Michael Gerson has a great column in today’s WaPo, arguing that American politics are becoming increasingly divided not between ideologies but between the calm, sane, and rational versus the loud, hateful, and outrageous. Read it all, but here’s the highlight:

But when members of the Ugly Party are exposed, generally they respond differently. Obscenity? The real obscenity is an unjust war, or imposing socialism or devotion to Israel. It is an argument that makes any deep policy disagreement an excuse for verbal violence. Or an offense against taste and judgment is dismissed as humor and satire.

The alternative to the Ugly Party is the Grown-Up Party — less edgy and less hip. It is sometimes depicted on the left and on the right as an all-powerful media establishment, stifling creativity, freedom and dissent. The Grown-Up Party, in my experience, is more like a seminar at the Aspen Institute — presentation by David Broder, responses from E.J. Dionne Jr. and David Brooks — on the electoral implications of the energy debate. I am more comfortable in this party for a few reasons: because it is more responsible, more reliable and less likely to wish its opponents would die.

Not only does this rage shut down reasonable debate, it also turns many people off to politics. Your average American, for example, regardless of his or her politics, doesn’t pray for the death of Rush Limbaugh, or celebrate when Ted Kennedy dies. If they see one side doing this, it may push them to the other side, but if BOTH sides are doing it, they get turned off by both parties and stay home. Of course, that might be what both political parties want: only the predictable partisans showing up to vote and the unpredictable independents staying home.

For the pundits, though, it probably boils down to money. The Limbaughs, Becks, and Olbermanns of the world are getting much richer than the Brooks and Dionnes.

Another one of those meaningless studies we all love to read has been released, ranking states from the happiest to the least cheerful. The happiest state in the Union? Louisiana, followed by Hawaii. New York comes in dead last, with Connecticut faring only slightly better.

Tennessee does very well, coming in as the fourth happiest state. You can view the entire list here.

Regardless of one’s feeling for Sarah Palin, comparing her appearing in a one piece bathing suit (which also happens to be about as unrevealing as swimsuits get this side of Saudi Arabia) to Levi Johnson posing in Playgirl is just a tad unhinged.

Without getting into a debate on the virtues and vices of porn, I think we can all agree this is an astonishingly stupid statement:

“One of the things he said to me,” said Schwartz, “that I think is an astonishingly insightful remark… he said ‘All pornography is homosexual pornography, because all pornography turns your sexual drive inwards.”

There were murmurs and gasps from the crowd. “Now, think about that,” said Schwartz. “And if you tell an 11-year-old boy about that, do you think he’s going to want to get a copy of Playboy? I’m pretty sure he’ll lose interest. That’s the last thing he wants! You know, that’s a good comment, it’s a good point, and it’s a good thing to teach young people.”

Yeah, I guess it could work… if your 11-year-old boy is a blithering idiot.

Crap like this:

In a state where football is king, students who pass, kick and tackle will soon be able to get more credit toward high school graduation.

After lengthy debate that pitted coaches against some school reform advocates, the State Board of Education approved a plan Wednesday to give football players – and other high school athletes – twice as much credit.

Who cares about math, history or civics–as long as our kids can block, kick, and tackle?

Via MCO

I wonder what Steve Gill was thinking when he used a Biblical verse to condemn homosexual activism in Congress, and then, on the very same page, posts a picture of a woman modeling a thong and links to a story about a defective thong for no other reason than the obvious one. Being a little selective in our condemnation of sin, are we Steve?

An anonymous Roane County citizen on the alleged gay nudist “resort”:

“We have between $40 and $60 Million dollars in school needs and a haywire $10 million jail project and you don’t hear much of a peep out of folks, but let gays and lesbians threaten to take their clothes off at a private resort…”

Interesting article at CNN on a nearly forgotten chapter of twentieth century history: the Great Comic Book Scare:

World War II was over, but as the 1940s gave way to the 1950s, a new evil lurked in the land. Ten-Cent Plague

It attracted a youthful audience — boys, mostly — who fell victim to its colorful images, dripping in red, and gave money to its purveyors.

Authorities took notice. The United States had a new menace, they said, one whose name started with “c” and whose first syllable rhymed with “bomb.”

Comic books.

At the time comic books were very popular among youth, perhaps because they were quite good at pushing the envelope. Comics of the time frequently featured gory violence, attractive (if unrealistically drawn) women, and controversial social commentary. A few years before Elvis shocked the world on the Ed Sullivan show, do-gooders and politicians believed comic books were corrupting the youth. A well-meaning but goofy psychiatrist named Frederic Wertham even wrote a book (sensationally entitled Seduction of the Innocent in which he argued that comics were responsible for juvenile delinquency.

