When 25-year old James O'Keefe and three buddies disguised themselves as "telephone repairmen" and attempted to infiltrate U.S. senator Mary Landrieu's office, they were attempting to wiretap her phones [Update: speculation] to gather embarrassing evidence of Landrieu's private phone conversations.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
They were caught. Felony? Of course. Prison time? One would assume.
But wait! It was only comic street theater, just like Sasha Baron Cohen! It was just like those people that suddenly freeze in a train station, just to freak you out! It was just like America's Funniest Home Videos!
It is fascinating to examine the belief system that underlies such a basic misinterpretation of humor. Normal folk will recognize that there are limits, even for such apparently wild-and-crazy guys as Cohen, who has made a career out of pretending to be various people he's not. Cohen has embarrassed a lot of people, but he will never physically hurt somebody, steal a car, rob a bank or infiltrate an army base.
I cannot say the same for James O'Keefe. His "humor" appears to exist in the same strange dimension as Hannibal Lecter from "Silence of the Lambs." Certainly it is ironic to pan-fry a man's brain and serve it to him with toast and coffee, but does that excuse the crime?
Um, no.
It ain't really a crime if the perp got style, baby!
O'Keefe obviously believes that he is the epitome of New Republican Cool(tm). He tips his fedora at a cocky slant, swaggers with his cane and goofy mirrored shades, strolls into ACORN offices in stylish duds, and so on. He would have you think these things are costumes, that he is acting. Unfortunately, he's not much of an actor; he can't lose his O'Reilly smirk.
Maybe that's what he considers his perpetual "snark" tag, that smirk. It's a cynical expression that conveys disdain for the whole universe. If life (from a cosmic perspective) is all a big joke, then why would people really think it's a big deal if he tries to bug a US senator's office? Put "air quotes" on everything. It's all a big gag.
O'Keefe's attitude is the logical culmination of a complete emotional disconnect from society. To O'Keefe, people suffering from poverty have chosen to play the role of the poor, so they deserve no sympathy. See? He can dress up like a hobo just as easily as he can dress up like a pimp! And Mary Landrieu? Heck, she's just playing the role of a US senator, so why can't O'Keefe play the role of a "telephone repairman (secret agent)?" At the end of the TV day, isn't it all the same?
At this point I should point out that James O'Keefe is no worse in mocking and casually undercutting the foundations of our republic than Alito, Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy and Roberts. They too were only "acting" when they fooled those dumb old Democratic senators into thinking they wouldn't subvert the US Constitution. Heck, all it took was a well-scripted set of "lies" to get past a credulous pack of fools.
James O'Keefe is just trying to be like them, but it's a tough act to follow.
Right now, James O'Keefe is assuming he will be let off without significant punishment. They all are. Community service? Ouch! After all, they are the sons of rich, white Republicans. They're twenty four, twenty five years old. Kids, really. Hardly older than troops in Iraq. They assume their daddies will find lawyers that will plead "Animal House" and make it all go away. They assume that in a few weeks they will all be sipping drinks by the side of a pool, having been anointed the coolest Young Republicans in history.
Our justice system faces an important decision: If O'Keefe and pals are excused for "bad judgment," they will be hailed as heroes by the right. O'Keefe especially will continue to refine his Rovian craft, becoming more subtle and sophisticated, attempting further to blur the line between performance art and political crime. Others are sure to emulate and extend his model, all for the entertainment of nihilistic YouTube fans.
On the other hand, if the system throws the book at James O'Keefe, it would send a powerful message: The law is serious shit. If James O'Keefe goes to prison for, let's say, a couple years, suddenly he won't seem quite so cool. Even the real cool kidz don't want to spend time behind iron bars. Not cool.
An even better idea would be to sentence James O'Keefe to ten years in prison, the maximum for just the one crime of entering a government office under false pretenses. With good behavior, this little right wing sociopath would get out in five years. By that time, he would no longer think of himself as a cool guy, nor would anybody else. Stiffer sentences have been handed out to computer hackers and one-time pot puffers. A ten-year sentence would make the next would-be O'Keefe think a little harder before doing a fun little wiretap on a US senator.
That's what "the law" is for, isn't it?
Update: If O'Keefe is sent to prison, I hope the judge sites one of the best lines from Animal House: "Laugh it up, funny boy."