Patterico's Pontifications

1/12/2011

Bad Irony Alert: The Blood Libel on Palin Has Resulted in an “Unprecedented” Increase of Death Threats Against Palin (Update: “Imagine” a Remix on the Palin Hate Tweet Video)

Filed under: General — Aaron Worthing @ 9:13 pm



[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here.]

Update: I am not even going to bother to embed this video because you know it will get pulled for its blatant violation of copyright, but some smartass decided to add a soundtrack to the Palin Hate Tweet video. You can watch it, here.

Important Update: We have a second Tweeter who argues very plausibly that she was denouncing this reaction and was misunderstood. She writes more, here. I will flag that one appropriately below. Thanks to “1redthread” in the comments for bringing this to my attention.

We now resume the original post…

Hey media, maybe you will get your wish and someone can assassinate her, right?  As we sit here tonight we learn that Sarah Palin is getting unprecedented levels of threats against her and her family:

An aide close to Sarah Palin says death threats and security threats have increased to an unprecedented level since the shooting in Arizona, and the former Alaska governor’s team has been talking to security professionals.

Since the shooting in Tucson, Palin has taken much heat for her “crosshairs” map that targeted 20 congressional Democrats in the 2010 mid-term election, including that of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was the main target of Saturday’s attack.

That is from ABC News, which doesn’t bother mention what the same network carried out an interview this morning with Zach Osler, Jared Loughner’s friend, where the young man said of the killer:

He did not watch TV. He disliked the news. He didn’t listen to political radio. He didn’t take sides. He wasn’t on the left. He wasn’t on the right.

Don’t you think it is relevant, ABC, that your own reporting has demonstrated for a fact that she is right to deny responsibility?

So what the media falsely accused Palin of doing, of stirring up violent anger toward Ms. Giffords, the media actually has done to Sarah Palin.  We can only hope that none of those nitwits will actually act on those threats.

Of course we can take some solace from further evidence that this blood libel just isn’t working.  But as Lee Harvey Oswald demonstrated, it only takes one liberal nutjob to create a tragedy.

Meanwhile, you might remember the twits on Twitter who threatened Palin.  Those tweets made it into YouTube video which I posted previously.

First, as constructive criticism, I think Patrick is right to say that there is no evidence that this first man is guilty of any kind of violent invective.

It seems he is simply pointing out other violent invective, and has stated he didn’t agree with it but merely wanted to highlight that absurd bit of hate.  He deserves the benefit of the doubt.

But meanwhile one of the Twits on Twitter complained that this invaded her privacy.  Mind you, all he did was take a screencap of an image she put on the internet for all the universe to see.  And now she thinks somehow this was a private conversation?  There is simply put no way in hell this is covered by any theory of privacy.  Regardless of the illogic of her assertion, YouTube pulled the video.  Big Journalism and Legal Insurrection have a lot more on this silly story.

Still, they can’t kill the message.  Thanks to helpful commenters on this site, I have both a copy of the YouTube video of my own and screencaps of each and every ugly tweet.  As Prof. Jacobson says, “You can’t take it back on the internet.”

He has already reposted the video on another service:

Palin Death Wish Tweets Re Tucson Shooting from Legal Insurrection on Vimeo.

And in case that video is tanked, a complete set will follow after the break.  But I should warn you the language is not only harsh, but foul, and probably not safe for work.

Also they all suffer from a crippling lack of self-awareness. Heh.


Important update: The author of this next tweet (“will everyone be satisfied…”) comes forward and very plausibly argues that she was misunderstood–that she was criticizing hateful rhetoric. I believe she deserves the benefit of that doubt.

[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]

241 Responses to “Bad Irony Alert: The Blood Libel on Palin Has Resulted in an “Unprecedented” Increase of Death Threats Against Palin (Update: “Imagine” a Remix on the Palin Hate Tweet Video)”

  1. Did i get them all? my damn computer crashed like four times while trying to do this, the piece of sh-t.

    Aaron Worthing (73a7ea)

  2. Email this post to Paul Krugman.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  3. Remember when Alan Dershowitz “misused” the term “blood libel” to describe the Goldstone Report on the last Gaza conflict and the MSM outrage then, particularly from its Jewish members? Neither do I.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  4. my damn computer crashed like four times while trying to do this

    LOL

    You got Redheadonfire2’s, which was the one that really matters, IMO, since that’s the one that managed to convince google to destroy the evidence on youtube.

    This is much better than a video. I love that attempts to silence this examination have backfired into a much better format.

    I just want to pause for a moment to mourn the death of the Patterico.com cloud servers, because this post will probably get a lot of links, and it’s got a lot of pics, and… it’s going to be a test.

    Sarah Palin put out a map of elections. It’s so twisted that this call for election wins is leading to violent hatred. When the NYT said her responding to the libel was ugly and offensive, did they mention any of these threats? I think they are hiding the most important part of the story if they do not.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  5. daleyrocks: Dershowitz defended Palin’s use of “blood libel”.

    The term “blood libel” has taken on a broad metaphorical meaning in public discourse. Although its historical origins were in theologically based false accusations against the Jews and the Jewish People,its current usage is far broader. I myself have used it to describe false accusations against the State of Israel by the Goldstone Report. There is nothing improper and certainly nothing anti-Semitic in Sarah Palin using the term to characterize what she reasonably believes are false accusations that her words or images may have caused a mentally disturbed individual to kill and maim. The fact that two of the victims are Jewish is utterly irrelevant to the propriety of using this widely used term.

    http://biggovernment.com/publius/2011/01/12/exclusive-alan-dershowitz-defends-sarah-palins-use-of-term-blood-libel/

    aunursa (a059d0)

  6. I would love to learn that girl’s full name, so we could make sure her tweet is forever locked to her.

    Scott Jacobs (d027b8)

  7. The kind of stupidity and viciousness seen in those tweets is ‘weapons grade’,

    narciso (6075d0)

  8. What did one or the regular lefty posters say? Something like he just came by to see what the shallow end of gene pool had to say.

    I would appreciate, though, that the harbingers of peace, love and understanding would stop advocating the murders of innocent people.

    Ag80 (e03e7a)

  9. I liked what was pointed out about what Krauthamer said. The behavior of the shooter can be explained by his being delusional, but what is the explanation for these people?

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  10. check up top for an update. yep, this is multiplying all over the web, including one with a musical remix.

    Aaron Worthing (73a7ea)

  11. Nothing better exemplifies intelligence and promoting civil debate than wishing for the death of the person you disagree with.

    Typical liberal Pretzel logic with a side of no credibility what-so-ever.

    Baxter Greene (bdec36)

  12. OK, the youtube with the soundtrack is freaking priceless.

    “God damn America, It’s in the bible!!!!”

    said Obama’s preacher before he decided it was time to ask for some civility.

    I wish these folks would stop and listen to what they say to us once in a while, because sometimes it’s a good point that they could apply to themselves.

    The MSM in particular is reacting to Obama’s call for calm by noting how much more awesome that is than the disturbing offensive and ugly right. Thanks, Obama!

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  13. __________________________________________

    Well, of course, this blog entry means I have to re-post my semi-regular salute to the biases that trigger liberalism. Keep in mind that most people who see themselves as of the left started off that way early in life. IOW, their liberalism is intrinsically corrupt and rotten. Their liberalism was born BAD.

    Reason.com: The people who give the least are the young, especially young liberals. [Arthur C.] Brooks [a public policy professor at Syracuse University] writes that “young liberals — perhaps the most vocally dissatisfied political constituency in America today — are one of the least generous demographic groups out there. In 2004, self-described liberals younger than thirty belonged to one-third fewer organizations in their communities than young conservatives. In 2002, they were 12 percent less likely to give money to charities, and one-third less likely to give blood.”

    Liberals, he says, give less than conservatives because of religion, attitudes about government, structure of families, and earned income.

    He writes that young liberals are less likely do nice things for their nearest and dearest, too. Compared with young conservatives, “a lower percentage said they would prefer to suffer than let a loved one suffer, that they are not happy unless the loved one is happy, or that they would sacrifice their own wishes for those they love.”

    Mark (411533)

  14. Dustin

    Look, all they are saying… is give peace a chance.

    Well, that and “Die b*tch die!!!”

    Aaron Worthing (73a7ea)

  15. “daleyrocks: Dershowitz defended Palin’s use of “blood libel”.”

    aunursa – That is why I mentioned his name. Thanks for putting up the text where he acknowledges he used the term out of its historical context.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  16. These are the people lecturing the right to tone down the rhetoric.

    Forget the irony, just remember that the average American is not stupid despite the declarations of the betters. They remember the insults. They vote.

    And they outnumber the elite and their toadies.

    Ag80 (e03e7a)

  17. I think my irony meter exploded.

    wherestherum (ea3be5)

  18. Palin is probably going to be our nominee. I’m not trying to go into the horserace there, but just assume that’s the case.

    How will the MSM hide this incredibly hatred at that point? It will be boiling over. Will they just blame Palin for it? Her ‘ugliness’, to use the NYT’s term tonight, drives both extremes, or some crap like that?

    This civility meme is going to be a political albatross around the democrat’s neck if Palin is their main target. She just brings out the best in those folks.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  19. Twitter is a bane upon intelligent communications. It baffles me why people use it, or pay attention to tweets. It’s changed the world for the worse. It’s the Hollerith punch card of the 21st century.

    gp (098d27)

  20. The threats must stop because as Paterrico explains, when many people are motivated to make threats others, the less balanced are motivated to act on them.