Across America comic book burnings were held. Entire cities banned the sale of comic books. Tennessee’s very own Democratic Senator Estes Kefauver, fresh off his hearings on organized crime, took the logical next step in his anti-crime crusade and launched a Senate inquiry on comic books and their effects on children. He brought in Wertham himself, as well as Bill Gaines, boss of the popular and controversial EC comics line, proving that the wasting of taxpayer money by the federal government is hardly a new problem.

All in all, it was a very strange time. If any of this sounds interesting, you should definitely read The Ten-Cent Plague by David Hajdu. I read it over the weekend and loved it. A true story of mass hysteria, it is both amusing and frightening.

UPDATE: No, I don’t really think Kefauver was an idiot. The title of this post is a bit of hyperbole. Kefauver did some good things while in the Senate, but on this issue I do think he was out to lunch.

It looks like my hometown of Harriman might soon boast a gay nudist resort:

A small Harriman community may seem like the last place for an adult only, alternative lifestyle, nudist resort, but an investor from Ohio says it’s perfect.

The Rosebud Lodge Resort and Campground would cater to the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-gender community.

The resort is planned to be built on 60 acres of property along the Clinch River on Skyline Drive.

However, the property still needs to be rezoned as a commercial area.

I personally don’t care if it opens or not. It seems to me there are more important things to worry about. But I suspect the county commission will refuse to rezone the property, thus killing the deal.

Michael Barone has some interesting thoughts on Eliot Spitzer and his prostitution charges. Barone points out that prostitution openly exists in our society and we seem pretty selective in how we enforce the laws against it. But this raises a bigger question: Should there be laws against it?

That Spitzer is a scumbag is undeniable. He should resign if for no other reason than sheer stupidity. Prostitution is a moral scourge, and we should expect more from our elected officials. But should it be illegal? I think not.

Prostitution is exploitative, but only to those who choose to be exploited. I feel great sympathy for many of the women involved as I think most do not actually want to be prostitutes. But I don’t believe putting them is jail is going to save them. Only they can do that, through choices or faith. We can (and should) certainly try to point them in right direction, but only they can change their lives.

In the meantime, forcing them underground and under the “protection” of pimps and gangsters is not beneficial to anyone. Prostitution should be legalized, with some regulation to prevent the spread of STDs and to remove the criminal element (as much as possible).

We should certainly make moral judgments about leaders who would involve themselves in such debasing behavior, but it doesn’t follow that such behavior should be illegal.

Cross posted at Tennesseefree

Most Americans can agree this is good news:

The number of abortions performed in the United States dropped to 1.2 million in 2005 — the lowest level since 1976, according to a new report.

Still too many to be sure, but progress. The article credits both a decline in women choosing abortion and the availability of the controversial morning after pill for the decline.

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave a speech today addressing concerns about his Mormonism. I don’t have much reaction except to say that it’s a shame that, in 2007, he had to give it. Bigotry is still alive and well in America.

Stephanie Coontz has an interesting article in today’s New York Times on the history of marriage. She contends that the government has no business being in the marriage business:

Perhaps it’s time to revert to a much older marital tradition. Let churches decide which marriages they deem “licit.” But let couples — gay or straight — decide if they want the legal protections and obligations of a committed relationship.

Certainly if marriage is the sacred institution most believe it to be, it doesn’t need the government to protect it. It is also interesting to note that the more government has become involved in marriage, the greater we see increases in divorce rates and cohabitation. I’m not saying that government is responsible for this, but it clearly suggests that if we want to protect marriage, using the power of government to do it might not be the best strategy.

Via Ben Cunningham.

UPDATE: This post is taking part in the Beltway Traffic Jam.

Of all the major candidates from president, only one — longshot Mitt Romney — has unequivocally endorsed the federal anti-gay marriage amendment to the Constitution. Many of my fellow conservatives will disagree, but I think this a positive development.

In India, it might be:

An Indian court issued arrest warrants for Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty on Thursday for kissing at a public function, according to media reports.

For those who haven’t been following, Richard Gere kissed Indian actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS awareness function. In India, public displays of affection tend to be taboo, especially in rural areas which tend to be highly traditional and conservative. In such areas, kissing in public may violate obscenity laws. Thus Gere and Shetty’s kiss is quite the no-no.

