Ann Coulter Soothes Conservative Angst
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As I raced through rush-hour traffic and squinted through the heavy rain
on my way to the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library Thursday night,
I chuckled to myself at the thought of putting my life in danger all
for the sake of arriving in time to hear the start of a speech by none
other than Republican pundit, author and conservative maven, Ann
Coulter. Â
I had never heard Coulter speak live, but I had read
enough to know that she basks in controversy and makes her living off
of thumbing her nose at liberals - her parting words to the crowd that
night: "If anything I have said here today offends you, my work is
done."
To outsiders, she may be a culturally-insensitive,
Republican blowhard, but the fact of the matter is she remains a source
of information and inspiration to many within the conservative
movement, which made her remarks and book-signing a must-see event.
Coulter
made her first-ever appearance at the Nixon Library that night, located
in the conservative bastion of Yorba Linda, the birthplace of the
library's presidential namesake. Fittingly, she recognized Nixon as
her favorite president in her remarks.
She was there to drum up publicity for her new
book, "Guilty: Liberal 'Victims' and Their Assault on America," but
judging by the size of the crowd, the promotional lecture wasn't
necessary. Over 700 fans, conservatives and casual observers sat
shoulder-to-shoulder in the library's ornately decorated East Room,
awaiting her arrival. About another 500 sat in an adjacent theater,
having paid money to watch Coulter's speech simulcast on the room's
cinema-sized screen. When she finally entered the East Room, the
audience gave her a standing ovation. She took the stage, surrounded
by no less than seven American flags, and flanked by two large screens
projecting her image.
book, "Guilty: Liberal 'Victims' and Their Assault on America," but
judging by the size of the crowd, the promotional lecture wasn't
necessary. Over 700 fans, conservatives and casual observers sat
shoulder-to-shoulder in the library's ornately decorated East Room,
awaiting her arrival. About another 500 sat in an adjacent theater,
having paid money to watch Coulter's speech simulcast on the room's
cinema-sized screen. When she finally entered the East Room, the
audience gave her a standing ovation. She took the stage, surrounded
by no less than seven American flags, and flanked by two large screens
projecting her image.
Witty repartee mixed with
controversial jabs has made Coulter a conservative icon, and the
audience ate up every sound bite, responding with thunderous applause
and delighted laughter to her jokes and pointed comments about liberals.
"Maybe
he'll nominate Wesley Snipes for the Department of Homeland Security,"
she said in reference to three of President Barack Obama's cabinet
nominees having had problems with their taxes. Â
Coulter
peppered her comments with supposed sympathy for minorities in the
United States, saying the O.J. Simpson murder trial freed "her people"
from their white man's guilt.
"The O.J. murder trial was the
best thing to happen to blacks in America. It turned out the one
thing...you could not do was commit a double-murder and get away with
it," Coulter said. "This is what finally ended the patience of sensible
people for liberal patronization of blacks in America."
It is
difficult to separate Coulter the person from Coulter the character. She revels in the attention and seems to love picking on Democrats
almost as much. A favorite tactic of Coulter's is to make statements
about popular liberals, denigrating them for characteristics such as
the accents of Arianna Huffington and George Soros, rather than more
substantive flaws.
Coulter's appeal for Republicans, beyond the
lame jokes and hyperbolic conservatism, is
simply the fact that she is maddeningly charming. Her delivery is not
unlike that of a stand-up comedian, quick and sardonic.
"[Orange County is] an insurgency in enemy territory," she said, and "is always an exciting place to be."
The
size of the audience at Coulter's speech and book-signing is as much a
reflection of her popularity as it is a sign of the times. The
Neo-con zeitgeist that had pervaded the Bush administration has been
fading with each day of the Obama presidency. Â
For an area
traditionally known as a conservative stronghold, 47.8 percent of
Orange County voters chose Obama to be the next president, according to
the official election results on California Secretary of State Debra
Bowen's website. That must have Republicans running scared. In comes
Coulter with her new book, just in time for the start of the Obama
presidency. Her speech seemed to be a salve for wounded conservatives
in the audience. Â
Republicans are looking for a figurehead,
someone to lead them through the Obama years, and Coulter gives Rush
Limbaugh a run for his money. She's obviously not new to the scene, nor
is her shtick, but like Madonna, she manages to transform herself to
remain relevant. Â
She represents much to many in conservative
America. A group of twenty-something men debated the level of her
hotness as they waited in line to get their copies of "Guilty." For
others, she is the epitome of the everywoman.
"She's honest,
tells it like it is. It's refreshing, you know. She seems like a good
person," said one young male member of the audience.
Coulter
doesn't appear to be the type to enter the political fray as a
candidate - she makes too much money and enjoys her role as a
liberal-baiter - but she is one who many in the conservative populace
will look to for guidance.
"Who do you think the real Republican was in the Presidential election?" asked one audience member.
"Sarah Palin," responded Coulter, who also mentioned Mitt Romney as being worthy.
Revered as she is by Republican faithful, she was also fascinating to the few liberals and moderates attending the event.
Self-described
Democrat Hamik Martirosyan stood in the back of the room warily eyeing
the mass of Coulterites standing in line to have their books signed.
"She's an interesting person. I just came to watch a train wreck," he laughed.
