Propaganda! Orwell in the Age of Ann Coulter “As far as I’m concerned, I’m a middle-of-the-road moderate and the rest of you are crazy.” – Ann Coulter DANIEL J. BORCHERS Foreword by Lydia Cornell Propaganda Orwell in the Age of Ann Coulter Daniel J. Borchers Citizens for Principled Conservatism Propaganda: Orwell in the Age of Ann Coulter © 2014 Daniel Borchers First printing: December 29, 2014 All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles. Citizens for Principled Conservatism believes that the nature and use of the photos, cartoons, and graphics provided in this book which are not in the public domain or not the property of the publisher constitutes “fair use” of any such material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This material is intended primarily for educational purposes and is distributed freely. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Front cover design: Daniel Borchers Title page and back cover design: Daniel Borchers (photo: Taylor Hill) Screengrabs by author on pp. 55, 68-70, 74, and 149. Original artwork/graphics by author on pp. 7, 12, 14, 17, 29, 31, 53, 62, 64, 68, 76, 93, 97-99, 104, 109, 112-113, 115, 118, 120, 132, 135-139, 141, 144, 146, 150, 152-153, 155-157, 159-161, 163-166, 168, 171, 173-181, 183-184, 186, 188-189, 191-192, 194-195, 197, 199, 202, 206-207, 210, 212, and 215. All other photos obtained from the Internet and other open sources. Published by Citizens for Principled Conservatism. Printed in the United States of America. Daniel Borchers, President Citizens for Principled Conservatism P.O. Box 506 Odenton, MD 21113 www.CoulterWatch.com [email protected] 240-476-9690 “I say this in order that no one will deceive you with persuasive speech.” – Colossians 2:4 (LEB) Table of Contents Foreword by Lydia Cornell ................................................................................................ vii Preface: Orwell, Coulter & Me ........................................................................................... viii Introduction: Orwellian Constructions ................................................................................ xiv Chapter 1: The Right’s Riefenstahl ..................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2:.Delusional – Ann Coulter’s Self-Identity .......................................................... 7 Chapter 3: Slander – Newspeak & Doublethink ................................................................. 15 Chapter 4: Travesty – George Orwell Meets Joseph McCarthy. ......................................... 29 Chapter 5:.Coulter’s Little Red Book .................................................................................. 53 Case Study # 1: Coulter’s Groupies and Useful Idiots. ....................................................... 68 Case Study # 2: Plagiarism .................................................................................................. 76 Case Study # 3: Xenophobia: Soccer Flops and Nativism Gone Amok. ............................. 93 Case Study # 4: Coulter v. Christians. ................................................................................. 112 Case Study # 5: Coulter v. Tea Party ................................................................................... 135 Case Study # 6: Romney v. Everyone Else. ......................................................................... 152 Case Study # 7: Political Playbook ...................................................................................... 158 Case Study # 8: Life Issues .................................................................................................. 173 Case Study # 9: Nazis, Demons, and Crazy People ............................................................. 183 Case Study # 10: No More Tears ......................................................................................... 191 Epilog: Ann Coulter’s Journey to Damascus ....................................................................... 205 Appendix: An (Almost) Perfect Piece of Propaganda ......................................................... 