SLEIGHT OF HAND: OF COULTER, COGNITIVE DISSONANCE, AND CACOPHONY

I tuned into the Tonight show, hoping to see some major fireworks (I’m not a huge fan of Leno, so this was a rarity). A few Internet pundits predicted a display to equal July 4^th at any county fair.

I speak of course, of the slotting of Carlin vs. Coulter (I’m sure a few people expected a boxing ring, “In this corner, weighing in at 90 pounds,” etc, “LET’S GET READY TO RUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLEE!”).

Alas, such was not to be found.

Carlin came out and did his buzz-word monologue (I’ve heard it before, but it always cracks me up), chatted with Leno, and later out came the main event: the Right Wing’s Screaming Mimi, the Banshee of Bullshit, Coulter. I’m assuming here (actually hoping is a better word) that the shrieking and howling of the audience was from hired voices.

And everybody behaved themselves. Carlin made a comment about his moving to the ‘right’ for Coulter, but mostly he sat quietly during the host/guest interview.

An occasional shot showed old GC somewhat bunched up with tension. I’m just guessing here, but I think he may have been asked/told to behave. And let’s face facts: it’s a talk show, not the McLehrer-Laughlin hour.

In the meantime, Neo-con Coulter did the usual conservative dance – liberal mixing and matching of truth with askew point of view.

She pointed out that liberals didn’t seem to care that they’d be called ‘godless’ (hey, we’ve been called everything else under the sun, that’s a mild epithet at best), she had the (paraphrased here) only smart liberal she knew read her book (but did a gentle aside to GC: “I didn’t know I would be appearing here with you,” yeah, right, you need to fire your publicist if that’s the case, tell me this wasn’t arranged in advance) and had no problem with it, that the ‘liberals’ are using the 9/11 widows for gain (tell me your side would never use those tactics, lady? Yeah, right. We’ve seen how morally upright the Neo-cons have been over the years, go tell it on the mountain).

And Leno did address it, but in keeping with his nice guy persona (he’s so saccharine, my pancreas threatens to shut down), he asked her, “Isn’t this a little mean?”

At one point, Leno asked her about hiring bodyguards. And of course, the K-12 response was: “I hang out with a lot of conservatives. They’re a fierce bunch. They can take them.”

The most disturbing part of the whole charade: camera close-up on Coulter.

Dead eyes. I saw not a vibrant, strong female, but a puppet.

Final analysis: UNHINGED. Sociopathic.

I’m no psych major, but I know sociopathy when I see it.

She should be seeking active care, not leading people to the brink of the abyss.

And that, dear readers, is my nickel’s worth. Spend it, or pocket it: it’s up to you.