    The US Secret Service saw a connection between Palin’s rhetoric during the campaign (IE that Barack Obama was un-American and a pal of terrorists) and an increase in the number of threats on his life. They spiked 400%.

    Palin’s rhetoric during the campaign was irresponsible because Obama is not un-American nor did he associate with Ayers for the purpose of terrorist activity. They worked on a civic board. Yet this rhetoric put Obama’s life at risk. I condemn it just as I condemn threats being leveled at Palin.

    The idea that elections are like armed insurrections is an idea without merit in my opinion. But that is what Palin said in her blood-libel video. She said, when we talk about taking up arms we mean voting. Maybe so, but where is her personal responsibility for those who don’t get it, that armed and dangerous, lock and load metaphors mean ‘go vote’. I’m sure Paterrico would agree, it’s rhetoric about tools (guns, rifles) that deliver lethal force, and it may nor be used without consequence.

    In my opinion, the metaphors of armed revolution, guns and politics have brewed an toxic cocktail. Today, I wasn’t thrilled to see Palin double down by comparing herself to persecuted Jews who endured the prejudice of Christians claiming Jews killed christian babies to use their blood in food recipes. She did it to whip up her base. She appropriated the persecution of the Jews in defense of herself but she did not once take responsibility for how gun violence rhetoric in politics may have some very unfortunate consequences.

    Chris Lynch (a25f81)

  21. Maybe so, but where is her personal responsibility for those who don’t get it,

    Her responsibility? Good grief! Since when are we responsible for a bunch of poorly educated loonies as to what they get or don’t get? None of us can predict what the voices in someone else’s head are going to tell them.

    Sara (Pal2Pal) (4d3f49)

  22. “where is her personal responsibility for those who don’t get it, that armed and dangerous, lock and load metaphors mean ‘go vote’.”

    Chris Lynch – So are you saying that the right is responsible for how lefty sites and politicians smear and takes quotes out of context like the ones you mention above? Armed and dangerous specifically referring to facts, but taken out of context by the left to scare people to think something else was meant. Are you serious Chris? You are one of the ones who does not get it, right?

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  23. So “Blood Libel” has now become the Jewish version of the “N-Word”, which only black people are allowed to use with impunity under ANY circumstance?

    IgotBupkis, President, United Anarchist Society (c9dcd8)

  24. “She appropriated the persecution of the Jews in defense of herself”

    No, she defended herself against the libel of murdering a nine year old child. That is the blood. There was provable libel. See how it works?

    You are one of the ones who does not get it.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  25. Sara, You are not responsible for what she says, she is.

    Palin promotes anti-government extremism for profit. Her explanation in the video that “take up arms” means “vote” is laughable.

    She knows what she’s doing.

    Beck promotes the same anti-government message and for the same reason, profit.

    Chris Lynch (a25f81)

  26. “The idea that elections are like armed insurrections is an idea without merit in my opinion. But that is what Palin said in her blood-libel video. She said, when we talk about taking up arms we mean voting.”

    Which is also what she said on the campaign (oops, military term) trail, but your sources Dowdified her words to make them scary. See how this works?

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  27. Chris – You are not responsible for calling Sarah a murderer and calling Tea Partiers eliminationist hatemongers and racists. No sir.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  28. “So are you saying that the right is responsible for how lefty sites”

    No, I’m not, and your being ridiculous.

    Chris Lynch (a25f81)

  29. “Palin promotes anti-government extremism for profit.”

    Chris – Palin promotes anti-Statism, big difference. Learn it.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  30. “No, I’m not, and your being ridiculous.”

    So why should we be responsible for the way your side has truncated quotes and words of people like Bachmann and Palin purely for the purposes of fearmongering. Your point was their rhetoric, which you referred to was violent. Those were Dowdified words taken out of context by your side. Take responsibility for your own distortions. Don’t blame us and don’t try to hang murders on us based on your own side’s distortion of our words. That irony is too much.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  31. Chris: Advocating smaller government doesn’t come anywhere close to being anti-government. Did you ever attend a civics class?

    Sara (Pal2Pal) (4d3f49)

  32. I’m wondering how anyone with a modicum of common sense can call a woman who was a vice presidential candidate, governor of a state, mayor of a city, and the mother of a service member who served in Iraq as anti-government? I mean, it is idiotic on its face, isn’t it?

    Sara (Pal2Pal) (4d3f49)

  33. This photo:

    http://twitpic.com/3pfxtx

    same as this photo:

    http://www.facebook.com/people/Lauren-Bendik/722241141

    If she can wish death on someone for something that they had no hand in, she can stand behind it with her own name.

    Josh A. (e9f3f4)

  34. The threats must stop because as Paterrico explains, when many people are motivated to make threats others, the less balanced are motivated to act on them.

    The US Secret Service saw a connection between Palin’s rhetoric during the campaign (IE that Barack Obama was un-American and a pal of terrorists) and an increase in the number of threats on his life. They spiked 400%.

    Sorry Chris, but that lie was spiked a long time ago.

    Any more lies to regurgitate?

    Brian Epps (fa1849)

  35. I think chris should change his violent last name.

    vote for pedro (e7577d)

  36. Comment by Josh A. — 1/13/2011 @ 12:31 am

    You are my favorite God Damn person EVER.

    The Departed (d027b8)

  37. Threats from lefties are about as scary as running into a Camp Fire Girl troop in a dark alley.

    Dave Surls (b7cc73)

  38. @#37: but what if they are zombie Camp Fire Girls?

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  39. “What did one or the regular lefty posters say? Something like he just came by to see what the shallow end of gene pool had to say.”

    Just out of curiosity…what did his mom have to say?

    Dave Surls (b7cc73)

  40. “but what if they are zombie Camp Fire Girls?”

    Essential Gear to Survive a Zombie Attack

    http://coolmaterial.com/cool-list/essential-gear-to-survive-zombie-attack/

    Ain’t the Internet awesome? The font of all knowledge.

    Dave Surls (b7cc73)

  41. “Palin promotes anti-government extremism for profit.”

    So, we get to whittle away the tyrannical nanny-state AND make money?

    What’s the downside?

    Dave Surls (b7cc73)

  42. What’s the downside?

    none: the Bush tax rates are still in effect. WIN!

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  43. Chris Lynch eats boogers. F@ck off.

    JD (109425)

  44. Irony? We know the speech is about her as the victim. And here we go, she’s the victim.

    tcom (eb7c5d)

  45. Friendly fire alert.

    http://tinyurl.com/4pzpq2s

    Just sayin’.

    1redthread (e8b335)

  46. 1red

    actually thanks for pointing that out. I will update accordingly and credit you for pointing this out.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  47. Aaron is there any way, you could block some of that out, like with the Knepper stuff, really it makes me think ill of my fellow man.

    narciso (6075d0)

  48. This post is awesome, one of the best I’ve seen so far. Thank you, Aaron.

    J. Knight (0f5058)

  49. As David Frum said, “Palin’s popularity is like a melting iceberg that just lost a big chunk.”

    Her self-absorbed ‘don’t blame me’ speech compared to Obama’s speech later the same day, made her look like, well… an amateur. Obama was inspiring, even according to his critics at Fox. If you haven’t noticed, Obama’s approval is solidly on the plus side for the first time in a while and I expect it to grow.

    Tory (390f26)

  50. Tory – Try reading Palin’s speech before accepting the wisdom of a non-entity like Frum. Given the media was non blaming Obama for the tragedy, compared to Palin, he had nothing to defend, did he?

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  51. The ideal situation, was for her, to confess to ‘thought crime’ as they did in the Old Soviet Union,
    with Radek and company, but yet she thought to defend herself, like that French proverb says

    narciso (6075d0)

  52. I bet Tory got a little tingle while she was typing that.

    JD (0d2ffc)

  53. Tory

    when you watched that speech with obama, a thrill ran up your leg, right?

    cmon, admit it.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  54. I should say, ‘similarly ignorant pundit,’ ignorant of the connotations of that term

    Tory (6ca10f)

  55. “The only reason Palin used the term “blood libel” was because she heard some extremist pundit use the term.”

    Tory – Are you claiming psychic powers or are your just an uneducated progtard who is unfamiliar with the term’s usage over time? Neither option is very attractive,

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  56. Chris Lynch-

    Show us a link to a post where you criticized those who made a movie about assasinating Pres. Bush (from back then), and then I’ll bother thinking about what you say.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  57. Josh A., I went to that FB page, and clicked on the blog link she has listed. The blog shows the same pic as the twitter screenshot. It is her.

    LC Aggie Sith (c798a2)

  58. Tory – You seem to be making sh*t up as you go along. Why not think a little first and then try to present a coherent argument. It may take you a while. Fine with us.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  59. It’s good that your are publishing this, perhaps a little light on the nastiness will clean out some of the cesspool. Perhaps, now that they are out in the open where people can see who they are, some will look at them with disgust and minds will be opened. We can only hope and pray.

    patricia pledger (519392)

  60. I think the thrill ran up the leg of Krauthammer who called Obama’s speech, “a remarkable display of oratory and of oratorical skill, both in terms of the tone and the content.” And Brit Hume who said, that Obama spoke with “grace and dignity.”

    You don’t get it. The gig is up. We saw the difference between Palin who craves power, defiantly backed into a corner, and Obama who, according to FN, spoke as a true ‘head of state’ promoting healing, responsibility for the way we treat each others, and our ‘better angels.’

