uniting the people and establishing an absolute monarchy. He builds a capital, the city of Shiloh, a glittering metropolis arising from the ashes of war (which looks a lot like Chicago, or maybe Minneapolis-St. Paul), and proceeds to manage his kingdom–and his current war with the Republic of Gath, an aggressive neighbor to the south.

Enter David Shepherd (Christopher Egan), a farmboy gone to war with his older brother Eli. In combat with the feared Gath tank units, David single-handedly destroys one of their Goliath-class tanks and rescuses Jack Benjamin, the king’s only son, from the enemy. He’s declared a hero and catapulted to fame, fortune, and a court full of intrigue.

Surprisingly (for American broadcast TV, at any rate), God is not left out of the story. As the series unfolds, it becomes clear that Silas is a man of faith, one chosen by God to lead the country of Gilboa. His claim to the kingship was reinforced years ago by Reverend Samuels, a minister who–while holding no official government position–nonetheless wields powerful influence over the people. As Silas becomes more ruthless, however, Samuels begins to suspect that God is withdrawing His favor from the king. Silas scoffs, until he meets David.

The story–like the Biblical story that inspired the show–is rich with intrigue and politics. Silas loves David for his loyalty and guilelessness, but he also fears that God has chosen David to supplant him. Silas’s wastrel son Jack realizes that his father sees in David the son he never had, and with his conniving mother Queen Rose conspires to hurt David’s reputation in the eyes of the king. And Silas’s daughter Michelle has to choose between her growing love for the young soldier and her loyalty to her family. In the meantime, David risks losing his own family (a mother and six older brothers) over choosing a position at court, and must deal with the various intrigues launched by would-be usurpers.

‘Kings’ has wonderful touches that add to the richness of the story. The writers weren’t afraid to keep the Biblical associations–characters and locations have names that are derived from the Old Testament (David’s mother is Jessie, for example; Michelle and Jack are clearly Michal and Jonathan). God moves in the story in ways that are mysterious to both the characters and the viewers: Saul is prone to enigmatic visions and bargaining with spirits, David (who’s not even sure he believes in God) has unexplained knowledge thrust upon him, and offhand statements by Rev. Samuels turn out to be prophecies–he tells David at a party “You’ll like the one in red” and points out Michelle. The characters use what I think of as “court language” (think of it as “Shakespeare Lite”) when in formal situations, or situations that call for a degree of emphasis or urgency. The show is shot with breathtaking scope–Shiloh shines like the proverbial “city on a hill”, clouds part to reveal rays of holy light, the palace and court convey awe and power. All of these characteristics add an elegance and intelligence to the show that keeps it from devolving into pure soap-opera camp.

The casting of the leads is superb. Ian McShane–whom many of you will recall as Al Swearengen on “Deadwood”–is too smart to play King Silas as merely a petty, vengeful ruler. He brings to Silas the same vulnerability and tragic air that he did Swearengen–you see that Silas is in real pain at the idea that God has turned from him, you sense the price he had to pay for the political power he now holds, you believe him when he’s gentle with his family and you believe him when he’s ordering the assassination of a close friend. Christopher Egan’s David is sweet but smart, naive but clever, young but self-reliant, loyal but not blind, humble but not unrealistic. He makes David Shepherd refreshing because he plays Shepherd as uncomplicated, unlike the conflicted, angsty anti-heroes we’re so used to these days. Shepherd is simply a young man that wants to defend his country, serve his king, and go home. The dynamic between Silas and David is wonderful but builds towards heartbreak–Silas dare not trust him, and David’s passion of purpose means he has no choice but to trust his king. The rest of the ensemble is equally strong, especially Dylan Baker as William Cross, Queen Rose’s treacherous brother, and Eammon Walker as Rev. Samuels.

The show is an interesting exercise on several levels. As one might expect, ‘Kings’ explores themes of absolute power’s ability to corrupt, the dangers of sudden fame, and the damage done to a country by internal politicking in its government. But bravely, it also imagines what America might look like if we were an absolute monarchy, and what the modern subject owes to a king under such a government. It examines the idea of the divine right of kings in a contemporary world. How does a king exercise such a right, when even he isn’t always sure of God’s favor–or existence? What purpose does monarchy serve in the modern era? Why are we still attracted to monarchy centuries after its been abandoned for other forms of governing?

