Horse Hockey: The Left's Rafalca Derangement Syndrome

by MICHELLE MALKIN August 6, 2012

Rafalca is the name of Ann Romney's show horse, which competed in Olympic dressage this week. Rafalca Derangement Syndrome is the name of a debilitating partisan disease that is raging among snotty "progressives" posing as populists.

On Thursday, the George Soros-funded henchmen of MoveOn promoted a new TV ad that "features a talking Rafalca Romney, who tells us Mitt would treat many Americans worse than a horse!"

Interspersed with scenes of a dressage competition, the talking Rafalca mimics a faux British accent and lashes out at the Romneys' privately earned wealth:

"How do I pull off such grace and athleticism while looking so good? Maybe it's because the Romneys spend $77,000 a year on my upkeep, and after Mitt Romney repeals healthcare and ships your job overseas, I daresay your life will not be nearly as pampered as mine. After all, you're not one of his horses."

You don't need to be an equestrian expert to understand that the left's vicious, class-warfare attack on Mrs. Romney reeks worse than horse hockey. The GOP presidential candidate's wife began riding horses 12 years ago as therapy for her multiple sclerosis. As Dressage News reported, "Back then, Ann could ride the trot on a horse for not even close to a minute and then have to walk for at least another five minutes because of the crippling effects of MS." Mrs. Romney has devoted her time ever since to promoting therapeutic riding programs and clubs across the country.

When Democratic operative Hilary Rosen disparaged Mrs. Romney for having "never worked a day in her life," first lady Michelle Obama herself said, "(F)amilies are off-limits. And I think my husband said it, and he was clear on that. And I totally agree with him. Also, my comment that I tweeted was, we need to respect all women, in whatever positions and roles they play in this society."

Using Rafalca to smear the Romneys and stoke class envy is vulgar abuse of a political figure's family member. Don't take my word for it. The Democratic National Committee itself acknowledged earlier this month that it had crossed the line with its own video mocking Rafalca -- although it blamed viewers for misconstruing its slimy intent. "Our use of the Romneys' dressage horse was not meant to offend Mrs. Romney in any way, and we regret it if it did," DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse told ABC News. "We were simply making a point about Gov. Romney's failure to give straight answers on a variety of issues in this race. We have no plans to invoke the horse any further to avoid misinterpretation."

It's one thing to question a political family's use and abuse of taxpayer dollars, or to scrutinize a political family member's public record and rhetoric on the campaign trail. First lady Michelle Obama has bristled at the few challenges she's received over the years to her extravagant jet-setting, pricey fashions, $7,000 tops, $600 sneakers, incessant wealth-bashing and Nanny State policy meddling. But these are fair game as the White House and its campaign team jointly ramp up their Occupier-style warfare against America's private sector wealth creators.

What is out of bounds are ad hominem attacks on a political family member's private activities to perpetuate bitter stereotypes and clingy narratives. A study of horse owners conducted by Deloitte and Touche a few years back found that horse owners come from all economic backgrounds, own all types of horses for various purposes and live in a variety of places from tiny towns to large cities. "The largest group of horse owners (45 percent) are drawn from the middle class with an annual household income between $25,000 and $75,000. Only 9 percent of the population earns greater than $150,000 yearly, and a full 11 percent of horse owners have an annual income of less than $25,000."

But let's not let facts get in the way of a good Eat the Rich propaganda campaign. As usual, the overwrought left has stepped in a steaming pile of double standards, hypocrisy and politics of personal destruction. Let's hope voters just say nay in November.