    This contrast hurt Sarah more than anything.

    Tory (6ca10f)

  61. patricia pledger – I think our friend Tory here is one of the tweeters.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  62. Tory – Did you actually listen to Palin’s works? I’ll bet not.

    Isn’t diminishing her a good thing for you? Should I say Mission Accomplished to you and your buddies? Is that what you are here for?

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  63. “when you watched that speech with obama, a thrill ran up your leg, right?”

    If a “thrill ran up the leg” of the families, that would be a good thing.

    tcom (ea50b5)

  64. Frankly, I think the speech touched a lot of people. There has been a call to break tradition at the upcoming State of the Union speech for the congress to sit as a mixed group together, not the usual divided chamber. It may not happen but at least they’re talking about it.

    Tory (ea50b5)

  65. “So are you saying that the right is responsible for how lefty sites and politicians smear ”

    well yes I guess we are since we’re the only ones with any sense of responsibility….that and the fact that according to the rules anything bad is the responsibility of the right.

    cdajoe (551d85)

  66. ‘Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown’ if the assassin tweets, hasn’t made an impact, nothing will.

    narciso (6075d0)

  67. Tory thinks Instapundit is a right wing extremist? Now that is funny. Tory is just another spittle flecked drive-by that hates conservatives and hearts her some soaring empty oraTory. Dershowitz thinks you are an idiot, Tory. So does the ADL. So do we. That is all.

    Oh, tcoms little act is getting tiresome too.

    JD (0d2ffc)

  68. “Frankly, I think the speech touched a lot of people.”

    Tory – I agree. Palin set the right tone yesterday morning and forced Obama to follow. If hadn’t, he would have looked like a jackass. You wouldn’t know that because you don’t know what Palin actually said. All you know is she used the words “blood libel.”

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  69. If he hadn’t.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  70. Tory did not listen to her idol, Teh One, in his call for civility.

    JD (6e25b4)

  71. “Palin set the right tone yesterday morning and forced Obama to follow.”

    Huh, do you think Obama felt forced?

    tcom (68f669)

  72. remember, its inappropriate for a person who has been libeled (and slandered) to suggest falsely that they have blood on their hands, to refer to this defamation as a blood libel.

    How about the left stop doing it, and apologize for leaping to the worst conclusions about her, and THEN maybe you have the right to criticize her response to this blood libel.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  73. “Huh, do you think Obama felt forced?”

    Huh, did you read the comment?

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  74. “Huh, did you read the comment?”

    I did. I couldn’t tell if you were implying that Obama actually felt forced — and thus modified what he was going to do — or if Palin’s vimeo just intended to influence him but he just went ahead and did what he wanted anyway. And I’m wondering how you distinguish between the two.

    tcom (ad842b)

  75. I am wondering how “tcom” got to be such a douchenozzle, and how many different names it has posted under.

    JD (109425)

  76. As Obama once said, “I don’t think about Sarah Palin.” lol

    Tory (017d51)

  77. Honestly, the people who came off worst last night were the American citizenry. The behavior of that crowd was… disturbing. Immature and ignorant and oblivious and cruel. That was something we all ought to be ashamed of, because that’s who we’ve become – a nation of people who’d rather scream and cheer for their celebrity fix than sit back and try to process the tragedy of which they’re ostensibly gathered in remembrance.

    Leviticus (1ecdf8)

  78. “As Obama once said, “I don’t think about Sarah Palin.” lol”

    Tory – The evidence shows the opposite, sorry.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  79. The world is becoming increasing immune to parody,

    narciso (6075d0)

  80. Well said, Leviticus.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  81. If brevity is the soul of wit (and I put some stock in that notion), then narciso said it better, twice:

    weapons-grade stupidity, and immunity to parody.

    Leviticus (1ecdf8)

  82. I think we need a parody song based on Elvis Costello’s (“What’s so Funny ’bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding”. It is a nice tune for those old enough to remember.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  83. Moriah Jovan is correct to objecting about the inclusion of her tweet. Here is the truth:
    http://mikecanex.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/they-have-no-brain-but-they-must-think/

    Mike Cane (df76b7)

  84. I love how the nuts in this thread have to jam in ‘extremist’ whenever someone says something they don’t agree with. A moderate like Palin, or Instapundit… ‘extremist’. Why? To demonize them, of course. And to express that anyone who isn’t a democrat or Frum is an extremist.

    Sorry, dems, some of you, like Chris Lynch, are blood libeling the Tea Party and Sarah Palin. And it’s going to backfire badly. You have to lie to twist what they say into anything remotely wrong, but we don’t have to do that with your words.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  85. People like this “Chris Lynch” person are ghouls. Not human beings any longer, but ghouls.

    A federal judge is slain. A nine year old girl. Their bodies are not even cold, and a pre-planned media attack is rolled out. Its goal? Smear Palin. Smear Rush. Give Barack Obama an OK City Bombing moment.

    It’s sick. It’s evidence of a deep sickness in our society. A sickness called liberalism. And the best proof is that by current accounts, Mr. Loughner’s descent into madness started with his fixation on liberal politics, before he drowned in full-fledged apolitical madness. And all the slimey hangers-on .. the citizens whose first and only loyalty is to the Democrat Party … can do is STILL talk about Sarah Palin. Disgusting.

    Shame. Shame on Chris Lynch. Shame on all the ghouls like him. Shame on Barack Obama for his participating in such tawdriness. Nothing is beneath him.

    This whole incident proves we live in a Banana Republic, where El Jefe and his cronies in the pro Junta media use an act of a petty criminal or lunatic to create a firestorm aimed at taking down a political enemy who in reality has ZERO connection to the crime (but who cares about things like truth and fairness?). The Democrats have succeeded in a lifetime’s work in turning our beloved United States into a gonzo nation. How proud they must be.

    Soylent Green (c5c03a)

  86. Yes, Soylent, Shame of this Chris Lynch.

    An awful lot of his points are simply lies, and he’s been well informed of it, and it’s clear he knew it from the onset. I guess he’s not ‘armed and dangerous with the fact’, but rather ‘armed and dangerous with lies’.

    To be so relentlessly partisan about something like this horrible shooting takes a very twisted mind.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  87. So I didn’t read every comment, but I still haveta ask…are all Libs pussies? I mean, almost every one of those tweets was them advocating her murder, but they all wanted someone else to do it. Ironically, it’s a lot like the Life cereal commercial-“Hey, Mikey!”.

    It really is like a lib to foist stuff they want done onto others. They want everyone to have the “basics” (food, shelter, medical, etc.), but they do the hard work themselves. No, I’m not trying to see how froggy any of them are (I firmly want Sarah to stay alive!), but jeesh, it’s like some ultra pathology with them.

    KMA (ddd2d7)

  88. So, Mike Cane, you are saying that Moriah Jovan’s tweet was sarcasm and misunderstood?

    Well, it is a noble thing to clarify a misunderstanding, as I at least once went off on someone when I took a sarcastic remark as serious.

    But, you also say at your site:

    Which now goes to show that all of those who are defending Palin today are as rabid and narrow-minded and as dismissive of facts as the original people who were condemning Palin.

    I’ve done this post for two reasons:
    1) To clear Moriah Jovan’s name from this error. She can point to this post as the correct and indisputable context for her tweet. This is the Internet and this error might keep popping up for some time. She can send people here for the truth.
    2) To again display my disgust at those who can view the world only through a narrow focus that’s been handed to them by others.

    If you can’t think for yourself, if you need other people to tell you how to view the world, you have no business opening your mouth about anything. You’ve abdicated the brain God gave you at birth and you’ve become a tool, a ventriloquist’s dummy, mouthing the lines someone else has written for you.

    So, you point out that because one of a series of tweets was a sarcasm misunderstood, those of us who point out the general phenomenon are “as rabid and narrow-minded and as dismissive of facts as the original people who were condemning Palin”

    Point #1 I would say, is that this has less to do about Palin than it has to do with the Left and MSM, for they will use the same logic-twisting absurdities against any prominent conservative. Of course, if one is of the opinion that the only true conservative is a stupid one then any argument, true or false, logical or illogical, is justified. I’m not saying that is your view, but what I presume the view is of those who eagerly started the run to blame “uncivil discourse” as the reason for the shootings.

    Now, unless you can prove otherwise, I will presume that a substantial number of the tweets, even the majority, were not misunderstood sarcasm but illustrating the main point, which is the left’s pointing fingers at the map on Palin’s web site and other “uncivil discourse” is utter hypocrisy.

    And I guess we are all reminded that in a communication form such as a “tweet”, misunderstandings can be common, as there is little context other than other “tweets”. (I don’t have to worry about this, though, as I am way too verbose to say anything in a tweet.)

    Your eagerness to track down and clarify a misunderstanding is laudible. I for one would welcome your regular contributions here, if I don’t get called a … well, those nasty things I copied before.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  89. Hear hear, MD in Philly.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  90. Lauren Bendik

    redheadonfire2

    (Lauren B) 20 – Female – North Hollywood

    Slim (3eae59)

  91. All of those defending Palin are as rabid …. Blah blah blah. I love it when people that are calling for civility are uncivil douchenozzles.