‘Kings’ was canceled after failing to find an audience. Creator Matthew Green felt that the show was badly marketed (lots of commercials that told you nothing about the show), especially because gun-shy execs at NBC shied away from talking about the David-and-Saul aspect of the show. Critical response was mixed: some loved the scope, the vision, and the swinging-for-the-fences ambition of ‘Kings’, others felt the narrative was unfocused, or that the show was too full of itself given its resemblance to any random Aaron Spelling production. And a few said that “de-gaying” the relationship between David and Jack removed what could have been one of the most interesting parts of the show.

I think there’s something to all of these arguments, myself. I can see where the gravitas of the show could be read as melodramatic to some viewers. I didn’t find the narrative unfocused, but can see where others might (of course, I cut my teeth on ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Dallas’ and their convoluted plot-lines). The modern setting might have confused people who didn’t realize that they were essentially watching a fantasy show. I can easily see that NBC would have gotten nervous about the religious elements, for fear of offending religious conservatives–there would always be someone out there that wouldn’t accept that ‘Kings’ was a re-interpretation, not a to-the-letter retelling. Plus, for those who don’t concur with the theory that David and Jonathan had a romantic relationship, Jack’s homosexuality would have been hugely controversial.

So, the show’s not perfect. Regardless, ‘Kings’ remains a visually stunning, narratively rich, wonderfully-acted, imaginative, compelling drama, one unlike anything that’s been on American television since–well, at least since the revamped ‘Battlestar Galactica’. It’s out on DVD, and it is definitely worth giving a shot.

Can’t Beat ‘Em With a Stick

Whenever the holidays roll around, I spend a lot of time thinking about my late mother. I won’t re-hash a lot of personal pondering, but one thing I’ll always recall about her is her use of southern colloquillisms.

Not just her, of course. My dad, other family members, and family friend grew up in an age where creativity in personal speech was a given. Being able to describe something in a vivid, colorful way was a valued skill, a way to express your intelligence via slang.

These phrases creep into my speech even now (much to the amusement of friends and co-workers) and I hope I may never lose my affection for them. Some samples:

Temperment

• “He’s so mean he could hunt bear with a switch”.
• “Meaner than dog shittin’ tacks”.
• “Meaner/sorrier than a broke-dick dog”.
• “Happier than a dog with two peters”.
• “Happier than a pig in shit”.
• “Slicker ‘n snot on a doorknob”. (To be “slick” is slang for “charming with intent to deceive”)
• “‘Slicker ‘n a cat’s ass”/”Slick as snail snot”/”Slicker ‘n the devil in velvet pants”/”Slicker’n grass thru a goose”/”Slicker’n snot on a brass doorknob/”Slicker’n goose grease on a glass doorknob.”
• “He could sell a drowning man a glass of water”/”He could talk the dogs off of a meat truck”
• “All hat and no cattle” (more of a Western phrase. Similar to to saying someone is “All bark and no bite”, although that phrase is specifically about the nature of someone’s threat. “All hat and no cattle” means someone can talk a big game but has poor follow-through”).
• “He acts like he’s ten feet tall and bullet-proof.”
• “He would steal the shitball from a blind tumblebug, give him a marble and put him on the wrong road home.” (an incredibly dishonest person)
• “He’d want a new rope to be hung” (a very picky person)
• “She’s just eat up with sorry” (Very lazy. In the South, “sorry” is roughly synonymous with “lazy”, but it indicates worse than lazy. A lazy person might be redeemed; a sorry person there’s no hope for.)
• “So narrow- minded he could see through a keyhole with both eyes”

Intelligence/Common Sense

• “Ain’t got the good sense God gave gravel”.
• “She’s dumb as a sack of hair”.
• “Dumb as a box of rocks.”
• “He’s dumber than a day old pig.”
• “He’s so dumb, he couldn’t pour piss out of a boot”.
• “She’s about as bright as a 10-watt bulb”.
• “He couldn’t drive a boot up a mule’s ass with the directions written on the toe.”
• “He’s so dumb he couldn’t pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were on the bottom”
• “She’s so dumb, she couldn’t find her ass with two hands and a flashlight”
• “He’s one ass-kicking away from being a pretty nice fella”.
• “He is ten pounds of stupid (shit) in a five pound bag.”
• “If you put her brains in a thimble they’d rattle like road apples in a bushel basket”