215 Foreword Dan Borchers, a lifelong conservative, is a man of great integrity and humility. If all Republicans and Democrats were like Dan, the world would be a better place. I am delighted to write this Foreword for his book, which addresses the Orwellian nature of what passes for political discourse these days, particularly as it is epitomized by Ann Coulter. I first met Dan in – when was that again? Oh, yes, … never. Though Dan and I have never actually met in person, I’ve known Dan for almost a decade. I know Dan through his friendship, through his writing, and through the sharing of his faith in words, prayer, and acts of kindness. We first collaborated on a literary work about Ann Coulter. At that time, I discovered Dan’s commitment to principled behavior. He had founded a non-profit organization, Citizens for Principled Conservatism, seeking “to reinvigorate principles and ideals within the Conservative Movement” and combat “extremist elements within that Movement” which he viewed “as both dangerous and self-destructive.” Although we have some political and theological differences, we share a love for God, honesty and truth, character and integrity, principled conduct, and grace. In his second book, The Gospel According to Ann Coulter, Dan provided a practical perspective with sound biblical doctrine on what it means to walk with Christ and seek His will. My own story corroborates Dan’s analysis of a paradigm which bedevils contemporary politics and the body of Christ in America today. With Propaganda, Dan extends his expertise into a new dimension, offering fresh insights into the propagandistic nature of Coulter’s work – and that of so many others involved in the political arena. Drawing upon his own research and personal experiences, Dan offers a critique of propaganda which is useful for those engaged in politics, cultural pursuits, or other endeavors which require communication between people. Lydia Cornell Los Angeles, CA December 29, 2014 vii Preface Orwell, Coulter & Me In the early 1990s, Orwell’s 1984 intrigued me. In particular, I was interested in its application in contemporary American politics. My studies included examining the nexus of Nazi, Fascist, and Socialist thought and the use of language for totalitarian purposes. In August 1996, my newsletter BrotherWatch1 was born, with distinctly Orwellian themes.2 Within a few months, BrotherWatch transitioned into a broader, more Christian conservative publication. I mailed the first two issues of BrotherWatch to members of the media, including Ann Coulter, and received some interesting feedback. Coulter replied as well, though she critiqued 1984 instead of BrotherWatch. Thanking me for my newsletters, Ann expressed her deep interest in Orwell’s dystopia. Despite her failure to provide any critique of BrotherWatch, she did ask me to write MSNBC in order to help her keep her job. Since then, Coulter has proven herself a 1984 aficionado. She claims to read it every year and she peppers her commentary with Orwellian language. Indeed, her career has been built largely upon her employment of Orwellian constructs which are discussed in Propaganda: Orwell in the Age of Ann Coulter. I met Ann in the summer of 1997 to present her with an Alamo Award for her courage.3 Since then, I’ve discovered that the person I believed worthy of an award was in reality the product of clever merchandizing. Ann Hart Coulter had learned her craft far too well. The consummate wordsmith, Coulter had become proficient at selling herself. Coulter on Orwell In discussing an Apple 1984 commercial, Coulter explained the power of visual propaganda and he importance of Orwell’s masterpiece: That is an amazingly powerful ad. I don't know how anyone can vote for a Democrat again after that. Forget Hillary versus Obama. When I wrote High Crimes and Misdemeanors, I got an email from a fan who said, “Great book, but you need to distill it down into a 60-second MTV, you know, video.” And that's basically what this ad does 1 See www.brotherwatch.com and https://brotherwatchblog.wordpress.com. 2 See “In Search of Big Brother – Part I” at http://www.brotherwatch.com/files/In%20Search%20of%20Part%20I.pdf, “In Search of Big Brother – Part II” at http://www.brotherwatch.com/files/In%20Search%20of%20Part%20II.pdf, and “In Search of Big Brother – Part III” at http://www.brotherwatch.com/files/In%20Search%20of%20Part%20III.pdf. 3 See “Preface: Alamo Remembered,” The Beauty of Conservatism, 2011, www.coulterwatch.com/beauty.pdf and “Preface: Image Obsessed,” Vanity: Ann Coulter’s Quest for Glory, 2012, www.coulterwatch.com/vanity.pdf. viii for Orwell's 1984. I don't know how anyone can vote for a Democrat after reading Orwell's 1984.4 Here is a sampling of Coulter’s references to 1984 and Orwell’s ideas. 