Podhoretz’s Attack On Springsteen’

So Podhoretz doesn’t understand how the same American youth that overwhelmingly supports Ronald Reagan’s stand-tall reactionaryism can make a hero out of Bruce Springsteen and his Depression-era sentimentality. That’s because poor Norman and the other ideologues of the left and right will never understand that it’s not ideology that drives America but personality.

In three, seven, or 11 years down the line, when the people have elected a new “Most Popular Boy,” and he turns out to be a new Democratic superstar--a Cuomo, a Bradley, a Paul Newman--they’ll all be scratching their heads wondering whatever happened to that emerging Republican majority--where’d all those neo-conservatives go?

In America it’s not the medium nor the message, but the messenger. Springsteen could sing about trickle-down, and Reagan could pull the Marines out of Lebanon saying, “Tramps like us, Baby, we were born to run” and the country would still buy it. Why? Because Bruce and Ron are a couple of likable guys.

DAN RILEY

Thousand Oaks