Coulter: McCain a "Lickspittle" Unworthy of "Kissing Bush's Behind"

In her newest syndicated column, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter calls the U.S. occupation in Iraq "a stunning success," awards President Bush the status of "moral giant," and trashes Sen. John McCain as one of "the weakest members of the herd."

Since 2001, right-wing pundits have increasingly used offensive and violent rhetoric to humiliate Democratic Party candidates and politicians and to undermine political debate of important issues. Coulter's attack on Sen. McCain confirms a rising trend of right-wing pundits using this tactic of humiliation and violent language to brand Sen. McCain a danger to the safety and well-being of the country.

Coulter's column was penned in reaction to the Democratic Party's argument that a McCain presidency would be tantamount to a third term of the Bush administration. Rather than defending Sen. McCain in the face of Democratic Party criticism, however, Coulter praises Bush as "a great President," then lashes out at both liberals and Sen. McCain as "lickspittles" not "worthy of kissing Bush's behind."

Coulter leaves her readers to do the final step of calling sen. McCain a 'liberal' through her oft-used propaganda technique of guilt-by-association. In this case, the final paragraph of her column makes it virtually impossible for readers to miss the larger associated she wants them to draw:

There is not a liberal in this country worthy of kissing Bush's rear end, but the weakest members of the herd run from Bush. Compared to the lickspittles denying and attacking him, Bush is a moral giant -- if that's not damning with faint praise. John McCain should be so lucky as to be running for Bush's third term. Then he might have a chance. (link)

Sen. McCain is going to lose the election, Coulter is arguing, because his lack of praising Bush makes him a liberal.

Beyond the critique of McCain, Coulter's column is a bellwether of how right-wing pundits plan to use their influential media platforms to drive political debate up to the general election.

Rather than back McCain, right-wing pundits seem poised to turn Sen. McCain into a cartoon effigy of all they claim is wrong with American liberalism. In this way, pundits like Coulter and Limbaugh will be able to argue simultaneously that McCain lost because he was 'too liberal,' and that a Democratic victory will bring disaster because a President Obama will be 'too liberal.'

By supporting McCain, right-wing pundits risk the loss of prestige that comes with backing a losing candidate. By turning against McCain, they can blame Republican defeat and predict doom for the country with the same argument. Anti-McCain right-wing pundits, in other words, can advance their goal of staying relevant in a rapidly shifting media environment where their access to the White House and to Congress will likely be limited relative to what it was during the Bush years.

Only time will tell if this full scenario is in the cards, but for now Americans can look forward to plenty more 'John-McCain-is-a-Liberal' tirades from the likes of Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, and all the right-wing pundits trying to emulate them.

Follow Jeffrey Feldman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JeffreyFeldman

Comments

[teemunney]

Can we all do ourselves a favor and ignore idiots? All they want is attention, you know. Maybe if we ignored Coulter and the other nuts, they'd go away.

[DRaymond]

Coulter and those like her see a massive loss coming up. Now, they don't mind not being in power. If you look at their main sources of revenue: Arbitron ratings, book sales, speaking fees, then the Clinton Administration was their golden days. So they don't fear being out of the presidency. What they do fear is being the figureheads of a completely discredited and irrelevant political movement. In other words, has-beens.

So they don't fear a McCain loss, but they do fear the aftermath of a McCain loss. In the event of a blowout there will be a lot of debate about how to restore themselves­...do they go with Ron Paul Libertarianism, Eisenhower's pragmatism or hope that there can be found a new charismatic figure to carry on with neoconservatism or whatever. Coulter knows that there is no money for her in the other routes so she is trying to frame the after-loss debate as the problem being with McCain and not Bush.

[highlyamused]

I assume that she considers herself worthy of kissing Bush's ass. Carry on lady.....

[SSF]

Calling Bush a "a Moral Giant" only shows you completely lack any sense of morality yourself, Ann! If you consider yourself some sort of a female intellectual powerhouse, why do you always seem to appear in a slinky black cocktail dress like some common field-playing Gold Digger! Perhaps because you and your fellow Right-Wingers always appeal to emotion rather than reason and leave the facts and the truth by the wayside!?! How typically Republican!!!

