I've had my problems with Bill Maher over the years. But when it comes to calling out Republican bullshit with common-sense incisive humor, Maher gives Jon Stewart a run for his money. And Democrats would be wise to emulate his approach.
Below the fold: On today's Hardball, Maher throws Rudy Giuliani an anvil...and ridicules the desperate Republican yearning for a new Reagan.
Responding to the absurd notion that Republicans are the ones who can keep us safe from terrorists, Bill Maher offered this quip:
"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice: vote for Giuliani in 2008."
Keep in mind, Bill Maher is no great friend to the Democrats. He endorsed Nader in 2000, mocked "Bore and Gush," and has never hesitated to criticize Dems. The guy is a non-partisan. But he offered some choice analysis of the Republican candidates today, starting with exactly the point Democrats need to hammer: Giuliani's abject failure to prepare New York City for terrorism following the 1993 World Trade Center attack.
Tweety tried to stop him. When Maher first suggested that Giuliani failed to protect New York City, Matthews played dumb "What was he supposed to do, install anti-aircraft missiles?" But Bill was ready.
Maher fired back with the basic facts many of us already know, particularly Giuliani's tragically wrong decision to put New York City's emergency response headquarters in the same location that had already been attacked once -- the World Trade Center. He explained, slowly for Tweety, that the ability to rally the city after the 9/11 attacks doesn't excuse his utter lack of preparedness.
Maher also mentioned the problem of a Republican candidate who likes to wear dresses. Tweety protested "One picture in a dress. It doesn't bother me. It doesn't bother you...why would it matter to anyone else?" Apparently, Tweety is not aware that the Republican Party in dominated and populated by "agents of intolerance," as somebody once described them. Maher, the comedian, explained to Matthews, the journalist, that it's more than one photo. "When you know your own bra size, there's an issue." Like free-thinker Chris Matthews, I don't have a problem with Giuliani being a crossdresser. But I'm not a member of the party that makes every effort to discriminate based on sexual orientation.
Maher even had Tweety laughing about Fred Thompson being the great, charismatic savior of the Republican Party. "Basset-Hound Fred Thompson? Charismatic?" Maher went on to ridicule the ongoing Republican obsession with finding a new Reagan -- "They thought it was George W. Bush, but that didn't really work out so well."
Back in the 90s and into this decade, Republicans were masters of political ridicule. They didn't pass up an opportunity to mock and deride our candidates. Democrats have never excelled at this tactic. Let's face it, we're just not as mean-spirited as Republicans. But it's an effective tool and Maher shows how it can be used to highlight genuine Republican failures.
More of the same, please.