C’Mon, Feel the Hate
“This is not an election on November 2. This is a restraining order,” P.J. O’Rourke writes:
Perhaps you’re having a tiny last minute qualm about voting Republican. Take heart. And take the House and the Senate. Yes, there are a few flakes of dander in the fair tresses of the GOP’s crowning glory—an isolated isolationist or two, a hint of gold buggery, and Christine O’Donnell announcing that she’s not a witch. (I ask you, has Hillary Clinton ever cleared this up?) Fret not over Republican peccadilloes such as the Tea Party finding the single, solitary person in Nevada who couldn’t poll ten to one against Harry Reid. Better to have a few cockeyed mutts running the dog pound than Michael Vick.
I take it back. Using the metaphor of Michael Vick for the Democratic party leadership implies they are people with a capacity for moral redemption who want to call good plays on the legislative gridiron. They aren’t. They don’t. The reason is simple. They hate our guts.
They don’t just hate our Republican, conservative, libertarian, strict constructionist, family values guts. They hate everybody’s guts. And they hate everybody who has any. Democrats hate men, women, blacks, whites, Hispanics, gays, straights, the rich, the poor, and the middle class.
Democrats hate Democrats most of all. Witness the policies that Democrats have inflicted on their core constituencies, resulting in vile schools, lawless slums, economic stagnation, and social immobility. Democrats will do anything to make sure that Democratic voters stay helpless and hopeless enough to vote for Democrats.
Read the whole thing, which dovetails perfectly with some very much related blog posts floating around the ‘Net.
Melissa Clouthier explores a topic I’ve been pondering all summer: given the rise of the Blogosphere, YouTube, Twitter, alternative media such as NRO, the Weekly Standard (where O’Rourke’s article appears above), Commentary, Reason, Drudge, PJM, Fox, etc., and knowing what we now know about the MSM via the JournoList scandal, their own public admissions, and 20 years of legwork by the MRC: “Why on earth should Sarah Palin or Christine O’Donnell or any of the Republicans give the media who hate them the ratings and money that comes with an appearance?”
Will the new politicians going to DC talk a lot to the press? Why should they?
In addition, it’s the press’ job to investigate. That’s their job. They need to get to it. You know, find some dirt, investigate it, and write a story? They could take some lessons from the National Enquirer. Otherwise, they just serve as stooges for the Democrats feeding them opposition research and tips.
And maybe, if the press actually broke old-fashioned news and held ALL politicians to account, they’d have readers. In fact, I know they would.
That is not happening. And the press shows no inclination to attempt to treat their political opponents fairly, so why should their lack of intellectual diversity, ratings-whoring and biased ways be reinforced. They’ve earned their Time Out chair.
Americans haven’t noticed, have they? They can still find out what a Republican thinks now. They just need to directly ask.
But note that if Republicans don’t want to play the role of punching bag for the MSM, it’s a voluntary gesture. That’s very different from the pressure being waged against liberal pundits and politicians from the far left not to appear on the source of all evil emanating in the world everywhere — channel #360 on your DirectTV dial.
Or as Prof. William A. Jacobson writes after spotting the latest attempts to bully more liberals off of Fox News, “Media Matters Is The Symptom, Not The Disease:”
No conservatives are trying to prevent people from appearing on NPR, but liberal interest groups and their media outlets are trying to prevent people from appearing on Fox News.
There is a real threat to freedom in this country, and it does not come from conservatives. Media Matters is just the symptom, not the disease.
Speaking of which, in Hollywood, John Nolte finds this principle at work as well: “Anti-Gay Bully at ‘Salon’ Suggests ‘Maybe it’s Time to Rethink’ Jodie Foster,” because the actress has chosen — despite what are presumably enormous cultural differences — to stay friends with her former costar, Mel Gibson.
And finally, after all of that hard news, we’ll linger in Hollywood just a bit for some comedy gold from Rob Reiner. Yes, the actor turned director turned anti-smoking obsessive quasi-government official gets his inner Garofalo on and has the Orwellian — and staggeringly clapped out — observation that the folks who want to shrink government and reduce its interference in our daily lives are secretly the folks who in the 1930s built one of the most massive welfare states of all — and I don’t mean FDR.
Or to borrow from Ameripundit, “Nothing says National Socialism like a bunch of limited government, anti-central authoritarian activists who despise nationalization and the running of other people’s lives.”
