Apr
15
15
Robinson gets it (mostly) right
Eugene Robinson echoes a lot of what I said yesterday about this “bittergate” nonsense. My one caveat: he spends entirely too much time blaming Hillary Clinton for using this idiotic line of attack without mentioning that our national press corps just laps it right up. This is not to absolve Hillary, mind you. She of all people should know that the “LIE-brul elitist” charge is going to be lobbed at her repeatedly in the fall campaign if she wins the nomination. But there is no way on God’s green earth that she’d be using it if our press corps didn’t salivate over the mere prospect of writing about it. As Bob Somerby will no doubt say today, the press corps never discusses its own conduct.
ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said,
April 15, 2008 at 13:23
Meanwhile, George F. Marie Antoinette Will (commoner) joins the bunch who are comically wrong.
Gary Ruppert said,
April 15, 2008 at 13:32
The fact is, you liberals can try to spin and backpedal on your contempt for The Heartland and the Real America, but we’ve found out, you’ve been exposed. We would be stupid to vote for wimpy faggy peacenik surrender monkeys, poverty pimps, classwarriors, godless commies, who would only impoverish us. Republicans, however, stand for self-reliance, God, defending freedom, hard work, and The Truth, not your weasley liberal bias.
DJ said,
April 15, 2008 at 13:40
So you stand for the truth, Gary? Well, then, you won’t mind this:
http://thumbsnap.com/v/DD4cql02.jpg
It is the truth, after all.
ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said,
April 15, 2008 at 13:43
Fake Gary is Fake.
Smut Clyde said,
April 15, 2008 at 13:51
The fact is, you liberals should also try to spin and backpedal on your unicycles. That way you will be in demand for children’s parties.
Jim said,
April 15, 2008 at 13:53
Ceiling Gary is watching you.
Arky said,
April 15, 2008 at 13:56
I gotta call bullshit on this one. I don’t like HRC but if you suggest that she’s acting in a certain way because the MSM keeps stuffing dollar bills in her g-string then you have to apply the same reasoning to the Chimperor and his lackeys.
And I don’t want to think about Bush’s g-string, thankyeweversomuch.
WTF is wrong with the comments?
His Grace said,
April 15, 2008 at 13:58
I just find it bizarre that in punditry land, their picture of an average American seems to be a thin-skinned gullible asshole. I’m won’t denying that a Presidential candidate who has the ability to “connect” to the common person over his or her opponent doesn’t have the advantage. But the media’s idea that somehow the kabuki of a staged photo op eating greasy food, going hunting, or bowling conveys that ability (or retracts it) is insane.
ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said,
April 15, 2008 at 14:16
But the media’s idea that somehow the kabuki of a staged photo op eating greasy food, going hunting, or bowling conveys that ability (or retracts it) is insane.
D00d,. that is their religion. And as long as none of them calls BS, then the emperor’s new clothes match that cheese steak perfectly. Only non-serious people disagree.
His Grace said,
April 15, 2008 at 14:33
Only non-serious people disagree.
*Sigh* Not gonna argue with you, just every single time I feel that I might not be living in a modern version of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire it becomes all too clear how well and truly fucked we are. Not absolutely hopeless mind you, just that on days such as these I’m afraid that even electing a majority of progressive democrats won’t stop it.
Joe Klein's conscience said,
April 15, 2008 at 14:48
As Bob Somerby will no doubt say today, the press corps never discusses its own conduct.
Does it really take Somerby to tell us this? Digby and Greenwald have been telling us this for a while too. Even the decent ones like Robinson will never, ever criticize their own profession. God forbid they ever look in the mirror. If they did, they’d all have to resign in shame.
Jake Tapper, super journalist and awesome American said,
April 15, 2008 at 14:57
Um, sorry Sadly, No!, but the invisible hand determines our conduct. I chase down Obama while he smokes because the American people want me to. I interview the VP of the NRA about Obama’s elitism because the American people want me to. And I know exactly what the American people want, because I’m a super great journalist! Giggle!
