Sean Hannity: Europe and Obama sitting in a tree...

I'll say that the madness started when Karl Rove criticized Obama by complimenting him:

Even if you never met him, you know this guy. He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by.

Obama can get the ladies, drinks martinis, and makes fun of effete fucks? I'm sold! But it didn't stop there. Republicans continued their crusade of turning Obama's qualities into his vices. Obama is a gifted speaker? Those are just words! Obama is not a corrupt member of the establishment? He's inexperienced! Obama is a Christian with an ethnically diverse background? Just call him a Muslim Nigger and move on. But NOW we've reached the point at which that strategy creates some sort of bizarro world in which fish fly and birds swim. Yes, now Obama's problem is that he's too likeable.

If you missed Hannity and Colmes last night don't worry. The good people at newshounds.us threw up a little transcript of the exchange between Hannity, Colmes, and Frank Luntz. So, let's just skip to Sean Hannity's good part:

Could it be that Barack Obama shares Europe’s contempt and criticisms of America? Could it be that they agreed with him on the war? Could it be that they bow at the altar of the United Nations? Could it be that they don’t agree with Gitmo or tough interrogations? Could it be that they are, or they would talk to Ahmadinejad without preconditions? Could it all have to do with that? His ideology is one of (a) European socialist’s

I'm amazed by this. Hannity's entire attack on Obama's likeability is based in a portrayal of Europe as evil and unamerican:

If there’s anything that’s frustrating to me, Frank, these are just words. He seems to agree with the European, anti-American sentiment and the belief in the United Nations. But I look at it this way. America’s 4% of the world’s population but we pay 96% of the cost of keeping the entire planet sane and free. And you know what? That’s what I would have said if I went to Europe.

Here's what gets me. Sean Hannity said, "America is 4% of the world's population" but he acts like the United States is in charge of the entire world. He's embracing ethnocentrism as a sensible world view. He's taken the us vs. them illusion, crafted an entire political viewpoint founded upon that ignorance, and used his ignorance as a platform for attacking Obama.

Certainly this sort of rhetoric will appeal to people who already agree with it. I can appreciate the "boo socialism" malarkey and attempting to craft a picture of Obama as someone who will make the U.S. use Euros and require the use of bidets. But the hubris? The whole "everyone else is wrong I'm so awesome look at me sitting in my chair" bullshit Hannity is spewing at Obama's crowds? That is just insulting and embarrassing. I can understand linking someone to a Nazi and so portraying them as evil. But Europe? When did Europe become our enemy?

And what the fuck was all of that shit about the United Nations? The U.S. started the United Nations! Do we hate it now?