Fear and Shame on the Campaign Trail #3 — The Year of Living Jerkishly
O’Brien’s tendentious defense of the president goes on from there, but I won’t bore you with it except for this little quote that gives the game away re: Obama not following through on the Simpson-Bowles attempt to rein in the deficit: “Now, Obama did not push Congress to adopt Simpson-Bowles, but neither did Congress adopt it.”
In other words, because Congress did not adopt Simpson-Bowles, the president is exonerated for not supporting it or any other concrete deficit plan. Obama — who is supposed to be the leader of our country, hello! — has done less than zero about the economic crisis we face, yet these MSM solons still want to protect him.
As I have written before, don’t these people have children? Are they so addicted to the Democratic Party that they can’t free their minds to see anything objectively (because an addiction is what it is)?
The sophisticates of the MSM are the true jerks in this Year of the Jerks. They will be the ones who will be responsible if Obama is reelected. It is absolutely not possible for him to do it by himself.
(He knows that — and it accounts for his recent hissy-fit about media coverage.)
I have a suggestion for these wise men and women. If you want to “Do the Jerk,” at least do it Smokey’s way. It’s a lot more fun and the country will be better for it.
Akin, Biden, Debbie W.-S.
What they all prove is that the old CB radio code, 12-1, is still valid. It meant “there’s one in every crowd”.
But generally, you really don’t want that “one” becoming the poster child for your group, even unintentionally. Especially not in a political climate where gaffes are automatically assumed to constitute official policy.
It goes back further than most people think. Gerald Ford may have lost the 1976 Presidential election when he was believed to have said that the USSR did not “dominate” Eastern Europe. Mr. Ford was neither gaffe-prone nor incorrect (Solidarity in Poland rather indicated that the only thing holding the WARPAC in the Soviet orbit at the time was the Third Guards Tank Army), but perceptions take on a life of their own. Especially if the news media Do Not Like You and/or Believe Your Party Is The Source Of All Evil In The Universe.
It’s hard to run, even as a reformer, if you are painted as the Loc-Nar.
Akin’s foot-in-mouth episode tells me that the “cultural conservative” wing of the GOP is becoming at least as isolated from reality as the “cultural progressive” wing of the Democrats. The difference is that up to now, the GOP hasn’t let the more “expressive” elements get up on the podium and grab the mike, as the Democrats usually do. (Yes, I borrowed that from Zell Miller’s A National Party No More.)
It’s time both parties had a long talk with their “core elements” about getting a bit more familiar with the real world. The one where words have actual meanings.
Speaking of which, Mr. Simon, the word you used in your fifth paragraph for a seawall or levee’ against high water, does not mean that. The correct spelling for that is “dike”. The spelling you used has an entirely different meaning, and I’m amazed it got past moderation.
cheers
eon
Amazing how Akin went from mystery candidate no one ever heard of to exemplar of the party. He’s as representative of the party as an albino baboon.
But, stabbing him in the back and throwing his corpse to the jackals in the press and on the left (BIRM) can maintain the cocktail circuit cred of Blue State Republicans, so…
Mr. Akin got elected because Claire McCaskill prominently created campaign material calling him the most conservative candidate. She basically wanted to run against him no one else (and still hopes she is presented with either choice). The extreme left needs the extreme right and vice verse.
FYI I voted for Brunner. Also FYI Missouri would be a red state if it weren’t for it’s East and Left “Costal cities” of St. Louis and Kansas City.
Precisely. It was not the Republicans that funded Akin’s victory, it was the Democrats. http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/08/democrats-spent-1-5-million-to-get-akin-elected-in-primary/
No, he was nominated by his party to stand for the election to the Senate seat currently held by Claire McKaskill. Any you know what? I do not give a good @$@ DAmn if he was a Albino baboon with bad body odor. He is still better than her…
Its not about throwing Akin over because the dems want us to, or because some secret cabal of RHINOS want to. The dems are actually delighted by him, because he will lose an easily winnable seat for us, and make great campaign add fodder. Face it, Akin is a complete bonehead, and the dems can afford complete boneheads, we cant. In fact I heard that McCaskil purposely instructed her dems to vote for Akin in the open primary, because she knew he was a bonehead she could beat. We screw up and let the dems pick our candidate for us, because they know they can beat him, and you guys are circling the wagons defending this Akin jerk, Pleeze.
