Ann Coulter on Women & Democracy: Neither Can Be Trusted!
Ann Coulter, 2006
Photo: Evan Agostini / Getty Images
Ann Coulter regularly says things that are absurd, bigoted, or simply in conflict with reality. It's arguable that a reasonable person should probably assume that whatever Coulter says, the opposite is likely true. In America, though, her ideas can play an important role in the direction of conservative opinion. However horrible some of her ideas may be, the sad fact is that she is tapping directly into numerous anti-democratic and authoritarian strands of both conservative philosophy and conservative Christianity.
Whatever is wrong with Ann Coulter is what's wrong with conservative politics and religion generally.
If we took away women's right to vote, we'd never have to worry about another Democrat president. It's kind of a pipe dream, it's a personal fantasy of mine, but I don't think it's going to happen. And it is a good way of making the point that women are voting so stupidly, at least single women.
Source: The New York Observer (via Carpetbagger)
Ann Coulter isn't the only contemporary conservative who thinks that women's suffrage should be repealed. Vox Day has made the same argument on the basis of some of the same reasons: women can't be trusted not to vote for the wrong people, so they shouldn't be allowed to vote in the first place. Religious and political leaders managed for centuries to keep most public power out of the hands of half the human race; only recently have women won the right to be social and political equals.
It's disappointing, but not surprising, that there are still some who lament such equality and long for a time when they had more power merely by virtue of their genitals. Such a perspective makes no sense, I realize, but neither does thinking that a person can only have power in the church — as for example a priest — merely because of their genitals. People who try to use something like genitals as a basis for political, social, or religious power may simply not have anything else to rely upon — like ideas, for example.
Blaming women for problems has a long and sordid history. It can appear at one end of the scale with the reported decision of Jeff Robinov, president of production of Warner Brothers, that no more films with female leads get made — apparently, the reason why WB is doing so badly is because of women having leading roles. And do they ban male leads when those movies fare poorly? Of course not.
This phenomenon can appear at the other end of the scale as when fascist and religious movements base much of their appeal around the promise to remove feminine influences from politics, government, church, and other social institutions. The feminine "weakens" public society, they argue, and must be limited to the home where women can raise the children — but not allowed to influence male children too much, lest they grow up weak and limp-wristed. Coincidentally, the same men who are empowered by this are the ones who help define what is "feminine" and "masculine" in the first place — these are cultural categories, not biological ones.
The view that America is a "Christian Nation" and that women's suffrage is a bad idea are not completely independent. It was on the basis of traditional Christianity that women's suffrage was opposed for so long and many of the original suffrage activists were not just critical how they were denied the right to vote, but also of the patriarchal religious system which helped keep women in bondage for so long. Christianity's theology of Natural Law was used to argue that female inferiority was part how God created humanity, and therefore resistance against social, cultural, and political discrimination against women was really rebellion against God. A sin.
Criticism of patriarchal, authoritarian politics went hand-in-hand with criticism of patriarchal, authoritarian religion; the two simply could not be separated. Today, the two continue to maintain a close alliance: the desire to define American along the lines of patriarchal, authoritarian religion is a threat to the liberty of all those who don't hew closely to the demands of that religious tradition. This isn't just a misogynistic threat to women's liberty, but a fundamental threat to democratic liberty in general.
Consider for a moment just how anti-democratic Coulter's position is. When a person complains that the democratic choices people make are invalid, they are in effect complaining about democracy itself. For Ann Coulter, "democracy" is apparently only legitimate when it produces the results she approves of — conservative, Republican victories that promote the superiority of Christianity, Christian theology, and Christian tradition. When democracy produces other results, then the solution is to take away the voting rights of those who are voting "incorrectly."
Ann Coulter has in the past made a number of comments critical of democracy and in favor of what could only be considered a fascist state. In 2006, for example, she wrote complained without irony that "patriotic Americans don’t have to become dangerous psychotics like liberals, but they could at least act like men" and wondered "where are the skinheads when you need them." In other words, skinhead thugs are "real men" and "patriotic Americans." In a speech where she was protested, she implored male heterosexuals to "take 'em out." Earlier, in 2005, she criticized others for expecting their First Amendment rights to be protected and advocated repressing them.
It also makes the point, it is kind of embarrassing, the Democratic Party ought to be hanging its head in shame, that it has so much difficulty getting men to vote for it. I mean, you do see it’s the party of women and 'We’ll pay for health care and tuition and day care -- and here, what else can we give you, soccer moms?'
