There was a time when gaining attention for saying something stupid
required an institutional standing -- a prominent pulpit, a
denominational leadership position, a following of more than a few dozen
people meeting in a warehouse. In the Internet era, attention for
stupidity is a democratic right, rewarded for audacity and timing alone.
The new media provide a platform without filters for those without
credentials -- people who, in previous times, could not get a letter to
the editor published in the shopper's gazette.