It certainly seems to me that we’re seeing some bad behavior all around. Gere should have known better, especially since he’s a “frequent” visitor to India (in the video, Shetty does not appear a willing participant). But it also sounds as though a small town judge might also be trying to get some publicity about the deal. And some traditionalist political leaders are getting to rile up their followers. In the end, though, not much will really come of this.

In case you haven’t seen her, below are some pictures of Ms. Shetty. Gere might spend some time in jail for kissing her. Does anything think maybe it would be worth it?

UPDATE: Alex Knapp likens this situation to an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Fox News is reporting:

Gov. John Lynch told The Associated Press on Thursday he will sign legislation establishing civil unions in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire thus will become the fourth state to adopt civil unions and the first to do so without first having a court fight over denying gays the right to marry.

“I believe it is a matter of conscience, fairness and preventing discrimination,” Lynch said in an interview.

New Hampshire now joins Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont, and Connecticut as states that allow at least some form of legal recognition of homosexual unions.

Call me a RINO, but I see nothing wrong with this. I’ve heard all the arguments against gay marriage and/or civil unions, and they’re all weak. Most of them seem to be based on an irrational fear of gay cooties (wish I could take credit for coining the term, but it comes from SayUnce). I fail to see how such laws will destroy marriage, harm children, or bring about the fall of Western Civilization. It seems to me that most people opposed are just letting their own predjudices and insecurities cloud their judgment. People should have the right to do what they want so long as they harm no one else, as John Stuart Mill said.

Anyone who wants to convince me of the error of my ways is welcome to make use of the comments.

UPDATE: This post is taking part in the Beltway Traffic Jam.

We can all sleep easier tonight knowing that Larry Birkhead is Anna Nicole’s baby’s daddy.

Dr. Greg Weeks links to this story from NPR concerning country music’s newest fan base - Latinos, and how they have helped revive country music radio stations in places like Los Angeles where country was previously declining. Dr. Weeks notes:

At one point, the reporter went to a festival, and approached a family that looked like a typical group of American country music fans–pick-up truck, cowboy hats, and listening to “Sweet Home Alabama.” Turns out they were Salvadoran, spoke no English, and said simply they liked country music because it was “bonita” and “alegre.”

A majority of Americans now favor government mandated health care for everyone, even if it means higher taxes. Personal responsibility had died. Americans want the government to provide for them. The government will continue to get bigger and bigger. Americans want it, but someday they’ll see the error of their ways.

I fear for this nation’s future.

Covering, you know, real news stories as opposed to Anna Nicole Smith is a form of snobbery. Or at least, that’s what Fox News host John Gibson would have us believe:

GIBSON: Now I submit to you that that is a real, honest-to-God drama. Now it may not fit the high-minded views of a lot of news professionals, people who think that their news program is just another part of Foreign Affairs Quarterly. That only a certain kind of news is worthy of their discussing. Those people are snobs. They’re people who, when they see a story, go, “Ew, icky. I don’t want to do that.” I did this for years. I’ve been doing a long time. I’ve approached many stories and said, “That story isn’t worth our trouble.” It has always been a mistake. Always. Every single time I did it. So when I see people like this guy —

[CLIP ANDERSON COOPER] There’s a war on, there’s a war on, there’s a war on.

GIBSON: Oh, there’s a war on, there’s a war on. Maybe, just maybe, people are a little weary, Mr. Cooper, of your war coverage, and they’d like a little something else. Maybe that’s why they all thundered to this story.

[CLIP ANDERSON COOPER] There’s a war on, there’s a war on, there’s a war on.

GIBSON: My complaint about this is what you’re listening to when you hear that guy lecture the audience, is you’re listening to news-guy snobbery. Essentially saying, “I’m better than you. I know what you want to hear about, but I’m better than that story. I’m too high class for that story. I won’t stoop to what you want to hear about.”

I’m not playing that. People want to hear about the Anna Nicole story, I’m happy to tell them.

No doubt about that, Mr. Gibson. That’s about all you tell them. It’s amazing that I find myself in agreement with this guy most of the time, yet I still can’t stand him. His news show (I’ve never listened to his radio show) is one of the most worthless on television, as it’s simply an hour devoted to whatever sensationalism happens to be playing on whatever given day. If anything, Gibson shows his own snobbery, or at least the fact that he is woefully out of touch, in insisting that “real Americans” want to hear about Anna Nicole Smith instead of Iraq. Americans aren’t stupid, Gibson.