Beyond Irony Lies Self-Contradiction
Hugh Hewitt > Blog
Friday, October 17, 2025
Not that anyone really cares, but Barack Obama did Marc Maron’s (who?) final podcast this week. I have not listened to it, probably won’t, but the reviews are in and they are somewhat extraordinary.
What was remarkable about this interview besides the usual obnoxious holier than thou attitude is how defeated Obama seemed.
Former President Barack Obama is accusing some liberals of embracing what he refers to as a “holier-than-thou superiority” that he likened to the conservative Christian Moral Majority movement, which he described as “dangerous.”
Now, again, I have not listened, but I have no problem with characterizing Obama as having an “obnoxious holier than thou attitude,” as that has been true of virtually every time I have ever seen him. Meanwhile, the Christian reviewer places his holier-than-thou accusations towards liberals in quotes, therefore I assume it to be true. Accusing someone, anyone, of being holier-than-thou while being holier-than-thou, particularly when it is your own team, is not merely ironic, it is self-contradictory.
And therein lies the root of Democrat’s problems. “Do as I say, not as I do.” My generation called it “hypocrisy.” Nowadays they talk about “inauthentic.” Whatever terminology you want to use, when your actions contradict your rhetoric, no one will give you the time of day. And yet, that does not change the fact that Obama’s warning, insincere though it may be, is reasonable – to either side of the aisle.
The Christian reviewer is trying to save the legacy of the Moral Majority. There would be endless debate about whether it was, or was not, “holier-than-thou.” This observer would say the movement was genuine while some of those that stepped in front of the parade were indeed sanctimonious. The Moral Majority movement was rooted in Christian thought which places high value on humility.
Ah, but liberals lack those roots. Their politics are their religion so “holier-than-thou” comes naturally as there is no built in restraint against it. Obama explained.
There has been a debate among political commentators at least since the dawn of talk radio about whether character matters in a politician. That all depends on how you define character. Character has many aspects. There is the personal aspect concerning sexual/marital conduct, sobriety and so forth. Then there is the integrity aspect – will they do what they say? There are others. But the usual argument is if an individual will lie in the context of their personal relationships, we cannot rely upon that in their public life. And oft times that is true.
Donald Trump is a notable exception, or is he? He never lied about his poor personal conduct. Back in the day he conducted his personal affairs quite publicly. Distasteful as it was to watch, such nonetheless bolstered a sense of integrity. Clearly the personal aspects of character matter less than the integrity aspects.
This also explains media. When George Stephanopoulos cut off the Vice President this week, he showed a remarkable lack of integrity. He did not own his mistake, he tried to cover it up. As the old adage goes, “It’s not the scandal, it’s the cover-up.”
If there is an overarching message out of the massive political shifts that are going on right now – this is it – authenticity and integrity. Wise words for the church as well.
