Down and Out on the Right
One would think that with the conservative right controlling the White House, Congress, and the Judiciary; holding 29 governorships; and having the ideological allegiance of most of corporate America, they would feel in pretty good shape.
But alas, they don't feel victorious -- they feel besieged. From today's St. Peterburg Times, we learn this pitiful tale of oppression and woe from Florida:
Florida's leaders of higher education seem to sense this. As the story notes, "The presidents nodded politely, but didn't agree to do anything specific."
But alas, they don't feel victorious -- they feel besieged. From today's St. Peterburg Times, we learn this pitiful tale of oppression and woe from Florida:
TALLAHASSEE - From his seat on a key education committee, Rep. Dennis Baxley helps shape the budget of every public university in Florida.What? Free thinking and political dissent on a college campus? Things have clearly gotten out of hand, and Baxley wants the Florida university system to do something about it -- specifically, listen to that model of rational thought and fair-mindedness, David Horowitz:
But when he appeared Thursday before the state's university presidents, Baxley portrayed himself as a victim.
"I have not come with a set of demands," he said in a soft voice. "I have come with a burden."
The Ocala Republican told the presidents he has been humiliated for his conservative views. He showed them a cartoon published in the University of Florida student newspaper that depicted a naked Baxley crawling behind a monkey in the evolutionary chain.
Baxley's request: Protect conservatives like him from ridicule by the "liberal elite" on Florida campuses.The notion that campuses are hotbeds of bomb-throwing students and "tenured radicals" -- a tired recycling of the "political correctness" scare of the early 1990s -- is, of course, a bit out of touch with reality. Universities and colleges only look left-wing because the rest of the culture has moved so far to the right, and they're one of the few places where balance still exists (and where progressives can still express their views on the job).
Baxley's bill has become a part of a national debate over whether university faculties are hotbeds of radicalism. Before filing his bill, Baxley consulted conservative activist David Horowitz, who is pushing similar legislation in other states.
Florida's leaders of higher education seem to sense this. As the story notes, "The presidents nodded politely, but didn't agree to do anything specific."
6 Comments:
Given the post a couple below this, you seem to be reinterpreting the data here.
Not that I agree with Horowitz or this clown in FL. I say universities are more liberal and it's a damn good thing that they are. Any place that values higher learning is going to lean left, because conservative arguments fly in the face of knowledge and logic.
Sounds like the Republicans are trying to solve a major party---the fact that young people and highly educated people are voting Democrat :-)
In all seriousness, as a Floridian, this has been a somewhat disturbing debate to watch. Then again, the sponsor of this legislation is the same legislator who sponsored the Terri Schiavo bill and the recently passed legislation to allow people to legally shoot others in public.
Don't perpetuate the myth that most of the country has moved far to the right- in fact, the Right's grandest ideals- small governemnt, no welfare state, no EPA, etc.- are already in the dustbin of history. Most people are rather moderate and when faced with planes flying into buildings make a turn Right but it is not permanent. And yes, I know the GOP has won most presidential elections for the past generation, but that doesn't mean conservative ideology has triumphed- first off, the Dems won in 2000 and 2004 was a tough one with Mr. Charisma, John Kerry.
J.S.
http://voicesofreason.info
Well, friend VOR, the GOP has won a good deal more than the White House in the last several elections.
And the GOP has experienced an enormous shift right-ward. The fact that big government no longer concerns the GOP is not a liberal triumph, but a plutocratic one, given where that money has been and will be coming from.
In fact, the right's dominance in politics extends far down the political chain. They have not won, but they have been winning. Pretending otherwise leads to a false appraisal of the fight in front of us.
And pretending that the modern-day Republicanism is "conservative" is a fantasy- the modern GOP is a big-spending, big government, anti-free trade, militaristic party- the biggest casualty of their victory has been TRUE CONSERVATISM. Rightwing religious extremism is not conservative on any front. But you're right that Dems have serious problems. Also, something for this site- the Washington Post has a depressing article on how there are almost no Democrats left in the South- the numbers are staggering.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/25/AR2005042500390.html
That's almost no conservative Dems. The Dixiecrats have largely moved to the GOP.
I can't help but think that's a good thing, as it lets us draw the distinction that much more clearly down here.
Dem registration went up in the last election. Being involved in the effort, I kept pretty close track of it. The other interesting data point is that Indies went up, too. Unfortunately, so did Republicans, largely through the religious right.
But I don't think the Dems lost ground here.
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