It may not be apparent to many of you yet, if you don’t spend time in the dregs of the Right Wing, but the trope being tried out for the upcoming campaigns is that of OUR Masculinity against THEIR (your) effeminacy. Gay baiting is only the leading edge of the assault.
The Wall Street Journal’s James Taranto is mocking John Edward’s womanly charms… Rush Limbaugh is calling Edwards “the Breck Girl,” and has a photo shopped image of Edwards as just that.
Glen Greenwald has a summary, and a call to pay attention.
While it might be personally satisfying to declare that you will remain above such matters (as commenters often do here whenever these issues are raised), ignoring such things only allows the filth purveyors to succeed unchallenged, as I’m certain John Kerry would be happy to explain to anyone willing to listen.