So, Democrats should be ashamed that so many women vote Democratic while relatively fewer men vote Democratic. One is only "ashamed" of something that is bad, not something that is good, so the juxtaposition which Ann Coulter is creating here only works if the preferences of men are inherently superior and more desirable than the preferences of women. Imagine if she had said that the Democratic Party should be ashamed that it gets the majority of the black vote while so many whites vote Republican, or that they should be ashamed that it gets the majority of the Jewish vote while so many Christians vote Republican.
Clearly, such comparisons would be designed for the specific purpose of saying that whites are better to have as your supporters than blacks and Christians are preferable allies than Jews. By the same token, Ann Coulter is sending the unambiguous message that getting support from women is not nearly as good as getting support from men — and that only makes sense if men are necessarily superior to women. Taken with the first paragraph above, it's clear that Ann Coulter believes that men are superior to women at least in the sense that men vote and make political decisions more intelligently than women.
Of course, since the primary example we're looking at right now is Ann Coulter herself, it's hard not to think that she might have a point.
Comments
I’ve said it before. and I now say it again. If all women were like Ann coulter, I would turn gay.
Unfortunately, Coulter is hardly alone in her poisoning of the political debate. Rush Limbaugh is easily an equal the way he spews his vile talk. Don’t forget about Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and his ilk on Fox News, Laura Ingraham, Pat Buchanan, James Dobson, and Ralph Reed, among others. Listening to any of these folks speak for more than 3 minutes makes me sick.
There are some conservatives I do not mind listening to whether I agree with them or not. Folks like George Will, Bob Novak, and David Brooks add to the political debate even if I don’t agree with them often.
At least Coulter has no children so when she dies of old age one day, she won’t have any descendants to continue spewing her vile talk!
I’m always curious as to the extent to which Ann Coulter actually believes what she’s saying. Her impressive educational background suggests to me that she’s probably aware that her opinions are far out of the mainstream and that her factual statements are false. I suspect that she’s testing the popular media - she wants to know how much she can get away with saying as a result of her relative youth and conventional attractiveness. I don’t think Limbaugh goes quite as far as Ann does and I think she gets away with it because people perceive her as an attractive blonde - which makes her opinions appear more mainstream.
Eric: Attractive blonde? Pictures of that ghoul make me lose a hard-on faster than goatse…
When Ann Coulter dies I will just as overjoyed as I was when Jerry Falwell died. I know it sounds terrible, but its not like I’m gonna go to Hell for saying it. In fact it is a shame that there isn’t a Hell for these people to burn in.
I find Ann Coulter’s remarks unfortunate and disturbing, and the only way to respond to her as a civilized human being is just identify her remarks as the logical fallacies they are and then do not respond. Ann Coulter and commentators like her are entertainers they are nothing more than a bad stand up comedy act, and if we do not respond they will go away.
Joseph: I’m not saying that I find her particularly attractive, but I’ve heard a lot of people say that she is. She is by far the most extreme right-wing commentator that has access to popular media, and I think that her gender and appearance allow her to cross lines that others can’t or won’t.
At least Coulter has no children so when she dies of old age one day]]]]
I don’t if it’s true or not, BUT I HEARD that her method of contraception is her personality.
I’m still not completely convinced that Coulter is not some amazingly elaborate joke played on the right-wing. I’m unsure, however, if my doubt gives the right-wing credit (since she’d be a parodic exaggeration of right-wing principles) or completely invalidates them (since they’ve seemed to fallen for it hook, line and sinker).
The fact that Ann Coulter is (1) a female (supposedly), and (2) single, makes her statement about how “stupidly” single women in this country vote rather amusing. Maybe the rumors are true. Maybe she is really a misogynist male in drag. That might explain Joseph’s comment.
I love the picture of Ann that you picked for the story. She looks like the maniac that she is.
It is curious - Coulter is applauded by right-wingers, but she makes conservatism look more grotesque than does Colbert. I have thought she should be considered an anti-conservitive satirist.
She gives the term dumb blonde a whole new meaning. Blondes every where should be offended and kick her out.
Alternate solution sell her to an east European pimp and survey her opinions in a year.
It is amazing how education and wisdom are sometimes not linked.
Anne Coulter and her fellow fascist bimbo, Michele Malkin, should practice what they preach and leave their jobs for good and just stay home and oblige their male masters in every imaginable way possible.