El Cid said,
April 15, 2008 at 15:08
Yeah, because if there are any people who can lay claim to the mantle of revolutionary proletarian vanguard leaders, it’s Hillary Clinton and her message mates Joe Lieberman and John McCain. Except that Lieberman just suggested Obama needs to be questioned about his possible Marxism — presumably in addition to his revolutionary madrassa jihadism, Black Panther radical black nationalism, and his Afro-Centric anti-whiteyism.
Blue Buddha said,
April 15, 2008 at 15:34
Curious… I wouldn’t call SC the “Heartland”. When I think of “Heartland”, I think of the Great Plains (Nebraska, Dakotas, Iowa, etc.)
Dagoril said,
April 15, 2008 at 15:44
Gary’s skin color is MED? My goodness, he’s not nearly lily white enough to represent our Heartland!
But don’t mind me Gary. Don’t let me interrupt your boy-molesting.
Henry Lewis said,
April 15, 2008 at 15:57
presumably in addition to his revolutionary madrassa jihadism, Black Panther radical black nationalism, and his Afro-Centric anti-whiteyism.
As well as his lousy bowling.
mextremist said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:12
As one of the most elitist members of this blog, I spend a lot of my precious time defending the little people, the real Americans who comment in small blog America.
Americans such as Gary Ruppert, whose brave crusade to enlighten the great unwashed sadlynauts from their pathetic and sycophantic blatherings, by showing them the true soul of our great country, the great Republican ethos of:
Self-reliance (like, say, being able to fulfill your needs alone)
God (The really-angry-at-you smiting-for-kicks kind of God)
Defending freedom (from the front lines of the culture wars, in my parent’s basement)
Hard work (You think enlightening your deranged Marxist asses is easy?)
And The Truth, of Da Truf, which is way beyond you rubes to understand.
Elitism will save this country from itself. You people need to be told what to do, or you’ll end up just doing it wrong
noen said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:16
“the press corps never discusses its own conduct.”
It’s a code of silence that they have. It is considered beyond the pale for media to cover media (other than superficially). You could also call it class consciousness.
pedestrian said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:26
If everyone has guns, then no one has guns.
g said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:29
this shit is so depressing I actually can’t think of any snark to post.
Rightwingsnarkle said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:31
“Afro-Centric anti-whiteyism”
Just the label alone sounds way cool. I am definitely converting.
Sagra said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:34
Please, oh please let me be able to post today. I had such a fantastic comment yesterday and couldn’t post it. I swear you would have wet yourself laughing.
Sagra said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:36
No bitterness there, nuh uh.
Righteous Bubba said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:37
I swear you would have wet yourself laughing.
I do that all the time anyway.
D.N. Nation said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:39
Stop the presses! Robopimp Glenn Reynolds defends…John Yoo: http://instapundit.com/archives2/017880.php
What a disgrace.
pedestrian said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:48
Yeah, it’s gotten so a fella can’t indulge in the occasional hate crime or conspire to commit crimes against humanity anymore without everyone getting all, “You can’t come to my party.”
Henry Lewis said,
April 15, 2008 at 16:59
this shit is so depressing I actually can’t think of any snark to post.
Is there a snark-generator somewhere on the innertoobs for such times as these.
Enter a few relevant keywords and then choose a setting from, say, “pithy rejoinder” all the way up to “scathing diatribe”.
Thomas Sowell said,
April 15, 2008 at 17:05
Hey, guys…what do you think I should call my next column over at Clownhall? I’ve narrowed it down to these 10 options:
A perfect disgrace
Horrible living
Political patheticness
Pandering people
Lame liberals
A big fraud
Government badness
Shameful hatred
Progressive bad stuff
Find out how YOU can sell your kidneys for less! Call now!
Bigby said,
April 15, 2008 at 17:51
The average, white guy, Republican is a thin-skinned, gullible asshole. Look at Gary (ok, don’t look at him; it’s not a pretty sight). I’ve never met one single Republican asshole who didn’t get all huffy crybaby when I throw ANY of their hypocrisy back in their faces. “Janet Reno and her jackbooted thugs? What about Yoo and his blackops disappearing of US Citizens?”. “Shut up, that’s why”.
