Jon Lovitz and the Tolerant Left, or David and Goliath the Race Baiter

Sean Hannity may have registered surprise last night when Jon Lovitz informed him that thus far he has seen no backlash for his now infamous frustration-fueled rant directed at President Barack Obama, but given the number of Hollywood heavyweights who quietly lean to the right, this should not necessarily be a surprise. While most of Hollywood – particularly young Hollywood – is pressed from the same basic mold, there are still plenty of power players who would likely back Lovitz’s play. Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight, Tom Selleck, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, to name a few. And having Chuck Norris on your side is never a bad thing.

But a few days ago, Lovitz voiced his surprise via Twitter that people would call him a racist and a bigot for believing that he already pays his “fair share” in taxes. In a town where most people would quite happily throw even former friends under buses for business or pleasure, how could he possibly be surprised that the minute he stepped a toe out of line he would be just so much fodder for the cannibals?

And in the few days since, things have only gotten worse. As Stephen Kruiser (of Kruiser Control on PJTV) so aptly put it,

“Sadly, @realjonlovitz is meeting a lot of the Tolerant Left now. Because he was honest.”

And the “tolerant left” clearly doesn’tdisappoint. Their hit-and-run attacks via Twitter range from calling Jon one name after another to making snarky comments about his rather successful career. One even stooped low enough to reference the death of brilliant comedian Phil Hartman as the only reason for Lovitz’s success.

The sad truth, unfortunately, is that Hollywood along with most of liberal America now routinely use terms like “racist” and “bigot” to describe people who have displayed no racism or bigotry whatsoever – instead, they have displayed the audacity to think for themselves and the arrogance of coming to a conclusion that differs from that reached by the mainstream.

So Jon, I hope that your willingness to “speak Truth to power” does not hurt your career. I hope that you continue to speak the truth, even if it does. And I pray that the firestorm of hatred and intolerance isn’t headed your way, but having lived in that firestorm myself since the election of 2008, I have to warn you that the worst is likely yet to come. I continue to applaud your efforts, both professionally and politically, and will be watching for the continuation of a brilliant career.