    JD (6e25b4)

  92. Lauren Bendik had/has a blog:

    http://www.brightideasofateenager.blogspot.com/

    She’s a psych major at University of the Pacific. Also on Facebook. You’re famous now, Lauren!

    nofade (3eae59)

  93. JD, their mission now is clear.

    Filibuster, throw the same lies in the air 1000 times, and just try to create a huge mess for a while.

    Maybe then, some will be confused about it.

    It’s going to backfire. The left’s behavior, just in this thread, are worse than anything Palin has ever done by a longshot. They will really run into trouble in the coming weeks when they try to hold up legislation in the ‘name of civility’. The left is at its absolute worst right now. I’ve never seen it this bad in all my life. I’ve never seen it this violent, this dishonest, and this hateful.

    Very few moderates and conservatives are going to be fooled by this. Many liberals will be turned off by it. Most liberals are decent people, like the rest of us, and don’t like ghouls and more than I do.

    The memory of this blood libel will never go away.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  94. “If you haven’t noticed, Obama’s approval is solidly on the plus side for the first time in a while…”

    No, I haven’t noticed that.

    Care to back that assertion up?

    “Overall, 49% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president’s performance. Fifty percent (50%) disapprove.”–Rasmussen

    http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

    Dave Surls (c01b0e)

  95. mike cane

    proving you didn’t actually read the post, including the update where i clarify it.

    sigh.

    Aaron Worthing (b1db52)

  96. It’s a shame for Jovan that her tweet was misunderstood. But her defense says ‘If you read my books’, etc. That’s a terrible defense. You tweeted this to the world, not to then people who read your books.

    If I tweeted ‘Gee, I wonder if anyone wants to shoot President Obama?’ without noting that I think everyone should say “NO” and that such a thing is dreadful, then I am responsible when people say that’s in terrible taste. That tweet stands ALONE. Just because it’s short doesn’t mean everyone in the world has to read through Jovan’s other work to determine that she is opposed to shooting Palin.

    In fact, in reading through her work, it’s hard to tell. She says she’s a Reagan conservative, but a whole lot of democrats say that, including some of Palin’s detractors.

    No, Jovan, you didn’t mean to threaten anyone. But you should have noted it was wrong in the same Tweet. Is that hard to do in 140 characters? Of course. So don’t even try if you can’t manage it.

    A lot of people confused Jovan’s tweet in good faith. Mike Cane knows it, and is trying to smear a lot of good people because of an error that is Jovan’s fault. I think that’s pathetic.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  97. Also, Jovan’s whining and blaming this on others is in very bad taste as well.

    Take responsibility and apologize. This is your fault. People goof up, and it’s not a big deal, but you’re not really a Reagan Conservative if you can’t take personal responsibility. That tweet was ugly, and it belongs to Jovan.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  98. Mike Cane and Moriah, if you want to be clearly understood, then write clearly. The FIRST step toward clear writing is to STOP using brain-dead pop media channels like Twitter. Its limitations force you to abbreviate your ideas, to the detriment of their clear expression. Using it is like trying to transmit the Bible by writing it on 20,000 tiny pieces of paper, wadding them up into little spitballs, launching them at an army of illiterates, and then complaining they didn’t get the message right.

    gp (72be5d)

  99. The FIRST step toward clear writing is to STOP using brain-dead pop media channels like Twitter.

    Maybe this is just more obvious to me because I have a hard time keeping my thoughts nice and short (a very nice skill that I envy).

    Anyway, once you start talking about shooting people, I think it’s too obvious. You have to be clear that you are joking or sarcastic. Jovan is smart to ask for corrections, but then to blame the good faith readers for her shooting tweet joke not being clear… seems really quite rude.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  100. dustin

    i won’t exchange in tit for tat with jovan. but let this serve as a lesson to people. it only takes five characters to write “/sarc”

    people often write with no idea about the ambiguities you create. i make mistakes like that all the time. I don’t get mad at the other person for the mistake, i just explain, and try to be more mindful myself. and i will, sooner or later, fail to be sufficiently clear.

    This is all within the category of reasonable human error. not a chance to claim that somehow the right is imploding or some bullsh-t like that, as though the 48 other tweets that were sincere in their ugliness doesn’t mean the left is imploding, too.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  101. Yeah, Aaron. I screw up my jokes all the time too. It’s just being human.

    You owed her the correction you gave her, of course. You don’t deserve to be smeared for a good faith reading of sarcasm, but the real point is that people should be really careful when saying extreme things they intend to be sarcastic.

    It’s just the way the world works. You can’t joke about bombing an airplane, or killing a politician, or beating your spouse. If you need those comments for a sarcastic punch… make sure you’re clear. That’s on you.

    Aaron’s ultimate point, though, survives regardless. Dozens of people are calling for Palin’s murder, in public, without shame. If they were calling for Obama’s, it would be on the front page of the NYT, the Tea Party would be blamed, etc. And yet the left lives by a different set of rules.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  102. Besides the technical limitations, another problem with Twitter is that its very _purpose_ in the media mix seems to be spontaneity: “Tweet your half-baked thoughts and impressions as quickly as they arise, without reflection, to make sure you get them out there before Ashton Kutcher does.” It’s tailor-made for idiots with five-second attention spans. Stop using the damn thing and hope the fad dies soon.

    gp (72be5d)

  103. Maybe this is just more obvious to me because I have a hard time keeping my thoughts nice and short (a very nice skill that I envy)

    Preach it, Brothers gp and Dustin!

    Maybe we should start our own network with a minimum of 140 words

    Thanks, SPQR, I always appreciate thoughtful feedback, + or -, as long as it is thoughtful.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  104. We could call it “Twiddle”.

    Or “Potentially Useful Website”, to contrast it as starkly as possible with its opposite.

    Leviticus (d72ad6)

  105. MD in Philly, oh I just dashed that comment out in a second or two really …

    SPQR (26be8b)

  106. #104

    No kidding. Twitter is about the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.

    It’s basically a communications device for halfwits.

    Using it makes about as much sense as buying a pet rock.

    Dave Surls (c01b0e)

  107. Aaron, thank you for your note. The post has been updated accordingly with your comment in the main post.

    Susan Duclos (e85d0f)

  108. I wonder what the University of Pacific would have to say if they were informed of the behavior of one of their students…

    Scott Jacobs (d027b8)

  109. I can’t imagine they’d say much, given Palin’s unpopularity in academic circles. This girl probably heard it from one of her professors to begin with…

    Leviticus (d72ad6)

  110. Especially if she’s minoring in Women’s Studies or something like that – psych major on Twitter, ugh.

    Leviticus (d72ad6)

  111. Brevity rocks.

    JD (9c6ca7)

  112. Yeah, but I dunno how much a college would like to be linked publicly to someone who makes threats, regardless of what they ACTUALLY think of it…

    Scott Jacobs (d027b8)

  113. Seriously, though, I’d imagine that a large majority of Twitter users use Twitter because it allows them to blame the inane nature of their thoughts and articulations on the format, rather than admitting that their thoughts are inane by their very nature.

    Leviticus (d72ad6)

  114. Twitter user: “Well, ive olny got 140 characterz, I cn only do so much wit dat lol!!!”

    Levi: “Yeah, well no one cares that you just ate a sandwich, no matter how many characters it takes to get that fascinating notion into general circulation.”

    Leviticus (d72ad6)

  115. Amusing from Lauren’s Facebook wall: “likes her Self-defense for Women professor…he reminds her of Mr. Ferdman.”

    Scott Jacobs (d027b8)

  116. See? That’s probably worth 3 credit hours, too – maybe even 4…

    Leviticus (d72ad6)

  117. Well, I e-mailed the dean of students anyways.

    Nothing will come of it, but hope springs eternal.

    Scott Jacobs (d027b8)

  118. Students have been kicked out of Penn for much less, but then, insults against some people are more equally repulsive than others…

    SPQR- That’s OK, I was referring to one’s lifetime of (usually) rational thought. IOW, I wasn’t inviting anyone and everyone to make “thoughtless” comments, though I suppose I can expect them now…

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  119. r Self-defense for Women professor

    I never understood why some women would go to that kind of martial arts class, instead of a martial arts class for everybody. Maybe they plan on defending themselves only from another chubby sophomore girl?

    Take kickboxing or Judo, coed.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  120. Or carry a gun.

    I mean, yeah the attacker might be a foot taller and have 100 pounds of solid muscle on her, but it’s hard to take advantage of someone who you have a 15+ foot reach advantage…

    Scott Jacobs (d027b8)

  121. I strongly disagree with most of the people here. I think that Moriah Jovan really, really got a raw deal by being included in that video. I think her message was clear on its face. It is EVEN clearer with her subsequent explanations. I say Kudos to Mike Cane for clearing this up, and I intend to do a stand-alone post about this.

    I think what happened to her can be compared, on a micro level, to what happened to Sarah Palin. She made a statement that was totally defensible, and it got twisted out of context to the point where she ended up being smeared. I think it’s wrong to say she is “whining” about this and I think it’s wrong to say she wasn’t clear. She was perfectly clear, in my view.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  122. Jovan got screwed, because people did not look at context. That is not Jovan’s fault.

    Does not make the defender above any less of a douchenozzle.

    JD (9c6ca7)

  123. Maybe I missed why the defender was a douchenozzle, other than that in his anger he painted all Palin supporters with a broad brush. But his entire post in context shows that he hates the “Blame Palin” narrative that has prevailed in the media, no? I mostly credit the guy. Unless I’m missing something.

