Patterico's Pontifications

2/13/2013

WATERGATE!!!

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 11:59 pm



In the 1970s, journalists investigated Watergate, which dealt with corruption at the highest levels of government. In the 2010s, journalists investigated Watergate, which dealt with a dude drinking water. Which totally killed his career. Via Hot Air:

Never forget, you’re an idiot and the media is serious:

Republicans dismissed President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address as nothing more than big government spending and more tax increases. But a brief sip of water may have gotten more immediate attention than any policy ideas.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s mid-speech swig from a small Poland Spring water bottle during his GOP response generated instant reaction in social media circles and on cable television, even as Republicans offered fresh appeals on the economy and promises to rein in federal spending.

Rubio appeared to wipe away sweat during his rebuttal from the Speaker’s conference room in the U.S. Capitol. At one point he stretched out his left hand, grabbed a small plastic water bottle and took a brief swig of water. As the water break gained notice online, Rubio sent a photo of the bottle from his Twitter account.

Also, we are $16.5 trillion dollars in debt and have no plan to deal with it.

As a blogger, you see, I focus on frivolity — and leave the serious issues (like politicians drinking water) to my betters in Big Media.

29 Responses to “WATERGATE!!!”

  1. I love how they took care to get the brand of water right. Now that’s journalism!

    Patterico (9c670f)

  2. I think Rubio will be alright. Obama ate a dog. Drinking water cannot be that bad.

    JD (516dcc)

  3. I still say that Rubio may like to drink bottled water, but Obama is the one who is drinking the Kool-Aid.

    Elephant Stone (b82ff2)

  4. Meanwhile, in addition to the CNN nonsense above, this is ignored:
    http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2013/02/myjihad-in-new-jersey-muslim-beheads-cuts-off-hands-of-two-coptic-chrstians.html
    (assuming reports are reasonably true)

    So is this:
    Brent Nutt, whose wife Bethany is on board, claimed that brawling had started because some passengers have got so hungry and food is so scarce.
    Lord of the Flies is a timeless tale, adult “beautiful people” version.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2276918/More-4-000-people-stranded-cruise-ship-entire-day-engine-room.html#ixzz2KtAMscCs

    I think it’s later than we think, I think. Calling George Whitfield, William Wilberforce, Jonathan Edwards, Jonathan Wesley, and all of the King’s men.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  5. In reference to the small issue, I hear he made a point of having a water bottle with him at every appearance the next day-
    and there is something about selling “Marco Rubio Water Bottles”. (Wished I’d thought of it first, I would become independently wealthy and become the scourge of media malfeasance).

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  6. Senator Marco Rubio drank water from a bottle, while speaking about the party of Lincoln.

    Senator Ted Kennedy drank whiskey from a flask, before driving his Lincoln into a body of water where he left a woman to drown.

    Can you guess which of the two above scenarios elicited the bigger scandal ?

    Elephant Stone (b82ff2)

  7. When a culture exchange lies for the truth, the result cannot be good.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  8. Left wing media yearns for a Castro delivering 8 hour speech marathons.

    SPQR (675032)

  9. more seriously the best advice is to embrace the joke. Make it a trademark. No such thing as bad PR.

    SPQR (675032)

  10. when you are trying to get rid of the taste of a load of bull like our SCOAMF’s SOTU idiocy, a bottle of water is mandatory.

    redc1c4 (403dff)

  11. Comment by SPQR (675032) — 2/14/2013 @ 8:43 am

    Yes, and that seems to be what he is doing. Rather than showing how petty and thin-skinned one could be, he disarms the joke. Good instincts.

    But it does indicate that since he has potential as a credible conservative voice that can make an impact, the “palinization”=”superborking” has begun.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  12. ES, that Lincoln was an Oldsmobile (Heh!).

    But, on Rubio’s response, I have a question:
    Did the Consultant Class not learn anything in History?
    Sweating on camera was a noted item in the Kennedy-Nixon debate – did they not think to do a “dry run” under actual conditions with all of the lighting up and running?
    How difficult would it have been to roll that thermostat down a bit to make Rubio a bit more comfortable under the lights?
    And, why was he standing without a podium (which could have contained that water bottle precluding his having to go off-camera to retrieve it?
    What about using a desk, with a pitcher and glass available….something?
    It seems the critics of the GOP Consultant Class have some very valid points:
    The output from the consultants and advisors has little to do with advancing GOP ideas and candidates, and all to do with lining the pockets of those “camp-followers”.

