In the past week, Ellen Goodman and Matthew Miller, both considered liberals, have made it clear in their syndicated columns they do not approve of Michael Moore’s approach in "Fahrenheit 911."
I don’t find many on the right disassociating themselves from Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly and others like them.
How come?
The answer, I think, is blowin’ in the….Sorry.
I suspect the answer lies in the nature of the political philosophies.
Contemporary conservatives, once they have made up their minds, "know" the truth. Liberals tend to think of themselves as un-ideological and open-minded to new realities.
That would explain their discomfort with Moore, whose movie is not notable for uncertainties or doubts.
It also explains the power of the Right. We have all run into people who back George W. Bush’s policies, for example, because, they say, "He is a Christian." Belief is more persuasive than doubt.
Incidentally, Judge Learned Hand once said – this is a paraphrase - that democracy depends on each citizen believing he or she might be wrong.
(If anybody has the exact quote, please share it. Thanks.)