    I don’t even think you need context to understand her message. It’s plain on its face, unless you’re already reading it with a mindset that she hates Palin.

    But the context does make it crystal clear.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  124. By the way, you might note, going to his post and hers, who is being the real douchenozzle. Read the comments and see who can’t bring himself to understand how she had been smeared.

    Hint: it’s Mr. “Let’s Bring Every Internet Dispute into Real Life.”

    Patterico (c218bd)

  125. “It is EVEN clearer with her subsequent explanations.” Subsequent explanations would not have been needed if the original tweet was clear, which it could not be, because the Twitter format is Anti-Clarity, and because most of the Twitter audience is ADHD hyper-numbskulls. Look at how long a post Mike had to write to try to “subsequently explain.” People would be clearer using frickin Morse Code than using Twitter.

    gp (098d27)

  126. and thus modified what he was going to do — or if Palin’s vimeo just intended to influence him but he just went ahead and did what he wanted anyway.

    Well, let’s add it all up, shall we? Within one hour of the shooting we had the MFM and their handmaidens in the congress start accusing any and everyone (including Palin) on the right side of the political equation for causing the murders. Then, over 72 hours later, both Rasmussen and Gallup release polls indicating that the majority of the public wasn’t buying their smear/meme…at all, and this was after Palin’s response, and then further frothing at the mouth by the usual suspects. Then Obama gives his speech – gee, wouldn’t you wonder whether teh One gives a crap about polls?

    Asshat.

    Dmac (498ece)

  127. I’m not just a smartass, I have a contrary spirit too.

    It is funny to me that had Lauren just shut up and taken her justifiable lumps in 2 weeks no one would even remember her comments. Now they are linked to her ID all over the interwebs with her real name. I thought the younger generation would know better than to pick a fight like that.

    trackerk (04b86d)

  128. Moriah Jovan has learned the hard way that sarcasm doesn’t work well online. It’s a shame if she has been unfairly tarnished, as it appears she may have been.

    DRJ (d43dcd)

  129. gp, you’re being a Luddite. I get it; I used to feel that way about Twitter. I was wrong. It’s a medium, nothing more.

    No offense, but you sound a little like the media types did a few years ago talking about these things called weblogs, or “blogs.”

    Patterico (c218bd)

  130. I don’t even think you need context to understand her message.

    Given Twitter’s inane format for stream – of – consciousness thoughts and in general brain farts, I think you have to make anything crystal clear.

    Dmac (498ece)

  131. DRJ,

    I really have a hard time seeing how she wasn’t clear.

    I can’t find any way to blame her.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  132. “Then Obama gives his speech – gee, wouldn’t you wonder whether teh One gives a crap about polls?”

    I think he cares more than polls, which is why he went out and gave a great speech. I don’t think he was forced to do it.

    tcom (c4caa8)

  133. I guess different people see things differently.

    You guys know I am a fan of clarity and I am willing to put some blame on the speaker when they should have known their comment would be misinterpreted.

    I just don’t see this as one of those situations.

    Maybe I’m wrong. But that’s my opinion.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  134. Here’s how I view twitter’s usefulness: regarding late – breaking news stories that have citizen eyewitnesses on the ground, it can be an excellent tool (aka the US Air landing on the Hudson). Meet – ups among friends and/or colleagues going to a specific location also has great value within that kind of medium. But as for great thoughts and most verbal messages, it’s fairly ineffective.

    Dmac (498ece)

  135. It is EVEN clearer with her subsequent explanations

    Sure. And even clearerer if you read her books.

    But about her message being clear on its face?

    Who is the twitter talking to? Who is the “you” who knows that Palin is about to be murdered? Is it a warning, against the Tea Party, to stop its rhetoric before they are shown just what they deserve, with one of their own, tit for tat?

    It’s hard to say. It definitely uses a warning of murder to persuade… for something. I don’t even know what. Being satisfied earlier, I guess.

    You don’t bring up murder, bomb threats, etc, without clarifying. If I sit and think about the twit long enough, it seems like it’s not happy about Palin dying. But is that really clear on its face?

    I can see Jared Loughner saying ‘Will the Grammar mind controllers be satisfied when I shoot Giffords? You reap what you sow.’

    Jovan’s reaction to her tweet being misunderstood is that “Conservatism is Dead”.

    And “If you don’t get it, you need to learn nuance, sarcasm, irony, hyperbole. Buy a clue, rent one, steal one, I don’t care. GET ONE.”

    Sorry, Jovan, it sounded like you were saying that conservatives were reaping what they sow, and Palin’s death could result. I guess now you’re saying you meant you were disgusted with blaming Palin for the shooting.

    There’s a distinction between holding this reap what you sow threat out there, vs actually saying “I’m going to shoot Palin”. Jovan’s twit is a little out of place.

    An awful lot of people didn’t understand it because it’s not clear at all. Jovan is responsible for that. Her reaction lends a lot of credence to my interpretation that she was warning the Tea Party conservatives not to be so extreme they trigger a reaction. She has a problem with conservatism, apparently.

    But that’s not important. What’s important is that you don’t yell “Do you want that plane to explode?” at the airport. You don’t talk about Obama or Palin getting shot, without identifying who you are talking to, and noting that you do not want this to happen.

    The consequence for failing on this regard is simply that you will have to explain yourself later. Jovan chooses to do so very rudely, whining that good faith readers lack an understanding of hyperbole. Fact is, I just assume people use assassination hyperbole with basic rules for clarity. It’s a special case.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  136. It’s a great way to get numerous instant perspectives, and to get immediate links to thought-provoking pieces or news items.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  137. Patterico-

    I know you’re busy and reading things quickly, and I’ll look forward to your stand-alone post, as I want further clarification as to what you mean by “strongly disagree[ing] with most of the people here”.

    What “most of the people here” were primarily doing was noting the examples of “uncivil” tweets that were recorded, and I think Aaron and everyone else was quick to give Ms. Jovan her due when it came to light, even if it was brought to my attention by someone who was not giving the kind of respect he was requesting (see my post at #89).

    When you say her original tweet was clear on it’s face, do you mean in looking at it from the context of the original tweet discussion, as opposed to what was relayed on You-Tube? I think if a tweet needs to be understood in the context of the ongoing tweet discussion, many, many, many people will have the same issue. As I said tongue-in-cheek above, I don’t use twitter, one, I’m too verbose, and two, I’d probably get myself in trouble all of the time.

    I’m not sure who said she was “whining”, I think it was perfectly appropriate to set the record straight, and I was serious when I said so to Mr. Kane. But I’m not happy with conceding that Aaron and the rest of us are, “rabid and narrow-minded and as dismissive of facts..etc.” because of linking the material that had inadvertantly captured her comment along with others.

    Besides, if we were as Mr. Cane described, I’d be foaming at the mouth and Aaron would have never bothered to update the post, and at least the latter is untrue.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  138. I don’t think he was forced to do it.

    This POTUS has given more speeches during his first two years in office than the vast majority of Presidents by a large margin – so while he may not have been “forced” to do it, you know full well that he was champing at the bit to display his awesome rhetorical skills at the teleprompter. His ego and his narcissism practically demanded it. Think of it this way – if it was so important for him to give a speech, why on earth did he feel the need to give it on a college campus? The Oval Office would’ve been much more appropriate, but then he wouldn’t have had the nonstop adulation and applause.

    Dmac (498ece)

  139. OK, Dustin, I now see the alternate interpretation. It actually took your comment to make me see it. I didn’t even see how anyone could misread her.

    I chalk this up to “miscommunication.”

    Patterico (c218bd)

  140. MD in Philly,

    I’m not sure my disagreement is as strong as it was ten minutes ago. I now understand how some were interpreting her message.

    I think Mr. Cane went overboard and painted with too broad a brush. Let’s let his anger simmer down and see if he is willing to reconsider. I bet he is.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  141. It’s a great way to get numerous instant perspectives, and to get immediate links to thought-provoking pieces or news items.

    I’d agree regarding the linking aspect, but many of those instant perspectives come off as quite idiotic, or worse. It’s like many of the tweeters don’t even stop to think about what they’re trying to communicate, they just vent their spleen at will. I don’t think it really fosters any spirit of conversation, or learning in that manner.

    Dmac (498ece)

  142. Wow: it’s like I’m actually being civil and trying to reconcile viewpoints.

    It HAS to be because of Barack Obama’s MASTERFUL speech!!!

    Patterico (c218bd)

  143. I think she’s totally deserving of the correction. And even a polite ‘I’m sorry’. honestly, people threw this together without doing a background check, and I think the main divide here is people who use twitter vs those who do not.

    I also think Patterico saw a pattern of people who were actually instigating for Palin to be hurt, vs Jovan, who was simply holding Palin being hurt out there as a consequence. It’s a difference.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  144. It’s like many of the tweeters don’t even stop to think about what they’re trying to communicate, they just vent their spleen at will.

    Luckily, bloggers are far different.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  145. I forgot to add that it’s really a kind of parlor game (remember “telephone” in grade school?) or just another gadget of the moment – more like a toy in most instances.

    Dmac (498ece)

  146. Dmac: you’re describing most of the human race. You realize that, right?

    Patterico (c218bd)

  147. Luckily, bloggers are far different.

    Some are, actually – which is one of the reasons why I come here frequently.

    Dmac (498ece)

  148. Patterico, I think that her tweet was “clear” to those who paid close attention to parsing it but was open to misinterpretation to more casual reading especially to someone expecting a different message.