(Via Jim Treacher, who adds, “Rob Reiner’s IQ goes to 11,” though to be fair, that comparison is an attack on fine Marshall amps everywhere.)
You do see big media outlets at times rise out of their obsequiousness to do investigations during a Demooratic administration — but 90 percent of the time, it’s because someone’s angry that the Commander In Chief is straying too far from the left. What anger the media has at Obama right now is mainly because they see him like Neidemeyer saw Flounder in “National Lampoon’s Animal House”, as weak and worthless for not running roughshod over conservatives the way most of them hoped he would when they elected him two years ago.
It’s the same anger that drove the Washington Post’s “More mush from the wimp” headline about Jimmy Carter 31 years ago, and why the media were Ted Kennedy’s biggest cheerleaders for staging a primary challenge to Carter. With Obama, it’s going to be hard to find someone viable to his left to mount a challenge, and of course race plays a factor here it didn’t in 1980. But if enough Democrats and the media get angry enough, they might support a Hillary challenge from Obama’s presumptive right, if only because they fear a Republican win in 2012.
Tammy just figured out today’s liberals are fascists? Clarence Thomas could’ve told her this 20 yrs ago. Y, if the Meathead and Janine Gawdawfulo want to find out what fascism is really all about, maybe they should go on NPR and say they sometimes watch Fox News.
In all fairness, I think Tammy has known that for quite some time now.
I will admit that the MSM ‘hates’ you if you will also come clean and admit that Fox et al LOVE you.
See my point? You can’t pretend that the MSM is bad when they hate you and that the ‘alternative’ (no, sorry – correction: Republican) media such as Fox is just ‘fair and balanced.’
NRO and the WS are explicitly partisan, that’s expected.
But Fox pretends to be objective and isn’t, which is why it’s so hilarious to read conservatives pretend to be upset about the Lamestream media being biased. You don’t care that it’s biased, you care that it’s biased against you, in your eyes.
O’Rourke’s essay is a joke of us/them tribalism masquerading poorly as satire. He can do better. But of course, I”m not surprised to see this site eat such drivel up and ask for more.
Fox LOVES you, will you admit that? Nah, I didn’t think so. You want your cake and eat it too.
Fox loves me. It really, really loves me!
Please, pretty please (with sugar on top evennnnn) name me ONE other television news Network that is ‘Right’ leaning? Name me ONE, or get off the pot you’ve been tokin’.
Delia
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Hey, genius,
Please, pretty please (with sugar on top evennnnn) name me ONE other television news Network that is ‘Right’ leaning? Name me ONE, [expletive deleted] or get off the twatty b.s. pot you’ve been tokin’.
If Fox loves me I want a job, and where in heck is my Zionist Conspiracy check? Damn thing is late again. Isn’t the troll supposed to bait us about the Koch brothers this month? I hate it when they go off script.
Let’s review.
Fox has former NPR personality Juan Williams on frequently, espousing the lefty view.
Fox has current (but probably next in the crosshairs) NPR personality Mara Liasson on frequently, also espousing the lefty view.
Fox had lefty Alan Colmes as a co-host on a primetime show, until he left of his own free will.
How many notable conservatives (not CINOs like David Frum, Kathleen Parker, Megan McCain, or Chris Buckley) does NPR have on their shows on a regular basis?
Bloggo, can you add ? I’m not going to waste any time on you, so try hard try absorb this.
Does it ever occur to you why Fox is always singled out? Single, as in one, single as in lone, single as in there is no other. Now, would you want me to count off the more numerous networks that have helped give us Obama, my list will be a lot longer then yours buddy !!
In any case, and supposing you’re normal, why is it that ONE network bothers you people so much,ONE ?
Ah yes, back to the title of the article, “Come On, Feel the Hate”. Of course. Live with it, but try and grow up.
Dissent and difference is a bitch, isn’t it.
Bye.
The problem here is that 99.999999% of the people in/on the left would not recognize fair treatment if it happened. I wanted to say “to them” but if it did happen to them, they would probably have an apoplectic fit and die on the spot.
Yet poll after poll reveals that even the majority of leftists consider Fox News to be more accurate and objective than any other news outlet…ho hum
I feel that reality had a well known liberal bias. I would recommend you read “predictably irrational” that discusses well known places that most people will make mistakes. None of us are perfect.
