My congratulations to Nathan P. Origer for making popular radio talk-show host Mark Levin’s list of “most deranged bloggers.” Nathan joins other conservative bloggers who have criticized Levin from positions outside the boundaries of Levin’s brand of conservative orthodoxy, thereby making themselves enemies of the Great One, as he calls himself.
Levin made news among these conservatives a little while back when he told a caller, “I don’t know why your husband doesn’t put a gun to his temple. Get the hell out of here.” Yes, he said this, and said this after asking her if she was married and, for no logical reason, why she hates his country, his Constitution, and his Declaration of Independence. Conor Friedersdorf called Levin out on the indecency. I think Levin started his list shortly thereafter.
The indecent incident mention above isn’t out of character for Mark Levin. Insulting people with whom he disagrees is a constant feature of his show. His delivery is loud and mean. He calls Hilary Clinton “Her Thighness,” for example. His language isn’t directed toward persuading others to embrace his political philosophy. Levin uses language violently to demean and destroy. His rhetoric has the opposite effect of persuasion: it alienates.
It therefore does a disservice to conservatism, which is one reason why Conor, Nathan, David Frum and other conservatives have constantly criticized the talk-show host. Conservatism, as the name indicates, is about conserving, preserving, maintaining. Levin’s verbal violence does none of these things. He gives conservatism a bad name, associating it with violence towards and hatred of others.
Nathan and the other “deranged bloggers” have my thanks. Both conservatives and liberals have much good to offer one another and society. For us to benefit, though, we need to be open to the other and dance what E.D. Kain calls “the civilizational tango.” Otherwise, we lose our balance, step on one another’s toes, and fall to the floor.
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