    I think that that was not her “fault” per se. That said, I think Cane went a bit over the top.

    I’m sure that Jovan has not enjoyed the attention that her tweet gained her given the large amount of invective being thrown about – much of it in bad faith. And that’s a shame.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  149. I forgot to add that it’s really a kind of parlor game (remember “telephone” in grade school?) or just another gadget of the moment – more like a toy in most instances.

    It’s like a chat room where the other chatters are the most interesting people you can find.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  150. If technology ever gets to the point where a device can automatically “tweet” the first response that comes into one’s head.. boy will that get messy real fast.

    There were some advantages to pen and paper.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  151. Point taken – but I think actual e – mail communication or even (gasp!) actual telephone conversation is much more context – worthy, that’s all. Even the chat function is a better venue for exchanging thoughts and ideas, I think.

    Dmac (498ece)

  152. I’m sure that Jovan has not enjoyed the attention that her tweet gained her given the large amount of invective being thrown about – much of it in bad faith. And that’s a shame.

    Oh, that’s a good point. Whatever sin Jovan has committed, I’m sure she’s paid for 100 times over already today, and that’s… just today.

    That’s a shame.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  153. Some are, actually – which is one of the reasons why I come here frequently.

    Some Twitter folks are as well. Like many of the ones I choose to follow.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  154. Whoops, you took the words right out of my mouth.

    Dmac (498ece)

  155. “This POTUS has given more speeches during his first two years in office than the vast majority of Presidents by a large margin – so while he may not have been “forced” to do it, you know full well that he was champing at the bit to display his awesome rhetorical skills at the teleprompter”

    I don’t think there was a teleprompter there. So I don’t know where you’re going with this.

    “Think of it this way – if it was so important for him to give a speech, why on earth did he feel the need to give it on a college campus”

    The college organized the event. My guess is they wanted to have an event for the community, and seeing as how they had the space and organization to do it, went ahead and did it.

    “The Oval Office would’ve been much more appropriate, but then he wouldn’t have had the nonstop adulation and applause.”

    And he also wouldn’t have gotten to meet with the families. I hope that was nice for them.

    Although, note, that when you describe it this way:

    “His ego and his narcissism practically demanded it”

    That’s kind of counter to the meme that palin “forced” anything.

    tcom (df6252)

  156. Her message is quite a bit like Bachmann’s “armed and dangerous” line. Hear it out of context, or pay little attention to it and form your impressions based on a template given to you by others, and it sounds bad. Listen to what the person actually said, and it’s totally fine and a good point.

    Both statements were put into a context in which they didn’t belong and the speakers were vilified.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  157. It takes no more effort to type a comment here than it does to send a Twitter message.

    Patterico (c218bd)

  158. There’s a distinction between holding this reap what you sow threat out there, vs actually saying “I’m going to shoot Palin”. Jovan’s twit is a little out of place.

    I want to thank people in this thread for discussing it, whether anyone agrees about it or not, but I would like to say this:

    I work in the arts and publishing and MY Twitter followers list is 85% liberal. I don’t have that many conservative followers for some reason. What I see tweeted on a day-to-day basis is really disturbing to be, so when I tweeted, my sarcasm was directed at the people who follow ME, who are, in fact, liberal.

    So for what it’s worth, that’s what I see in my twitterstream constantly. Unfortunately, Twitter is how I do business. I can drill down to the cent how much my business has grown because I am on Twitter. It’s my workplace. And, like any workplace, I have to put up with people’s opinions I don’t like.

    And I am in the minority in my “workplace.”

    Moriah Jovan (b3be8e)

  159. it’s not her first death wish:

    ” And if you ever encounter a douchebag named Caesar, do the world a favor and run him over….ok? thanks!”

    check out Lauren’s blog.

    http://brightideasofateenager.blogspot.com/2009/07/fireworks-douchebags-and-near-death.html

    nofade (3eae59)

  160. patterico

    yeah, when i saw it i honestly took her meaning to be the direct opposite of what it was. maybe that means my sarcasm detector is broken.

    i will say that if you do a separate post, you might as well throw the other guy into it, too.

    That being said i strongly believe that if you are going to be sarcastic, either be super-clear on it, or label it. “/sarc” is only five characters and saves everyone alot of grief. which is not me blaming her for all of this, just saying to people “if you don’t want this happen, do this…”

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  161. Moriah, I get where you’re coming from. So you’re seeing a flow of left leaning comments, and that’s who you were replying to. And I guess I recall some twitter messages actually being directed at people, but you were responding to many, not one.

    Regardless, I’m glad you got the correction here, because you weren’t threatening to hurt anyone.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  162. mojo

    well, i tried to say it at your blog, but i will say it here. i am sorry for misunderstanding your sarcasm. i mean your sarcasm is pretty much identical, i see in hindsight, to how i started off this post originally: “Hey media, maybe you will get your wish and someone can assassinate her, right?”

    Anyway, sorry for the misunderstanding and thus any part i had in any ugliness you had to deal with. And that is all on me, not Patterico.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  163. That being said i strongly believe that if you are going to be sarcastic, either be super-clear on it, or label it. “/sarc”

    I almost never mark my sarcasm, and sadly, it’s missed perhaps 75% of the time. I’m just not a very clear writer.

    But I fear the pitfalls of joking about certain things. Racism, for example. If I mock someone’s racism by illustrating it in reverse, I make sure I note I’m not serious, or what exactly I am replying to.

    Maybe Orwell wouldn’t be pleased, but some topics are touchy and it’s just easier for the author, in the long run, if they don’t give the reader much credit.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  164. So you’re seeing a flow of left leaning comments

    That’s putting it LIGHTLY. Trust me, I get very very weary of it, and I had HAD it up to my EYEBALLS. I simply couldn’t take it anymore. And you know what happened? They shut up. Because I made them see the logical conclusion of the direction of their thoughts.

    And I thank you all for listening and discussing it.

    The tweeters who have directed tweets at me (save one) have all retracted and apologized and I think that is very honorable. It’s very heartening to see the honor there.

    Moriah Jovan (b3be8e)

  165. tcom

    Obama’s podium had a screen built in.

    To say the least, if you’re attempting to say that Obama is a better speech giver because he doesn’t use teleprompters, you are making a tactical error.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  166. The tweeters who have directed tweets at me (save one) have all retracted and apologized and I think that is very honorable. It’s very heartening to see the honor there.

    Comment by Moriah Jovan — 1/13/2011 @ 1:12 pm

    I think that’s pretty impressive. It speaks well to the civility of the majority of people discussing politics.

    There are some VERY LOUD people who are not reasonable, but I don’t think they are nearly as numerous as they’d like us to think they are.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  167. “Because I made them see the logical conclusion of the direction of their thoughts.”

    Let me add: They shut up because they respect me. I’m very well regarded in my area IN SPITE OF my politics, which they are all too aware of.

    Moriah Jovan (b3be8e)

  168. Thanks, Aaron. 🙂 No hard feelings.

    Moriah Jovan (b3be8e)

  169. tcom, my picture of Obama’s Tucson speech was clearly the party convention. My mistake.

    Anyway, he clearly looks down at the podium after each sentence, and was reading the speech.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  170. Mojo

    btw, like i have two comments stuck in your filters or something last i looked. if you can rescue the first one where i apologized, i would appreciate it.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  171. Okay. I get thousands of spam comments a day and I never look at them, so thanks for telling me.

    Moriah Jovan (b3be8e)

  172. tcom, Obama was reading that speech from a teleprompter. His head movements when doing so are distinctive.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  173. But the point is rather banal right? Notes and teleprompters are pretty standard — some politicians even let them be reflected in their fashionable glasses.

    Comment by tcom — 1/13/2011 @ 1:26 pm

    Um, but you challenged the notion that he was a teleprompter needy president.

    I think it’s actually significant point. it’s lame that Obama can’t give a speech properly.

    This recent Palin speech was, in my opinion, her worst ever, simply from presentation quality (the content was actually pretty good), just because she’s reading it.

    I loved her 2008 convention speech because she gave the speech properly. Obama can’t manage it. When he tries, he has gaffes and uhhhhhhhh uhhhhhhs. He fried his brain snorting cocaine. Read all about it in his book, as he discusses his road towards being a, quote “junkie.”

    That’s our president.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  174. Maybe he had notes or some sort of touchscreen on his podium — he looked like he was manipulating something with his hands.

    Hilarious – this is the same guy who had his staff move an entire podium with a teleprompter into the middle of a farking rodeo arena, just to give a three – minute speech.

    Dmac (498ece)

  175. Not to mention that whenever he’s interrupted during a speech, he’s completely lost and out of his element – until he gets back in sync with his pacifier/teleprompter. Does anyone seriously think that Obama would have grabbed a bullhorn and started speaking to all of the emergency workers at the world trade center? He would’ve moved heaven and earth to get that damn teleprompter and podium on top of that rubble, bar none.

    Dmac (498ece)

  176. It was the Indian parliament wasn’t it, where the MP’s were ridiculing that they had to have a teleprompter installed for Obama to speak – something no Indian politician seems to need.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  177. I’m still just glad Obama didn’t head in Clinton’s direction and try to finger point. Even with all the stipulations about how he wasn’t clear about it, I’m glad he at least resisted the calls to use tragedy to divide.

