My Right-wing Brother-in-Law Quiet These Days

Often on this blog, I refer to my right-wing brother-in-law in order to get the 'message' from that dark corner of the political spectrum. He gets his 'news' and 'information' from the usual sources, mostly talk radio. We met on Friday for dinner- the first time since the Inauguration- and I wondered what the spin on the Obama presidency would be.

I was amazed at his silence. Dumbfounded, in fact. Not one discouraging word. Nada. It was an eye-opener, for sure.

He used to be a Democrat, like his father and forever back, but in the late 90's he moved far-right. We used to dread dinners together because of the usual right-wing blather that, like a good dittohead, he would utter. Not this time, though. Amazing.

Today, Frank Rich of the NYT penned an OpEd titled, The Culture Warriors Get Laid Off My brother-in-law enjoyed the culture wars, peppering his pronouncements with many 'them' and 'those people' references. Seems 'they' were always stealing his money or messing up his life. On Friday, 'they' apparently disappeared.

His life-savings has all but disappeared from his portfolio. He has no pension and lives on his Social Security [socialism!] check and dividends from his portfolio. Well, not that any longer.

I believe that he has finally it figured out: he has been hoodwinked, bamboozled by the right, election after election, and voted 'culture war' issues rather than his wallet. The chickens didn't come home to roost.

Rich says,

"What has happened between 2001 and 2009 to so radically change the cultural climate? Here, at last, is one piece of good news in our global economic meltdown: Americans have less and less patience for the intrusive and divisive moral scolds who thrived in the bubbles of the Clinton and Bush years. Culture wars are a luxury the country — the G.O.P. included — can no longer afford."

It's the economy, stupid! My wife's brother is finally 'getting it.'