Frank J. told me that if I supported Fred Thompson’s presidential bid in 2008, I’d see plenty of hippie punching…
A conference call Thursday with liberal bloggers and progressive media reportedly turned ugly/awkward Thursday as White House chief strategist David Axelrod was excoriated for the Obama administration’s continued swipes at supporters among the “professional left.”
Susie Madrak, a blogger at the liberal site CrooksandLiars.com, chimed in and asked Axelrod, “Are you familiar with the term hippie-punching?”
As Peggy Noonan wrote in 2006 PT (Pre-Tea), “Democratic leaders in Washington are in a worse position than Republican leaders in Washington. Neither likes their base, really, and both think they are smarter. But the Democrats think, deep down, that their base is barking mad. The Republicans don’t. They just think their base is a bore.”
Update: Kathy Shaidle writes:
With all this talk about “hippie punching,” I was embarrassed that I’d never heard the expression before.
Turns out I’m not alone.
But leave it to Frank J., who was way ahead of the “hippie punching” curve:
Well, Frank’s the kind of guy who can foresee all sorts of otherwise unforeseen consequences.
“Barking mad?” If only they were that mild! Rabid is more like it…
“Democrats think” – I’d like some evidence of that statement, if you please.
Now had you said “Democrats emote”, I’d been right there with you.
And Democrats are almost by definition barking mad. They want shiny baubles even though they know from history they’re only fool’s gold. Repeatedly. Oh look, a squirrel!
Proof? Just watch and listen to speeches on C-SPAN. Democrats rarely use logical arguments; they constantly appeal to emotion.
The Republicans may have thought that their base was a “bore”. Bad idea then and worse now. The base is “lively”. It has come for the Democrats in this year’s election. If the Repubs don’t shape up and fly right, the base will come for the Repubs in 2012.
“But the Democrats think, deep down, that their base is barking mad.”
It’s rare that I agree so completely with the Democrats.
“Are you familiar with the term hippie-punching?”
No, but it sounds promising.
Punching Hippie’s. I can’t imagine this being a good slogan for the right, no matter how much respect I have for Fred Thompson.Most ” hippie’s'”are now among the fifty-
five to sixty five age bracket with grandkids and an eye
on S.Security. You do not punch people of any persuasion
concerning politics without starting the physical side
of a revolution. I do not believe we are yet at that point
in time in the struggle to regain our wayward governments
direction.
The MOFOs better watch out. Some of us hippies punch back.
Window Stickers – Hippies For McCain Palin
Warlord and M. Simon, see if you can rent a sense of humor for a bit.
FDL described “hippie punching” as a reference to the treatment of women one could have sex with under the bleachers, but not acknowledge elsewhere, unless one wanted more sex under the bleachers. Hippies were known for free love back during the Summer of Love. In other words, she accused Axlerod of treating the left like a whore who was good enough for sex but not good enough to marry.
From their point of view, I suppose they thought they had bought Obama and he didn’t stay bought, and now his front man has the nerve to come and ask for more money. How could they be so naive? In 40 years, they’ve never figured it out.