In a world where arenas are typically reserved for pop stars and playoff games, one might not expect a conservative commentator to command such a stage. Yet, here we have Tucker Carlson gracing the podium at Indiana University, drawing a crowd of adoring fans. Despite the relentless smears from the usual suspects—the neocon media and even some mainstream conservative outlets—the students were all ears, ready to applaud Carlson’s every word. It seems the propaganda machines must be sputtering, realizing their influence is waning as the Overton window keeps shifting.
Carlson found himself in the eye of a storm brewing over Turning Point USA. The event, which he was part of, seems more like an audition for Shakespearean drama than a political tour. Despite any dramatic calls elsewhere for Carlson’s removal from different platforms, Charlie Kirk unwaveringly defends him. Talk about soap opera script material that even Hollywood might envy.
Enter the neocons and the kosher right, stewarded by the likes of Ben Shapiro and Mark Levin. Levin, who might someday mature into the elder statesman version of Brian Stelter, objects to being labeled a neocon—a term thrown around with the zest usually reserved for cats chasing laser pointers. But hey, if the shoe fits, right? The charge from these high-profile figures that being critical of a certain foreign policy stance is tantamount to anti-Semitism is starting to sound like a tired, broken record echoing in a nearly empty room.
Speaking of which, they passionately defend the notion that Israel is a treasure above all others, even as the extraordinary amount of aid and loyalty demanded gives some Americans pause. This isn’t about hatred, they argue, it’s patriotic to question where tax dollars sail off to. Especially when certain politicos, like Ted Cruz, echo the nationalism with a twist: everyday dedication not just to their constituents but to another nation altogether. Such admirable commitment, isn’t it?
And yet, amidst this clash of titans and political ideologies, questions arise about how far we can be expected to stretch the definitions of loyalty and service without letting the seams tear. The State Department’s definitions of anti-Semitism now feel like they were pulled from a bad sitcom’s script, where every scrutiny is reactive rather than reflective. As Carlson’s presence at the university demonstrates, more people are ready to ask these questions, and less willing to be lulled by the same old tunes. Perhaps it’s time for the prophets of mainstream media doom to change the record, or risk playing to an audience no longer interested in their one-note symphony.
