Political correctness on the right...

The Hedgehog has discussed what seems to be an emerging political correctness on the right on his blog, and in a comment here.

I have to admit that this is what has really been bothering me over the last nine months or so - much more than the actual disagreements. The world would be pretty dull if everyone agreed with me. Not only that, one can look here, and note that Ken and I disagree on a defense-related issue.

My problem comes when the disagreement is used as a springboard to attack one personally - particularly when something questionable (like Ann Coulter's recent comments) gets questioned. This is not the only time I've seen people pretty much demand that a blind eye be turned to stuff that I find unacceptable. There is a very slimy side to some of the President's hard-line opponents on immigration - sites like VDARE.com seem to think that it is OK to run stuff from a person who has the webmaster of Stormfront to his place over for a beer, and who runs conferences featuring all sorts of slimy characters.

I don't like being told that I have to turn a blind eye to things I find unacceptable, or who seem to imply that I have a lack of principle because I refuse to allow perfect to be the enemy of good enough - or if I come to a different conclusion on how to solve a problem than they do. I also intend to call out stuff I think is questionable or unacceptable - be it from Larry Johnson or Ann Coulter. If conservatism cannot handle such a thing, then it is going to lose a lot of support as stridency and zeal replaces civil discourse and a common-sense approach to solving the problems facing this country.