[jeanrenoir]

The more McCain bashing, from any quarter, the better. I hope the Far Right stays home in droves in November. No more likely than Hillary's feminist backers voting to overthrow Roe by voting for McCain out of "anger." But worth "praying" for nonetheless.

[fignozzle]

who buys her books?

[gappedtoothgodwarrior]

Her publisher mostly

[mlaiuppa]

Poor, poor Ann. What to do. She has to choose between Obama and McCain. I'll bet she's taking her rage out on her flying monkeys.

[unitron]

Why are we wasting electrons on "that person"?

[Titonwan]

Why are you reading Ann Coulter?? She is a clown. The native americans have a saying 'you honor your enemies when you talk about them". Keep that in mind. OUT.

[ThermoChemist]

Bush was guilty of that for years (ie. honoring your enemies by speaking of them).

He was giving Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden undue PR and greater status (in the Mideast) each and every time he mentioned "the War" against the Islamic extremists. Those "evil doers" want to die a martyr's death fighting the great fight against the Infidels -- and Bush stupidly assisted by elevating their position (or perceived status) by continually stating we were fighting a WAR against the extremists.

So, the Bush Admin decided in 2005 (I think?) to use "a global STRUGGLE against violent extremism" rather than "the global WAR on terror," which had been the catchphrase of choice.

[combatveteran]

An outstanding success? To whom, the Iranians?

[Incredulous]

Be careful Annie! In the new world order, starting in November, radical extremists like you just might be considered enemies of the state. For now, little lap dogs like you are at least good for a laugh. And I don't mean "with" you. Now someone toss that dog a bone.

[bentenrai]

Who cares what Coulter has to say? I certainly don't. You don't converse or argue with fools lest you want to become one.

[JaseAllen]

Besides, watching her debate is intellectually painful. She has no factual foundation for any of her arguments so she has to resort to cheap insults. It's like trying to argue with a five year old having a tantrum.

[JanSP1971]

Ann and Bill O. I hope and pray are on their way out! After Nov. and the country has shown the world we have come into the light, we have come out of the fear fog they will have no place to play no one to play with. People like Ann and Bill O. are a huge part of what has gone wrong with our country over the last 8 years. Bush and his boys could not have hand picked any one better to spew their fear into the American people. A new day is just around the corner, the American people have stood up and said ENOUGH!! Change is on it's way, the Ameican people are taking our country back!
OBAMA IN 08!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rafaelc378]

"There is not a liberal in this country worthy of kissing Bush's rear end."

Anne Coulter is the American equivalent of the former Iraqi Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf.

Don't worry Anne, ""There are no American infidels in Baghdad. Never!"

[RevSpaminator]

Coulter, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Rove... (The list goes on)

These are the faces of today's conservative movement. Who in their right minds wants to be associated with them? I'd sooner be associated with the homeless guy who walks down the street having imaginary conversations with Elvis, he's sounds less crazy to everyone. No wonder the American people are running away from these douche bags.

Obama's strategy of taking on the Republicans in all states makes sense and comes at the perfect time. Not only will he take the White House, but he will also build a base of support for the progressive movement for many years to come.

[nobillary1]

OR, they might just be playing one of their little games with the American public - again! What they might call reverse psychology?

When I first read this item I couldn't believe that AC would call McCain a "lickspittle" that wasn't fit to kiss Bush's behind (like WHO would even WANT to??). With friends like she and the gasbag RL, McCain surely doesn't need enemies. The idea that they could influence the GE by denigrating their own candidate, tells me they care not a lick what happens to our country; they only want to be right - at any cost. I'm quite sure that if McCain loses in the Fall, they will all say "I told you so", and probably gloat in the delusion that they helped him lose by pointing out all his faults.

Needless to say, my first inclination was to hope that McCain would prevail at the polls in November. I envisioned a tremendous victory! Dancing in the streets! Boundless joy from sea to shining sea! AC & RL crawling back under their respective rocks to lick their wounds and to be forever silenced. So, that got me thinking! I'll get everyone that will listen to vote for McCain! I'll post everywhere on the Internet encouraging one and all to VOTE MCCAIN!

On second thought; NAH.