Not Wanted: Angry White Male

While walking through lovely Dupont Circle in DC two days ago I bumped into one of my favorite cynics of all time: Charles Krauthammer. It was in the low-90s, about the same in humidity, and this poor guy was there on the way out of the Metro station in his wheel chair, wearing a full suit and sweating up a storm.

Seeing him brought a mix of emotions. At once I wanted to approach and berate him for his continuous spewing of Republican Party talking points on the airwaves every Sunday. Or, for his at times nasty columns that appear thrice weekly in the Washington Post and other publications. But, instead, I felt nothing but pity. Although he typically looks angry on TV, the other day he appeared a mix of anger and…sadness. [Chucky, if we ever cross paths again I’d like to buy you a beer. And if it’s hot outside, we can move into the confines of Biddy Mulligan’s nearby or some other place with ample air-conditioning].

Regrettably, this article is not about celebrity site-seeing in the greater DC metro area. Rather, it is a question about what makes a true conservative these days. Has being a conservative changed so much since the onslaught of the great Nixon revolution? Perhaps, yes, as evidenced this past week by the Washington Post’s excellent reporting on the inner-workings of the sometimes member of the executive branch, VP Dick Cheney.

With so much at stake in the world (such as globalization, and wars on everything from terror, Iraq, Iran, and most likely several more Stans in the next year or two), why are so many angry white males (like and unlike myself) so worried about immigrants, especially those from south of the border, “socialized” healthcare, abortion, gay marriage, and a whole list of other social woes? I don’t remember reading anything about Hate Thy Neighbor in the Bible – is that What Jesus Would really Do?

I ask for your help. What makes an angry conservative so…angry? Is it hereditary or a result of socialization? After all, isn’t the latter reason one of the excuses Republicans use for all of those social ills stated above?

Cliff Note: IMHO, it's psychology baby. Read my piece below about men fighting wars to make up for feelings of inadequacy. Or google Hofstadter, Richard and "paranoid style." Oh, and no feelings of pity for Mr. Krauthammer. Now many more Americans will be returning from Iraq in wheelchairs, or worse.