Rob Reiner is a Meathead.
From your mouth to Archie Bunker’s ears!
drsanity (aka psychiatrist Pat Santy, MD, blogging as “drsanity”) absolutely nailed why THIS is so: the Left have become afflicted with psychotic defenses (ie, projection and denial, chiefly) ever since the wall came down, communism fell, and the House turned Pubbie for the first time in 40 years.Meanwhile, Pubbies go neurotic (eg, depressed over Sam Tannenhause’ 2008 book “The Death of Conservatism). Which is much more normal, if also problematic, than the Leftist’s malady.
Yep, those liberals sure are the “tolerant” ones. They must be going insane because a bunch of conservative rednecks from “flyover” country, those unsophisticated rubes that buy wine with a twist-off top, those brain-dead idiots who still want to go to church, and people who actually believe that smaller government is far better than an all-powerful socialist nanny state that micromanages every part of your life, is going to kick their butts on November 2nd.
Sorry, you far-left Socialist liberals out there. Your desire to turn the United States into France has failed and people all over the country have seen what happens when a bunch of big-spending bottom-feeders like you run Washington. And we did it all with a bunch of lawn chairs, American flags, a few signs, and a lot, and I mean a lot, of dedicated people. Stinks to be a liberal these days, huh?
With regard to the bit about Tammy Bruce, what on earth did she expect to get on being published in the Guardian?
Just see the “liberal” comments on “Comment is Free” to get a dose of fascist liberalism.
For that there is CifWatch which monitors the rampant liberalism.
NPR/PBS = MeatHeads .
The lawsuit by the Democrats against those discovered voter fraud in Harris County Texas is far
omnious. A group of people knowingly commit a federal offense and another group that someone may
eventual may find responsible sues to get them to stop. Where are the U.S. Marshals arresting
these people. Where is a federal or state judge that dismisses the lawsuit immediately? The
justice system is broken and you expect the rest of us to obey the law?
Libertyship, LOL.
It is the truth, lots of previously non-activists have managed to scare the establishment pols into hussy fits by merely showing up dressed in red, white and blue, singing patriotic songs and carrying homemade (not mass-astro-produced) signs.
First they were Astroturf, then racist and now Nazis… When all you have to do is look at pictures of the TEA parties to see a majority of older citizens in their lawn chairs peacefully protesting the absurdity of massive federal spending… You can find every race, color, creed and age at the TEA party rallies all united to say STOP SPENDING US INTO Greece and legislating us into France. STOP!!!
“STOP SPENDING US INTO Greece and legislating us into France”
That needs to be a bumper sticker, t-shirt and lawn sign, Texas mom!
I say embrace the hate. The more liberals hate me the better I feel, and the more they scream the more I laugh. Try it, embrace the hate, it is liberating.
Greek salad with French dressing and
a side of sauerkraut.
You on the Right go right ahead and
savor your Schadenfreude as the Left
loses it in anticipation of losing
power after the elections;
When taxes and interest rates go up,
when the B of A stockholders get a look
at the books, when the economy goes down,
again, and stays down, nobody will be laughing
because nothing will be funny anymore.
I’m more afraid of what happened after the ’94 Republican victory. FINALLY in charge of both houses of Congress (albeit without a filibuster-proof majority), the Republicans gave hope to suffering businesses and productive Americans and the stock market began to rise again, after 2 years of listlessly walking in place.
Then Bill Clinton was pulled to the right and the country began to recover. Then Bill Clinton took credit for all of it…and was re-elected president.
I’m torn. I want the country to turn around but I’d hate to have Obama re-elected because, despite his strongest efforts, the Republicans brought sanity back to government and America began to smile again.
That won’t happen, Polly, because Obama isn’t a savvy political opportunist like Bill Clinton. He’ll probably go even further leftward. I’ll go out on a limb here and predict that his reactions will be so extreme that even his base will be appalled. That could actually be to our advantage in 2012; if it happens, the GOP will be able to run anyone and win.
What concerns me about the Republicans taking Congress is that they’ll forget who put them there and fail to represent the interests of “We-the-People,” just as they did in `94. Hubris attracts Nemesis, after all.
We need to not let up after the election and keep them on point, or we’ll vote them out next time around. It may be that history books in the future will say that this was the moment when the American people looked around and found that we are stronger than those who would govern us.
