September 21, 2009

"They are the biggest bunch of crybabies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington."

Chris Wallace on the White House, after Obama went on all the Sunday shows but his.

ADDED: Video [not the same quote as above, but the same idea]:



(Thanks to Loafing Oaf.)

193 comments:

garage mahal said...

Nice to see this blog has turned into nothing more than a GOP bulletin board.

Sofa King said...

...and the crying continues...

WV: hewnn - yes, he did, but now what?

I'm Full of Soup said...

If he worked at a blog, Wallace would have called them "pussies".


wv = cohma

TWM said...

Joined in tears no doubt by the liberal commenters here.

rhhardin said...

They're not cry babies.

They're moral idiots.

Alex said...

Nice to see this blog has turned into nothing more than a GOP bulletin board.

Althouse voted for Obama, you FAIL.

MadisonMan said...

Alex, today is not Election Day.

T-Steel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Alex said...

Alex, today is not Election Day.

Every day is election day for garage.

LoafingOaf said...

Link to the YouTube where Wallace said this.

MadisonMan said...

To the topic at hand, I agree that it is amusing to see someone throw out the crybaby label when they're not in an exclusive club...if having Obama on your TV show -- broadcast to how many people exactly, so how is it relevant? -- can be construed as a requirement for exclusive club membership.

With luck, Obama can remember Wallace's words and they can talk about it when Obama is on Fox. I suspect Wallace would look foolish if that happened.

Chennaul said...

What other White House has simply rejected that large a portion of America?

Obama will be on Dave Letterman tonight and he has the complete hour to himself.

More Cowbell!

Big Mike said...

Is the sheer frequency of Obama's appearances making each one less of an "event"?

Duh! Ordinary people are getting bored with him already, and there's still over three years to go.

T-Steel said...

There's a whole gaggle of crybabies in this one: the Obama Adminstration, Chris Wallace, MSM in general. GAG!

The late George Carlin talked about the "pussification of America". And great blogger Kim du Toit wrote about the "Pussification of the Western Male". This story shows that Carlin and du Toit are right.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Nice to see this blog has turned into nothing more than a GOP bulletin board.

Oh quit crying garage. Its so...oh what is the word I'm looking for...childish....yes that's the one.

Alex said...

What other White House has simply rejected that large a portion of America?

George W Bush rejected Manhattan liberals.

Anonymous said...

Chris Wallace hasn't dealt with Garage Mahal yet, I see.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Not only are they big crybabies, they are vindictive crybabies with power.

George Stephanopoulos better be watching his back. He asked Obama hard questions. The big meanie. Didn't he get the manual on how Obama is God? They'll make him sorry.

It is like watching a bunch of junior high school girls, who think they are the coolest most popular girls, gang up on the uncool kids. Bunch of vindictive brats in the White House.

El Presidente said...

Hell hath no fury . . .

WV: comis -- no really.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Well duh.

When you give your son a name like Kim du Toit, don't be surprised when he turns out to be a pussy.

Alex said...

Althouse gets her daily marching orders from Rush Limbaugh - you heard it from ME first!

LoafingOaf said...

You'd have thought that the 5 shows that Obama did go on would've been more competitive about trying to get their interview to stand out and make the news. I guess the only one that did (I watched none of them) was ABC getting what sounded like a less than honest answer out of Obama on the ACORN scandal.

BTW, the linked-to article mentions that the Fox broadcast network (as opposed to Fox News Channel) didn't carry some Obama events. But what I found surprising was that on the morning of the 9/11 aniversary, Fox News Channel aired Obama's stuff live but MSNBC did not! Apparently MSNBC thought Obama was more boring than their own programming on their NEWS channel. FOX NEws still airs Obama no matter how boring he is, but they just give people the choice to watch other programming on the Fox enterntainment channel if they want. What's wrong with that?

T-Steel said...

Well AJ, I think you might want to visit Mr. du Toit's site (inactive but up) before you slap the "pussy" label on him:

http://www.theothersideofkim.com/

former law student said...

Kurtz left out that Wallace later commented during the show that Obama's large number of one-on-one interviews to this point (compared to W. and Clinton) had left him "overexposed." So, Obama is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

But considering that the Fox broadcast network passed on showing Obama's fourth prime-time news conference, and his address to Congress on health care, I'm not surprised Obama did not put himself out for them. Maybe Wallace could have interviewed some reality show participants to fill the vacuum?

LoafingOaf said...

Obama did Fox News a big favor. Obama snubbing Fox plays right into their whole current advertising compain that all the other news channels are in the tank for Obama and you should tune into Fox as the only alternative. So, it was a strategic error on Obama's part.

Wallace's quote (see the youtube) is specifically referring to the way this administration goes crazy emailing and phoning news programs to whine about what guests they have on and how they're covering things, moreso than any oprevious administration. Wallace says the other networks let themselves get pushed around by Obama's people.

bagoh20 said...

"With luck, Obama can remember Wallace's words and they can talk about it when Obama is on Fox. I suspect Wallace would look foolish if that happened."

I don't see that. The case is so clear and easily made by Wallace. I'm sure he could make endless comparisons with past administrations possessing more balls. Obama's defense would likely prove the point.

Joan said...

With luck, Obama can remember Wallace's words and they can talk about it when Obama is on Fox. I suspect Wallace would look foolish if that happened.

MM, do you think there's a even a remote chance that Obama will appear on Fox News Sunday or any other Fox News program, when he has been literally everywhere else so far and refuses to even consider Fox News?

I suspect that Wallace, given the opportunity to interview the President, would be gracious and apologize for his earlier remarks. I am completely sure he will never have the need or opportunity to do so.

Triangle Man said...

GOP bulletin board

1986 called. It wants its 300 baud modem back.

garage mahal said...

They're thugs! Fascist Death Squads!

Wait, no, they're pussies!

Jana said...

Wallace was talking about the press organization, not the President himself. Why should he apologize for insulting Obama flunkies that man the phones every time some host asks a tough question?

T-Steel said...

"MM, do you think there's a even a remote chance that Obama will appear on Fox News Sunday or any other Fox News program, when he has been literally everywhere else so far and refuses to even consider Fox News?"

Thanks for saying that Joan. This irritates the heck outta me. Why avoid Fox News even if you disagree with them. It's when you walk into the proverbial lion's den where your really get measured. C'mon Mr. President. Show some stones.

*** I realized I just tossed some red meat out there for the Althouse faithful. LOL!

Hoosier Daddy said...

They're thugs! Fascist Death Squads!

Wait, no, they're pussies!


Correct garage! When you stand up to thugs and fascists, you find out that they really are pussies.

MadisonMan said...

I confess to not watching TV -- has he not been on Fox already? I vaguely recall a brouhaha some months ago wherein Fox did not broadcast an Obama "press conference". But I thought he had been on a show already.

Triangle Man, in 1986 2400-baud modems were around, I vaguely recall. I recall getting a 9600-baud one at work in '88!

phosphorious said...

See, now I had thought the inestimable Ms Althouse was pointing out the irony of Chris Wallace shouting "crybaby" because he had been snubbed.

Thus being a crybaby.

But of course the noble citizens of Althousiana spin and skew until it is clearly a shot at The Worst President Ever.

Well done. All of you.

Michael E. Lopez said...

"Triangle Man, in 1986 2400-baud modems were around, I vaguely recall. I recall getting a 9600-baud one at work in '88!"

Prometheus for the win! I remember having one of those.

Chase said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chase said...

phosphorius,

You come here to take pot shots at other commenters but have nothing to say about the actual subject of whether or not the President of the United States should play favorites and rewards only those news organizations that tend to report on him the way he likes?

How adult of you. Disney Channel down at your house?

miller said...

Oh good grief.

Pointing out that the Prexy & his underlings have the pure sensitive skin of a newborn doesn't means he's the Worst President Ever.

Jimmy Carter has that title for a lifetime. Teh One™ has three more years to equal Jimmah's status.

Anonymous said...

"See, now I had thought the inestimable Ms Althouse was pointing out the irony of Chris Wallace shouting "crybaby" because he had been snubbed."

Wallace's comment was NOT about being snubbed. It was about BO's staff whinging about every comment not favorable to the administration.

Shanna said...

Saw this the other day. It's not really surprising, considering what they say publicly.

traditionalguy said...

