Posted by
Doctor Diatribe on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 9:28:25 PM
In riding Mr. Lieberman out on a rail the Democrats have gotten rid of the last grown-up in the party. This is a process that's been taking place with ever-growing, snowball-like acceleration for some time.
You may recall that some time ago the hoary head commanded respect and sat conveniently in the gate or in a governmental office to dispense wisdom. This configuration lasted for sometime.
After the two World Wars though all the young men who'd saved the world twice for democracy began to gain the ascendency. The wisdom of age was listened to, but more and more benignly neglected. From there on out those truly listened to slowly became younger, until the all-out cannonball run into infantilism came to the fore simultaneous with baby boomers in increasing positions of power.
I track this decline by observing Superman. The Superman in the comic books and 1950's TV was a Super MAN. Lois Lane, Lex Luther, Perry White and the rest were adults too. Only Jimmy Olson was a kid. By the early '80's the estimable Christopher Reeves played the Man of Steel as a late-20's young man.
TV's Superboy, Lois & Clark and Smallville led the way into the position we're in now: That Superman is the same age Jimmy Olson was previously.
Adult men, let alone greyheads, are now the ones benignly ignored. Older folk tend still to hold high political office, but they need to spout the same hysterical, superficial nonsense the dominant demographic does. Attempting to put forward ancient verities will earn you the bum's rush.
As Mr. Lieberman found out when he joined the ghosts of Scoop Jackson and Daniel P. Moynihan last night.
The only saving grace: One small part of the Democrat electorate still had enough brains to dump Cynthia McKinney.