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Right-wingers recruit bozos

September 4, 2008 on 7:46 pm | In Social & Political Issues | No Comments

The Idiot Factor seems to be a hallmark of right-wing political strategists. They put a dimwit in a high office many storeys above his (mainly his) level of competence and let him twist in the wind while refuting commentators stating the obvious. But the dimmer the wit, the less pain that individual actually seems to feel.

Take Dan Quayle, for example. No doubt the Indiana blueblood reminded the senior George Bush of his own spastic, intellectually challenged youngest son when he picked the obviously mentally challenged Danny boy as vice president.

Among Quayle’s many, many howlers is: “…what a waste it is to lose one’s mind or not to have a mind is being very wasteful.” Or, “It’s time for the human race to enter the solar system.”

This from an American aristocrat who managed to land a law degree in the same manner, perhaps, as George W. Bush was graduated from Yale. One can only gawk in awe if either of these lowball characters could actually earn university degrees on their own unaided efforts.

In Canada we have the Tories’ dumb bunny in the form of Tony Clement, minister of health. Since they’re congenitally in favour of wrecking the public health system in order to parcel it off to corporations, he’s a perfect fit. While his country’s food supply was compromised by a deadly food-carried infection, Clement was glad-handing in Denver amongst the politicians and oilmen at the Democratic convention.

And of course we can’t forget the epitome of dopes the reactionaries like to place in high places: Mike Harris, ex-premier of Ontario. That buffoon came into power on the statement that he and his crew of villains “aren’t the government.” Just repairmen to “fix” the government.

He held on for 9 years until finally skipping off and leaving the mess to his deputy premier when it became too obvious that Ontario was a disaster thanks to Conservative Party neocon meddling.

Why are dumbos so handy for the right wing? Because they break things. Because they wreck things. Because they make government unworkable. Because they make it seem as if only the corporations can save us.

Frank Touby