So sad, no Royal Coach was sent for Chris "Cinderella" Wallace to take him to the Ball and meet the Prince. What's a skullery maid to do these days to hook a prince, change networks? The best Wallace could do back was to tweak the Obama Nation media operation with a slur to their collective manhood (And it is well known that Wallace is a famous Southern White Racist's name, just ask MoDo). Wallace is very lucky that his Visa has not been revoked, his Visa card I mean, just to show that the Pussey Power Practitioners of the new Junta understand how a true coup d'etat must quickly plaster the smiling face of Great Leader everwhere. Wallace must learn that Great Leaders answer no questions...The reply of a Great leader to a real question is always, "That Question Does Not Arise, you rude racist".

Shanna said...

But considering that the Fox broadcast network passed on showing Obama's fourth prime-time news conference, and his address to Congress on health care, I'm not surprised Obama did not put himself out for them.

Doesn’t that kind of reinforce what Wallace was saying? They are petty and personal.

phosphorious said...

So. . . the claim is that the incomparable Althouse was not obliquely addressing Chris Wallace's own crybabyishness?

And that therefore the combined efforts of the althousiasts were not applied to the usual game of "No too small a stick with which to beat the Most Hated"?

If you say so.

Big Mike said...

@miller, Jimmy Carter is only second-worst, after James Buchanon and a touch worse than Warren G. Harding or Herbert Hoover.

For Barack Obama to be worse than Buchanon the US would have to find itself at war while he is paralyzed with indecision as to what to do about it. Could still happen.

David Walser said...

@ MM: I confess to not watching TV -- has he not been on Fox already? I vaguely recall a brouhaha some months ago wherein Fox did not broadcast an Obama "press conference". But I thought he had been on a show already.

You are correct. Obama appeared on Bill O'Riley's show a couple of months ago. That does not excuse his refusing to do Fox News' Sunday talk show when he chose to do all the others. Fox News Channel (FNC) has far and away the largest domestic audience of all the cable news channels. (During some hours, FNC's audience exceeds the combined audience of CNN, CNBC, and MSNBC.)

If the President was going to do the cable news networks' Sunday shows, it doesn't make sense that he would choose to forgo the largest of those networks -- unless he was trying to snub the network. Had he chosen to just appear on the three broadcast networks, FNC's grounds for complaint wouldn't be nearly as clear.

phosphorious said...

What's odd too, is that as recently as a day ago, the standard complaint on the lips of conservatives everywhere was that Obama was TOO overesposed!

"Why does he have to go on so many TeeVee shows?" was the cry raised to heaven.

But now it turns out that he went on one too few.

Barack Obama did not go on EXACTLY the right number of Sunday morning news shows. Clearly he is The Worst President Ever!

Chase said...

phosphorius,

As you grow up, you will find that there are actually deeper meanings to things we call issues. Throwing your poo at everyone will seem like less of an adult argument by the time you reach adolescence.

Lesson for today over.

What smells? Do you need a change?

Big Mike said...

On the other hand, Barack Obama is clearly the worst president of the 21st century. Or I should say "worse," since there have only been two, counting him.

miller said...

@ Big Mike --

OK, let's say Jimmuh is the worst since Buchanan.

I'm not sure if Harding is the worst. Perhaps the most corrupt administration. But he wasn't really bumbling us into a civil war like Buchanan.

Harding looked and sounded like a president, so people voted for him. How that has any bearing on today's President I don't know.

garage mahal said...

Fox News Channel (FNC) has far and away the largest domestic audience of all the cable news channels. (During some hours, FNC's audience exceeds the combined audience of CNN, CNBC, and MSNBC.).

Fox News Sunday w/ Chris Wallace is dead last in Sunday morning talk show ratings, as it's been since it's inception. So maybe Wallace should quit whining and get some viewers.

miller said...

You could say he is the worst of the 21st century, since Bush was elected in the 20th century.

Chase said...

The transcript of Wallace:

When I covered Ronald Reagan for NBC in the 80’s, you know, some days you’d do a positive piece about them and some days you’d do a tough piece. And you’d come in the next day and they always treated you professionally. And I think it came from the top down, from the old man. Reagan, who felt “You know I’m going to get a good review today and a bad one tomorrow and it’s nothing personal”.

These guys, everything is personal. They are the biggest bunch of crybabies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington. They constantly are on the phone or emailing me “Well you had this guest” or “did this thing”. I mean they are working this all the time. I think it works on the others. It doesn’t work on me.


Actually, that is so true that no one - including journalists on the left, will argue with it.

Just accept that Rahm and Barack are doing their level best to control every bit of information that they can. EVEN when they can't control it completely, they try to intimidate so that they can slow the spiral.

Really - did anyone expect anything else form this admin when they voted for them?

David Walser said...

What's odd too, is that as recently as a day ago, the standard complaint on the lips of conservatives everywhere was that Obama was TOO overesposed!

Dude, the two complaints (that he did too many shows and that he snubbed the one show where he was likely to be asked a hard question) are not mutually exclusive. I believe Obama was the 1st sitting President to do a late night comedy show when appeared on the Tonight Show. Tonight he appears on Letterman's show. If there were a conservative late night talk show, it wouldn't be wrong to point out that Obama was only appearing in safe venues while at the same time arguing that he shouldn't be appearing on any of the shows.

traditionalguy said...

The FOX News exile to Siberia and the "Rush Limbaugh is a rude fat idiot" meme are directed to whip up enthusiasm for President Obama from his own Liberal/Progressive wing that has also been souring on him saying one thing and then doing another. Great Leader needs to send out more crying women fast. That will teach his media critics a lesson they will not soon forget.

Chase said...

What's odd too, is that as recently as a day ago, the standard complaint on the lips of conservatives everywhere was that Obama was TOO overesposed!

Can you say "straw man"?

There, I knew you could.

bagoh20 said...

As has already been stated, Wallace was not saying anything about Obama not appearing on FOX. It was about his pressies' constant whine about coverage that was not favorable and their attempts to whine them into being Obamabots like other outlets.

But the lefty commenters here are legendary for missing the point and spewing non sequitur.

Unknown said...

This is a superb case study.

A case study in how a very smart law professor can become absolutely brainwashed by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh.

Astounding.

Chase said...

traditonalguy,

Spot on.

There are several versions of the Wallace video on You Tube. One in particular is posted by a liberal, where the comments using the F-bomb are over the top.

Why do liberals hate so much? Reading the comments there - and every day on Huffington Post - it is impossible to not get the impression that the liberals in this country that comment are only happy when they can spew F-bomb and "wish they were dead" hatred for conservatives and/or anyone who disagrees with them or upsets their view of reality.

Shanna said...

Fox News Sunday w/ Chris Wallace is dead last in Sunday morning talk show ratings, as it's been since it's inception. So maybe Wallace should quit whining and get some viewers.

I kind of doubt he’s behind univision.

Big Mike said...

@miller, a tip of the hat to you. You do, indeed, know your history. You also know that the year 2000 was still in the 20th century.

But George W. Bush did not take office until January of 2001 so I argue that he is a 21st century president.

Unknown said...

Here's the brainwashing in action.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0909/Fox_producer_rallied_tea_party_protesters.html

It's also called Propaganda. That's the real scandal - how the news media is using propaganda to create news stories that aren't really news at all. And gullible law professors eat it up.

2 million protestors anyone???

When historians study this time in 50 years, they will wonder how Americans were so gullible. We impeached a President over a blowjob, because of such propaganda, we went to war in Iraq, because of such propaganda. Where will the propaganda take us next?

I'm Full of Soup said...

Did you notice Obama claimed he "has not been paying close attention to the ACORN news"?

Yet Obama and his hatchetmen have plenty of time to advise the black NY Governor he should step down!

Could Obama be lying about ACORN? heh.

bagoh20 said...

"This is a superb case study.

A case study in how a very smart law professor can become absolutely brainwashed...""


and voted for Obama. Then Obama taught her a lesson. The rest of you Obama toadies need to catch up. We are not grading on a curve.

Chase said...

dtl,

I expect better of you than this, man. You have had some awfully well reasoned stuff on here before. Don't avoid the issue being raised - discuss how this is the worst administration in openness and attempts to punish and reward the independent news media in the last 30 years.

Seriously, dude, don't attack the messenger because you don't like the message.

Engage the issue presented.

Big Mike said...

