Speed Gibson

Michael Medved made an observation recently that the left has enclaves all their own, while conservatives do not. In these enclaves, there is little diversity of thought, and therefore no restraint or challenge of emotional rants like "the worst economy since Herbert Hoover." With no one to ask "what about Jimmy Carter?", the group asserts this as a fact that they assume everyone will accept. And since there is no one to offend, a dislike of President Bush's policies can grow into personal dislike, even outright, unreasoning hatred.

One obvious example is the New York Times and many if not most other large metropolitan daily papers. Indeed, it was the Times' Pauline Kael who in 1972, astonished that Nixon had won said, "How can this be? Nobody I know voted for Nixon!" More recently, the Times had to explain Jayson Blair, and they clearly didn't want to. Blair's writing fit the liberal template, it made sense to them, and there was therefore no reason to edit or do a little fact-checking of his articles. Warning signs, some from Blair's articles alone, were ignored until it became undeniable. Even then, the Times was clearly annoyed with those outsiders who had exposed this fraud.

Another example: most college faculties. It's a wonderful life for a tenured professor. By private sector standards, they have a light workload and schedule, good salary, great benefits, and the best job security there is. The campus is an idyllic. isolated world that protects them from outside thoughts, events, and ideas - and scrutiny. Inside their "ivory tower" there are few consequences for the dissemination of false information or unfounded ideas. Only in the sciences is reality acknowledged, by necessity.

Look at Hollywood, both actors and studio executives. It's chic to be liberal. And look how rudely and shamelessly Charleton Heston was treated recently on NBC's The Today Show. Still, I think there are a few cracks in the dyke, and I think conservatism will continue to make inroads.

Here in Minnesota, we have Education Minnesota. Their rise to power over the past 40 years correlates with the decline of the public schools during that period. But Education Minnesota is not concerned about educational performance. It is, after all, a labor union, and it seeks to improve life for its members. There is nothing wrong with this. What is wrong is that Education Minnesota uses its power to shut out ideas it doesn't like, often without study as whether their members would actually benefit from them. We need more and better science teachers, for example, but Education Minnesota will never sanction a pay differential to attract qualified people from the private sector. The accountability required by the Federal "no child left behind" program or State Education Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecci was clearly not acceptable. They couldn't do much about the Federal program other than lie about it, but they could use their political power to fire Ms. Yecci. Throughout, the union claims there is nothing wrong, that such scrutiny is unnecessary.

To wield this kind of power, a chilling requirement of "group think" is required of its members. There are a few brave souls who call in to Joe Soucheray now and then, plus his many moles that send him the silly memos and policies he reads on the air. But generally, Republicans have no home in Education Minnesota. There is to be no opposition, no alternatives, and above all, no competition. Though it shouldn't matter, it does matter to Education Minnesota what its members think about abortion, spending, same-sex marriage, and taxes, and so on. Don't forget: if they can get Ms. Yecci fired, what chance have you?

I have tried hard to think of a similar isolated world for conservatives or Republicans. I can't think of one. Some might say "big business" or "upper management" but that's easily disproved. Maybe Accounting tends to be conservative, but there is no need for it and the proof is that there are indeed many liberals in that profession, including management. What about Human Resources, as a liberal enclave? Hmm, let me get back to you on this one.

But again, conservatives are always in a mixed world of liberals and conservatives. As such, we hear the other side, and that in fact helps us focus our own ideas. As humans, if left alone, our ideas, too, would begin to stray, as they do in the liberal enclaves above. We all prefer praise to criticism, but a conservative rightly perceives criticism as a friend and wants praise only when deserved. The liberal fears criticism, often smearing those who offer it, then demands praise.

If it ever happens that conservatives find themselves in a world cut off from feedback, they must act quickly to avoid the same fate as these insulated liberals.