And its not because he is a social conservative either. If he had justified his no abortion for rape and incest policy by putting out the statement he put out after his boneheaded remarks, where the talked about having 2 victims, the raped woman and the innocent featus, he would have had no problem at all, and while being extreme for some, he would have been on solid logical and moral ground. Instead he made this completely boneheaded statement, talking about legidimate and illegidimate rapes, and then even worse this mystical claim that a woman, by the force of her own will, can somehow make herself not get pregnant. That is not the statement of a social conservative, it is the statement of a complete bonehead. The dems have plenty of boneheads, we dont need them too. Lets leave the bonehead vote to the dems.
One of the best things I like about the repub party is we know how to get rid of our bad apples, while the dems just circle the wagons and tolerate anything. Lets not change that wise policy now.
Past time for the Serious Folk aka the Core Elements to take over the GOP from those poseurs who believe in ‘kick the can down the road’ as sophistication.
Eon is so right about the Cold War, which many Americans probably think we won. We don’t teach our kids about the capitulation of many liberals to the agenda of the Comintern during the 20th century. I wrote about that disaster here: http://clarespark.com/2012/08/20/ernest-hemingway-carlos-baker-and-the-spanish-civil-war/.
Akin and Biden have completely disgraced themselves.
http://uselections2012blog.blogspot.ca/
Agreed, the difference is the repubs look like they are taking their best steps to rid themselves of Akin, but the dems will probably circle the wagons around Biden.
“The difference is that up to now, the GOP hasn’t let the more “expressive” elements get up on the podium and grab the mike, as the Democrats usually do”
Seriously?
I distinctly remember a few pro-choice Republicans welcomed as speakers at several conventions, while the Pro-life Democrat Bob Casey was banned from theirs.
Republicans can “express” almost anything. So much so, the RINO’s among the party are often indestinguishable from the Donkeys, every bit as as “expressive” in their moral and fiscal irresponsibilities as any democrat.
What I dont see often are, pro-life, second amendment defending, fically responsible, patriotic believers in American Exceptionalism among the DEMOCRATS as a whole.
Theirs is the realm of litmis tests and trap doors, locked step and a singular, officially acceptable, politically correct (and enforced) “expression” on most any topic.
Their is the least amount of alowable political “expression” in their party, NOT the Republicans.
I am glad the repub party permits diversity of views on social issues, unlike the dems. I do not want diversity on core values like smaller government and following the constitution though. But one thing I do not want the repub party to welcome is boneheads, and lets face it Akin is a complete bonehead. Let the dems corner the bonehead vote, with Biden and others.
“The correct spelling for that is “dike”.
Ummm… no.
‘Dike’ and ‘dyke’ are variant spellings of the same word. You should google it if you have questions about that.
Then there was the little Dutch boy who stuck his finger in the dike.
“What’s a Protective Dyke?”
“Its a large woman that says ‘Don’t go in there!’”
Wow…. keep your day job.
Cheap shot at Big Sis!
Part of the problem is that the lefties most often don’t have children so they are willing to pass the buck to the next generation of OTHER peoples children. Cheap game!
I get tired of hearing that it’s our children and grand children that will suffer, etc. That lets the can get kicked down the road one more time, and it’s a lie.
What’s going to happen this time is everyone, NOW, and deferring a feeling of immediacy only abets the destroyers.
The truth is what ever happens now will affect me very little. My grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be in chains forged of debt. If we don’t defend the future who will? Kick the can down the road? Guess again.
I hope you are right, but unless you are very, very, very old, you are probably wrong, sorry to say.
there is the first break in that monolithic dyke of reaction called the MSM
Oh, spellcheck, you scamp.