@dtl, one might consider that, far from paying attention to Fox and Limbaugh, the very smart law professor made up her own mind based on the facts in front of her, demonstrating her intelligence.

bagoh20 said...

"Where will the propaganda take us next?"

Oh that's just too easy. I'll pass.

Alex said...

Althouse is so easily brainwashable. First the hopey changers brainwashed her in 2008, and now Rush Limbaugh has got her back in the dittohead fold again!

Althouse is an empty vessel which we project all our hopes, fears and dreams onto...

Chris Arabia said...

Actually Garage Mahal, thug + pussy = cowardly bully, which describes Obama's regime perfectly. You need to pick up your game.

Triangle Man, nicely done.

Downtown Jeremy Omega Loaf, "Fox News!" and "Rush Limbaugh!" and "You, a Manchurian law professor!" We understand, and we understand the desperate insults from Michael Lucky and friends. Now try making an actual argument.

Ass Jam Lynch, making fun of du Toit's name to prove your point? Really? You see that as compelling?

Alex said...

Stephen - you forgot AlphaTroll and Titus.

Alex said...

Oh, a bit off topic but I was listening to Air America on the way to work and the hosts were mocking a caller who said we need to prioritize the unemployment issue before health care reform. They also in a mocking tone implied the private sector can't be counted on to provide people jobs. One thing I noticed about Air America types is they always go after the big corporations, but never say "but we support small business". Never. They are just pure socialists.

Salamandyr said...

and voted for Obama. Then Obama taught her a lesson. The rest of you Obama toadies need to catch up. We are not grading on a curve.

To be fair to the good Professor, it was evident that John McCain would be a very mediocre if not outright bad President.

With Obama, as a cypher wrapped in an enigma, there was at least the possibility that he would be a good President.

Unknown said...

Sorry - but it is brainwashing.

There is absolutely zero critical thinking going on here.

I'm spending most of my blog reading time at Brad DeLong's blog. I actually learn stuff there.

And I never took Fox News seriously, because it was always obvious that they were in the back pocket of the Republican Party. But it is very disturbing how millions of Americans, including our law professor blogger, don't realize that they are getting their news from a network with an AGENDA.

bagoh20 said...

I'm sorry if it's insulting, I don't want to be, but I think Ann would vote for the first black president again. That sensibility is near impossible to shake, from what I've seen in most people.

Also, I find it sad that we consider a half white man to be black. It's just illogical and creepy. He's primarily a leftist. The black/white thing tells you nothing about him, and those who consider it important have some soul searching to do.

Chris Arabia said...

Bill Clinton was also a 21st century president -- remember, he pardoned marc rich, got disbarred, oversaw a classy departure.

Ignorance is strength, and DTL could benchpress Detroit.

wv: horso [no comment]

Unknown said...

And there is a very simple test here.

Do you believe in man-made global warming?

If not, you HAVE been brainwashed.

Alex said...

dtl:

Sorry - but it is brainwashing.

There is absolutely zero critical thinking going on here.


So says the braindead troll. Go read Brad DeLong's brainwashing and leave us be!

miller said...

dtl, you forgot the obligatory "And YOU, A LAW PROFFESOR!" (/obyalp)

WV: vermith, the martini of legend

Alex said...

Do you believe in man-made global warming?

I believe the earth's climate is too complicated to say with any definitiveness how one variable - human CO2 emission affects it.

miller said...

This is funny:

"But it is very disturbing how millions of Americans, including our law professor blogger, don't realize that they are getting their news from a network with an AGENDA. "

Were you clutching your pearls when you said this?

phosphorious said...

bagoh20,

"As has already been stated, Wallace was not saying anything about Obama not appearing on FOX. "

And as I have stated. . . it was Althouse, as far as I could tell that made the connection between Wallace's remarks and the fact that he had been snubbed.

Read. . . if you can read. . . her post agian. It consist of a headline and a single phrase, which could easily be taken as an intended explanation. . . otherwise it's a simple non sequitur.

So the unparalleled Ms. Althouse seemed to be inviting the inference of crybabyism. . . and inference which a roomful of Althousinites failed to make.

"No crybabies to the right!"

Onwards and upwards, thou good and faithful conservatives.

Unknown said...

If you think there were 2 million people at the teabagger rally - heck if you think that there were more than 100,000 people at the teabagger rally.

Then you HAVE been brainwashed.

bagoh20 said...

The irony of the lefty comments here is amazing. I know I'm not the only one seeing it. Just look at what you guys wrote. Imagine from the opposite side how it looks when you say stuff like: "don't realize that they are getting their news from a network with an AGENDA."

The blinders are huge.

miller said...

phosphorus, does anyone really listen to what you say anywhere?

Alex said...

If you think there were 2 million people at the teabagger rally - heck if you think that there were more than 100,000 people at the teabagger rally.

I think there were a minimum of 70K tea partiers. However your side's continued use of a vulgar sexual term to describe opposition is very illustrative of desperation.

Unknown said...

If you think that the Bush tax cuts, or even the Reagan tax cuts, increased revenue then you HAVE been brainwashed.

Alex said...

bagoh - because the left certainly doesn't have an AGENDA. They just want what is good for us. Only BAD people like the righties/teabaggers have an AGENDA!

Alex said...

DTL - in fact the Reagan tax cuts did stimulate private enterprise. The deficit increased due to government spending outpacing increased revenues, that's a fact. Now Bush's tax rebates did nothing to stimulate the investment side.

Shanna said...

A case study in how a very smart law professor can become absolutely brainwashed by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh.

I love how certain liberals think nobody can have a similar opinion without being “brainwashed”. And they never realize that the whole thing is a which comes first situation anyway. Rather than people being brainwashed into thinking along the same lines as Fox and Rush, Fox and Rush do so well because these opinions were hugely underrepresented.

Ann Althouse said...

85 comments on this post already? What's going on?

Unknown said...

No Alex - it shows the complete stupidity and complete cultural ignorance of the Republican party - that they CHOSE to be called teabaggers.

And your taxes are now LOWER than they were under Bush thanks to the Obama tax cut.

And thanks the stimulus plan, the recession is over.

Alex said...

DTL - thanks to the stimulus the recession is over? Any evidence for that? The bleeding in the corporate bottom lines have stopped, but unemployment continues on. I thought you lefties said GDP doesn't matter, only employment does. 9.7% unemployment, and increasing!

Chris Arabia said...

DTL,

You are a Cadillac of self-parody. But I'll play: are you insinuating that CNN MSNBC ABC NBC CBS don't have agendas? Fake documents, cropped pictures to stoke racial hatred, falsified quotes in an interview followed by fraudulent editing of the interview. What do these sentence fragments have in common? They describe the tactics of your agenda-free networks.

Also, please submit your evidence that Althouse only gets her news / info from FNC. Note: I mean evidence, not conjecture followed by a reference to some news item reported by FNC.

Alex, I dropped the ball. All 3 synapses firing at once seems to detract from my hand-eye.

wv: couspo -- French detective who can't get laid.

bagoh20 said...

"Do you believe in man-made global warming?"

I'm not religious, and I don't wanna attack what your "beliefs" might be, but Thor, the thunder god would not approve.

Alex said...

85 comments on this post already? What's going on?

Apparently you touched a nerve with the trolls.

Alex said...

Stephen - I thought the brain had many more then 3 synapses? The adult human brain is estimated to contain from 1014 to 5 × 1014 (100-500 trillion) synapses. So only using 3 is poor, poor...

Unknown said...

Left-wingers have an agenda Shanna?

Of course they do.

And I am smart enough to know when they're trying to feed agenda to me. And I don't mistake it for "news".

But I'm not going to give a shit about ACORN - a complete non-story in my book - just because Drudge tells me its important.

Just like I'm not going to give a shit about Goldman Sachs giving out large bonuses - also a non-story in my book.

Alex said...

dtl - do you troll Daily Kos as much as this site? Because if you don't, you're full of it.

Hoosier Daddy said...

DTL, you are aware that Obama believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman so since you support a homophobic bigot you must have been brainwashed.

Thanks for playing.

Alex said...

DTL - and you're mistaken if you think Althouse has some right-wing agenda. In fact she's one of those squishy middle/moderate type folks who don't know what they really believe in, except they want pragmatic solutions. So you're really barking up the wrong tree. People like you always see everything in black/white terms. If someone is not in your camp, then by exclusion they must be a rightie. Wrong!