    It’s basically the only presidential thing I can attribute to Obama. So what if he’s unable to speak clearly.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  178. The remarks about Gifford’s development were off sync — they weren’t in the prepared remarks.

    Comment by tcom —

    Don’t be naive. In fact, don’t be so inconsistent. If you’re saying he said this out of sync, then you are admitting you knew he was reading his speech.

    It’s dreadful that speeches are so long, cramming in an endless list of bullet points, for max credit. Instead of trying to say something important, these leaders want a lot of important things credited to their self. Obama is easily the worst in this regard.

    That’s why he always uses a prompt of some kind.

    Let’s see Obama give a 5 minute speech, on one essential important point, and do it from the heart. The problem is that he would hate to be so clear about anything that he might lose some voters.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  179. Bush’e 9/11 speech was only a few minutes, and conveyed a simple point. The nation was proud of our heroes, heard their cries, and would make sure the killers were fought. He wasn’t afraid to have something that someone out there might oppose, was he?

    He never was. Bush remains a titan compared to Obama, in every single way.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  180. “Don’t be naive. In fact, don’t be so inconsistent. If you’re saying he said this out of sync, then you are admitting you knew he was reading his speech.”

    In fact, I said it looked like he was manipulating something with his hands. Do you really think people give speeches like this from memory?

    “Let’s see Obama give a 5 minute speech, on one essential important point, and do it from the heart. The problem is that he would hate to be so clear about anything that he might lose some voters.”

    When he went and spoke before the house republican gathering, he didn’t have a teleprompter. And that was a pretty good event.

    Something that follows notes can be from the heart. I’ve spoken at a good friend’s wedding, and have seen other people speak at weddings. These were all from the heart. And many had notes.

    tcom (4a62f5)

  181. “Don’t be naive. In fact, don’t be so inconsistent. If you’re saying he said this out of sync, then you are admitting you knew he was reading his speech.”

    I said it looked like he was manipulating something with his hands. Do you really think people give speeches like this from memory?

    “Let’s see Obama give a 5 minute speech, on one essential important point, and do it from the heart. The problem is that he would hate to be so clear about anything that he might lose some voters.”

    When he went and took questions from the house republican gathering, he didn’t have a teleprompter. And that was a pretty good event.

    Something that follows notes can be from the heart. I’ve spoken at a good friend’s wedding, and have seen other people speak at weddings. These were all from the heart. And many had notes. And many were even good speeches!

    tcom (017d51)

  182. Well, I am kind of a Luddite. I hate telephones, use a cellphone only for work, when forced to. No mobile device. Refuse to use IM or chat. No HD or bigscreen TV, only govt-basic cable. No videogame consoles. Drive a 11-year old base-model Hyundai, no CD player, A/C, or GPS.

    On the other hand, I love blogs, news and entertainment over the web. I luv, LOVE, LURRRVV email! My whole business (computer programming,) all of my institutional and technical memory lives in my email.

    Patterico, I can think of another example where our tastes differ. You’ve written that you are fond of the writings of happyfeet. I bear no enmity toward the guy, but I find his writing coy, oblique, contrived, as if he just doesn’t care whether he’s understood or not, as long as he imparts a style. I read his typical comments, and I wonder: Is he making a joke? Is he being ironic? Meta? How does it apply to the present thread? I’m too literal, so I don’t “get” him; maybe you can explain what it is you like.

    I’ve attacked the brevity of the Twitter format, but let no one assume that I think that prolixity is always clear. Some of Jeff Goldstein’s writing is so turbid, it makes me wonder why somebody who takes obvious pride in the mastery of language would choose to write things in a way that almost nobody will understand. He writes run-on sentences that haven’t found a period for weeks.

    gp (098d27)

  183. Me: Think I found the problem.

    I’ll type slow.

    Give. A. Speech.

    Taking questions is not giving a speech, you simpleton.

    Scott Jacobs (d027b8)

  184. Damnit… That should have been

    When he went and took questions from the house republican gathering,

    I’ll type slow.

    Give. A. Speech.

    Taking questions is not giving a speech, you simpleton.

    Scott Jacobs (d027b8)

  185. Scott, it is pretty hilarious that someone thinks Obama has gone above and beyond because his question and answer sessions aren’t scripted. It reminds me of a mommy coddling an idiot.

    gp, I really like happyfeet’s comments, but they have pissed me off soooooooooooo bad a few times. Mainly when they are simply vulgar to ladies, which might out me as old school.

    I understand happyfeet’s style as simply not giving the ruling class much respect. Making a point to mock them, even if the mockery is for its own sake. He also has a habit of not attacking people he is in a dialogue with, even if they are attacking him. He reserves his stream of mocking for politicians and CEOs and the like.

    that’s not to say he’s fair. I think he can be unfair, especially towards moderate conservatives. But I just learn to let it go, and see that some of his comments are pretty hilarious. I don’t think anything he’s saying is meant to be taken very seriously.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  186. I said it looked like he was manipulating something with his hands. Do you really think people give speeches like this from memory?

    Yes.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  187. “Taking questions is not giving a speech, you simpleton.”

    He spoke to them before the Q&A. So there’s something for everyone.

    tcom (40095f)

  188. Dustin, show me where she was reading the speech.

    narciso (6075d0)

  189. He wanted to give a great speech, and he did!

    He wanted to show he was able to read a script prepared by someone else from a teleprompter, and he did!

    He wanted to demonstrate the same ability as a blow – dried anchor/mannequin in the bottom – rated news station in Peoria, and he did!

    The remarks about Gifford’s development were off sync — they weren’t in the prepared remarks
    .

    Hello, my name is tcom – if you tell me that teh One farts out cinnamon buns and burps up frankensense, I’ll believe you!

    Dmac (498ece)

  190. He spoke to them before the Q&A

    He certainly did – from a teleprompter.

    Dmac (498ece)

  191. I still think the image of a teleprompter in an elementary school classroom to facilitate a short remark by him was the most hilarious.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  192. Dustin, show me where she was reading the speech.

    Comment by narciso

    I can’t.

    It is an assumption that she was reading it, and I think it’s a safe one. Compare to her 2008 speech, where the prompter went haywire, and she gave the speech from her heart. She’s a skilled orator (tcom, notice how people manage to do it… it’s almost as though there were speeches before teleprompters).

    Chris Christie in a little hot water for saying her speech was too scripted. But I agree completely. Palin is at her best when she gives a prepared speech from her heart. She’s done it many times, and the quality difference is drastic.

    I suppose part of the reason she sounded so scripted in yesterday’s video is that she was trying so hard to be demure and even presidential. It reminded me a lot of an oval office speech. But it was far below her par, IMO.

    It’s constructive criticism. If Palin can beat the other nominees (and she probably can), then I really an counting on her to kick Obama’s ass. Like it or not, Obama comes with an army of somewhat powerful media shills, so she has her work cut out for her.

    They might mock her for this, but classic speeches could be very powerful, were often much shorter, and didn’t cover 74 topics, 38 examples, 15 victims, etc. Palin could have covered her free speech idea in 5 minutes with more power.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  193. “He certainly did – from a teleprompter. ”

    The video shows him pulling paper notes from his jacket pocket. And when it pans out you can see something that looks like it’s the put away teleprompter screens.

    tcom (6ca10f)

  194. tcom, you do agree that Obama is less able to give a speech than any other President in American history, right?

    He has relied on teleprompters in order to speak in a classroom. He carts them to the other side of the planet. Because this is such a major problem he has in the public’s eye, he sometimes resorts to other methods of reading his speech. I fail to see how that matters at all.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  195. The conflict was between her emotion, at th is attempt to curb freedom of speech, by branding her an accesory to a monstrous crime, and the need to maintain a proper perspective. There is a difference when she gives a speech, and Mitt Romney does one, even if they use the same speechwriter, there is nothing memorable there, except for a forced attempt at humor, about her then apocryphal memoir.

    http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2011/01/13/palinism/

    narciso (6075d0)

  196. “tcom, you do agree that Obama is less able to give a speech than any other President in American history, right?”

    I don’t really have a way to compare as I’ve never seen speeches by most of our presidents. Would you think more or less of Lincoln if you found out he used notes for the Gettysburg address?

    I think Obama’s given some pretty good speeches — the 04 convention was one — this one was one too.

    tcom (603c39)

  197. “tcom, you do agree that Obama is less able to give a speech than any other President in American history, right?”

    I don’t really have a way to compare. I’ve never seen speeches by most of our presidents, for obvious reasons. But let’s pause, would you think more or less of Lincoln if you found out he used notes for the Gettysburg address?

    I think Obama’s given some pretty good speeches — the 04 convention was one — this one was one too.

    tcom (017d51)

  198. That’s true narciso, and my apologies for such a hastily written and glitched response.

    but regardless, she was almost certainly reading that speech. Let’s be honest. And while we should not use this particular ugly situation as a gauge of her speech giving skills, I do hope she give more speeches that are far less scripted. I hope they are also much shorter and stick to few points, which lends itself well memory speeches, and also lead to listeners who really grasp her message.

    Just my impression. She blows Romney out of the water, either way. he’s a non factor.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  199. I think Obama’s given some pretty good speeches — the 04 convention was one — this one was one too.

    Comment by tcom

    Those are his two best speeches.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  200. But let’s pause, would you think more or less of Lincoln if you found out he used notes for the Gettysburg address?

