So Many Republican Hypocrites, So Little Time

April 11, 2008 | SEND TO A FRIEND | GET EARLY NOTICE OF THE HOTW

John Wayne

Welcome back to the Buzzflash GOP Hypocrite of the Week.

Why are we bestowing our first posthumous honor? Blame it on Glenn Greenwald's "Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics."

As we point out in our review of Greenwald's new book, it is tailor made to support our five years of awarding weekly awards to GOP Hypocrites.

Greenwald pegs the modern origin of GOP hypocrisy as beginning with the glorification of a chickenhawk: John Wayne.

During WW II, when many Hollywood stars such as Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda volunteered for military service, the "Duke" evaded getting drafted with vigor. Ironically, he became an icon of American military and cowboy swagger by playing such roles on the screen while not having the courage to fight in combat.

As we wrote in our review of Greenwald's book, "Wayne is the archetype of 'patriotic' packaging over reality that the Republican 'communications' consultants excel at." In this case, Hollywood was the perfect vehicle for pole vaulting a mythic image over a hypocritical reality.

Ronald Reagan was a contemporary of John Wayne's -- and followed the same path of celluloid image and script-reading ability triumphing over a lack of personal courage in the military.

Wayne was also a boozing thrice-married philanderer who objected to scripts that he felt didn't pass "his moral code" of decency for America. It was a moral code that he didn't personally abide by, but that's the Republican way: self-righteously flagellate us with slogans about values, but drive their lives forward on the low road.

So thanks to Greenwald for pointing out how Wayne led the way in creating more than 50 years of a Republican mythological universe belied by the reality of personal failings.

For that "accomplishment," John Wayne is posthumously honored with this week's GOP Hypocrite of the Week.

Remember our motto: So many Republican hypocrites, so little time.

Catch up with you soon.