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  13. “more seriously the best advice is to embrace the joke. Make it a trademark. No such thing as bad PR.”

    – SPQR

    Agreed. It’s ridiculous that it’s even an issue, and that’s the best way to communicate the lunacy.

    Leviticus (1aca67)

  14. Ditto.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  15. Poland Springs couldn’t buy this much free advertising.

    JD (805f82)

  16. askeptic,

    Ha, ha, yes I know Teddy Kennedy was driving an Olds.
    I’m a Hollywood guy—I was just using a little dramatic license in order to make a “Lincoln-Lincoln” comparison.
    🙂

    Elephant Stone (12820a)

  17. The worst sin in America is looking perfect on TV. Our society is doomed.

    SPQR (675032)

  18. not looking …

    SPQR (675032)

  19. …a Hollywood guy…

    Do you really want to be known by that company?

    askeptic (b8ab92)

  20. Rubio is sending a water bottle to people who donate to his PAC.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  21. i knew he was a watersipper all along but did anybody listen?

    happyfeet (323d6f)

  22. Why are anyone here defending Rubio? He wants to change the character and composition of your country on the outside chance it might get him elected president (he’s delusional). Stop falling into these either/or traps. The Republican Party is not on the side of the Right or conservatives. Having taken up the cause of amnesty, it is working against the interests of Americans. It needs to change or die. Stop acting like saps.

    RH (f81ac9)

  23. Yes, then go after him, about that, not this Poland Spring idiocy;

    narciso (3fec35)

  24. I usually agree that we are a nation of idiots because we value style over substance. But this wasn’t simply a gaffe, it showed a major flaw in Marco Rubio.

    Grabbing a sip of water might seem bad because it breaks the flow of the monologue, it distracts the viewer, it makes them all sit at home and watch a guy drink.

    But what this really tells us about Rubio is that he had major cotton mouth, meaning he knew he was flopping and didn’t have the poise or composure to get through to the end.

    In fairness the left did talk about substance first, they said he just recycled the last leftover Romney speech. They said he rebutted points Obama never actually made – they were in leaked drafts and Rubio prepped for them, but he never struck them when Obama did.

    Then, they spoke about his feigned middle class background, his lavish home, exploiting his neighbors. There was plenty of substance before they started mocking him mercilessly for drinking water.

    But the water thing just kinda stuck. It was awkward and our culture has a way or taking random arbitrary moments that are barely significant to define public figures forever after.

    Think about Howard Dean screaming the names of campaign stops on an over-amplified microphone. Think about Bobby Jindal creeping up on the camera and talking effeminately.Think about Christine O’Donnell admitting she had Sean Hannity in her back pocket…

    Had it been a Democrat, the same criticism would apply. MSNBC was harsh on Obama after his first debate performance, they skewered him immediately.

    So it is what it is. Bad enough Rubio had to compete with Rand Paul, that his party opposes his most popular policy, and that he still thinks giving tax breaks to his rich people create jobs.

    Mahalia Cab (2543ef)

  25. 24. Hey nonny, nonny. Poor Tom’s a’ cold. Out, out damned spot! YeEAaRRgggghhhhh!!!

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  26. I think taxing the holy hell out of actual taxpayers is a recipe for success. What say you, Mahalia? Oh if you think a carbon based life form taking a drink of water is a big deal, as you state above, you are a much larger imbecile than we have given you credit for.

    JD (b63a52)

  27. What really busted my tocks about Rubio was saying “We’re all in this together. Let’s wait and see what Darth Vader Karl Rove come’s up with before condemning him”.

    Little Goody-Two-Shoes DipStick.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  28. Mahalia – So you did not actually watch Rubio’s speech? You can only recite what others have said?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  29. She’s got her talking points and she’s sticking to them.

    askeptic (b8ab92)


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