Ann Coulter: The Paragon Of Intellectual Discourse

At least, that's what you'd hear from GW Young America's Foundation President Sergio Gor, in his latest editorial in The Hatchet:

I welcome Ann Coulter in the spirit of intellectual discussion. I also welcome those who disagree with her opinions to come, listen and maybe even learn a few things. We are blessed at GW to be able to offer our students such a wide variety of high-profile conservative events. The conservative voice on campus has never been stronger thanks to the GW-Young America's Foundation.

[...]

From an intellectual side, speakers such as David Horowitz and Ann Coulter clearly win the debate, so why not look past angry liberal talking points and listen to their words?

Ann Coulter and the Young America's Foundation are more than happy to discuss the issues without resorting to attacks, but rarely do liberal lunatics come to an event such as Ann Coulter with the intent of learning or listening with an open mind. Coulter thrives on a well-founded debate, but usually liberals don't want to do anything but throw pies and run.

So, according to Gor, Coulter "wins the debate" from "an intellectual side," being "more than happy to discuss the issues without resorting to attacks."

Well, I'll let my employer—media watchdog group Media Matters for America—take it from here:

On Hannity & Colmes, Coulter vowed to fight Clinton because "I do not want to be fitted for a burqa"

(October 9th, 2007)

On the October 8 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter told co-host Sean Hannity, "I do not want to be fitted for a burqa, so I will join you in fighting President Hillary Clinton."

Defending "camel jockeys" slur, Coulter said: "We have sure moved away from the day when we called them Krauts and Nips"

(October 2nd, 2007)

On the October 1 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, during a discussion with right-wing pundit Ann Coulter, co-host Alan Colmes said, referring to a chapter in Coulter's new book, If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans (Crown Forum): "[Y]ou're quoted as saying, 'Maybe I'm winning the camel jockeys over,' " to which Coulter responded: "Yes ... That's actually in the book. That's not a made-up quote."

Coulter: "I do think anyone named B. Hussein Obama should avoid using 'hijack' and 'religion' in the same sentence"

(June 26th, 2007)

On the June 25 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, discussing Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) June 23 speech at a church in Hartford, Connecticut, co-host Alan Colmes asked right-wing pundit Ann Coulter if "[o]nly Republicans can talk in churches." Coulter responded: "No, but I do think anyone named B. Hussein Obama should avoid using 'hijack' and 'religion' in the same sentence." Colmes replied: "I see. So, in other words, you want to paint him as a terrorist by continuing to highlight that his middle name is Hussein?" Coulter stated: "Just avoid those two together. ... Avoid 'hijack and 'religion.' "

Coulter's complaint: Falwell should have blamed Sen. Kennedy and Barry Lynn for 9-11

(May 18th, 2007)

In a May 16 column titled "Jerry Falwell -- Say Hello to Ronald Reagan!," right-wing pundit Ann Coulter, who proclaimed, "Let me be the first to say: I ALWAYS agreed with the Rev. Falwell," admitted that she disagreed with Falwell on "one small item": He should have assigned blame for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to "[Sen.] Teddy Kennedy [D-MA] and 'the Reverend' Barry Lynn," in addition to "the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians -- who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle." Lynn is the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Coulter: "I don't think there's anything offensive about any variation of faggy, faggotry, faggot, fag"

(Mach 7th, 2007)

On the March 6 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Sean Hannity featured right-wing pundit Ann Coulter and Fox News contributor Pat Caddell to discuss Coulter's March 2 speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), in which she said she "can't really talk about" Democratic presidential candidate and former Sen. John Edwards (NC) because "you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot.' " Hannity said, "Most of the speech was about humor. You were telling jokes the whole time here," and went on to discuss Grey's Anatomy actor Isaiah Washington, who recently sought counseling after using the slur. Coulter responded by saying, "[T]hat's, of course, what I was referring to, and I don't think there's anything offensive about any variation of faggy, faggotry, faggot, fag. It's a schoolyard taunt. It means -- it means wussy. It means, you know, Hillary giving a speech in a fake Southern drawl -- that's faggy. A trial lawyer who weeps before juries is faggy. Lifetime-type TV, faggy

Coulter reference to Edwards as "faggot" gives rise to questions for media

(Mrch 2nd, 2007)

In a March 2 speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), right-wing pundit Ann Coulter said she "can't really talk about" Democratic presidential candidate and former Sen. John Edwards (NC) because "you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot.' " The CPAC audience applauded her comment.

Coulter on Obama's popularity: Democrats are "stunned" that a "black man can walk and talk"

(January 18th, 2007)

On the January 16 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Sean Hannity hosted right-wing pundit Ann Coulter for a discussion of, among other things, prospective Democratic presidential nominees, specifically the qualifications of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). Coulter compared Obama to former President Gerald Ford, saying, "[E]verything they were saying to point out how little qualified Ford was as this accidental president is surely true ... tenfold in the case of Obama." Coulter went on to say: "I do think it does show -- it further confirms my point that Democrats are racist, and they're just stunned to find a black man who can walk and talk. And, you know, not being a racist, I'm not really that impressed with a black man who can walk and talk."

Clearly, something doesn't make sense here.

Coulter’s schtick is saying completely outrageous things as often as possible, in the process drumming up huge amounts of press for her. That’s how she stays relevant, and that’s how she sells her books—she appeals to the lowest common denominator, which her fans are more than happy to settle for.

In fact, Coulter's rhetoric has become so vile that conservatives don't even want to be associated with her anymore--CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, has cut Coulter from their speakers' list this year, despite the fact that she has been a CPAC regular since at least 1999.

Gor’s attempt to paint Coulter as some kind of seasoned intellectual who discusses the issues “without resorting to attacks” shows that he’s either terribly ignorant or extremely dishonest—personally, I don’t know which one is worse.

Whatever happened to accountability and personal responsibility, those cherished conservative ideals? Student orgs are free to invite to campus whoever they want, but they also have to take responsibility for their actions. When GWYF invites a speaker who engages in gutter politics, who poisons public discourse, whose extremist rhetoric hurts our great democracy, then they better be prepared to answer for it.

If the GW YAF doesn’t want to defend Coulter from expected—and reasonable—criticism, they shouldn’t have invited such a controversial speaker in the first place. Gor and GWYAF chose Coulter, and now they have to live with her and the firestorm she will—inevitably—produce. As it says in Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Truer words were never spoken.