Unknown said...

Actually Alex - since you are economic ignoramus (and yes you ARE an economic ignoramus), I will educate you.

Unemployment is a LAGGING indicator. It will be one of the last parts of the economy that turns around.

The economy is out of a recession right now. And yes, programs that you ridicule like "Cash for Clunkers" will probably contribute a nice chunk of growth to GDP this quarter. The economy is probably growing at least 2%. You will see come October when they release the Q3 GDP numbers.

Unemployment will continue to zigzag sideways and slightly higher until sometime in 2010. And then it will start going down.

Weekly unemployment claims hit a peak in the high 600,000's in the Spring. It is now at around 550,000. When it gets to 400,000, unemployment will stabilize.

I read Calculated Risk - that's the best financial blog out there. And decidedly NON-partisan.

Michael Haz said...

Do you believe in man-made global warming?

Why yes, yes, of course I do. Yes. Evil mans! Bad mans!

And those very same mans snuck into the world about 10 million years ago with their evil big SUVs and coal-burning electric plants, and warmed the global so much that the great glaciers disappeared.

Alex said...

DTL - funny when conservatives citing employment as a lagging indicator back during the Bush years, you lefties flung poo at us. Suddenly that's solid economic theory? Poo on you.

Alex said...

DTL:

Also it's the height of economic ignorance to suggest Obama's "stimulus" package has anything to do with corporations starting to show profits again. Correlation != causation, but I didn't expect you to understand basic reasoning.

Alex said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation

Unknown said...

Alex,

I do read dailykos once in a while, and when I do, I know I'm getting the Democratic Party Agenda. But they really don't pretend to be otherwise. But the blogs are really prefer are Balloon Juice, Krugman, Brad DeLong, Calculated Risk.
Althouse is turning into a parrot of Fox News. Which is just not very interesting. And when we keep hearing propaganda repeated, like 2 million protestors!, global warming is a myth!, Obama caused the recession! well that is just sad, because it shows that Ann really believes that stuff. And she should be intelligent enough to know when she is being fed propaganda.

bagoh20 said...

Did you think the economy will just keep going down forever? Do you really think the President can turn it around? If so, then let's just make him emperor of the world and solve poverty forever, yahooooo! Unicorns are cool.

Alex said...

DTL - you can't claim to know what Althouse believes in. You confuse blog posts with declaration of principles. Althouse likes throwing read meat to her hillbillies. She knows what we like.

KCFleming said...

"And yes, programs that you ridicule like "Cash for Clunkers" will probably contribute a nice chunk of growth to GDP this quarter".

Recovery a clunker: "The now-ended Cash for Clunkers program helped lift consumer spending 0.2% last month and is expected to deliver a bigger boost in August. Without that program, consumer spending was flat.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/08/29/2009-08-29_recovery_a_clunker_.html#ixzz0RlCYW2Qm
"

Calculated Risk is a good financial site, a bit more hopeful than most, though. In any event, the unemployment trend and recovery has been far worse than Obama and Geitner ever predicted. The stimulus is recognized as a total waste of money, and the cap and trade tax will be a financial disaster.

Michael Haz said...

And she should be intelligent enough to know when she is being fed propaganda.

Which is why she places little credence in your comments.

bagoh20 said...

That red meat attracts a lot of flies too, and they seem to really enjoy it as well.

Alex said...

#1 rule of blogging - TRAFFIC!

Shanna said...

Do you believe in man-made global warming?

Some of us think that that question is not so relevant as asking 1.) if it matters if the earth gets warmer (better warm than cold, is a possibility here) or 2.) if we can actually do anything to fix it.

Alex said...

Ann - just put up 10 generic Palin posts and we'll have em filled up by afternoon...

Unknown said...

Actually Alex - When the left (of which I am not a member) kept pointing to rising unemployment during the Bush recovery, I was smart enough to know that I was listening to propaganda.

I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now.

You, on the other hand, are being decidedly partisan. Saying that unemployment was a lagging indicator during the Bush recovery, but refusing to acknowledge that it is a lagging indicator now.

I used to believe the propaganda now. When I read the Wall Street Journal in the 1990's, I believed that Obama was involved with drug rings in Mesa, Arkansas. I believed that Bill & Hillary had Vince Foster murdered. That IS what the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page said. And I was gullible enough to believe it, because well - it was the Wall Street Journal - they wouldn't lie.

But of course they lied. And at least I was smart enough to figure it out. And they have never apologized for publishing that crap.

Shanna said...

Oh, and if other factors than man-made ones might be having a little MORE of an effect on the temperature. And if we have enough long term, detailed temp data to be making assumptions (not sure that checking ice and such will give you temp to quite the degree as what we are measuring now, and for the last 100 years or so).

Unknown said...

Well Shanna - I do think that global warming will make humans extinct if we don't do anything about it.

But I also think that will happen after I'm dead. And since I don't have any children, I actually don't care what happens after I'm dead.

So I agree - I don't want my taxes to go up to fight global warming.

So I too, favor doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about global warming.

dave in boca said...

Dancing with the Stars probably outdrew the rest of the nets & cables combined, which is why the silly WH rep on Saturday continued to put down Fox as "whiners."

FoxNews outdraws all other cable news put together and Obama is alienating a very politically active and involved segment of the American populace if he ignores Fox watchers.

I sense more Carter moments ahead for the dolts planning Obama's stage entrances, and it ain't gonna look pretty.

Is a malaise around the corner?

Unknown said...

Shanna - The wingnut argument is supposed to be that sunspots cause global warming. The Wall Street Journal Opinion Page told me that too.

But sunspots have practically disappeared, yet we still have global warming - so there goes that argument.

Alex said...

DTL - of course you have data that proves GW is going on this very minute.

Alex said...

Here's a 2006 Reason article showing Althouse bashing libertarians and conservatives:

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/117540.html

Althouse has come a long way baby!

phosphorious said...

This is most weird indeed.

I had thought this post would have been a perfect opportunity to show off the independence, fair-mindedness and sheer maverickiness of the Althousisitical right.

"Lo!" you could have said "Here, the Maiden of Madison pokes gentle fun at a figure on the right, pointing out how he is being a crybaby about Obama being a crybaby! See, she dishes it out to both sides thereby indemnifying herself against charges of partisan hackery always and everywhere and in perpetuity!!!"

And yet you failed to take advantage of it. . . presumably because The Worst President Ever had been, in your minds, less than adequately lambasted.

How can the (effusive adjective pending) Althouse maintain the fiction of fair-minded unbiasedness, when the Althousimites don't step up to the plate?

Alex said...

pho - read the reason article and you'll know where Althouse is originally coming from. She used to be more like you, she's seen the light!

Alex said...

phos - actually Obama is not the "worst president ever", but he just might be the most dangerous. I'd settle for Jimmah Carter incompetence rather then a radical Alinskyite in the White House.

Mark Daniels said...

To the point of Kurtz's piece, to which you linked: The President needs to do fewer appearances, not more. I've been saying this since March, when he appeared on Leno.

Alex said...

Obama is mobilizing the troops, not trying to sway Fox News viewers.

Alex said...

Our trolls have learned their lessons well. They follow:

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy.

The big question is how are they going to polarize Althouse and cut off her support network? questions, questions...

phosphorious said...

So the original post was not a gentle poking of fun in a rightward direction?

Then my apologies are both profuse and profound.

Please continue as if i had not spoken. I believe the topic was Obama's manifest immaturity. . .

Shanna said...

it shows the complete stupidity and complete cultural ignorance of the Republican party - that they CHOSE to be called teabaggers.

It’s “stupidity and cultural ignorance” because some people didn’t know one vulgar term? Whatever.

And thanks the stimulus plan, the recession is over.

Totally. Just ignore unemployment.

Alex said...

The funny thing is that all due to the lefties, Americans are learning what "teabagging" means, and I don't think that's going to help the lefties at all.

Shanna said...

DTL, I think you meant “Mena” Arkansas – or Mena International Airport as we like to call it here :)

Shanna said...

Well Shanna - I do think that global warming will make humans extinct if we don't do anything about it.

I think an ice age is worse for our survival than warming, if it’s a few degrees one way or the other. (The Universe said our planet is going to go away when the Sun expands in 5 billion years, I think, so I guess that might count as “warming” but we won’t be able to do jack about it)

The little ice age of just a few hundred years ago saw crops failing and plague. We can grow plenty of crops when it’s warm. But that’s certainly an argument that can be made, without just blindly saying “STOP global warming”. I think we should concentrate on surviving as a species in any climate.

phosphorious said...

