"South Park Conservatives": The Review...

I have finished Brian C. Anderson's "South Park Conservatives" and heartily recommend it. Here is my rambling review:

At first glance, the title "South Park Conservatives" would seem to indicate that the goal of AndersonÂ’s book is to describe a new faction or sub-category of political stripe that can be found within the current make-up of the Republican party. But one need only to see the subtitle "The Revolt Against Liberal Media Bias" to understand that what Anderson is describing is a sea-change in the overall political landscape that could very well determine the future of American politics. AndersonÂ’s thesis is that the seismic shift in several forms of media combined with the backlash against Liberal elitism is creating a movement the likes of which the United States hasnÂ’t seen in almost forty years.

Anderson establishes a baseline by describing the world we once knew, where the "old media" dictated what information the public received and how the information was delivered. In this context, he describes the development of what we know today as "Liberal bias". At the time, it was nearly undetectable because it was all America ever got. Liberalism became "illiberal" because it was and still is completely intolerant of any dissenting point of view. Conservatives were viewed as stereotypes and the mediaÂ’s ability to reinforce these stereotypes went largely unchallenged.

Then something happened. One by one, different forms of media began to act as agents of change. The other side was being heard and, in the free market of ideas, Conservatives not only got a fair hearing, the American public couldnÂ’t get enough. Anderson takes a chapter to describe the development of each of these outlets - talk radio, cable news, the blogosphere, book publishing and anti-Liberal television shows like "South Park".

For example, Anderson illustrates the eye-opening success of the Fox News Channel as an alternative to same old pap being dolled out by the networks:

"Fox viewers will see Republican politicians and conservative pundits sought out for meaningful quotations, skepticism voiced about environmentalist doomsaying, pro-life views given airtime, and much else they would never find on other networks." (p. 52)

None of this is news to Conservatives who have been reveling in the growth of these forms of media, but Anderson does a really good job of documenting how each type has had a tremendous effect in boxing Liberals into their own little echo-chamber. Try as they might to discredit the rise of Conservative ideas, Liberals found every one of their sacred cows being slaughtered. They had not been used to having their arguments challenged, and thus never learned the ability to articulate their beliefs in any rational way. So cries of "Bush Lied" and "fascism" have become a way of life for the Left.

Anderson finishes the book by examining the one territory that the Left can still claim to dominate - academia. However, their grasp is slipping in the face of a student body that is growing more and more Conservative. Just as the youth of the 1960's resented and rebelled against the "Establishment", the new college-age generation of the 21st century has had their fill of political correctness, speech codes and moral relativism. And 9/11 gave these kids a serious dose of reality. After years of hearing that there is no such thing as real evil and that the United States is an awful country, younger people have been given a context for fully understanding moral clarity. They don't need to be told who the good guys are.

When Anderson uses the term "South Park Conservative" (originally coined by Andrew Sullivan) he is talking not of a specific demographic but of a slice of the American population - particularly those under the age of 30 - that transcends across all backgrounds. And right-leaning college students gladly accept its definition.

"The label is really about rejecting the image of conservatives as uptight squares - crusty old men or nerdy kids in blue blazers." says Eric Spratling, an undergrad at Arizona State. (p. 99)

Nowadays, the elitist knee-jerk Liberals have become the humorless, stoggy sticks-in-the-mud, while the Conservatives are more and more becoming viewed as hip, funny and irreverent. Honestly, would you rather hang out with Ann Coulter and Jonah Goldberg or Al Franken and Frank Rich?

So is the Right winning the culture wars? Well, maybe itÂ’s more realistic to say that there is at least parity there. But the trends are in ConservatismÂ’s favor.

"South Park conservatism (or anti-liberalism) will become more prevalent in popular culture and on the campus. The political correctness that this brash sensibility skewers is anathema to younger Americans. The Left will have to abandon its PC illiberalism or continue to lose ground politically and culturally. The biggest changes still to come will be in academe."

Brian C. AndersonÂ’s book will make conservatives feel two things. One is an appreciation for just how far we have come in so short a time. The other is hope for the future, an inspiration to keep pressing on and to not let up. When conservative ideas are presented clearly and cogently, they make the current Liberal arguments seem all the more absurd. As Anderson explains in the closing paragraphs, the Left will have to "re-examine, argue and refine its positions, so many of which have proved disastrously wrong, and stop living in the past."

Posted by: Gary at 11:10 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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