“Shut up, that’s why”…the official motto of thin-skinned Gary Rupperts of this country. Face mullets, lousy lives, a google times more bitter and resentful than Obama could ever divulge.
dougie said,
April 15, 2008 at 17:54
… He wouldn’t seem so elitist if they weren’t so fucking stupid.
rishy said,
April 15, 2008 at 18:04
“If she wins the nomination”? Huh? Why do we even go there? She is not going to win, there is no evidence she might win, indeed she is losing. Why even say ridiculous stuff like that?
Bitter Scribe, an accomplished, well-rounded writer, said,
April 15, 2008 at 18:12
If Howard Dean can be disqualified for yelling “YEEEEARGH!” at a rally, why can’t Obama be disqualified for telling the truth about a segment of the electorate? What do you want us to do, make sane, rational judgments about presidential candidates? We don’t roll like that in this country.
Joe Max said,
April 15, 2008 at 18:22
Of course, a lot of it is due to relentless flogging by the right-wing noise machine. We all know the vector: Freepers->ClownHall->Drudge->Limblow->FuxNews->CNN->Katie Couric->the water cooler.
But put it this way: if there wasn’t a demand, there wouldn’t be a supply.
I believe it was H.L. Mencken who said, “no one ever went broke by underestimating the taste of the common man”.
If the FACTS were as salable the as salacious bullshit and noise, CNN would be like Democracy Now and Glen Greenwald would be president of the Washington Post.
As much as I respect and admire Obama for wanting to be a politician who talks to his constituents like they were grownups, I despair that he can actually make it work. Because there are damn few “grownups” among the voting public.
Perhaps Obama should give another “major speech” over this one, like he did for the asinine “controversy” over Wright. And get used to having to do it a LOT.
But he should definitely lay off the “Annie Oakley” jokes about Clinton. He sounded as lame as she did.
Snorghagen said,
April 15, 2008 at 18:42
Perhaps Reynolds was partly motivated by imagining the pleasure he’d derive from a leather-clad John Yoo CyberGimp
(Lex) It's All In My Head (Azagthoth) said,
April 15, 2008 at 20:25
By now my Grandfather’s English must be failing him entirely and he must just be repeating the word “cracker” over and over…..he keeps saying this stuff all the time, and about how he used to get called a “Cuban nigger” when living in Georgia. He is so thrilled that a non-white person is running (he’s 85) and has a chance he’s about to explode…he just can’t manage to keep it in English, so I don’t catch half of it.
The best part about this is the reporters reading supposedly snarky emails from viewers on CNN stating things like, “Oh really? I’m now “bitter” as well as “racist”? I can’t wait to find out what else I am!” PULEEZE! Think about what you are you morons! Why would anyone who’s not an elitist possibly feel these things about much of “small town America”? UGH…if these people try any harder to throw insults at Obama without actually hurling what they’re itching to throw it’ll be a miracle! Pardon my inability to see that such heavy criticism of Obama has nothing whatsoever to do with his ethnic heritage, I just don’t buy it from most people out there.
Gary–only real fags call people fags. Don’t you know any, you effing fuckshit? I am taking over the heartland. I’m just very small.
Duros Hussein 62 said,
April 15, 2008 at 20:59
Republicans, however, stand for self-reliance, God, defending freedom, hard work, and The Truth…
Somebody else’s, of course. Never their own.
Snorghagen said,
April 15, 2008 at 22:12
This essentially rehashes Megan McArdle’s argument from this recent thread, right down to the-public-doesn’t-want-what-Glenn-Greenwald-is-selling comment.
I don’t buy it. I don’t see any indication that the endless reportage about minor verbal gaffes and other trivia is satisfying some irresistible public demand. Hell, I don’t see any indication that most people even remotely give a shit about this stuff. This is just another journalistic circle jerk, of the MSM, by the MSM, for the MSM.
Incidentally, the bad reporting we’ve been seeing is not ’salacious’, unless you find low bowling scores sexually arousing.
hardindr said,
April 16, 2008 at 1:16
As Bob Somerby will no doubt say today, the press corps never discusses its own conduct.
Actually, Brad, Somerby takes Robinson to task for his column. To wit:
What do you think of what Somerby had to write, Brad?
hardindr said,
April 16, 2008 at 2:35
Brad,
Why won’t you post my comment I tried to publish for this thread? I tried to contact you through the Contact webform, but I can’t do it for some reason. What’s going on?