Alex,

"phos - actually Obama is not the "worst president ever", but he just might be the most dangerous. I'd settle for Jimmah Carter incompetence rather then a radical Alinskyite in the White House."

Fanttastic! He's not the worst president. . . just the one you prefer the least!

A distinction without a difference. You're not saying he's the worst president ever. . . you're just sayin'!

So you're not being hysterically anti-Obama, AND you get to allude to Obama's "dangerousness."

Quite skillfully done.

AllenS said...

Not only that, Shanna, dtl also meant to say Bill Clinton, and not Obama. I guess that all the black guys look alike.

Defenseman Emeritus said...

phosphorious, you are painfully boring.

Alex said...

So you're not being hysterically anti-Obama, AND you get to allude to Obama's "dangerousness."

You don't think Alinsky was dangerous and subversive?

phosphorious said...

"You don't think Alinsky was dangerous and subversive?"

The most dangerous person ever, for the sake of argument.

then why not simply call Obama the Worst President Ever.

say what you want about Carter, he was not actively trying to destroy the country.

Right?

Why WOULDN'T you think obama is TWPE?

Alex said...

pho - as usual you can't answer my question, instead you respond with snark.

phosphorious said...

Alex,

Not snark.

You want it both ways. You want to appear "fair and balanced" towards Obama, and so refrain from calling him the worst president ever, reserving that title for Carter.

You then go on to say that you actually prefer Cater to Obama, because Obama is much more "dangerous".

But of course, you're not being hysterical, because you are on record as deliberately NOT saying that Obama is the worst president ever. So you're appraisal of his "dangerousness" must therefore be sane.

As for you're question: I have no opinion on how dangerous Alinsky was. How many peopel did he kill or cause to be killed?

Freeman Hunt said...

I thought Wallace said this before the Sunday media blitz.

In fact, I figured that's why Obama skipped him.

phosphorious said...

At the risk of further boring Defenseman Emeritus, I really must register once again my disappointment with this thread.

I had thought for sure that here, at long last was proof positive of the legendary Althousiannish even-handedness!

Sure the footage was grainy, and that kind of looks like a zipper, but there it was loping through the clearing and casting a careless glance over its shoulder: A mild shot at a conservative pundit, an actually accusation of whinyness hurled defiantly at the right, from the equinanimous Althouse. Not much, but it would count as proof against the claim that Althouse is a partisan hack.

But the troops failed to rally, and the breach remained unfilled.

Ann chopped, and no chips flew. She cut, and you refused to bleed. She set 'em up, and you di not knock 'em down.

Let's do better people. For Ann.

KCFleming said...

phosphorious is like an old Duran Duran song, only worse.

AlphaLiberal said...

Boy that's rich. Coming from a guy who was whining because his dead-last-in-the-ratings news show was skipped by the Presidential news show visits.

Wallace is throwing a hissy fit, and then accusing other people of throwing a hissy fit.

Kind of like the right wing saying anyone criticizing George bush is committing treason but when Obama is President, they invent a constant stream of bizarre lies about him.

Shanna said...

You then go on to say that you actually prefer Cater to Obama, because Obama is much more "dangerous".

Carter is no longer in office, and Obama has at least 3 to go. Obama, at this point, is more “dangerous” simply because he could do all sorts of things. We don’t have the benefit of hindsight.

Shanna said...

phosphorious is like an old Duran Duran song, only worse.

Don't insult Duran Duran like that! And you, a physician!

*now I'm going to be singing Duran Duran this afternoon instead of Safety Suit and the Making Fiends theme song.

phosphorious said...

Shanna,

"Carter is no longer in office, and Obama has at least 3 to go. Obama, at this point, is more “dangerous” simply because he could do all sorts of things. We don’t have the benefit of hindsight."

I see. . . Carter IS The Worst President Ever, whereas Obama is GOING TO BE The Worst President Ever.

Paradox resolved.

Excellent work.

Shanna said...

I see. . . Carter IS The Worst President Ever, whereas Obama is GOING TO BE The Worst President Ever.

You are reading words that aren't there, since I was responding to the comment about who was more "dangerous".

It's not my fault your reading comprehension is non-existent.

phosphorious said...

Shanna,

"You are reading words that aren't there, since I was responding to the comment about who was more "dangerous". "

You and Alex are talking as if the most dangerous president would not also be the worst president.

Are you both insane?

Alex said...

You and Alex are talking as if the most dangerous president would not also be the worst president.

I'm just trying to be more sophisticated then the usual Glen Beck-ite. Believe me I'm trying to find the positives in Obama and so far I've come up snake eyes.

mccullough said...

It seems rather silly for President Obama to skip Fox News. Perhaps he is just petty.

bagoh20 said...

"CHURCHVILLE, VA—Three of the world’s major climate monitors have announced that the earth’s temperatures dropped over the last 12 months—by enough to virtually offset the entire “unprecedented warming” of the last century. This comes after nine years of no warming, and a net warming since 1940 of just 0.2 degrees.

Equally important, a drop in temperatures had been predicted by the sunspot index that foretells the earth’s temperature changes with a log time of nearly a decade. Our temperatures have a 79 percent correlation with the sunspot index. The sunspot index turned downward in 2000."

Shanna said...

You and Alex are talking as if the most dangerous president would not also be the worst president.

Danger is about potential, Worst is about what has already happened.

phosphorious said...

Shanna,

"Danger is about potential, Worst is about what has already happened."

Then I understood your previous remarks exactly, no?

Carter IS the worst, Obama WILL BE the worst.

phosphorious said...

Alex,

"I'm just trying to be more sophisticated then the usual Glen Beck-ite. Believe me I'm trying to find the positives in Obama and so far I've come up snake eyes."

And I suppose this would be an example of that noble effort:

"phos - actually Obama is not the "worst president ever", but he just might be the most dangerous. I'd settle for Jimmah Carter incompetence rather then a radical Alinskyite in the White House."

Unfortunately, this does qualify you as more sophisticated then the "usual Gelnn Beck-ite".

And on this blog, it counts as downright left-leaning!

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Danger is about potential, Worst is about what has already happened.

Forget it Shanna. You are trying to discuss philosophy with someone who has the mental and emotional capacity of a five year old.

Big Mike said...

... unemployment was a lagging indicator during the Bush recovery, but refusing to acknowledge that it is a lagging indicator now.

The USBLS placed the unemployment rate at 9.6% in August. That's some lag there.

Big Mike said...

On the other hand, if the recession really is over then it seems only prudent from a fiscal perspective that we not spend any currently unspent stimulus funds.

Roger J. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
phosphorious said...

Dust Bunny Queen,

"Forget it Shanna. You are trying to discuss philosophy with someone who has the mental and emotional capacity of a five year old."

Philosophy? Is that what you people do here?

I'm suitably impressed!

Roger J. said...

i hate to break this to you phos--but you are not nearly as witty, cute and incisive as you think you are--the fact that you continue to post on this blog at all suggests you somehow crave attention that is not at all deserved--if being the object of ridicule suits you, by all means, sir--carry on

Shanna said...

Carter IS the worst, Obama WILL BE the worst.

God you are boring. Find the place where I said anybody was worst.

At this moment, Obama - the man in charge, is far more DANGEROUS than Carter.

Chase said...

I am sadly disappointed in the liberals here today.

Not one of them is able to counter the assertion that the Obama White House is the least open, most news controlling administration rewarding and punishing independent news organizations on a daily basis - a level literally never seen before.

This is cynical, disgusting behavior from the highest levels of our government, showing daily contempt for the American people and particularly any American who doesn't toe their line.

Thankfully, history shows that this attempt to put every available finger in the holes in the dike will eventually fail.

So really, the question has to be:
Why is this administration so afraid of having the real, not-afraid-of-Rahm-Emmanuel news lights turned on?

prairie wind said...

"I think we should concentrate on surviving as a species in any climate."

Shanna, I didn't want something this important to get lost in the mire that this thread has become.

Alex said...

Chase - to be fair, Dubya was very controlling with the press as well. These last 2 administrations have been almost Nixonian in their need to control. Makes me wistful about Clinton's openness.

Chase said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chase said...