That’s a pretty righteous typo, though–produced an apt metaphor.
Mark at #2 is correct. There was no “typo.”
Try again.
what does typo have to do with content.
Really is that the best you can do?
Thank you. Now that you’ve validated the tired leftist trope about conservatives having no sense of humor, go play pedant in traffic.
There’s plenty of ‘stupid’ types from all ’3′ sides.
I don’t consider Joe Lieberman OR Bernie Sanders being, ‘bright’.
That said, Uhbama is the epitome of a, ‘Jerk’.
Heck there’s STILL information coming out of the woodworks about this grifter.
The Daily Caller had this recently:
http://dailycaller.com/2012/08/20/obama-praised-supreme-court-affirmative-action-ruling-in-2003-applauded-racial-set-aside-plans/
Actor Steve Martin’s character/ rich guy ‘Navin R. Johnson’ is STILL more admirable, self-made man than AA recipient Uhbama.
“And all this happens at the very moment there is the first break in that monolithic dyke of reaction called the MSM.”
I think you mean “dike” here. When I read the word “dyke,” I thought you were going to start writing about Janet Napolitano.
He meant “dyke” for he was referring figuratively to a barrier.
Mark at #2 is correct and with Google one can find any number of dictionaries verifying that.
Why the rush to glom onto the slang meaning of word? Kind’a illustrates that “jerk” stuff Mr. Simon mentioned.
Agree with all except the standard Jewish-reflex dump on Mel Gibson. Gibson isn’t a jerk, but he is (was?) a drunk. He is also very talented. That should buy a pass or two, even among Hollywood bigots. If it doesn’t, what does that make you?
Anyone that would call a police officer “sugar t!ts” and beat his wife is a jerk, drunk or not, talented or not.
I have a problem with him driving drunk, but I DONT have a problem with him calling her “sugar tits”…
I’m all in favor of everyone, everywhere, reminding the “authorities” just where they are (belong) in the pecking order, just to keep them humble.
So when they get demeaned, cursed out, threatened, spat upon, or just plain disrespected, I feel no pity for them at all.
Comes with the job, Union Bum.
So, you think that badge and a gun makes you special?
Think again, precious.
Now put down the doughnut, and earn your pay.
Re mouthing off at a cop. Who cares?
Don’t know about the details of the violence, but he did pay. Per wiki: Gibson’s divorce…settlement with his ex-wife was said to be the highest in Hollywood history at over $400,000,000… In a joint statement, the Gibsons declared, “Throughout our marriage and separation we have always strived to maintain the privacy and integrity of our family and will continue to do so.”
You know better…You seem to be more special than the rest of us. What price tag would you prefer? Redemption, in your world, is unlikely if not impossible.
Todd Akin was certainly the DNC’s choice for the Republican senatorial race. I think almost all on the “left” (if not all) believe all we have to do is “tax the rich” and the world will become a socialist utopia. Unfortunately, their idea of who is rich is coming perilously close to anyone with a job with benefits.
The “tax-the-rich” meme comes from the schoolkid mentality of insecurity whereby the person claiming unfairness is angry (most likely at themselves) for not working harder and excelling as the person who got the high marks and praise.
Thus, their notion of “fairness” emanates from the desire to not lift themselves up, but to punish the successful by bringing them down. It’s a lose-lose for everyone and wouldn’t even bring any feelings of satisfaction except as people like Obama would use it.
But if they were successful in taxing the rich at obscene levels, the rich would move. This is why the USSR had no rich, other than those of extreme privilege in the party.
Tax the rich is another part of “but I want it more” mentality
When a kid has a toy, the one without can justify stealing it through various rationalizations:
But he doesnt even care about it
I would treat it better than he does
Besides he already has one.
And I want it MORE
On any political topic, just imagine the emotional immaturity and intellectual laziness of a spoiled child,
and you have the Liberal Democrat position.
