Republican Speechwriter Peggy Noonan Says Adam Lambert "Worse" Than Bad Economy

As if enough stupid things haven't already been said about the Adam Lambert American Music Award fiasco, Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan has waded into the fray offering up some either truly stupid — or truly cynical — comments. 

For those who don't know Noonan, she is a former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush. She is well-respected among conservative circles and her comments aren't those of some marginalized wingnut writing for a local paper in Texas. 

So what did she say about Adam in her column? 

After citing a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showing 55% of Americas believe the country is on the wrong track and that 66% don't believe their children's lives will be better than their own, Noonan acknowledges that the terrible economy, the housing bubble bursting, the record numbers of uninsured, the record deficits and rising unemployment might be contributing to American unease but that: 

...something tells me this isn't all about money. It's possible, and I can't help but think likely, that the poll is also about other things, and maybe even primarily about other things.

Notice that "primarily" Noonan drops in. Despite enduring the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, not to mention two ongoing wars Noonan fails to bring up, she thinks Americans are really troubled by something else. And that something is the "Adam Lambert Problem" as Noonan refers to it.

Says Noonan:

But we are concerned about other things, too, and there are often signs in various polls that those things may dwarf economic concerns. Americans are worried about the core and character of the American nation, and about our culture.

Get that? Noonan sees "signs" in other polls that these cultural concerns actually dwarf American fears over the economy. Thank heavens we have pundits as brilliant as Noonan to divine these "signs" that us mere mortals can't see in these polls. Otherwise all of us might have gone on mistakenly believing were actually anxious over the economy, wars and health insurance

Noonan goes on to say it's one thing for Americans to get upset because they feel powerless and believe the mucky-mucks running our economy (now that the Democrats are in charge she calls them dreadful people) don't much care about the Average Joe, but it is another "and in a way more personal, thing to say that people who don't care about us control our culture."

Seriously, Peggy? Your typical unemployed, under-employed, lacking health insurance American isn't laying awake at night worrying about his economic situation, but whether or not Billy or Sue saw Adam kiss another guy?

You know what this means don't you, boys and girls! The Culture Wars are alive and well in 2009 and — surprise! — a gay man is the perfect emblem of it all.

Naturally, the folks in charge of the culture that Noonan mentions are the "leftys" who live in New York and other "lefty" places. Of course, Noonan only means the writers, actors, singers and creative people as opposed to the suits actually making the decisions and who probably aren't nearly as "lefty."

Noonan claims since broadcast TV is watched by folks of all ages, "Higher, stricter standards must maintain."  No where does she mention that Adam was on after 10 PM in every time zone except one where he appeared five minutes before 10 PM, which is when more adult content is permitted.

Nor does she note that the AMA's had plenty of potentially inappropriate content before Adam took the stage. I'm also curious given her Republican ethos of personal responsibility, why she never asks what parent in their right mind is letting their child watch TV at that hour.

I'm not surprised she can't be bothered to note the double standard at play here, including the fact that during the Billboard Music show back in 2004, Pink performed the exact same "crotch move" Adam did at the AMAs. 

Maybe it's because Pink is a woman and performed on her buddy Rupert Murdoch's Fox Network. Speaking of Fox, you'd think someone as devoted to protecting our children as Noonan apparently is would be much more incensed by the fact that last Sunday's Fox animation line-up included not one, but two separate visits to a strip club and not only featured some pretty graphic footage, but also included discussion of when it was okay to hit a woman.

But no, it's the gay guy who gets her worked up. 

Noonan isn't a stupid woman and I don't really think she believes the tripe she writes here. She's part of the Washington Beltway that she and other conservatives like to pretend they have nothing to do with, and what she's doing here is classic Republican sleight of hand. Is your party mostly responsible for the worst economic collapse in 80 years? Did your party start two failed wars? Did your party run-up massive deficits? Is your party responsible for killing the health care reform the vast majority of Americans want?

Well, then you better find a way to distract the Average Joe from what's going on or they might keep you out of pwer. And what's been better at distracting folks than dragging out the tired old cliche of the gay boogeyman! 

This time his name just happens to be Adam Lambert.