A chance meeting with Evan Sayet at the Hard Rock Hotel stands out as a highlight. Evan is a political pundit with an emerging following. He likes to intersperse humor with politics, having been on the Hollywood and New York scenes for a number of years. Surprisingly, he doesn't appear to have his own Facebook, and at this time of the morning, investigating whether he does in fact maintain one will have to wait for another time. What struck me as unusual is the presence of a 50 member (at this time) group devoted solely to Evan entitled "The Next Great Conservative Thinker."
Evan did not strike as particularly conservative when we sat down to shoot the breeze at the Hard Rock. In fact, he projected an almost liberal vibe, or at the very least, a moderate point of view. His Facebook group features a Heritage Foundation appearance which literally blew me away, mostly because he seems so different in person. It's true we mostly discussed family and personal matters, but we also touched upon the 2008 election and merits of the different candidates.
Evan's years in Hollywood have served him well. Unless you already know you're sitting down with the "next great conservative thinker," you'd swear you happened upon another liberal New York ethnic minority. The dichotomy was so compelling that after digesting the entire 40-some minute presentation, I couldn't go to bed without penning some thoughts and impressions.
Don't feel compelled to view the entire video, although Evan does have a fascinating take on the modern liberal mindset. According to him, liberals are not evil or stupid, they merely subscribe to something he calls "the cult of indiscriminateness." By subscribing to utopian ideals embeded in their psyches by the age of five, liberals reject conservative rational thought because they've been told their liberal belief system is the one true hope for mankind. Discriminate thought, thought that distinguishes between behaviors, choices, lifestyles, etc., is the equivalent of bigotry. Since bigotry is bad, liberals adhere to a philosophy where everything and everyone is equal, sharing, and essentially playing on the same field. Evan throws in some references to Hollywood, television programs, and John Lennon, all the essential cultural markers of the 60's, but the basic idea is the same espoused by most other conservatives.
He also makes a point of mentioning liberals are virulently antagonistic to political positions other than their own. I would be inclined to agree, however, I've come across my share of antagonistic thinking from conservatives. A certain radio pundit comes to mind.Why are politically minded people always trying to convince each other that their opinion is the rationally right one and everyone else is irrationally wrong? Wouldn't it be better to simply air our opinions, discuss their merits or lack thereof, and agree to disagree?
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with Evan. His take on the mindset of liberals borders on sheer genius. But by saying the things he does in the manner in which he says them, Evan alienates every person with a liberal agenda. Wouldn't it be better to try to bridge these gaps rather than continue to increase the divide?
Actually, I am not one to preach. I live next door to one of the biggest liberal hippie throwbacks from the counter revolution era. This gentleman never outgrew the commune and utopia mindset and continues to espouse liberal loftiness wherever and whenever the mood strikes. About a year ago, after jokingly criticizing his ability to remain so liberal well into adulthood as a byproduct of working for the government, we can no longer discuss politics. Not only did he not appreciate the humorous nature of this good-natured jab, but to this day, he purposefully lobs nasty comments my way as if intentionally seeking a rise. I've steered clear of engaging the antagonism to date, but it's getting to the point where I can barely maintain civility.
One more mention -- and I am NOT joking -- one more zinger about my pronounced Baltimore accent, and it's POW, straight to the moon Alice, right to the kisser.