Howard Dean, Porn Stars, and Monolithic-ity
[Sorry about "nouning" that adjective in the title, and "verbing" the noun in the first clause of this note, but somehow it seemed appropriate.]
I'd thought to make a long post somewhere about Howard Dean, firebrand chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and his recent comments about Republicans, noting that they're "monolithic" and "pretty much a white, Christian party," and that many of its members have "never made an honest living." While it might be amusing to counter with the fact that these statements are being made by a person who grew up in privilege in Manhattan and the Hamptons, and who avoided the draft because of a skiing injury,
the truth is that criticizing Dean could become a full-time job. I'll just leave him to destroy his own credibility--I can't really improve on his efforts.
But I was interested to note that the GOP may not be as monolithic as Dean thinks. Not without some minor controversy, porn star Mary Carey (a former candidate for governor of California) attended the $2,500 per-plate "The 2005 President's Dinner and Salute to Freedom". While this has raised the hackles of many of the "family values" members of the party, and aroused the curiosity of the press, it also debunks Dean's argument. She may be white and Christian, but she doesn't fit the GOP stereotype he's peddling; and while I have no experience in the matter, I can't imagine that having impersonal sex with random men in front of a camera does not constitute a hard day's work.
UPDATE: I've taken a gander at some of the things the left-wing blogs are writing about this event, and I must say I'm not entirely surprised. There's a good amount of whining about the GOP's "hypocrisy" in advocating family values and yet taking money from a porn star. Perhaps that's something the Democrats do: screen potential donors on the basis of their suitability. I'm more than willing to believe that Ms. Carey is a fan of smaller government and an active foreign policy, but apparently the Left feels that, if your profession does not meet their rigorous standards for respectability, you should not be able to participate in the political process.
I'd thought to make a long post somewhere about Howard Dean, firebrand chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and his recent comments about Republicans, noting that they're "monolithic" and "pretty much a white, Christian party," and that many of its members have "never made an honest living." While it might be amusing to counter with the fact that these statements are being made by a person who grew up in privilege in Manhattan and the Hamptons, and who avoided the draft because of a skiing injury,
the truth is that criticizing Dean could become a full-time job. I'll just leave him to destroy his own credibility--I can't really improve on his efforts. But I was interested to note that the GOP may not be as monolithic as Dean thinks. Not without some minor controversy, porn star Mary Carey (a former candidate for governor of California) attended the $2,500 per-plate "The 2005 President's Dinner and Salute to Freedom". While this has raised the hackles of many of the "family values" members of the party, and aroused the curiosity of the press, it also debunks Dean's argument. She may be white and Christian, but she doesn't fit the GOP stereotype he's peddling; and while I have no experience in the matter, I can't imagine that having impersonal sex with random men in front of a camera does not constitute a hard day's work.
UPDATE: I've taken a gander at some of the things the left-wing blogs are writing about this event, and I must say I'm not entirely surprised. There's a good amount of whining about the GOP's "hypocrisy" in advocating family values and yet taking money from a porn star. Perhaps that's something the Democrats do: screen potential donors on the basis of their suitability. I'm more than willing to believe that Ms. Carey is a fan of smaller government and an active foreign policy, but apparently the Left feels that, if your profession does not meet their rigorous standards for respectability, you should not be able to participate in the political process.
posted by Jeff at 9:42 AM
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