8/28 “Restoring Honor” Rally Emblematic of Ideological Divide
The crowd was overwhelmingly polite and well-mannered despite the intense sun, enthusiastically roaring its approval as the huge TV screens flanking the pool came to life and displayed the “Restoring Honor” logo and the P.A. system announced an introductory message.
The event’s sole political reference? When Sarah Palin stated that “We must not fundamentally transform America as some would want, we must restore America and restore her honor.” As Charles Krauthammer astutely observed in an interview with Bill O’Reilly on Monday night,
“[Palin's remark] is I think a very succinct way of describing the opposition to Obama. People who want to change America fundamentally, which is what he says he wants to do – he’s said it again and again – are people who see America as a flawed nation, sinful in many ways – that’s why he goes abroad and apologizes – and there’s this enormous constituency which arose spontaneously in this movement which sees America as basically, deeply intrinsically good and wants a restoration of that. I think that’s the import of this, it sort of crystallized where the ideological differences are without it being explicit. That was the only I think, even obliquely political statement, but I think it’s very, very important.”
Precisely so. As Beck told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday the previous day, “This many people don’t show up on the Mall in Washington because they’re happy about what’s going on.” He’s right, and this ought to serve as a stern warning to the so-called “ruling class” in Washington of the political tsunami coming in November, but judging by their rhetoric, I doubt more than a handful understand the true extent of the dissatisfaction even now.
As a postscript, I attended a luncheon following the event with a group of gay men and women, many of whom expressed (loudly) their dismay at the “overly religious tone” of the rally and the remarks of many of its featured speakers. I’ve since seen many posts across the blogosphere echoing these sentiments, to which I can only reply: GET OVER IT. For one thing, this sort of remark ignores the larger significance of the event, and only serves to highlight the complainant’s inherent discomfort with organized religion and belief that it is somehow inherently repressive. For another, only someone who had failed to pay any attention to Beck’s remarks regarding the event in the weeks leading up to it could have expected anything different. He repeatedly made statements during his television program along the lines of ”I’ll give you guys in the media a hint: It’s about God.” Lastly, Beck explained to Bill O’Reilly on Monday that he was/ is not preaching any specific religious doctrine – as evidenced at the rally by his “black robe regiment,” which included priests, pastors, rabbis and yes, even imams – but simply moral integrity. When pressed further by O’Reilly to distill his message, Beck responded “Self-regulation – even an atheist can practice that.” This is a message I’d urge both my gay and straight secularist friends to consider.
