Her Again

[posted by Callimachus]

Devone Tucker is another conservative who gets it:

Some of Coulter's defenders have argued that the right cannot afford to be civil when the left is gaining influence through incivility. This argument is sophistry of the highest order. If incivility is the key to political success, then why should we hold back with any epithet? If being as rude, crude and lewd as the far left will guarantee success, then what restriction is there on discourse? If we can obliterate Edwards by using derogatory terms, then what's to stop us from using similar language to beat, say, Barack Obama?

As the old saying goes, if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything--and it appears that some of the folks making excuses for Coulter's language have decided to fall for anything. Modern conservatism was supposed to reject the degeneration of the current culture, not embrace it for potential political gain. Twenty years ago, Coulter would have been universally condemned on the right for her use of street language, not excused with a wink and a nod. It wasn't that long ago when conservatives were united in the fight against public acceptance of crudity. It should tell you something about the problems affecting the conservative movement that on certain right-of-center websites, those who find Coulter's remarks objectionable are viewed not as people who have a reasonable disagreement with her, but as -- well, what she suggested Edwards was.