OPINION:
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Dana Perino, moderator of last week’s GOP debate, sparked a firestorm on the internet by asking contestants on the stage to eliminate one competitor from the stage. After all, eliminating opponents is what the electoral process is about in a free country.
The question was deemed demeaning and unserious on the platform formerly known as Twitter, where people regularly engage in furious debates with fake robots about whether water is wet while sitting on the toilet.
Apparently, invoking modern American culture from a reality television show in a debate question is where we draw the line of civility and seriousness in politics today. It’s like when people in Washington are shocked and complain that former President Donald Trump — the famous reality television star — is too crass and vulgar for American politics today.
Have you been to a mall lately? Turned on the TV? Ever heard of the Kardashians? Here’s an American cultural question: Please explain what made the Kardashians famous. (Mom, don’t look it up.)
But Donald Trump using vulgar language to describe the Biden administration’s very serious efforts to put him in jail before the next election is the real problem. And Ms. Perino’s “Survivor”-style question was so reckless that it imperils our political discourse.
Truth is, Ms. Perino’s question met the moment in America today — and on the debate stage last Wednesday night.
While profoundly illuminating, the debate was a circus, with the Seven Dwarves raising their hands, whining, and squeaking out stupid one-liners.
There was Bashful Dwarf from Florida, who struggles to meet new people and wears high-heeled boots to be taller than Ms. Perino.
Grumpy Dwarf from New Jersey is like a junkyard insult dog.
Doc and Happy from South Carolina. Dopey from biotech. Sneezy Dwarf came in with a busted foot.
And Sleepy, who acts like he just arrived even though he has been around the longest of them all. It’s like Sleepy just woke up — and then weirdly announces he has the hots for the teacher.
Offstage and unseen was the Wicked Queen — or MAGA King, in this case — who terrifies the dwarves as they tumble around jockeying for superiority on the stage before he returns.
The chaotic debate was not Ms. Perino’s first rodeo. She has been wrangling dwarves since her days as White House press secretary — way back before the MAGA King, with glowing eyes, correctly identified the political press as “the enemy of the people.”
Her “Survivor” question was sneaky good, because it was current and relevant and proved deeply revealing.
“It’s now obvious that if you all stay in the race, former President Donald Trump wins the nomination,” Ms. Perino said. “None of you have indicated that you’re dropping out.
“So, which one of you, on stage tonight, should be voted off the island?”
The crowd erupted in laughter as she instructed the dwarves to write their answers down with their little dwarf pencils at their little dwarf lecterns.
Bashful looked around at his fellow dwarves.
Grumpy, ever pugnacious, picked up his dwarf pencil and started writing.
Doc took the lead and spoke up.
“Are you serious?” she asked, which gave Bashful great courage. He began waving his arms as if trying to get the attention of a plane flying over a desert island where he and his fellow dwarves were stranded.
“I’ll decline to do that,” Bashful said bravely.
“With all due respect — I mean, we’re here — like, we’re happy to debate,” he said awkwardly. “I think that that’s disrespectful to my fellow competitors. Let’s do some questions!”
Grumpy Dwarf was asked whose name he wrote down and he immediately denied writing anything down. But then he went on to say that he would vote the MAGA King off the island — even though he knew full well the Evil King was not on the stage for they were all full of great courage in that little moment.
In the end, the Seven Dwarves refused to turn on one another and stand up to Ms. Perino — who was taller than they were, even though she was seated. You know, safety in numbers.
But just wait until the Evil King returns.
• Charles Hurt is the opinion editor at The Washington Times.
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