Sometimes I find myself writing the most obvious things. It's because the dunderheads in the mainstream media go along with the most ridiculous Republican spin on such a consistent basis. So, now I feel obliged to tell you something that is so plainly obvious that any three year old could understand it:
It is not hypocritical for rich people to help the poor. It is kind and generous.
John Edwards is constantly attacked by the rightwing for fighting poverty while at the same time ... wait for it ... being rich! How dare he?!
So, what is he supposed to do? Hide his money and keep it from everyone else like a good greedy, conservative? It wouldn't be hypocritical to be greedy with your money if you're rich, but it would be hypocritical if you tried to help others? How dumb do you have to be to think that Republican talking point makes any sense?
FDR was rich and he tried to help the poor anyway. What a hypocrite! Same with the Kennedy's. Limousine liberals! So, would it be okay if you had a limousine but decided to keep all your money for yourself and run the poor over with your limo? Then, I guess you wouldn't a hypocrite, you'd just be an asshole.
Conservatives have made fun of liberals for trying to help the poor for so long now. Yeah, that's real funny, make fun of people trying to be helpful and glorify the selfish instead. Very Christian of you. What drives me crazy is how credulous the press is in covering this spin as if it made any sense at all.
Look, I'm not a big Edwards fan. And when he said he joined a hedge fund to learn about the poor, I laughed out loud (a rare actual lol). So, if you want to report how absurd that excuse is (he doesn't need to make an excuse, there's nothing wrong with making money), I get it. I do the same on our show. I am always left a little uneasy with John Edwards' sincerity when he says things like that.
But what you can't question is his devotion to fighting poverty. I don't care why you think he's doing it, at least he's doing it. What are the Republican candidates doing to fight poverty? There it is again, an actual lol. Doesn't it seem really funny to even consider asking Republican candidates what they are doing to help the poor? I get the feeling they might laugh in your face.
Yet this level of enormous indifference to the struggling families in this country is greeted as perfectly normal and acceptable. On the other hand, when John Edwards spends his time and money trying to help those same people, he gets scorn for being rich while doing it.
Sometimes, I feel bad for being so harsh against the press. And other times I think I could ease up a little if they stopped being so damn thick. Grow a spine, and call a dumb Republican talking point, a dumb Republican talking point. And don't apologize for it.
The Young Turks