She’s at it again, saying jews need to “be perfected.”
http://www.cnbc.com/id/21263931
Have you noticed the similarities between Ann Coulter and Osama bin Laden? Imagine Osama with his beard shaved and hair dyed blond. The rhetoric is the same, “…invade their country, kill their leaders, convert them to the true religion…” Have you ever wondered why you never see Coulter and bin Laden at the same place at the same time? Are you wondering why we haven’t been able to find Osama? Maybe he is right here among us, traveling under the pseudonym, “Ann Coulter.”
I’ve read “What’s the Matter With Kansas” twice, and I wonder along with that book why it asks why working people vote for Republicans when they favor the rich and basically screw the workers. But that book (and I) don’t want to take away their voting rights (I work for a living; that would take away my vote too).
The problem with Coulter is that, unlike Colbert, most people on the left don’t realize that she’s just a comedian. I think she’s pretty funny too, and it’s funnier still that so many people take her seriously enough to freak out whenever she says something incredibly absurd. You have to “get” Coulter.
As sad as it may be, it is wishful thinking that Ann Coulter is int eh same caliber of comedy as Steve Colbert. there is nothing to “get” about Ann Coulter. She is NOT trying at all to be funny. Perhaps she fathoms herself witty, but so sorry to disappoint you, she is not trying at all to goof on us all by making sick offensive comments to Muslims Jews and anyone else who is not Christian. The problem is, if a comedian is trying to be like Sacha Baron Cohen or Colbert there is a fairly large group of people who actually “get it”! Or another example is the Blair witch project. Is it real or not? Ann Coulter? REAL! There is NO faking this, she really does believe the crap she spews and it’s a shame we’re giving her so much attention. Her right to exercise freedom of speech is hateful, belligerent, counter-productive, immature and plain STUPID! There is so much more I could say about Ann Coulter, nothing good, oh except I will admit as a hetreo-sexual woman about another, she is attractive and that’s sadly why she gets so much attention, from everyone! UCH!
I’m a little disappointed that we can be so sure of what Anne thinks or what her motivations are… we constantly come down on “believers” for claiming to know what atheists think or what their motivations are… let’s not get caught up in this same type of speculation…
All you corrupt liberals and depraived
atheists are repressed,oppressed beasts with only one ignoramus intent.If you deformed democrat liberals and sick oppressed atheists would have been living in your type of hell-bound countries like Cuba and former Russia,you could’nt have had a day,but because of the impact of Biblebelieving Christians and The Christian Bible,you all are free to monkey around with your liberal crap,so like blind bats out of hell,you are wandering lost & creating demise for your mindless sininfested,
inflicted lost souls.Why do’nt backward liberal-atheists of crooks start by Studying The CHRISTIAN Constitution of THE USA and you will see Ann Coulter is right.
Liberals who are also useless atheists
are only consumed with Satan’s virus.
You are all pathological liers and cheats.
You liberals and atheists are the
ibolos,Christian Stalwarts like Jim
Dobson and Jerry Falwell had to stand against to still make this Country a better place today.
FORD,
Oh yeah? Well, you’re just an old poopy head. That’s what I say.
Well, there’s certainly no arguing with FORD’S logic.
Conservatives adopt name calling around 5th grade. It is a sort of rap devoid of facts and ideas.
>>Well, there’s certainly no arguing with FORD’S logic.
You’d have to find it to even be able to start arguing with it.
ibolos?
Is that really a word?
FORD-
Liberals and atheists are corrupt and depraved liars and cheats?
Ted Haggart, Larry Craig, Tom Delay, Scooter Libby, Mark Foley… need I go on?
FORD, at least we can spell.
I am sorry but I must simply protest at this travisty of a man dressed in women’s clothing being called a woman. It takes more than buying a pair of breasts and shaving your legs to be a woman.
Of course this man says women shouldnt vote ..and is so against women…easy for him to say when he can just take off his black dress and go back to being a man and vote.
If you people dont realize the person calling themselves Ann is a man..then I suggest you need glasses. And if you dont see what a joke it is..the far right looking to a transvestite as their spokesperson ..then there is no need for me to bother pointing that out either.
Sheesh.. wake up people and stop being played.
Just to be clear on the matter, I have nothing against a transvestite. In fact I think they are just as God made them.
I have meet and known a number of transvestites and they are not ashamed of who they really are. The majority by far are very lovely, artistic, talented and feminine in nature and are very kind people.
However, I do have trouble accepting “ann” ONLY because he claims to be female and is hiding his true identity as he writes harmful things against women and gays.
I also think that the fact that the party that hates people like “Ann” are the same party that are buying his books and supporting his views. It makes me think they are either a bunch of hypocrites or blind in one eye and cant see out the other..sheesh