The difficult, thoughtful, “un-fun” realistic and principaled stance is that of the Patriot…
Not automatically a Republican position, but NEVER a Democrats
He was. Claire picked him herself.
As I linked above: http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/08/democrats-spent-1-5-million-to-get-akin-elected-in-primary/
It should not be up to pundits, many of whom themselves are jerks and dykes, to decide who will be in the Senate. The voters of the big Mo should have their way. Obama, Axelrod, Emanuel, Biden, Pelosi and Reid have said stupid, thoughtless, and jerky things. Akin did no worse than these worthies.
By the way, have any of you who visit Memeorandum noticed that they have devote more space and stories to this mal-mot from Akin than to any other story ever? If Iran attacks the US, less Memeorandum bandwidth will be involved.
“have devote”? Good one, Fred
The dems can afford to have boneheads, we cant. And besides the MO repubs didn’t pick Akin, Claire McCaskel did, by instructing her dem minions to help Akin because she knew he was a bonehead she could beat. Why any repub would circle our wagons behind this dem selected, walking dem campaign add, bonehead, is beyond me. Let the dems have the bonehead vote.
What do you get when you add Todd Akin, Joe Biden, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz together? A rallying cry for much smaller government. It doesn’t much matter if the 535 members of Congress are cretins if they don’t have a lot of power. Nor does it matter if Obama spends 13 months of the year playing golf in the 57 states if his duties are limited to those delineated in the Constitution. Our politicians and bureaucrats are no better or worse than their predecessors, they just have a lot more power to do harm. And make no mistake, everything that they do causes harm. Romney would do well to use Todd Akin in his campaign as a reason to cut Federal Power, he’d do well to use Joe Biden as a reason to cut spending, and he’d do well to tell people that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the best reason for them to take control of their lives.
It’s a sad day when “Power to the People” really means “Power to the Cretins”.
I was born a poor black child….
Navin R. Johnson: “For one dollar I’ll guess your weight, your height, or your sex”.
*** OR ***
Grandmother (reading a letter Navie sent his family): My dear family, guess what? Today I found out what my special purpose is for. Gosh what a great time I had. I wish my whole family could have been here with me. Maybe some other time as I intend to do this a lot. Every chance I get. I think next week I’ll be able to send some more money as I may have extra work. My friend Patty promised me a blow job. Your loving son, Navin. “And he’s got the kisses here”.
Father: “That Patty must be a sweet girl”.
Mother: “God bless her”.
Why did you leave out “Loathing” in your title? “Fear and Loathing” was the title for this ongoing derangement syndrome of advanced proportions. “Shame” is not directly applicable to those characters who can not feel shame against the boldness of their lies and ridiculing pleasures.
Loathing and criminal contempt is the projection from the politicians back to the public and then back to the politicians. The public, being well meaning and good natured souls, too easily forgets and forgives the mockery and looting bestowed upon them, and stays stunned with barrage of campaign hooey. That is, until they realize that the stink is real and being jerked around is an unaffordable non-pleasure. Loathe them with great expression!
Well it certainly is an important election for Republicans; because of demographic changes, this might be their last chance at the presidency ever.
Polity forbids me (as well as PJM rules) from suggesting that “jerk” is not an accurate term for Biden, DWS, or the Propaganda and Lies Ministry.
Their offenses are constant, intentional, destructive, …I compare what they do and have done as serial killers to Akin’s vehicular crash into a telephone pole.
Biden, DWS and the Propagandists destroy the truth out of malice, choose an individual target and slander/smear them, openly lie about known facts.
Akin takes a rather hard line position on abortion and then tried to mix in some rather unique science to bolster that position. To my eye these are not the same things. It’s true, I have a bias against the former group, I find them utterly without merit as countrymen. With Akin, I disagree personally with where he draws his lines, he’s not my candidate, but I don’t see him as an intentional destroyer of truth.
I most certainly would not lump him into a discussion of how leftists go about their business of destroying and dividing this country.
Akin may hold a hard line position on a topic that already divides the country.
