Peacock's perch gives Coulter place to crow

Let me preface what I'm about to say regarding Ann Coulter by declaring what may seem obvious: She isn't a genuine molder of opinion any more than the Ku Klux Klan. She's not a real pundit but an actress, a screeching smoke alarm in the guise of a point of view. And yet the media encourages her, legitimizes her, mainstreams her and collectively serves even to venerate her.

If you're wondering why, look no farther than the packaging. Were Coulter a balding, middle-aged, paunchy, finger-pointing white male, her self-aggrandizing hatespeak would enjoy a short shelf life. But because she's blond, female, semi-attractive and shows up in a black cocktail dress, her opportunistic brand of extremism is cast as somehow unique.