Here's a hot one. Hugh Hewitt v. Peggy Noonan. No, really. They're fighting. It is teh frightful.
While the other candidates bang away earnestly in a frozen format, Thompson continues to sneak up from the creek and steal their underwear--boxers, briefs and temple garments.
That is Peg. Here is Hugh.
If an orthodox Jew was in the running, would Peggy have added "yarmulke?" Or if a devout Catholic, a mention of a rosary or a scapula? I doubt it. There are acceptable bigotries and unacceptable bigotries. Anti-Mormon drive-bys that are good for a laugh play well in some circles --the same circles that used to indulge Catholic and Irish jokes.
Oooh, burn.
The problem here is precisely that of religious tolerance, which Hugh elides by bringing in the Irish, when we'd fucking far prefer to be left out of it, slainte.
If I were a good Catholic, as I was raised to be, but am not, I would be pretty fucking comfortable saying Romney was going to Hell. Indeed, that would be my duty. And I should say the same fate would await the Orthodox Jews. And y'know what? If my faith turns out to be the right one, well, enjoy the mesquite flavor on the hell-chips.
But what I really want Hugh to answer:
What are the "acceptable bigotries"? This is a class of stupid with which I am unfamiliar.
I should like that explained. I assume it means teh fags and Islamofascists, but it'd be nice to have it spelt out.
UPDATE (See comments. Oh, OK. Still, the point stands.)