    Maybe you’re missing my point. That speech was very brief, covered only a short and clear idea, and was the president lending importance to an issue. This is the opposite of all of Obama’s speeches. He throws in many many factors, and uses them to boost himself. The reaction is always ‘Obama really improved his polls’, or ‘Obama missed an opportunity’. He didn’t make any difference in the remembrance of the victims of this shooting. That’s not even an afterthought, when we reflect on his speech.

    I want speeches like that. I would be surprised if Lincoln didn’t have a memory aid of some kind, but speeches should be short enough that they don’t need to be read. It’s not a matter of reading skill, and it’s not a matter of memory skill, it’s a matter of the message being important enough to get the treatment I’m asking for.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  201. I bear no enmity toward the guy,

    gp, you should try and see it from the shoes of someone who does

    Scott Jacobs (9b5ed3)

  202. But let’s pause, would you think more or less of Lincoln if you found out he used notes for the Gettysburg address?

    Contrary to popular belief, that address was not written on the back of an envelope. There were several drafts in the Executive Office, one of which Lincoln signed.

    But I doubt that Lincoln had to look at notes for a 2 minute speech. In the debates with Douglas, he went for literally hours without notes.

    carlitos (a3d259)

  203. Well the reviews for the Gettysburg Address, were not that sterling, at the time, That ’04 speech was good, but in retrospect he didn’t believe a word of it, this on was better, although the ‘no one will know’ trope, does come off as disingenous. The Nobel speech, where he defended the operations in Afghanistan is probably up there as well.

    narciso (6075d0)

  204. I have no enmities either just a cold

    happyfeet (a55ba0)

  205. Dustin-
    I think you made a statement giving Obama credit for not-finger pointing. I would suggest he didn’t need to, and if he had it would have been counterproductive to him. If he was serious about the civility in rhetoric game, I think he should have made the obvious, simple, and direct point: the reason this shooting occurred was because a mentally ill person did it for his irrational reasons, and it was a terrible tragedy that these folk bore the brunt of his delusions.

    As it is, he left the “civility in discourse” theme alive even as he made lukewarm comments against it. So he comes out appearing as a moderating influence, a voice of reason, when he could have stomnped it out had he wanted to.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  206. I still think the image of a teleprompter in an elementary school classroom to facilitate a short remark by him was the most hilarious.

    But he had to use the teleprompter – the possibility of one of the children asking a question was too high.

    Dmac (498ece)

  207. Why is no one upset over Glenn Reynolds’ WSJ article a day before Palin’s video? I don’t get it.

    The Arizona Tragedy and the Politics of Blood Libel. BY GLENN HARLAN REYNOLDS

    Sara (Pal2Pal) (4d3f49)

  208. “Why is no one upset over Glenn Reynolds’ WSJ article a day before Palin’s video?”

    Sara (Pal2Pal) – Simple, hypocrisy and he’s not as big a target as Palin.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  209. He’s not a possible presidential candidate.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  210. MD, here’s how I see it. Obama should have pushed hard against the meme of blaming the right.

    I never even remotely expected it. He’d just as soon submit a balanced budget.

    He also could have pushed hard for that meme, and named names, tried to take advantage, etc.

    And then there’s what he did. A very mild note that civility had nothing to do with the shooting, which did, in fact, utterly contradict the hard left (NYT, et al). You say he did this for sheer political calculation. There’s truth in that, I guess. But the truth in that is that what he did was a lot better for his country than what Alter and many of his advisors (I imagine) were hoping he would do. He was acting much more like a President of the entire country than I’m used to.

    It’s a good political calculation for him because the country is thirsty for some real leadership. Obama fell far short of being a real leader. A sista souljah condemnation would have been a miracle for this country, and he missed that opportunity.

    So consider my appreciation of Obama kinda like my appreciation of a junkie who has been sober for a day.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  211. I see your point and agree with you that what he did was much better than some would have wanted, I grudingly could even give him the benefit of the doubt that he was not directly consulted about T-shirts and bumper stickers.

    But I think if he was really interested in contradicting the hard left, he could have already done it without waiting for the memorial event.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  212. As one who has been on the inside of national political campaigns, you are dreaming if you think Obama did not know about those tee shirts and bumper sticker slogans. Nor was he blind to them when he entered the gym for the Memorial. Of course, all the whooping and hollering started long before he got up to speak, so the college prez probably should get as much blame for not settling the crowd down and reminding them that they were there for a memorial to the slain and wounded. But the children who plan O’s campaign stops have no class nor any historical basis for understanding a bit of decorum. Obviously neither does Obama or he would have immediately indicated he was not comfortable with the rally atmosphere.

    I am reminded of a Neil Diamond concert I attended in L.A. that had sold out for 7 consecutive performances. The crowd had been rocking out for almost an hour when Diamond walked to center stage and stood quietly, after a few seconds he raised his hands to quiet the crowd and almost instantly everyone became very still. He then had the band start very softly in the background as he explained that the next song was a tribute to a friend who had passed recently. It was an amazing moment of total crowd control. Obama could have done the same, but that wouldn’t suit his purposes of trying to appear above the fray, without actually being above it.

    Sara (Pal2Pal) (4d3f49)

  213. MD, to be a little bit blunter, I think a lot on the right are focusing on thanking Obama for this aspect of his speech because that really limits him from being able to play the game he’s played for years.

    Beck and many others are thanking him loudly, and if Obama comes out with the same old demagoguery, middle finger waving, bring a gun style crap, this behavior will be highlighted very well… by people who are thanking him today and setting a certain expectation.

    This doesn’t hurt Obama at all, so long as he can act like the President. I’m not optimistic for him, though.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  214. Thanks for the info and example, Sara

    Dustin, not sure if you’re right about some folk, Rush agreed with me, though, but then he’s correct only 98.6% of the time, this could be part of the 1.4 😉 As far as Obama goes, “can a leopard change its spots?”

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  215. It’s hard to compete with Rush’s track record.

    You’re bringing out the big guns!

    Anyhow, if you’re right about Obama (and you are right), then within a week or two we’ll be right back to the status quo, his credit for civility probably burnt.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  216. “But he had to use the teleprompter – the possibility of one of the children asking a question was too high.”

    I thought it was used to deliver remarks to the press. But why would that help with a question?

    tcom (3f7f82)

  217. the Gettyburg address? Of course, Lincoln had notes for the Gettysburg address … he wrote it himself unlike Obama who has likely never written anything himself.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  218. “Of course, Lincoln had notes for the Gettysburg address … he wrote it himself unlike Obama who has likely never written anything himself.”

    Oh I remember there were some people who thought he didn’t write his books. You in that gang?

    tcom (ad842b)

  219. THe point it wasn’t regarded with the venerable nature, specially by the likes of Edward Everett
    Hale, as it is today.

    narciso (6075d0)

  220. Of course Obama didn’t write his books.

    Is the left still pretending otherwise?

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  221. Wow. Lets get some more of the trutherism, y’all birthers around here, or do you accept that at least he’s american?

    tcom (017d51)

  222. tcom

    you did see where i showed you that trutherism is a left wing ideology, as well as other conspiratorial ideas?

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  223. Tcom seems to be another of Yelverton’s pen pals,

    narciso (6075d0)

  224. The paranoid style of American blogging.

    tcom (ae4d0b)

  225. Tcom is a racist nagger. Though certainly not Yelverton, it is certainly one of the previously banned.

    JD (9c6ca7)

  226. After re-reading, it is quite clear that tcom is iamadimwit.

    JD (0d2ffc)

  227. Obama was born in Hawaii, lived in Indonesia, had a life of privilege, and was an abject failure at Colombia. He did write the books by his name, and that’s pretty damn obvious.

    A lot of politicians use ghost writers, but Obama’s ashamed, or at least silent because he’s politically aware, that his was Bill Ayers.

    IMDW’s the troll who laughed at child rape, so I am glad such a little loser would be shamed into changing his name.

    Dustin (b54cdc)

  228. photo of her holding a gun
    http://crowdreel.com/post/3xYkG

    Scooudoz (f1c0c3)

  229. Why do the trolls hate the Constitution?

    JD (306f5d)

  230. Why does tcom hate black people?

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  231. She’s just reaping what she has sown. She might as well have put the gun in Loughner’s hands.

    Oplontis (0692b1)

  232. that’s hilarious oplontis

    that is a perfect parody of liberal thinking.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  233. Oplontis aka you know who traffics in lies and smears. His anger and hate and violence-inducing rhetoric is clearly hate speech.

    JD (85b089)

  234. His anger and hate and violence-inducing rhetoric is clearly hate speech.

    Pot, meet kettle.
    You guys are pathetic.

    Oplontis (0692b1)

  235. Oplontis, vile and false accusations, obsessive lying about others, group libel, name calling to the extreme … indeed you are full of hate speech fueled by your obsessions.

    And not a little bit of projection.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  236. You are beyond satire and parody, “oplontis”.

    JD (b98cae)

  237. I think Oplontis started the weekend early.

    daleyrocks (e7bc4f)

  238. opie

    care to back up any of your assertions with facts. i mean seriously, explain to me how a fan of karl marx would be following palin anyway.

    Aaron Worthing (e7d72e)

  239. i no longer consider any liberal, socialist, progressive, or communist to be my fellow countrymen (or women). I hate them. They want to destroy me and enslave us all with their dreams of a filthy vile workers paradise. I now consider how a woman thinks about Sarah Palin to be a litmus test as to whether I would ever consider having a long term relationship with her.

    djf (edb509)


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