Much Ado about Coulter and Cheney
By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in General Politics, In The News, Partisan HacksSo, Dick Cheney almost gets killed and some on the left think his death may have been a good thing. Meanwhile, political-shock artist Ann Coulter insinuated John Edwards is, in her words, a faggot. Wow. Astonishing.
I am neither surprised nor particularly scandalized that some lefties would welcome Cheney’s demise. Many on that side of the divide have made it pretty clear that they hate the man with an unlimited and unhinged passion. It’s hardly setting a new precedent for the same folks to ponder the positive implications of Cheney’s death. So what? It’s not like they’re advocating the VP’s assassination. That’d be a story (and a nice trial, too).
As for Coulter, I try never to mention her name simply because I don’t want to be, in even the smallest way, an enabler for an attention-aholic. The woman thrives on being brazenly intolerant. She’s so over-the-top that some mistake her rhetoric as comedy. But until she starts going on stand-up tours and stops promoting herself as a pundit, calling her brand of speech “comedic� is like call the piss-Christ “artistic.�
Coulter hardly crossed any new lines with her faggot comment. Now, if she’d called Barack Obama the n-word, we might have a real controversy. But given that Edwards is not actually homosexual, calling him a gay slur is just, well, weird. Offensive, sure, but no more so than most of the blather that tumbles from her mouth.
I’m not saying these people shouldn’t be condemned for their idiocy. I’m just questioning why so many people are acting so shocked. I don’t mind someone like Justin (who is a one-man political hack busting machine) calling these people out. But these stories have generated a silly amount of mock-outrage in the blogosphere and in the media.
If so many commentators, amateur and otherwise, are really interested in improving the quality of discourse in this country, maybe they should stop tolerating so many snakes in the grass. It’s disingenuous to wait until our veins run with venom before declaring we should do something about all these serpents.
Either stop letting the political snakes be a part of the dialogue or stop acting so shocked when unfunny provocateurs are humorlessly crass or when enraged Cheney-haters are depressed the man didn’t die.
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March 5th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Man, but that’s the blogosphere’s bread and butter! The right blogopshere thinks the left blogosphere hates America and points to comments from blog readers as evidence that the ENTIRE left is filled with hate. And then the left blogopshere turns around and does the same thing to the right. Back and forth, back and forth…and the BlogAds money does flow. Personally, I could care less about these spats. They can keep em. They’re not that important to me or the world in general.
However, when certain members of the chattering class, who have huge audiences, say things like what Coulter and Maher said…it’s time to call them out on it. It’s all in an effort to diminish their power, not pump it up. Or at least try and marginalize them to a razor thin audience, so they’ll continue to lose traction among the masses. And yeah, sometimes that niche is all they need or want, but the more and more people cry “hack”, the more and more those people will ultimately be forgotten and ignored.
And so it goes…
March 5th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Good point on the Ann Coulter attention-aholic. It pained me to write about her again, but hopefully this will be the last time.
March 5th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
Not as much as it pains me to give any attention to the name calling, death wishing left. But keep it up. More votes for the right.
March 5th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I am sick of both sides acting like spoiled 8 year olds. I do my best to ignore these brats, but it sure is hard sometimes.
What I would like to know is who were the people responsible for making these videos public? They are the real dummies, especially the one from the CPAC meeting. Coulter ( & the leaker) did more damage to her Party by alienating a much larger group of undecided moderates. Actually, Maher said what many in Cheney’s Party silently wish for. Still, it is a bunch of childhood playground crap that we do not want or need in the political process. Children, BEHAVE!
March 5th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I’m a huge proponent of the first amendment, but I agree with Justin. Time to call out the b.s. when it comes from someone with a mic. I don’t think that Cheney should die, and hereby decry that sentiment from my fellow lefties. I honestly believe that if there were no Dick Cheney there would still be a war. He’s just a big part of it right now. By saying his death would save the lives of others you might as well be saying that everyone who voted for the war/supported the war should die too. This leftie is against unnecessary death regardless.
About the other, even insinuating a hetero “faggot” is offensive and wrong. It’s not because being gay is something to be ashamed of, but because “faggot” is used against gays the same way “nigger” is used against blacks- to disparage and dehumanize. Not funny coming from anyone. It’s sad that the term was met with applause and cheers. Thankfully, even those on the right have called her out on it. The right would do well to silence Coulter, if only to prevent our side from getting ammo.:)
…[n]ame calling… left
Seems to me that’s happening a lot on both sides. “Death wishing”?
March 6th, 2007 at 10:36 am
As I reponded to the first post: Ann who? and I might add: Dick who?
March 7th, 2007 at 3:41 am
Ann Coulter crossed a line that should not have been crossed. For some time now, I have not trusted her. Maybe she should be not called on it because she is only in showbusiness but I have to speak my mind.
Ann’s REQUESTED an appearance fee is $60,000 plus expenses to speak to Log Cabin Republicans I think SHE SHOULD recognize the damage she has done and do an act of contrition. Ann Coulter has enough $$$ to fly herself in Denver for the National Log Cabin Republicans Convention from May 3- 5, 2007. If she can’t afford that I am sure LCR would send a delegation and take out out to dinner prior to a filming of Bill Mahar some Friday night and I am sure that she could get us into the Mahar’s exclusive afterparty.
Ann has to make amends or I agree with others that “SHE IS DONE.”
The word FAGGOT got checkles when she said it. It was morally wrong to even use it in a joke, Replace it with “NIGGER”, “SPIC, CHINK, or “KIKE” AND LET HER EXPLAIN SHE WAS ONL JOKING.
It was not a joke but an insult any way you cut it and mere words that you are sorry do not cut it for this Log Cabin Republican.