Tiger Woods "an unworthy recipient of a great honour?"

Speaking of liberal bias (see previous post), let us ask ourselves: What would it take to get the lamestream media to denounce the giving of a medal to an outstanding black athlete? You know the answer, right? If the medal is given by still-President Trump, then it's just so wrong on so many levels!

That's been the response of many in the (((controlled media))) to Monday's awarding by President Trump to Tiger Woods of America's highest civilian honour -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Mr Trump describing the 43-year-old black golfer as a "true legend" who transformed golf and then fought through years of injury to return to the sport's summit. Mr Woods is the fourth golfer to earn that distinction, and the youngest. He is one of the greatest to ever play his sport. To recover from multiple back surgeries and rehabs and knee surgeries and win as he did in Augusta is one of the truly amazing stories of this year. What could be wrong with that?

Well, lots, if you listen to or read the usual suspects in the lamestream media. One blogger writes that receiving a nation's highest civilian honour is supposed to be about the totality of a person. That goes to behaviour and contribution and impact outside of a sport. It goes to high moral character and comporting oneself with dignity and grace all the time. In his opinion, Mr Woods doesn't qualify because #MeToo, besides which he's just not a nice person. Nothing to do with being black of course.

If that's so, why did President Trump honour him? Isn't that obvious? It's just an example of Mr Trump's crass desire to take care of his friends! And for that reason, the award "diminishes what should be a grand, grand honour for others." Nothing to do with Mr Woods, really. It's all about Donald Trump.

Elsewhere, NBC Nightly News broadcast a clip of WaPo columnist Eugene Robinson suggesting that the award was diminished. (Apparently a memo has been circulated suggesting the use of that D-word.) "He gives this award, which was a hallow award, maybe someday it will be one again, to people he wants to associate himself with. And so, he likes golf," said Mr Robinson.

Over at the Clinton News Network, Jim Acosta told Wolf Blitzer, "The president’s company, the Trump Organization, hired Tiger Woods to design a golf course at the president's company's golf course in Dubai. That obviously shows that there are some business ties between these two men. And I suppose a critic could argue after watching all of this that there might be somewhat of an advertisement going on here, a TV ad going on here in handing out this Presidential Medal of Freedom to Tiger Woods. It is, in effect, publicizing one of the Trump golf courses there in Dubai that Tiger Woods had a hand in. Although we should point out that particular course has not opened yet." Oh. Yes. Only fair to point that out.

I'm running out of space here, and have room for only two more examples of Trump Derangement Syndrome. CBS News gave airtime to Armen Keteyian, who co-authored a biography about Woods, to say that, yes, Mr Woods deserved the award, but "there's no question there is a branding and a marketing opportunity through the eyes of the President."

And here's my favourite, from an editorial in the Baltimore Sun which managed to sideswipe both the President and Tiger Woods. "Mr Woods has made his choice," the Sun thundered, "and part of his legacy will be embracing a man who incited bigotry and racism," adding that the President "regularly demonizes minorities and emboldens those who hate."

Walt says... Tiger Woods is a great golfer and is still going strong. Donald Trump is still President and will still be President 18 months from now. (Lifetime pct .991.) Get over it!

Funerals as "acts of resistance" portend coming civil war

The usual array of anti-Trumpers -- the alt-left, antifa, Clintonites et al. -- are portraying the politicization of the funerals of Aretha Franklin and John McCain as a triumph for the "resistance" -- the sufferers from TRD who still can't get it into their heads that Donald J. Trump won the election of November 2016 ans is now the 45th president of the Excited States of America. That's the fact, ma'am, whether you voted for him or not, whether you agree with him or not, and whether you like it or not.

Walt doesn't read USA Today (the paper for those who move their lips while they read), and wasn't aware that they have a website, but one of our readers does, and passed along "Tiger Woods' comments about President Trump are surprising to no one" (28/8/18) in which the Tiger is quoted as follows: "He's the president of the United States and you have to respect the office. No matter who's in the office, you may like, dislike the personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office."

Indeed. The worrying thing is that those who think that it's not just acceptable but a "moral imperative" to oppose every single thing POTUS does, says or even thinks -- they claim to be able to read his mind -- are getting more strident by the day, encouraging all and sundry to "rise up" to protest and obstruct everything that the Trump administration does or tries to do. If the acts of protest include violence, they say, so be it. That's all the President's fault because, errr, because he's the president!

Don't listen to these idiots! Listen to Walt! Even in the irrational world of the social Democratic left, thought precedes behavior. If you do not accept the will of the people, as expressed in the election, and continue to behave as if Donald Trump lost and Hellery Clinton won, you are not only out of touch with objective reality, you are participating in the breakdown of the established American social order and are part of the countdown to the coming civil war.

Further reading (and viewing): "Speaking the truth at Aretha Franklin's funeral", WWW 1/9/18. Contains video: 2 minutes and 14 seconds of straight truth, voiced by Rev. Jasper Williams Jr.

Tiger redux

There was a revolution in Kyrgystan yesterday. [Where dat? ed.] The president fled the capital city and the Russians have sent in troops to "protect Russian citizens".

We interrupt this news bulletin to bring you the really important news. Tiger Woods did well at the Masters yesterday, being just one stroke off the pace. [You're talking about golf? ed.]

And Tiger has a new commercial out for Nike, in which he stares at the camera while the voice of his father asks him soul-searching questions, all shot in black and white which looks very down-to-earth and sincere.

More Tiger news on the hour. Film at 7.

Tiger, Tiger burning bright

Between 5 and 8 p.m. yesterday I watched four TV newcasts: two local, one national and one "ethnic" -- in a language spoken by a large ethnic group. The lead story on all four was -- you guessed it -- the return of the Tiger and his "news" conference.

Why would this be the top news story of the day? It's not as if it was a slow day. The U.S. consulate in Peshawar was bombed. There was a mine accident in West Virginia. Over 100 coal miners were rescued from a flooded mine in China. A 7-year-old was gang-raped in Trenton NJ.

A sex abuser was pardoned in Canada. And of course there was gang violence and gun crime as usual. But hey, Tiger Woods is returning to the golf tour. Now that's news -- even in an ethnic community with little interest in golf!

Sadder still, Mr. Woods is big news not because he did something good, but as a result of frequent and serious moral lapses...or "bad choices" as we say these days. I'm not condemning him. If I was as "gifted" (as the term was used in Blazing Saddles) as the Tiger, I'd probably be putting it about too. But it seems to me that would be a personal affair between me and Mrs. Walt, and probably a divorce court judge. Why is it such a big and public deal?

The answer seems to be that we are obsessed with celebrity and celebrities. We celebrate their peccadilloes. In the case of Mr. Woods, we are delighted to see that his feet are indeed made of clay, even though other appendages seem to be of sterner stuff.

He has joined the ranks of David Beckham and Britney Spears -- past his prime in his chosen field by still at the top of the League of Great Train Wrecks. He is now, truly, famous for being famous.