Biden, DWS and the Propagandists try to find ways to widen the chasm, to exploit it and to create new ones out of whole cloth. We would do well not to attempt to “prove” our “objectivity” by throwing Akin into the pit with these leftist vipers.
I dont oppose Akin because he is a socon. I oppose him because he is a complete bonehead. The dems can afford boneheads, we cant.
Yes, the comparison isn’t balanced. But “unique science?”
“Hey, the JERK store called, we are all SOLD OUT!”
I have taken to calling the collective wit of MSM and credentialed but not viable educrats, politicians, writers and BOSNYWAS /HOLLYWOOD blandings the “American Nomenkultura ” Like their Soviet predecessors they are the inheritors of a revolution. They enjoy all the social safety and security but lack the passion and abilities of their predecessors. They inherited the Progressive /Soviet collective mindset but lack the intellectual rigorous to understand or explain. They may even suspect that “The Cause ” has run its course. All wrongs have been righted. All barriers broken down. All enemies vanquished. This leaves them with no real issues to rally into a cause. No real opposition. Just the position in society that defends the past and attacks all who point out flaws, excesses, changed circumstances and new world /new people /new technologies and global mindset. They fear the future and cling to a studied examined, well known past for any change is a threat.
These American Nomenkultura will circle and defend their smug security in the past as musk oxen defend their herd from wolves and weather…. What they fail to see is “The times, they are a changing. ” The harder and more nasty they grow to defend the status quot the more irrelevant and unimportant the become… The world spins everyday. The Nomenkultura lack the ability to control what is read, discussed, seen via all the outlets. The fear and distrust the American citizenry to find our own way. They have decided that “we ” must be treated as farm animals… with all decisions made “for our own good ” by the few the credentialed the smug and the bland… That are very wrong.
And let’s not forget about one of the biggest jerks on the planet, Elizabeth Warren. I’ve never seen a person lie so much, use lies to obtain an advanvatage in life, and then continue to lie about the lies to maintain her station in life. She really does deserve the nickname “Spouting Bull.” And we haven’t even talked about her insane speeches extolling the wonders of socialism (she gave the original “You didn’t build that” speech before Obama did). And she has no other economic plan for this nation except to spend more money we don’t have on programs we don’t need. Yes, you would be hard pressed to find a bigger fool than her, yet she is still seen as not only a viable candidate in Massachusetts, but is still very close to Scott Brown in the polls. One has to wonder what some people are thinking these days. If there is a scale for jerkiness in this election, she would be an off-the-charts jerk. Hope the voters see it that way in November.
True. Actually the dems have a whole horde of jerks and boneheads. We have one now, Akin, and hopefully we will get rid of him. Let the dems keep the bonehead vote.
^This is spot on!
Warren is not only wrong on policy, she chooses to personally ignore or avoid factual truths as simply ‘inconvenient.’
My message to Todd Akin: Please apologize for your apology! Tell people an example of the “illegitimate rape” you had in mind was the one falsely alleged as the basis of Roe v. Wade, and that making “rape” the only exception under which the law allows abortion will motivate many more to falsely allege “rape”. Wasn’t that the meaning demanded by the context of your statement? Will you next, please, ask the RNC chair to step down? He is an embarrassment to men of principle.
For years it has been my contention that we desprately need statesmen the caliber of Winston Churchill, but the ones we keep getting act more like Pee-Wee Herman: shallow and callow, self-aggrandizing and self-serving.
We can all take solace that the “other” side has the majority of jerks.
I see a landslide in November as the anointed community organizer has proven what he is not… A leader that inspires, performs and does not get the results needed to lift this nation back to it’s former self sufficient character.
I call it Eviction Day when even the dumbed down American public makes its choice clear, a new path with some return to basic values…
Boy, if you’re looking for jerks, the whole Wisconsin Democrat Party should be a treasure trove. Take your pick!