Appearance

• “He’s as ugly as a pan of worms.”
• “She’s uglier than homemade sin”.
• “He’s uglier than a mud fence”.
• “She looks like she was rode hard and put up wet” (These days, thanks to the use of the word “rode”, the phrase now has an unfortunately sexual connotation. However, if you’ve ever seen a horse that has been “rode hard” and then not given a good rub-down and clean-up before being returned to stable, you’ll understand how this phrase came into use).
• “He looks like he was hit with a bag of nickels”
• “She looks like the northbound side of a southbound mule”
• “His head’s wore out two bodies” (he looks older than his years)
• “Big as a house and twice as ugly”.
• “She could eat corn through a picket fence” (describing a buck-toothed person)
• “Built like a brick shit-house”.
• “He’s easier to jump over than walk around”.
• “It looks like she’s been set on fire and put out with a shoe”. (Also heard: “It looks like her face caught fire and they beat it out with a rake.”)
• “He looks like he was drug through a knothole backwards”/”pulled through a bush backwards”
• “She looks like rats nested in her hair last night”/”Her hair looks like a hornet’s nest”
• “She looks like she combed her hair with an egg beater”
• “He looks like the backside of bad weather”
• “He looks like five miles of bad road”.
• “She’s so ugly, she’d make a freight train take a dirt road”.
• “He’s so ugly, tears run down the back of his head.”
• “She’s got a face like a foot” (see Sarah Jessica Parker. Also “She’s got a face like a man’s knee”).
• “She’s got tits like a fried egg hanging on a nail”
• “He had a face like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle”.
• “Face like a bulldog chewing a wasp
• “Face like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle
• “Face like a bee keepers apprentice
• “Face like a sand blasted tomato
• “……………….cobblers thumb
• “……………….boiled fist
• “……………….welders bench etc etc
• “More chins than a Chinese phone book”
• “Fatter than a tick on a coon dog”
• “Last time I saw an ass like that Lester Piggot was whipping it”
• “As tall as a Georgia pine”
• “Knee-high to a grasshopper” (a short person, usually a child: “Why, I haven’t seen you since you were Knee-high to a grasshopper!”)
• For someone skinny: “He looks like a bag of antlers”.
• “If she turned sideways she wouldn’t cast a shadow” (another skinny person)
• “She’s prettier than a speckled pup in a red wagon”
• “When she walks away, it looks like two cats fighting in a bag” (This is a compliment–it refers to the attractive way a woman swings her hips)

Weather

• “Rainin’ like a cow pissing on a flat rock”.
• “It’s raining pitchforks and plowhandles”
• “Cold as a witch’s tit”. (sometimes “in a brass bra” is added to the end of that phrase)
• “Colder than a whore’s heart”
• “Hotter than two rats fuckin’ in a wool sock”.
• “Hotter than a June bride in a featherbed”
• “Hotter than a two dollar pistol”
• “So hot it’d burn the hair off a pig’s back”
• Deep snow is sometimes referred to as “asshole deep to a tall indian.”

Activities and Conditions

• “Busier than a bird-dog in featherin’ season”/”Busier than a one- eyed cat watching nine rat holes” (More well -known versions include “Busy as a one-armed paper hanger” and “Busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kickin’ contest”)
• “Faster than shit through a tin horn”.
• “Shaking like a dog shitting peach seeds”/”Shaking like a dog shitting razorblades”
• “Sweating like a whore in church”.
• “She works harder than a country mule”
• “He was so confused, he didn’t know whether to shit or go blind”. (I have also heard: “I was so confused, I didn’t know whether to shit or go blind, so I closed one eye and farted” and “Didn’t know whether to scratch my ass or wind my watch”)
• “Tits in a wringer” (meaning caught in an awful situation)
• “She’s got more _____________ than Carter’s got pills”
• “He’s a hard dog to keep on the porch”
• “Shining like a diamond in a goat’s ass.” (Which is use to refer to either a clean place within a messy place or a person doing a good job among idiots.)
• “We’re living at the foot of the cross” (at a lucky occurrence)
• When someone cant resist interfering with whatever you’re doing: “You just hold the tail; I’m fuckin’ this cat” (I’ve heard the reverse of this, namely: “You’re the one fucking this cat, I’m just holding the tail.”)
• “She’d be late for own own funeral”
• ” Handier than side pockets on a toad’s ass”
• “I’m finer’n frog hair and twice as fluffy.” (I’m feeling really good!)
• “Can’t hear thunder” (said of someone whose hearing is going)
• “Madder than spit on a griddle” (really pissed)
• “I’m so mad I could chew nails, and fart tacks” (really pissed)
• “She was fit to be tied” (really, really pissed)
• “He’s shittin in high cotton” (Everythings coming up roses. See also: “The cotton is high and the fish are jumpin’”)
• “It’s as plain as a pig on a sofa.”