Republican politicians must not, must absolutely not, allow the MSM to “moderate” debates be they presidential, senatorial, or whatever. They must not sit for interviews with ideological fools like Couric or Williams. I think Palin has learned but many have not.
John, a cavil: It wasn’t the Washington Post that gave us the immortal “More Mush From the Wimp.” It was the Beantown Glob.
BTW, a lefty friend of mine is trying to convince me — seriously, he stays up nights worrying about this — that Karl Rove is a Nazi, as in someone who’s really ready to fire up the gas chambers. He doesn’t even notice all the Nazi-like things the left is doing, but obsesses about Karl Rove. I demand proof, which he, though a successful tort lawyer, can’t produce. But that’s just an inconvenient detail. Leftyism really is, as some sage has kindly pointed out, a type of mental illness.
The Democrat Party isn’t the cute little monkey in a diaper that was bought at the local pet shop anymore. It’s a 600 pound ape with a ravenous appetite, that won’t be fully grown until it reaches 1000 pounds.
It’s time to return the Democrat Party to the jungle it came from so it can live amongst it’s own beasts and carnivores. It has proven that it cannot live, peaceably, with humans.
There’s no way to cage this beast, or tame it; It has to go.
I work at a mid-west university and am a keen observor of bumper sticker politics. This is not scientific but is a lot of fun. Besides I often have to park in the McMurdo Sound section of our parking lots so I have the opportunity to see a great many cars and a lot of stickers. I note that one of the hardiest perennials of lefty solopism, “Hate is not a Family Value”, has virtually disappeared from view. I don’t know what this means unless those who normally fly this flag have concluded that hate is regrettably necessary when dealing with troglodytes like me who are conservative and sympathetic to the Tea Party.
The Left may not be embracing hate but they sure are embracing viciousness. I suspect that a lot of this stems from the fact that conservatives are finally organized and have developed their own “activitst” community groups and media outlets. The left finally recognizes that they have a fight on their hands and that a lot of the old weapons (i,e, the cry of “racism”) have lot their edge and that all they are left with is the snarky (and vicious) contempt of guys like Maher, Stewart and Colbert. They are betting that this will divert public attention from our mega-deficits and the historic power grab sought by the administration. They may be right but part of their fury is undoubtedly driven by a sickly realization that people are finally waking up.
Excellent and necessary column, keep it up Mr Driscoll.
This Web site – a forum from which radical right wingers anonymously spew constant threats against the president specifically, and liberals generally – is the perfect glass house from which to throw stones.
Speaking of glass houses – I doubt if your real name is “Mr. Pastor O. Muppets.” If that isn’t a nom-de-blog I don’t know what is. Certainly we conservatives enjoy expressing our views here but “threats against the President” (other than a desire to see him voted out of office) are not among them. Once again a leftist is engaging in the psychological phenomenon of projection and transferrance.
For the last ten years the Left has been rife with calls for the physical defenestration of conservatives and loudly expressed hopes that “they all die of AIDS.” The left has also seemed to have forgotten their frequent calls for either the death or the extended physical torment of former President Bush. However leftists view themselves ad such “virtuous” people that they can’t admit to themselves that they can be just as vicious as anyone else. Hence the projection onto conservatives concerning their “threats” and cabalistic acts of violence.
Gee, Mr. Muppets (if you’re not posting anonymously), would you like to comment on this leftist fantasy of assassinating President Bush before the few remaining shreds of what you laughingly call your “credibility” expire?
On a side note, there are posters time-to-time who don’t like Palin for her ‘calling me not patriotic enough’ or ‘not loving my country’ or ‘not compassionate for my soldiers’ yadda yadda.
What I’d like to know, WHERE or WHEN did Palin say said comments? Please provide a link, reputable quote etc., Honestly.
Secondly, having lived in Central alaska and the Aleutian Islands during her time as Governor, I can honestly say, as an Independent voter she did right by the state. Perfect? Far from it. Though who can boast of such an insurmountable expectation.
What I’ve noticed about EVERY liberal poster is they LOOOOVE conjecture. Fantasy, fiction, whatever.
When provided facts of a topic THEY INTRODUCED, they’ll switch the topic or discussion when given a fact provided site, response. It’s hilarious!
Ms. Palin may not be the ideal candidate or spokesperson for many, but I’ll drink tea with her constituents than the kool-aid with the likes of said left leaning posters.