While subbing for Fox News Radio's Tom Sullivan Monday, Spencer Hughes -- not exactly a household name, mind you -- spent much of his show guilty of classic Freudian Projection and Republican hypocrisy.
Conservative spinheads like Hughes love to bash President Obama and liberals for being "elitists," out of touch with the needs of the average American in this difficult recessionary period. But it is Hughes who clearly demonstrated his colossal lack of compassion and insight into the economic, health and racial struggles people are facing all over the country.
One frustrated, distraught female caller said she's been unemployed long-term and is finding it near impossible to get a job. Hughes berated her, stating that anyone who wants work can find it. As an example he cited his wife's budding online apparel and jewelry business. "I can't afford to buy gas," she countered. Hughes then arrogantly bragged to his listeners that "I can look around her apartment and garage and guarantee you she can afford $9.99 a month for Internet." He reiterated that, just like his wife (who, it should be noted, has a gainfully employed husband for support), anyone can start a business.
Hughes then suggested that out of work people write E-Books. "One of the best ways to make money on the Internet," he said. Is this guy for real? With a straight face he's suggesting to the millions of unemployed workers--most with little or no higher education--that they write books? A laid-off factory worker living in Ohio with three hungry kids is supposed to sit around and pen a novel? Or maybe these poor folks can write books about what it's like to be kicked in the ass during the worst economy in 75 years.
Hughes praised another caller for "going into my own practice" when things didn't work out with his "associates." I don't begrudge this particular guy, but an obvious professional like him is not representative of the typical poor shlep who's lost his job at the plant.
When he was done with his jobs diatribe Hughes then shifted to obesity, claiming that people are fat because they're lazy and don't want to exercise. And because they eat too much junk food (ignoring studies that show that poor people eat junk food because it's cheap). He suggested they go jogging. Yes, jogging, apparently the official sport of the low-income, inner-city unemployed. I guess, to Hughes, when you've been out of work for a year and you worry about putting food on the table for your kids, the best thing is to simply go for a run. And working white folks like Hughes can vouch for how freakin' Zen this activity is.
Hughes then railed against law enforcement, attacking cops and highway patrolmen for handing out summonses to innocent people like his wife, who was ticketed for doing 88 miles per hour when he claims she was within the speed limit. "They got the badge and the gun," he lamented. Hughes vented anger over how cops sit and wait for people like him "to go three inches past the stop sign" so they can pull him over. And this is a guy who, like so many conservatives, supports Arizona's tough new immigration law on the grounds that the law protects people from discrimination, and that cops will do the right thing. Hughes is an angry white man who feels bullied by police. Does he ever stop to think how a Mexican feels in Arizona? Talk about being out of touch.