Expressions of Contempt

• “I wouldn’t piss on his teeth if his mouth was on fire”
• “I’d like to buy him for what he’s worth and sell him for what he thinks he’s worth.”
• “They’re just tryin’ to cut a fat hog” (they’re asking for more than it’s worth; they’re greedy)
• “He didn’t get here on a paved road”
• “Don’t call him a cowboy, ’til you’ve seen him ride.”
• Threat: “I’ll beat you like a rented mule/red-headed step-child”
• “Useful as tits on a boar”. (mean utterly useless, of course. Also “Worthless as tits on a boar hog”)
• “As useful as tits on a door”
• “Useless as tits on a tomcat”
• “As useless as a milk bucket under a bull”
• “Couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with a bass fiddle”
• “Couldn’t fall off a fence in a wind storm” (Southerners really don’t like useless people)
• “I called him everything but a child of God”
• “Wouldn’t say soo-ee if the pigs were eating him” (he’s lazy)
• “He’s so clumsy he’s like a bear cub playing with his pecker”
• “She’s tighter than bark on a tree” (she’s very tight with her money. see also “tighter than Dick’s hat band”, “tighter than a frog’s ass underwater”, “tighter than a pig in a whorehouse chimney”, and “tighter than a preacher’s dick in a cat’s ass.”)

General Expressions

• “That dog won’t hunt” (that’s a bad idea, that won’t work)
• “That’s as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.” (a dishonest situation. see also “Crooked as a bedspring” and “Crookeder than a barrel of fish hooks”)
• Expressing surprise or disbelief: “Well fry my legs and call ‘em drumsticks.”
• Said of someone who’s been dead a while: “There’s not enough left of him to spread on toast”.
• A foul odor: “liable to knock a buzzard off a shit wagon”
• Of things that are none of my business and I don’t want to get involved: “Not my pig, not my farm”. (See also: “I don’t have a dog in that fight”)
• “Bad news rides a fast horse” (Bad news travels fast)
• Of someone who’s poor: “He doesn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of”
• “If steamboats were selling for a dime a dozen, I couldn’t buy the echo of the whistle.”
• “I need ___ like Custer needs Indians”
• “I may have been born yesterday, but I stayed up all night.” (Translation: I’m not THAT much of a fool. See also “”I was born yesterday, but I got up early.”)
• “Do you want your dinner now, or when you get it?”
• “I’m so hungry I could eat my elbows.” (see also “I could eat a horse and chase the driver”)
• To encourage guests to leave: “Here’s your hat. What’s your hurry?” (Also: “Well, I better go to bed so these nice people can go home.”)
• “I’m gonna have a Come to Jesus meeting with him” (I’m gonna give him one last chance to shape up)
• “About as broad as it is long” (equivalent to “six one way, half-dozen the other”)
• “Went to the outhouse to do his business and the hogs ate him ” (“I have no idea where he is”. See also: “I haven’t seen hide nor hair of ‘em”)

Retorts (when someone asks a pointless question or makes a pointless observation)

• “Well, people in hell want ice water; that don’t mean that they get it.”
• “If the dog hadn’t stopped to shit, he’d have caught the rabbit.”

Child: I wish [wish goes here]
Grandma: Wish in one hand and shit in the other. See which one gets filled first

• To an impatient request: “Would you like shit or a sandwich? You can have the shit right now, but the sandwich will take a little while to make.”
• “That’s life in the putty knife factory”
• “If you were born to be shot, you’ll never drown.” (Don’t worry about things you can’t change)
• “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear”
• “Something in the milk ain’t clean” (something’s wrong, something’s suspicious.)
• “Water is bad enough in your shoes; why do you want it in your stomach?” (Translation: “Have some alcohol instead”)
• “I didn’t do enough to break Sunday” (I didn’t get anything done)
• “Lord willin’ and the Creek don’t rise” (“If all goes well”. See also “Lord willin’ and the clothesline don’t fall down”)

How Far Will They Go, To Re-Write History?

