What If Bill Maher Smirks At Me : Andrew Breitbart on the Price of Political Courage

Before discussing the price of political courage, we need to explain the title--with or without smirking--by asking two questions: (1) Who is Bill Maher, and (2) who is Andrew Breitbart? Or perhaps: (1) What is Bill Maher, and (2) what is Andrew Breitbart?

The answers:

Bill Maher is a talk show host (on HBO, of all things) who specializes in viciously attacking anyone to the right of center in the political spectrum. His Wikipedia entry identifes him as a comedian and political satirist, but his "work" hardly qualifies as funny. He recently referred to Sarah Palin as a "stupid c**t". And yes, he smirked smirkily as he delivered this wondrously intellectual evaluation worthy of a schoolyard third grader whose parents had neglected his upbringing. (Our Lady of Alaska returned the favor by smilingly pointing out that a "flea" like Maher was hardly worthy of consideration.)

In summary, then: Bill Maher is, at most, a rabid attack flea with, yes, a smirk.

Andrew Breitbart is different. He started out life as a happily raving liberal, had himself a bit of an epiphany, and switched horses in midstream. Currently a politically conservative blogger, news commentator, and a real burr (as opposed to a piddly flea) under the liberal saddle, Breitbart has appeared on Maher's show, Real Time, as a guest who knew the host was going to attempt to skewer him thoroughly.

After all, he's a traitor in their eyes, he knows where the liberals keep their dirty laundry because he was one, and he's not shy about pointing it out when he notices Emperor Obama, Princess Pelosi, and Hapless Harry Reid have no clothes.

Political courage, then: It turns out that Andrew Breitbart has had many a sleepless night, fretting prior to (for example) an appearance on Bill Maher's show. He knows Maher is not his friend (duh) or indeed a friend to any conservative (double duh), and horrible, insecure thoughts run through his mind:

What if Bill Maher smirks at me?!

What if the audience boos me?!

Yet he goes ahead, says his piece on the show, defends himself and his conservative observations insofar as defense is possible in such a venue, and...turns around to do it all over again, getting booed and smirked at every time he has to walk into the flea's den to deal with a Bill Maher.

Why does he put himself through all that? Because he believes in his message, believes "if it's to be, it's up to me", and acts in accordance.

That, dear readers, is political courage in a nutshell.

Andrew told about his "night sweats" on the Sean Hannity show a couple of days ago. I thought they were worth mentioning.

Why?

Several reasons, but these come first and foremost to mind:

1. Numerous surveys have found that more people list public speaking as their number one fear than any other fear...including the fear of death.

2. Our voices need to be heard to counter the unimaginable numbers of screamers thrown at us by the left. Considering #1, that's a problem for most of us.

3. Speaking up does not have to come naturally to be effective. Andrew Breitbart is a strong role model illustrating this principle--he fears, yet he goes ahead and does.

My main point? Simply this: What we used to call the silent majority can no longer afford to be silent; if we have a message to deliver, we need to find the intestinal fortitude to do it right smack in the face of all those smirking fleas. If we can't do that, then we need to elect more and more Congress-critters and Presidents (one at a time on the latter) who can face the fire without flinching.

What? No, I don't just sit here preaching at y'all without walking the walk myself. My first hardcore, calling-for-a-firing political speech here in southern Arizona was delivered from the podium on March first, 2011. It was only three minutes long, but I knew the room would be packed with supporters of the man whose employment needed to be terminated by the elected Board...and my adrenaline spiked sky high before I even began writing out the words I would say.

Instead of fighting it, I told myself to  use the adrenaline...and I did. Rehearsed the talk a hundred times or more. Had it typed out in print large enough to eyeball without a teleprompter. And used that fight-or-flight batch of butterflies in the belly to deliver a thundering demand that shocked to the core an audience that had never before witnessed my public speaking persona.

Note: No, I do not claim humility as one of my virtues.

The thing is, fear of public ridicule does not have to stop us from doing what we need to do to save this country from its current state of Obamanation. We can use that stress...and we know we're not alone. Andrew Breitbart has sleepless nights, too.

Remember in November 2012.