Alex,

The attempt to keep people inside the administration from leaking is not the same as actively, daily trying to intimidate independent news organizations into writing a story your way by threats and rewards.

No one is accusing the Bush administration of being anything close to this administration in this.

Because they can't. Which is why every liberal who commented here today wouldn't address this issue - they can't.

Well, that and the lack of backbone in fear of standing up to the administration. Years of yelling about rights taken away by Bush have yielded into a simple "Here, take 'em Master's!" to the Obama admin.

I'm conservative and I would still be furious if Bush or any other conservative administration tried to stifle and intimidate the nes media at a daily - that means DAILY - level.

They should be ashamed. But our liberal commenters here - no balls.

phosphorious said...

"Not one of them is able to counter the assertion that the Obama White House is the least open, most news controlling administration rewarding and punishing independent news organizations on a daily basis - a level literally never seen before."

Has that assertion been made on this thread? I believe this is the first time it has come up.

Once again: the Scintillating Ms. Althouse suggested that Chris Wallace was being the crybaby that he was accusing the Obamans of being. The merest hint, mind you. . . just the slightest bit of bite in her post.

No assertion was made. The only declarative sentence in the post was the quote from Wallace.

I will gladly counter the assertion. . . as soon as it is made.

And hopefully backed up with evidence. All we have now is the whiny statement of a conservative who was snubbed, and the collective wisdom of a bunch of blog posters who have already decided that Obama is. . .

Oh never mind.

I give in. NO OTHER administration has ever acted this way with the press, just as NO OTHER president before Clinton had ever criticized a sitting president.

Everything that "libs" do is the worst thing that has ever been done.

Chase said...

No assertion, phos?

Did you read the transcript of the YouTube piece (I posted above at 9:21 - do you even read the stuff being discussed, or - oh that's right - you're just looking for a place to shit)? Did you watch the video?

That's what this thread is about. The things Chris Wallace said. Hint: always read the title of the post (got to do everything for the immature mind - sigh).

What Wallace said about the calls he gets from the admin - pay close attention now, phosphorius - should send chills down the spine of every American, even if Wallace was the only reporter they do this to. One is too many, a camel nose under the tent opening (let me know if you haven't heard that one on Sesame Street yet).

You know they do it to all of the media - seeking to intimidate and threat and reward to get the independent non-government sponsored media to report stories their way.

Did you see the article about the NEW and the Stalinist/Maoist tactics being used by this admninistration to direct the work of artists into propaganda? Of course you did.

When you grow up, there will be lessons on the power of government and the rights of people and you'll have decisions to make then about whether or not you want to trade in the truth for what the government always wants you to think and know. You will study the Soviet bloc and how horrible the lives of their people were. and you will look at your own country and go - hmmmm? exactly when did we begin giving away access to free non-government approved information?

I'm thinking that at your intellectual growth level - judging by your focus and ability level to engage in reason - that all this will come to you in about 10 years.

Now, is it shitting time again for you?

phosphorious said...

Ah yes, the assertion was made, so let me reiterate:

"And hopefully backed up with evidence. "

Right now we have Chris Wallace's word that the Obama administration is the worst in history in this respect.

And Bill O'Reilley agrees.


Can you really not do better than that?

Chase said...

So phosphorius,

You don't believe Chris Wallace? Jake Tapper of ABC News (mentioned in the article Ann linked to?

Why not? You just dismiss hwat they're saying because you don't like them?

I'm done with you and your ignorant head -in-the-sand if I don't like what reality is attitude. You're the mindful equivalent of a piece of shit, and I'll spend my efforts with those who want to deal in reality rather than their liberal comfort zone.

Which is sad. Because I actually am one of the conservatives who believe that Obama often wants to do the right thing, even if I don't agree with his methods.

Go back to jerking off to your Obama poster.

Damn - stepped into phos's shit again.

phosphorious said...

"Which is sad. Because I actually am one of the conservatives who believe that Obama often wants to do the right thing, even if I don't agree with his methods."

You win the thread, Chase. Your fair-mindedness and maverickyness are beyond reproach.

The Tapper remark:

"When ABC's Jake Tapper sought comment for a story on whether the president was risking overexposure, he reported: "The White House said they would be happy to deny all of ABC News's interview requests for the president for the rest of the year. They were joking, I think."

And to your mind this is proof that "the Obama White House is the least open, most news controlling administration rewarding and punishing independent news organizations on a daily basis - a level literally never seen before."

For real?

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

What exactly did Jake Tapper say? Because if the only evidence for any lack of openness on the part of the Obama administration comes from a skeez like Wallace, then I say the Bush administration was still less open. I mean, after all, they chose to be at odds with the entire media whereas Obama is at odds with just one twerp. And perhaps his bogus outfit.

But I suppose that any action on behalf of the administration short of forcing the entire media establishment at large to become less "liberal" is a massive FAIL in your coloring books. Cause that's what the decider does. He decides what is reality. No? And whoever doesn't go along is a patriot? (If the president is not a Republican). Or are the dissenters socialist/leftist agitators? (If the president IS a Republican). Oh, I see. Very realistic tautology you rely on there.

I think the administration is just smarter at controlling their message and at giving answers that more people rationally accept, certain celebrity hounds notwithstanding. So let the faux-trage roll. This sort of implosion and anger over a loss of entitlement was seen before... (cue Hillary, McCain...) Just not on such a scale. Otherwise, it wouldn't look so scary. The spontaneous combustion of one politician's ego is weird enough. But to watch it happen among a few million disgruntled partisans, who feel they're going for broke, well, that's just sad. And it's starting to become repulsive.

You might think the libs' heartstrings are pulled so easily as to feel your pain. But providing empathy to you guys (you bullies?) before you learn to modify your bad behavior would keep you from learning your lesson. So shut up and let the democracy happen. You had your chance.

traditionalguy said...

My heart goes out to Downtownlad, He is still imagining that he feels warmth when winter has started 2 months early this week. We all need to start a fund to buy DTL a thermometer and a winter coat. But he knows in his growing colder heart that only the UN can save the Globe by a wise Government that will quickly stop all the evidence of human life, including living and breathing and eating and producing men and women whose activities are a crisis of continuing offense to the Goddess Gaia. If only DTL could come out of his trance and realise that a "Carbon Footprint" is not a crime or even a problem, but it is a wonderful sign of life and health for the people of the world. Gaia is just jealous because she is a goddess carved from wood, and she fears men will listen to Hebrew Prophets and break her and throw her into the fire.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

a "Carbon Footprint" is not a crime or even a problem, but it is a wonderful sign of life and health for the people of the world.

Yeah. Assuming you're a plant.

Which might be oddly appropriate in the days of astro-turf crowds.

Photosynthesis much, TG?

LouisAntoine said...

I have one name for you.

Jeff Gannon.

PLEASE get back to me when the Obama press shop tops that. Please.

traditionalguy said...

MUL...Carbon Footprints have no basis in fact. They are theoretical constructs based on the normal carbon based lifeforms (like you) living on the earth for hundreds of millions of years. The animals respire and fires and other sources have released the odorless and colorless gas called CO2 into the air since time began on the earth. They "pollute" nothing. The theoretical GREENHOUSE GASSES are about 85% water vapor. The CO2 component is less than meaningless even if the Rube Goldberg Theory of GreenHouse gasses is even partly a real factor in warming and cooling of the atmosphere. All climate science concurs that historically increases in CO2 levels have always FOLLOWED rising temperatures, and have never caused them. So be free and live a large Carbon Footprint all you Puritanically abused humans. Rise up and throw off the chains of false guilt.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Amazing. I have a degree in molecular biology and some guy who shows off his knowledge of the fact that respiration and fire produce CO2, and have for millions of years, thinks that this factoid is sufficient for refuting the observation that CO2 retains heat and that humans are increasing the quantity and concentration of it in the atmosphere. Simply amazing.

Oh, and nice on the "colorless and odorless" not equal to pollution thing. Carbon monoxide much? I'll tell that to the next ER admission for smoke inhalation. I'll tell him he's fine. It's all in his head. traditionalguy said so.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

"a "Carbon Footprint" is not a crime or even a problem, but it is a wonderful sign of life and health for the people of the world."

Yeah. Assuming you're a plant

And nice for people who eat plants, animals that eat plants and the people who eat those animals.