Looks like the conservative cry of “Never Forget 9-11!” has been replaced by “Never Forget 9-wha? wha?“

To quote one of the commentors, “The sad part isn’t that Ms. Perino said it, it’s that she and the former Bush Administration actually believe it.”

The Right Sees the Light. At Least, Some of Them Do.

Typically, I avoid the worst of the Neo-Conservative blogs and message boards.   Don’t get me wrong–I hate the Echo Chamber effect that’s so inherent on the Internet, so I’m all about reading opinions of folks that I disagree with.  But I decided a while back that I will only read the ones that are well-reasoned and insightful.  Too many of the far-right/neo-con blogs and message boards don’t even try to bring logic–or for that manner, facts–to the discussion (I’m looking at you, Free Republic!).

So imagine my surprise when it was pointed out on a non-political message board I participate in that LittleGreenFootballs.com, once one of the most notoriously far-right political blogs in the blogosphere, has moved to the left in the last couple of years, and now can be fairly described as a center-right blog.

For those unaware of this blog, Little Green Footballs gained fame for raising doubts about the authenticity of the Killian documents. These were the documents that 60 Minutes presented as being highly critical of George W. Bush’s service in the National Guard during the 1970s. The issues surrounding the documents eventually led to the firing of a 60 Minutes segment producer, the resignation of three senior 60 Minutes executives, and–some claim–the resignation of CBS anchorman Dan Rather.

I’m late to this particular party, because according to Wikipedia this shift occurred back in 2007. (I comfort myself with the knowledge that I’m not the only one to just now notice).  Charles Johnson (who runs LGF) says he is an agnostic and considered himself center-left before 9/11.  After 9/11 he started reading up on radical Islam and became strongly pro-Israel, anti-PLO, pro-Iraq War. 

But…he’s also always been anti-climate-change-skeptic and anti-Intelligent-Design.  In 2007 he started commenting about American conservatives being involved with neo-Nazi groups, and his disenchantment with the American right-wing has grown since then.

Johnson explains his shift in focus thusly:

Why I parted ways with the Right.

1. Support for fascists, both in America (see: Pat Buchanan, Robert Stacy McCain, etc.) and in Europe (see: Vlaams Belang, BNP, SIOE, Pat Buchanan, etc.)
2. Support for bigotry, hatred, and white suprematism (see: Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Robert Stacy McCain, Lew Rockwell, etc.)
3. Support for throwing women back into the Dark Ages, and general religious fanaticism (see: Operation Rescue, anti-abortion groups, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, the entire religious right, etc.)
4. Support for anti-science bad craziness (see: creationism, climate change denialism, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, James Inhofe, etc.)
5. Support for homophobic bigotry (see: Sarah Palin, Dobson, the entire religious right, etc.)
6. Support for anti-government lunacy (see: tea parties, militias, Fox News, Glenn Beck, etc.)
7. Support for conspiracy theories and hate speech (see: Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Birthers, creationists, climate deniers, etc.)
8. A right-wing blogosphere that is almost universally dominated by raging hate speech (see: Hot Air, Free Republic, Ace of Spades, etc.) 
9. Anti-Islamic bigotry that goes far beyond simply criticizing radical Islam, into support for fascism, violence, and genocide (see: Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, etc.)

The American right-wing has gone off the rails, into the bushes, and off the cliff.   I won’t be going over the cliff with them.

And much, much more.

The end result is that lot of right-wingers really, really hate Charles Johnson of LGF.  He’s not just (by their standards) a “dirty librul”, he’s a traitor to their Noble Cause.

Well, I say good for Johnson.   His list nearly perfectly mirrors the reasons why I stopped calling myself a GOP-er, only I did it towards the end of the GWB’s first term.   I would question his timing, as much of the crap Johnson references has been happening for a long, long time–since the Reagan administration at least (see points 1-5, and 9).  I mean, seriously, he only just now noticed the pro-life, anti-science, racist, bigoted bent of the GOP?!  