Jun 1, 2010 America has too many bureaucrats and they are dramatically overpaid. This mini-documentary uses government data to show how federal, state, and local governments are in fiscal trouble in part because of excessive pay for a bloated civil service.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xzd3puYmiM&feature=player_embedded
While the article left out Bill Clinton, Anthony Weiner, Hank Johnson, and many more beside, for the theme of this article I would simply repeat: “We have searched and we found the enemy, . . . and he is us.”; but, why do we have to elect so many people from our own counties and states—why can’t we just look somewhere else, and get them from there?
The scoffers and those who love to ridicule will always be with us. And as Pogo pontificated many times: “They is us.” Mr. Simon you jumped to join the traveling circus of scoffers.
Rapes rarely result in pregnancy. Maybe in 1 of 20 rapes is there a pregnancy, according to some studies. The trauma and stress in general to cause the female ovary to be less able to host a fertilized ovum, and the violence of rape may bring in other factors — dryness, stress hormones, etc — that either result in no fertilization, or rejection of a fertilized ovum.
Tod Akin may have not been completely clinically accurate, but the ideas he expressed are backed by some science.
“his ideas are backed by some science”. You must be joking. His remarks about legidimate and illegidimate rape were insulting enough. But when he talked about how a woman could somehow make herself not pregnant, by the pure force of her mind, I though I was dealing with one of those idiot new age mystics. Are you going to be telling me next that the earth is only 6 thousand years old. And I am not talking as a leftist. And in defending basic science I dont defend global warming, which has big problems, and is more of a pseudo science in too many quarters. I am a strong tea party supporter. Social conservatism is a pervecctly logical and defensible position, but boneheadedness is not. Let the dems have the bonehead vote.
“His remarks about legidimate and illegidimate rape were insulting enough.”
Were they? What about the Duke University case? A prostitute claims she was raped, the faculty insulted themselves and the entire university system by immediately finding a “legitimate” rape. It turned out after investigation, however, that it was an illegitimate rape. Now isn’t that right?
I’m not defending Akin’s remarks and maybe he is a “bonehead”, but he is the “legitimate” candidate of the Party, elected in the “legitimate” manner. If the voters of Missouri want to dump him, fine.
Pundits have led us to defeat many times before. They selected Dole. They selected McCain. They selected Romney. We’re going with Romney. I don’t love it, but I’m going with Romney. Akin may be the choice of McCaskill, but it seems to me Akin would vote conservative down the line. You say he couldn’t be elected. So do the pundits and Republican establishment. Their record on identifying electable candidates isn’t all that good. How good is your record, Richard my dear friend?
Everything’s about religion all the time.
NOTHING else explains it.
Jerkish speech is part of the growth of Statism. It was labeled as Duckspeak in 1984. Back then there was really no idea how it would manifest itself over time, but it figures the jerks put into positions of authority (by the thinking authoritarians) would find their low level mark as needed.
Good post Mr. Simon. Statist growth could be stymied by individualists grouping together at least temporarily to discuss methods. Jerkish speech is needed to help cloud such debates. It also greatly screws up the election process that might have a chance of topling those who are most secure in their incompetent or malevolent power.
Roger sir! “Are they so addicted to the Democratic Party that they can’t free their minds to see anything objectively (because an addiction is what it is)?”
You answered your own question. Excellent writing, we expect nothing less.
Check “6″
“I have a suggestion for these wise men and women.”
Ah, that’s too reminiscent of the old gag about why Jesus won’t be reborn in Washington, D.C. (or whatever other locale you are insulting).
The Newsweek article is far more important than many might think.
An important part of the Democratic Party has decided that Barack Obama is the way of destruction. Were he to win, it is unlikely that the party would survive.
What is happening now is that the sensible are trying to build a consensus on getting him gone, and reshaping the message after defeat. If that does not happen the more extreme part of the base will lead it to destruction.
By the shrillness of many commentators, I think N.F. has hit the appropriate nerve, and further the hysteria should be seen as a sign of coming defeat.
Remember what happened with LBJ? Well, Obama is too crass to listen, so he will be gone.