Having finished reading the entire Internet early this morning (nice surprise ending), I decided to dip a toe in the old Sunday morning yammerhead shows, a rare indulgence.
Happened on Meet the Press in the roundtable segment. Ah, perfect. A little balanced-right Conventional Wisdom frappe.
I took it as long as I could, including the somber reading of esteemed foreign policy guru Liz Cheney's WSJ screed. But when Rep. Peter King was asked to weigh in on Obama's international "weakness" being the spur for conflict in the Middle East, I hovered my thumb over the remote, knowing It was coming.
And, sure enough, by sentence #3, King had hit It. "When the president began his Apology Tou..."
And click.
Quick note to 'Pub yammerheads: there are words and phrases that, due to their patent falsity, naked hucksterism and interminable repetition, become cues for viewers/listeners/readers to immediately turn off the TV or see what Turner Classic's up to (Frankenstein today; much more believable villagers with actual torches and pitchforks--cool).
I regret to tell you, but your party-wide handy dandy talking point, perfect for all occasions, has become one of them.
The president of the United States has never apologized to the Muslim world for our policies (though such an apology is sorely due, imo) and has never, ever, been on an Apology Tour. I would have gotten the T-shirt.
And the phrase itself has become a literal turn-off, a Pavlovian bell prompting an immediate and irresistible search for a different brain-consumable. It has become the politics-speak equivalent of the Angie from Cardholder Services phone call, the Free Month of Showtime mailing or the pair in white short sleeves and black clip-ons on the porch.
Damn shame for you, too. "Apology Tour" had a lot of promise, but it proved to ripen quickly and age poorly, like a Doritos ad that blew your mind during the Super Bowl but, through overplay, makes you hate the very idea of fried triangles of tortilla.
I am loathe to give you guys any helpful advice, but I actually like watching and listening and reading political stuff, even Conventional Wisdom shows. I especially like them while eating tortilla chips. So don't ruin it.