I suspect that the recent overtness of the neo-con hatred has gotten to the point that even a prominent right-ist blog like LGF can’t ignore it anymore.  Any GOP-ers that have witnessed the activities of the Tea Party folks in the last several months can’t help but be appalled.

LGF isn’t the only neo-con blogger to wake up and smell the coffee.   Balloon Juice, another prominent right-wing blog, started a similar shift a little while back, and the team of bloggers there has been refreshingly blunt in their criticisms of the current GOP leadership.  When you see kind words for Michael Moore’s Farenheit 9-11 on a right-wing blog, the feeling of disorientation is akin to that experienced while watching some of the better Twilight Zone episodes.

Anyway, these are two conservative blogs who, best I can tell scanning recent entries, have finally been won over by the facts.  Don’t think they are letting Obama off the hook, however.  At least their concerns with his policies demonstrate a willingness to investigate the issues and bring intelligent critical thought to them (check out this recent post on Balloon Juice about Obama and Afghanistan).  That certainly can’t be said about Hannity, Beck, Limbaugh, Palin, or any random Tea Party supporter.

 I certainly hope that these former neo-cons can make their voices heard above the cacophony being consistently delivered by the GOP  by way of the far-right crazies (If CNN’s execs were smart, they’d give LGF and Balloon Juice their own shows, directly opposite Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck).  I believe that there are many, many GOP moderates and liberals who want, nay need to know that they aren’t alone out there, surrounded by the crazies.  Those guys and gals are the hope for the future of the GOP.  Too bad the GOP is so beholden to its insane base that they scared to cultivate them.

EDITED TO ADD: My word, the Salon.com article that I linked to above has certainly got folks out there in Blogistan talking. Dennis the Peasant calls Johnson’s “parting ways” post “a complete load of bullshit” and superimposes his reasons for Johnson’s defection on the list. Robert Stacy McCain traces Johnson’s “descent into madness” to the attendance by certain right-wing bloggers at a certain not-at-all-racist-or-Islamaphobic 2007 conference in Brussels. Andrew Sullivan (currently one of my favorite conservative bloggers) calls Johnson’s post “full of emotion, but also honesty” and contributes his own list of reasons for leaving the Right back in 2003 (right about the time I did. huh.). And Metafilter (which has had its own memorable run-ins with Johnson over the years) seems to be taking an “we’re glad you’ve taken this step, but it’d be a lot more impressive if you admitted your own culpability in creating and supporting the current crazy-winger atmostphere you’re now abandoning” stance.

Having taken a little time to root through the old archives of LDF, I have to say I see what everyone’s concerned about. Johnson’s blog was a hate machine, pure and simple. He spent years calling people crazy and anti-American for debating a war and hoping for peace in the Middle East. He was a leading promoter of racist, insane ranting as a substitute for insightful political debate. Why now? Why is Johnson just now getting upset about the very things he himself was a part of?

Maybe the Peasant has a point. Johnson’s star has faded among the far-right, and with Bush’s wartime errors and crimes coming home to roost he can’t continue his warmongering. The only sane move, if he’s going to keep making money on his blog, is to start putting distance between himself and the crazies.

More and more, this episode reminds me of certain prominent neo-cons, like David Frum and Richard Perle and Kenneth Adelman, who spent ages calling for a war against Iraq despite all the best possible advice against such a move; once the shit hit the fan, they began blaming Bush & Co., while denying their own responsibility. Vanity Fair quotes Richard Perle thusly:

“Huge mistakes were made, and I want to be very clear on this: They were not made by neoconservatives, who had almost no voice in what happened, and certainly almost no voice in what happened after the downfall of the regime in Baghdad. I’m getting damn tired of being described as an architect of the war. I was in favor of bringing down Saddam. Nobody said, ‘Go design the campaign to do that.’ I had no responsibility for that.”

I’m rambling, but my point is this: if Johnson wants to be taken seriously by anybody, now that he’s abandoned the crazies, he’ll have to (a) do some serious mea culpas for the role he’s played in America’s political discourse in the past decade–he can’t pull a Richard Perle and blame someone else for his racist posts and warmongering, and (b) endorse some candidates (GOP-ers or Dems) who support his moderate-to-left views. His actions, in other words, are going to speak louder than his blog. Otherwise, he’s just a blogger than neither side can trust.