2 + 2 = 5 Coulter concluded an essay, “Courting George Orwell,” which addressed a then-current Supreme Court case, writing, “Speech is ‘conduct,’ and conduct is ‘speech.’ Under a Constitution that ‘grows,’ two plus two equals five, and freedom is slavery.”5 Big Brother In one particular essay,6 Coulter railed against the pervasiveness of political correctness in our school system and society. She wrote: It's well past time for liberalism to be declared a religion and banned from public schools. Allowing Christians to be one of many after-school groups induces hysteria not just because liberals hate religion. It's because the public school is their temple. Children must be taught to love Big Brother, welcoming him to take over our schools, our bank accounts, our property, even our toilet bowls. … Religious people keep cheerfully going back and trying to formulate some prayer that won't make liberals angry. But the problem won't go away. No prayer that assumes a belief in a Higher Being will ever be acceptable. God has no part in the religion of sex education, environmentalism, feminism, Marxism and loving Big Brother. In a totally unsurprising development, liberals finally suspended their opposition to the death penalty in the case of Timothy McVeigh. He was the sworn enemy of the established religion of Big Brother. Too bad he never stumbled into one of those after- school Christian meetings. Groupthink Coulter has expressed a repulsion for groupthink, despite the fact that she herself is obsessed with groupthink.7 I hate groupthink. And the libertarians have it every bit as much as the college liberals I speak to. I give a lot of college speeches and it was the same thing, you know where you all have to cheer together and you all have to boo the same stuff. And I guess when you’re young and insecure feeling like you’re part of a group is important to you. If I was ever like that, it would be gun-to-the-mouth time. But OK, I understand the psychology of it.8 4 Ann Coulter, The Live Desk, FNC, 3/19/07. 5 Ann Coulter, “Courting George Orwell,” 10/20/00. 6 Ann Coulter, “Disestablish the Cult of Liberalism,” 6/15/01. 7 See “Chapter 10: Equality: Self-Evident Truths,” The Gospel According to Ann Coulter, 2012, available as a free PDF download at www.coulterwatch.com/gospel.pdf and “Chapter 4: Prejudice,” Vanity: Ann Coulter’s Quest for Glory, 2012, available asa free PDF download at www.coulterwatch.com/vanity.pdf. 8 Ann Coulter, Dennis Prager Show, 3/18/13 ix As far as I can tell, this is the only instance in which Coulter has ever suggested she might be suicidal (“If I was ever like that, it would be gun-to-the-mouth time”). Emmanuel Goldstein Coulter frequently hearkened back to 1984’s apocryphal enemy, Emmanuel Goldstein. In an interview bemoaning the resurgence of race consciousness in America, she queried whether Rudy “Giuliani would have been as magnificent a mayor as he was if the OJ verdict had not come very early in his term.”9 Coulter mused, “Perhaps he wouldn't have been brave enough to risk being maligned and turned into America's Emmanuel Goldstein by the left for pursuing his anti-crime policies.” In a column defending Mitt Romney during the 2012 primaries, Coulter insisted his critics were out of touch with reality. She wrote, “But the facts are irrelevant to people busy fighting the last war. It's not about Romney at all, but their own posing. Romney is the Emmanuel Goldstein of GOP primary voters looking for a moderate to hate because they fell down on the job last time.10 With the publication of Slander (2002), Coulter claimed, “The religious right is the equivalent of Emmanuel Goldstein in Orwell’s 1984.”11 She explained, “The religious right is this apocryphal organization the masses are trained reflexively to hate, hate it while laughing at it. Interestingly enough, we never hear about the atheist Left. It’s always ‘the religious right, the religious right.’” Coulter continued, “Just trying to figure out who the members are, the leaders of this vast terrifying organization is like trying to nail Jello to a wall.” Let us remember that Emmanuel Goldstein was a fictional enemy in 1984, while the Religious Right did and does exist.12 A few years later, Coulter extended that analogy from just conservative Christians to all conservatives. In an interview, she lamented, “It’s amazing that Republicans ever win any elections with the most powerful institution in America – the mainstream media – trying to turn all conservatives into this week’s Emmanuel Goldstein, while treating the most ghastly liberals as if they are sparkling Adonises.”13 In a 2005 essay, Coulter alleged, “Now [Rep. Jean] Schmidt [R-OH] is Emmanuel Goldstein, subjected to the liberals’ Orwellian two-minutes hate, and not one Republican will defend her.”14 Coulter defended Schmidt, writing, “Schmidt's precise words were: ‘I received a call from Col. Danny Bubp. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message, that cowards cut and run, Marines never do.’” Orwell in Slander Orwellian references and allusions permeate Slander, the first of her overtly Orwellian tomes. Coulter correctly knows the Left’s penchant for Newspeak, writing, “Race discrimination tends to attract the most preposterous Orwellian circumlocutions, such as ‘equal opportunity’ and ‘affirmative action.’” 9 Ann Coulter, Interview II, Newsbusters, 9/27/12. 10 Ann Coulter, “Fighting the Last War,” 4/11/12. 11 Ann Coulter, interview with Scoobie Davis, 7/11/02. 12 See “Chapter 15: Religious Right: Warriors for Truth,” The Gospel According to Ann Coulter, 2012, available as a free PDF download at www.coulterwatch.com/gospel.pdf. 13 Ann Coulter, interview with PJMedia, 2/2/09. 14 Ann Coulter, “We like you! We really like you!” 11/30/05. x Decrying groupthink, Coulter observed, “The occasional heretics from the liberal orthodoxy are regularly trotted out for the ritualistic Orwellian ‘two minutes of hate.’” Opposed to the liberal goal of enjoying an monolithic liberal media devoid of conservative voices, Coulter wrote, “It isn’t compartmentalization that liberals are worried about, it is the capacity of Americans to escape the Orwellian drivel.” But the bulk of Orwellian references surrounded her desire to promote the notion that the Religious Right is a fantasy – an apocryphal enemy – created by the Left to silence people of faith. According to Coulter, The “religious right” serves the function of Emmanuel Goldstein in Orwell’s 1984: “The program of the Two Minutes Hate varied from day to day, but there was none in which Goldstein was not the principal figure. He was the primal traitor, the earliest defiler of the Party’s purity. All subsequent crimes against the Party, all treacheries, acts of sabotage, heresies, deviations, sprang directly out of his teaching.” Coulter asserted, “For twenty years, evangelical Christians had been portrayed as toothless hicks preaching for a nickel in the Ozarks. Then – seamlessly, without remark on the shift in the Orwellian propaganda – they were transformed into Howard Hughes money men, expertly manipulating the system.” Coulter contended, “As Orwell described the endless, phony war in 1984, despite ‘the regrouping which occurs every few years, it is always the same war – one must realize in the first place that it is impossible for it to be decisive.’” Coulter claimed, “Not only is there no meaningful definition of the ‘religious right,’ there is no coherence to its life span. It is uncanny how Orwellian it is.” Expanding on her theme, Coulter insisted: Yet, like Emmanuel Goldstein, though the religious right is universally reviled, it is still, somehow, dangerously beguiling. Despite being “hated and despised by everybody, although every day, and a thousand times a day, on platforms, on the telescreen, in newspapers, in books, [Goldstein’s] theories were refuted, smashed, ridiculed, held up to the general gaze for the pitiful rubbish that they were – in spite of all this, his influence never seemed to grow less.” Coulter concluded: “What is fairly stunning is that the left’s carefully nurtured devil term – their Emmanuel Goldstein, capable of producing hate on cue – essentially comes down to accusing someone of being a Christian.” Orwell in Treason Orwell again invaded Coulter’s next book, Treason. This time, Coulter used an enormous portion of her book to resurrect Joseph McCarthy as a much-maligned (and flawless) American hero. Coulter wrote, “The myth of ‘McCarthyism’ is the greatest Orwellian fraud of our times.” Coulter relentlessly hammered home her main point: “One of the most Orwellian lies of the McCarthy myth is that he ‘named names,’ as the slogan goes, ruining people's lives with reckless accusations.” xi