Also nice when more plants can be grown in the upper latitudes and expand the food growing abilities of the human race.

Let's assume that the globe is warming (although it really isn't recently) because we are still coming out of the last ice age. How is being warmer a bad thing? Plants like it and grow better, animals don't have such a hard time surviving. AND people don't have to use polluting fuels to keep warm.

And don't give me that sob story about the polar bears. Like I said. They are just brown bears that got trapped in the last ice age and were able to adapt to a terrible environment. If they were smarter or luckier they would be in Yellowstone Park.

jr565 said...

Dustbunny queen wrote:
"George Stephanopoulos better be watching his back. He asked Obama hard questions. The big meanie. Didn't he get the manual on how Obama is God? They'll make him sorry."
Clearly Stephanopoulous is a racist. To even question the assertion put forth by Obama that the tax proposed in his health care bill is not a tax clearly suggests that Stephanopoulos has some latent issues with Obama's race. Otherwise, why would he dare question him?

jr565 said...

Dustbunny also wrote:
"And don't give me that sob story about the polar bears. Like I said. They are just brown bears that got trapped in the last ice age and were able to adapt to a terrible environment. If they were smarter or luckier they would be in Yellowstone Park."
So if they could adapt to colder climates that assumes they could also adapt to warmer climates too. Hell, we could think of it as testing evolutionary theory.Do animals evolve to keep up with changes in their environments?

jr565 said...

Dustbunny also wrote:
"And don't give me that sob story about the polar bears. Like I said. They are just brown bears that got trapped in the last ice age and were able to adapt to a terrible environment. If they were smarter or luckier they would be in Yellowstone Park."
So if they could adapt to colder climates that assumes they could also adapt to warmer climates too. Hell, we could think of it as testing evolutionary theory.Do animals evolve to keep up with changes in their environments?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

So if they could adapt to colder climates that assumes they could also adapt to warmer climates too. Hell, we could think of it as testing evolutionary theory.Do animals evolve to keep up with changes in their environments?

BINGO. The world changes all the time. It just does it very very slowly most of the time, barring a planet busting asteroid or massive volcanic ash spewing event we don't really notice it.

Plants and animals can adapt. If people can't adapt with all of our resources ....well, then we deserve to die.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Let's assume that the globe is warming (although it really isn't recently) because we are still coming out of the last ice age. How is being warmer a bad thing? Plants like it and grow better, animals don't have such a hard time surviving. AND people don't have to use polluting fuels to keep warm.

And don't give me that sob story about the polar bears. Like I said. They are just brown bears that got trapped in the last ice age and were able to adapt to a terrible environment. If they were smarter or luckier they would be in Yellowstone Park.


The problem with messing around with complex systems - just because it suits someone to do so - that humans are far from understanding completely, and saying the consequences be damned, is that we will still have to live with those consequences.

As it stands now, we have a good understanding of local, regional and global patterns. Harvests vary, but not wildly. Coastlines don't shift terribly much. The boundaries between deserts and rain forests, between arid regions and wetlands, temperate, polar and tropical areas can maintain an appreciable degree of stability. Why fuck with that?

Essentially your error is two-fold. One, you are confusing the impact of a changing global average of something with the effects that may be exacerbated at regional and local levels. And second, you are assuming that our ability to adapt to unknown and unpredictable changes (but changes nonetheless) is preferable to adapting to something more familiar: The need to invent and develop a new energy source.

People have been developing new energy sources for quite some time. But civilization as we know it began at the time of the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago and grew under the relatively stable climatological conditions that followed.

Before that, human existence was a bit more precarious to say the least.

Why on earth would we want to say to hell with the consequences of possibly changing the conditions that allowed civilization to flourish for the sake of not adapting to the need for a new energy source?

You see, in some ways I am pretty conservative. If I am healthy, I don't like to change the functioning of my body in unpredictable ways. I like to retain what's stable and what works. Likewise, in a series of ecosystems in which several organisms rely on each other for their sustenance, why does it make sense to fuck with that? Where's the need? Do other species that deplete their resources stay around forever?

They don't.

We have the technology and the knowledge to encourage less unstable ways of modifying the environment to suit our needs. To not care about completely destroying the existing natural order, and waiting the millions of years that it might take to rebuild and recalibrate in some new way (or not, since you're taking the existence of life on earth as a given that is in no way guaranteed), seems much more reckless than simply taking the time to change our technology so as to make it less disruptive of our natural existence.

Society, and hence, our social "needs" came after nature allowed for the conditions that brought about human existence and human civilization as we know it. Don't you see that? I simply don't understand why anyone would think we can turn a straightforward progression upside down and pretend that nature will adapt to what human society does to it more easily than human society will adapt to the natural order that humans rely on in order to exist in the first place.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I simply don't understand why anyone would think we can turn a straightforward progression upside down and pretend that nature will adapt to what human society does to it more easily than human society will adapt to the natural order that humans rely on in order to exist in the first place.

Because I simply do not believe there is evidence that man made global warming is a proven fact. You can argue about it all you want from your ideological position, but the facts are just not there.

All you have right now is a hypothesis. And because they promoters of man made global warming have a venial, self serving interest in proving that hypothesis, they are not conducting themselves in the manner of true scientists.

True scientists don't start with a conclusion and try to force the data to prove their hypothesis. They start with an assumption and let the data prove OR disprove the hypothesis. What we have now are a bunch of shills and self serving gas bags like Gore who are making themselves filthly rich from carbon credit trading schemes. Rich at the expense of the economy and the common man for a phony baloney unproven idea.

PLUS even if it were proven that the world is getting warmer.....so fucking what? It may be a good thing.

The earth is too complex for the minor impact of man to make a difference in the long run. The earth has survived snowball earth, hot steamy dinosaur earth, molten earth.

You seem to have an inflated sense of the importance of our little species. Algae and fungus have a larger impact on nature than we we. Nature will adapt and we have to adapt with it or die. Life goes on and if we aren't part of it then too bad.

Beau said...

How is being warmer a bad thing? Plants like it and grow better, animals don't have such a hard time surviving. AND people don't have to use polluting fuels to keep warm.

DBQ, I'm guessing you're someone who hasn't traveled much beyond your own environment which accounts for your spectacularly caviler perspective. The inhabitants of the Republic of Kiribati, would have likely suggest you come and visit their rapidly disappearing nation as the waters of the Pacific Ocean continue to rise. Too bad they don't have mountains to plant their crops at a higher altitude.

Beau said...

PLUS even if it were proven that the world is getting warmer.....so fucking what?

That's the spirit!

Words fail.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Because I simply do not believe there is evidence that man made global warming is a proven fact.

Good to know you can substitute beliefs for arguments. Not.

You can argue about it all you want from your ideological position, but the facts are just not there.

Hmmm... and I seem to think that the advent of agriculture - a result of current climate conditions - as a precursor to civilization is pretty much borne out by the evidence. Not much room for ideology in that.

All you have right now is a hypothesis.

You are scientifically illiterate to state as much. This is much more than a "hypothesis." Didn't they teach the meaning of the word "hypothesis" when you went to grade school? They did when I did.

And because they promoters of man made global warming have a venial, self serving interest in proving that hypothesis, they are not conducting themselves in the manner of true scientists.

"they promoter"?

"venial"?

Who the hell are you to pronounce on how scientists should "conduct" themselves? This is not a matter of judging behavior. It's a matter of judging facts, evidence, and theory. Leave the theater to someone else. Or at least project your obsession with theater on someone else.

True scientists don't start with a conclusion and try to force the data to prove their hypothesis. They start with an assumption and let the data prove OR disprove the hypothesis.

Wow Bunny. For once you seem to indicate some sort of passing familiarity with science.

What we have now are a bunch of shills and self serving gas bags like Gore who are making themselves filthly rich from carbon credit trading schemes.

And then instead of elaborating on what you said in a way that makes it a useful statement, you go ahead and blow it with some kind of all-encompassing, grand, nutty conspiracy theory.

Rich at the expense of the economy and the common man for a phony baloney unproven idea.

If only I had the confidence to believe something was true just by saying it - the way you do here. Oh wait! That's what you accuse science of doing. Nevermind. Project away.

PLUS even if it were proven that the world is getting warmer.....so fucking what? It may be a good thing.

