My sister, Amy, writes a wonderful blog over in the liberal wing of the Robertson family. Even when we disagree on politics, which only happens on days that end in a “Y,” her pieces are brilliantly written and full of wit. So, I can only imagine she was rushed when she posted a piece yesterday that attempted to argue that Republicans are the party of anger. Her case rested on one segment on Fox News where Gretchen Carlson apparently came out against the CVS decision to stop selling tobacco products.

Let’s start with the quick and, I thought, relatively obvious observation that Gretchen Carlson is not on Fox & Friends in the morning because of her business acumen, though I will note that she graduated cum laude from Stanford and, according to Wiki, is an accomplished violinist. She’s on Fox because she won the Miss America pageant in 1989. Would liberals want their party judged by the insightful words of Rachel Maddow (who, while also a Stanford alum, has not, last time I checked, won a Miss America pageant)? Right, I didn’t think so. Now, let’s consider the preposterous suggestion that the GOP is the party of anger.

Gretchen Carlson, former Miss America (left) and Rachel Maddow, um, not former Miss America (right)

First, I think the objective reality is that the party that is out of power will always whine more than the party that’s in power. I challenge anyone who doubts that assertion to harken back just a few years to when Bush was in power to recall the nonstop vitriol spewed by the left. I was prepared to stop there in my analysis until I boarded the elevator in my hotel last night and CNN was on the elevator TV (do we really need TVs in elevators?).

The subtitle on the screen read, “Olympic broadcasts are sexist – more men’s sports shown than women’s.” OK, now, let’s talk about the angry party. The organization broadcasting the Olympics (NBC) is a for-profit business, who’s primary mission is to increase profitability for their shareholders. They are not a missionary for the NOW. Interestingly, I will also note that NBC is, by any measure, a liberal company, run by liberals. I am quite certain that NBC understands its Olympic-viewing audience well enough to know what people like to watch most, which, in turn, enables them to charge the most for the advertising spots. If that were women’s curling (count me in when Russia’s Anna Sidorova is tossing the stone), I’m confident NBC would air women’s curling. In other words, this is just business. Despite what the Thoughtsnax bloggist might believe, the GOP is the party of business and, thus, understands that NBC is making a perfectly rationale business decision by airing the (largely men’s) sports that people actually want to watch. Only the shrill angry cries of the left could possibly see it otherwise.

Now, which party is the angry party?