Ben Tribbett's Long Argument With Political Reality and Hypocrisy

Bwana over at Renaissance Ruminations has a great defense of Ben Tribbett up. Here's the money quote:

The Mason Conservative takes issue with the language Ben used in a recent post where he labeled a Fairfax supervisor a “miserable rhymes with witch“. I wouldn’t use this language, and hope that in the future Ben doesn’t give in to such linguistic emotion. Nonetheless, while anyone can get fired up about whatever they want to, this seems to be relatively small potatoes. It is clear this was less a direct attack on Ben’s editorial stylings than a collateral attack on Ben’s claims regarding the Mark Tate allegations…and that is what makes the MC post interesting. You see, toward the end of the post MC asks who would take Ben Tribbet’s word over that of Shaun Kenney…and frankly, in the fact set we have out I don’t know that is a question MC really wants to be asking.

You can say what you will about Ben, but What You See Is What You Get.

I have met the man, and to some degree taken his measure. He is a bleeding heart in the best sense of the word. He knows what he knows and what he thinks, and wears his heart on his sleeve. He fervently wants change, and isn’t real careful sometimes how he phrases things in pursuit of that change. He will call a spade a spade-no facades up over at NLS!

Like Bwana, I’ve met Ben. I’ve known him for years and I can vouch for the fact that there are no facades with him.

My taste is less confrontational, inflammatory and in your face than Ben’s. But he’s honest and what gets under so many people’s skin is that Ben has a long running argument with the status quo and hypocrisy. He also uses a wicked sense of humor to eviscerate those he believes are betraying the public trust. Or even those he simply thinks are two-faced. That means most of the human race needs to watch out around him.

Years ago, the slogan “Cynicism is the last refuge of the idealist,” was very popular and on college campuses, people even hung printed copies of it on their desks and dorm room doors. I hope Ben always remains an idealist, but escapes the fate of cynicism. It’s a lot to hope for. Especially from somebody still arguing with political reality and those of us who are lesser mortals.