Love it. Everything others say is all absolute bullshit, but when you entertain the possibility of it's accuracy, we should have faith that your ambiguity about whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, and just assume to err on the side of the former. What an utterly self-serving conclusion. And you said "the scientists" are coming up with self-serving, pre-determined conclusions. But you don't find that the least bit hypocritical now, don't you? I didn't think so.

I can see there is an amazing amount of projection going on here.

The earth is too complex for the minor impact of man to make a difference in the long run.

More foregone, and idiotic, conclusions.

Bunny commits the remarkable feat of blaming others for believing a self-serving foregone conclusion to fit their hypothesis... and then she goes ahead, and does the exact same fucking thing!

Do you charge tickets for this?

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

The earth has survived snowball earth, hot steamy dinosaur earth, molten earth.

I can see someone is relying a bit too much on animated Disney films for her understanding of geochemistry.

For the last time, we are not talking about the survival of "the earth" - the third rock from the sun. We are talking about the survival of the species and ecosystems of the earth that our evolution depended upon.

You seem to have an inflated sense of the importance of our little species.

That's because if my species didn't exist, I wouldn't exist. If my species stop existing, my future generations stop existing. It's in an organism's interest to ensure the survival of its progeny, and humans extend that to posterity. But I can see that you don't have much regard for human civilization. Should that surprise me?

To declare a disinterest in the survival of one's species is a bit suicidal from a Darwinian perspective. If you don't care for the survival and well-being of your offspring, and their offspring, I don't understand why you would care about your own life. They represent the continuation of a part of you, after all.

Algae and fungus have a larger impact on nature than we we.

What's your point, we we?


Nature will adapt and we have to adapt with it or die.

Again, when you say "nature will adapt" - (which seems to betray an illiteracy of biology; it's species that adapt or don't, not "nature") - then I have to wonder what kind of a strange person would like for the impact of human existence to be to kill off life on the planet. What a bizarre and empty vision for the future of a planet that humans have made such a positive impact upon. Unless, once again, you think that human civilization is not a profound thing.

The opposite of civilization is barbarism. Did you know that?


"Life goes on and if we aren't part of it then too bad."

Strange thing to say for someone who confuses the distinction between the continuation of a single species with the continuation of life generally (i.e. "nature").

But again, don't count on the majority of the people in a democracy sharing your apathetic vision of a slow apocalypse and utterly drab aftermath. Most people think well enough of their accomplishments and the accomplishments of their fellow humans to not blithely consign the species to oblivion and the planet to such a boring state.

wv: pubines

Ritmo Re-Animated said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jr565 said...

montana urban legend wrote:
"The problem with messing around with complex systems - just because it suits someone to do so - that humans are far from understanding completely, and saying the consequences be damned, is that we will still have to live with those consequences."
Funny you should say that because that in fact is that exact argument I would use against environmentalists who act as if they have a complete understanding of complex systems and then try to meddle with some harebrained notions that will not noticably impact global warming, but will noticably impact peoples lives and how they live them. And these same environmentalists are completely oblivious to the cost their hair brained notions will have on peoples lives in both dollars and the actual hardship it will cause.We will still have to live with the consequences of what the environmentalists are forcing us into and they are oblivious to the idea that there are even consequences. Climate is constantly shifting, and doesn't move in a straight line. The hockey stick has been debunked and the various literature now suggests that the suggestion that oceans will rise 20 feet or so was scaremongering. And when it comes to alternative energies that might be used to bypass the problems supposedly caused by CO2, it often the environmentalists who are the biggest obtacles. Like for example with nuclear power.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

Why are you so antagonistic to innovation, jr5656566666655? And why do you hate windmills more than you hate the toxic waste from nuclear power that will take tens of thousands of years to decay? And why does the idea of complexity or incomplete knowledge make you more interested in destroying complex systems that we don't completely understand (but rely on nonetheless) than in doing what we know will help preserve them?

Questions, questions.

Oh. BTW, it's not an environmentalist's job to worry about costs. Just like it's not the job of someone who's in love with the idea of money to worry about... well, anything not involving money.

I'm sure it's pretty safe to assume that most people who feel strongly about environmental issues (i.e. "environmentalists") know more about this sort of thing than you do, jr666666666666666665555555556565655556565.

jr565 said...

montana wrote:
Why are you so antagonistic to innovation, jr5656566666655?
And why do you hate windmills more than you hate the toxic waste from nuclear power that will take tens of thousands of years to decay?

Who says I'm antagonistic to innovation or that I hate windmills? I don't think they are particularly efficient in providing power so will not actually provide the requisite energy, and since nuclear is the cleanest energy when it comes to CO2 emissions I would think you would be on board, considering its YOU who are suggesting that if we dont do everything we can people will DIE and cease to exist as we know it. And by the way, did you not know that the french use nuclear power for the majority of their energy needs and are not in fact having chernobyls left and right? It's YOU who is saying CO2 is the cause of warming, so I'm merely suggesting that we use the one energy source that's cleanest if in fact CO2 is the issue. I'm just as open to fossil fuels provided they are cheap, relatively clean and give us our requisite energy needs and dont' bankrupt people who's civilizations require cheap energy to function.
"And why does the idea of complexity or incomplete knowledge make you more interested in destroying complex systems that we don't completely understand ....
Because you do'nt have complete knowledge of the systems that control climate or weather, not even close, yet you imply that in fact you do, and that in fact your knowledge is such so as to predict exactly what will happen in 100 years vis a vis the climate. In other words, when it comes to how you deal with climate change you pretend to the world that there is perfect knowledge, and that your computer models are perfect instruments of precise measurement,when frankly you guys couldn't predict what's going to happen next month vis a vis the weather. Further you DON'T know what will preserve these systems. Which is why noone can actually meet the requirements put forth by the various frameworks that are supposed to control our carbon usage. The things you suggest to preserve the system are so onerous and unrealistic that to implement them would bankrupt nations. Enviros ares creeching about the end of the world and yet are also bananas (build absolutely nothing any near anything) so that nothing can be implemented to actually address the so called problems.

"Oh. BTW, it's not an environmentalist's job to worry about costs...."
Well perhaps that should be something that environmentalists should weigh into their calculations because it seems like their suggestions are bereft of actual real world considerations. For example, we should go solar. Ok, how expensive will that be. how long will it take to implement? what are the ramifications for doing so to people who now have to pay for these "innovations"? You might say you don't need to worry about the costs, but how presumptuous is that of you? How do you know people will be able to bear the costs and do you even care? No! It's one thing to say you care about the environment therefore we should listen to environmentalists but if the cost is an arm and a leg and ten gazilllion dollars and your first born son is that worth it for a neglibible benefit? Why should we listen to enviros about programs that will cost when they don't take cost into account? And how do we know that we couldn't achieve the same results for a lower cost doing something else? So therefore costs HAVE to be a factor. And anything enviros suggest as a solution will cost time and money. If they can't even fathom the idea of costs, why should we listen to them?

jr565 said...

Beau wrote:
"DBQ, I'm guessing you're someone who hasn't traveled much beyond your own environment which accounts for your spectacularly caviler perspective. The inhabitants of the Republic of Kiribati, would have likely suggest you come and visit their rapidly disappearing nation as the waters of the Pacific Ocean continue to rise. Too bad they don't have mountains to plant their crops at a higher altitude."


Clearly a higher temperature will be beneficial to some areas and harmful to others. But why does that matter? If you live in a flood plain and it floods what is the answer to that? If water is rising and you can see it happening and you have decades to plan for changes to the climate then why is it more reasonable to assume that somehow you can get the water levels to lower (well, of course Barack Obama will lower the water levels as promised, but I'm talking about when we have to deal with issues and a deity is not involved - lets not look for the divine intervention just yet) as opposed to adapting to changing conditions? Maybe Kiribati has to uproot itself and find more hospitable climes to live in, or maybe Kiribati can build levees that will protect itself from the rising water. It's not as if Kiribati is sitting their minding it's own business and all of a sudden a typhoon comes out of nowhere due to global warming. What do you suggest people living next to volcanoes do? Turn off the lava? Spend a gazillion dollars trying to eradicate sulfur? We don't have the ability to stop nature from running her course.

hdhouse said...

no one watches faus noise on sunday morning. it is a waste of time for the president to tape a segment that only dottering fools will watch while drooling over the remote.

faux is in no way on a par with the networks and has nothing to offer except lots of anthrax annie coulter..but who wants herpies from a harpie on sunday morning.