I never thought I would say this but I’m afraid my Ann Coulter Action Figure is going out with today’s garbage. She’s said a lot of stupid things in the last few years. But her recent statements about Hillary Clinton have shown that she isn’t a true conservative. In my opinion, she’s sold out.
I was first irritated with Ann when she suggested we should invade Muslim nations, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity. I stopped short of supporting the decision to fire her from The National Review. But I did cringe at the thought of anti-Christians using her statements to hurt our religion. You know the people I’m talking about. They’re the ones who try to use the Crusades to suggest that Christianity is “just the same” as radical Islam.
And, speaking of radical Islam, there was also her “rag head” comment at CPAC a couple of years ago. After she said it a conservative Muslim stood up and politely asked her to reconsider her use of the term. It wasn’t her suggestion that she would stop saying “rag head” when Muslims stop flying planes into buildings that bothered me. It was the rude manner in which she spoke to the student. I’m usually rude to arrogant liberal college students in order to make them more humble. Ann is rude to humble conservative college students in order to sell books.
Ann really has no other goal these days, in my opinion. That’s the reason for the “faggot” remark at CPAC in 2007. I don’t think the term is “offensive” and neither do they. (Author’s note: By “they”, I mean gays, not “faggots.”) Gays call each other “faggot” all the time and pretend to be offended when they hear the term. They do it to get attention just like Ann Coulter. She only uses the term to make sure that no one leaves CPAC talking about any issue other than Ann Coulter. That’s the way she sells books.
But Ann’s latest remarks about campaigning for Hillary in the event of a McCain/Clinton showdown have made listening to Ann Coulter almost as unbearable as listening to Hillary Clinton. And, make no mistake about it: Young conservatives take Ann seriously, regardless of whether Ann is actually serious about supporting a possible Clinton ticket. At my speeches, young conservatives have actually asked whether they should follow Coulter’s lead in crossing party lines.
So, please, join me in imaging the following three-part scenario: 1) the choice for President comes down to McCain and Clinton; 2) Ann Coulter sticks by her guns and supports her “girl” Hillary; 3) Clinton is elected.
It should go without saying that Roe v. Wade will never be over-turned if those three things happen. Even a one-term Clinton presidency will give her at least two picks for the USSC. And we can all expect picks with the ideology of a Laurence Tribe (or maybe an Alan Dershowitz) coming from President Rodham Clinton.
On the other hand, a President McCain may well pick judges who think like Chief Justice John Roberts. And that would provide at least some hope that Roe could be over-turned.
When it appeared that Rudy Giuliani was the front runner for the Republican nomination Ann said she could never support him for president because he is pro-choice. But Giuliani is a pro-choice Republican who opposes partial-birth abortion. Clinton is a pro-choice Democrat who supports partial-birth abortion. Why does the same litmus test not apply? What explains the inconsistency in Coulter’s position?
The answer is really very simple: Ann Coulter cares more about selling books than she cares about saving babies.
When I first became a columnist and author a pastor named Dan Phillips met with me and asked “Mike, if you keep doing this for years, how will you stick to your conservative principles instead of just doing it for the money?”
I answered by telling Dan that I would place a cap on the amount of money I make on speeches. Since then, I’ve kept my promise. I haven’t raised the maximum amount I will accept. I’ve also talked people down when they offered me more money. I don’t ever want this to be about the money.
And, today, I’m taking another step in the direction of maintaining my integrity as a commentator – one I hope Ann Coulter will consider copying. Today, I am giving away any future payments (not jut sales bonuses) but all future royalties for my new book “Feminists Say the Darnedest Things” to my favorite charity the Hope 127 Project, based in Kenya, Africa. As long as I live, I’ll never draw another penny from Penguin for sales of this book.
It’s good to know that when you buy my book you’ll be helping to give shelter to little boys and little girls the world seems to have discarded. It’s also good to take a break from decrying what is clearly wrong by doing something that is clearly right.
But a part of me is just being selfish. I’ve seen how ugly it can be to sell out your principles for the love of money. I don’t ever want to be that ugly.