Jewish World Review Nov. 12, 2004/ 28 Mar-Cheshvan, 5765

Greg Crosby

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Random Thoughts on the Election

http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Nothing especially focused this week, just some random thoughts to share. The fact that President Bush won reelection despite the fact that virtually all of the mainstream news media and the entertainment businesses including the music industry, television, movies, and theater were doing everything in their power to get him kicked out, says a lot about American voters. It also says a lot about how much (or rather how little) influence the framers of American popular culture have over the populace.


Voters listened to the celebrities and then said, "Just because we might like your movies, or buy your records or watch your television shows doesn't mean that we will drink the kool-aid and vote the way you say we should." In the final analysis, people made up their own minds and didn't listen to Dan Rather, Michael Moore, Bruce Springsteen, or Whoopi Goldberg.


All the movie stars, musicians, and television personalities couldn't change the general mood of the country; people basically are fine with how President Bush has governed in his first term. Most people like George W. Bush. They support his strong foreign policies. They identify with his steadfast patriotism and they like his style.


Most people want their president to be first and foremost, an American, not a one-worlder who seeks the approval of European leaders. They prefer that their president be honest and forthright; that he means what he says and acts upon it. Given the choice between a slick speaker with a core values deficiency, and an unpolished speaker who, nevertheless, is able to communicate his ideas and vision clearly and has strong values that are in line with most of the country, guess what? People will take that unpolished speaker every time.

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So to all you left wing Celebes who took time out from your busy schedules to do whatever you could to defeat Bush, including lying, screeming, and name-calling, I can only say thank God that most voters are smarter than that. I really wish that the entertainment business would stick to entertainment. It brings to mind that perfect title of a current book written by Laura Ingrahm, "Shut up and Sing." Yes, just shut up and sing, or shut up and act or shut up and read the news, or whatever it is you have a gift for, but please don't try to tell us how to vote.


Can you imagine how horrible the world would be if ALL professions behaved like the celebrities during an election? Your hot water heater explodes and you call a plumber, but the first thing he wants to do when he gets to your house is tell you who you should vote for. Or you go to the supermarket and the market has taken sides on the election and all through the store you see posters supporting their candidate and the ballot initiatives that they are in favor of. Or you go to the dentist and he tells you that if you don't vote for the candidate that HE likes, then you must be a stupid redneck racist.


And speaking of celebrities that pontificate on social issues, my wife (who is neither a celebrity nor a pontificator) mentioned something the other day that started me thinking. She wondered why it is that so many celebrities who continue to have children out of wedlock and clearly don't believe in getting married themselves support same-sex marriage so strongly. Interesting, isn't it? Of course the real reason that they support homosexual marriage is not because that are in favor of marriage for everyone, but because they wish to completely destroy the institution of traditional marriage. That's the answer. The left doesn't like anything that maintains traditional values, and old-fashioned one man/one woman marriage certainly does that.


On the bright side, much more than the movie stars and cultural elitists lost the election this time. There were other big losers. The terrorists lost and America won on November 2nd. Going back to the 60's lost and looking ahead won. Peace at any cost lost and liberty for all won. Radical change lost and traditional values won. Lying lost and honesty won. Slickness lost and humanness won. Phony lost and genuine won. Lawyers lost and voters won.


The culture wars will undoubtedly go on, but for now, at least, chalk one up for traditional Judea-Christian American values.

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JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.

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© 2004 Greg Crosby