November 28, 2013

The Cap Times reporter Jack Craver refers to me as a "Walker fan."

He is such a weasel. Craver I mean. Not my darling Scottie.

41 comments:

Bob Boyd said...

"He is such a weasel. Craver I mean. Not my darling Scottie."

You crack me up sometimes.

Drago said...

The moment you deviate even slightly from the baseline lefty position on any policy, the "left" monolithically and robotically begins it's subtle rebranding of you so that the "in kids" will know by the cueing that your opinion is now suspect and safely ignored.

Michael K said...

The unions are obviously intent on savaging anything they can reach about Walker. Amazon needs to figure out a way to control the abuse of the book review process. They could simply post a warning about reviews by non-buyers of books. That would be a start.

Captain Curt said...

If you don't think he's a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal fascist, you're obviously a big fan...

somefeller said...

You've spoken favorably of Walker's policies and your blog was very critical of his critics during the big protests. Why is it inaccurate to call you a Walker fan? Is it just a dislike of sports-like terminology?

Ann Althouse said...

It's obviously an incorrect assertion.

Wikipedia on Fan:

A fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person who is enthusiastically devoted to something, such as a band, a sports team or entertainer....
 
Merriam-Webster, the Oxford dictionary and other sources define [fan] as a shortened version of the word fanatic. The word first become popular in reference to baseball enthusiasts. (Fanatic itself, introduced into English around 1550, means "marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion." It comes from the Modern Latin fanaticus, meaning "insanely but divinely inspired."...

Fans usually have a strong enough interest that some changes in their lifestyles are made to accommodate devotion to the focal object. Fans have a desire for external involvement – they are motivated to demonstrate their involvement with the area of interest through certain behaviors (attending conventions, posting online, displaying team banners outside their homes, etc.). ...

Politics

Even though they are not collectively called "fans," more often the term supporter is used for people who often approve of what certain politicians do, or to a political party. Even though there is far less devotion to politicians, due to the controversial nature of politics, it is not uncommon to find heavy devotion to a politician. For example, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan has an unofficial devoted "fan club" on the Internet. Often heavy enthusiasm or praise for politicians are from a personality cult, which are usually found in dictatorships. However, a large fanbase for a politician does not in any way make them a dictator; this is determined by an entirely different set of standards.

cubanbob said...

The hysterical lefty comments to article are awesome. Who knew Wisconsin was such an oppressed place?

Meade said...

I've spoken favorably of the St Louis Cardinals' policies and critically of the Cincinnati Reds' management decisions.

Doesn't make a Cards fan.

Ann Althouse said...

I don't think I've ever been devoted to any politician. I never even give anyone money, though when Russ Feingold first ran for the Senate I gave him money (but only because he kept calling me personally), and I subsequently gave him money I think one more time and I gave money, at his behest, to his then brother-in-law Jon Erpenbach.

I believe I once gave money to somebody running for school board or something like that because I knew her or she was a friend of a friend.

I've only once had a political sign in my yard, and that was because a colleague whose wife was running for office asked me if he could put a sign for her in my yard.

I write about politics for my own reasons, which have to do with breaking down arguments and trying to see what's really going on. I have a special enthusiasm for resisting liberals (like Craver) who attempt to bully everyone into agreeing with them. I find them boring and repressive and the point of this blog is to live freely in writing. I push back against the people who make me feel unfree.

Michael K said...

I guess I was a Romney fan. I contributed money, a first for me in a national campaign. I was really depressed when he lost, especially as it seems there was some chicanery involved. I worked as a volunteer for McCain in 2000 but can't remember contributing. I thought he was a better choice than Bush. Not in 2008, though.

I think Romney's loss probably means disaster for this country and I am relieved that I will probably not live to see the worst.

I guess that makes me a fan.

Anonymous said...

I don't think I've ever been devoted to any politician.

So your continual defense and support of George W Bush, forgiving and justifying his most egregious crimes, was not out of devotion to him?

somefeller said...

Still looks like an exercise in semantics. Would it have made that much difference if he had used the word "supporter"? Or is the real issue that you don't like Craver and guys like him, so the opportunity to push back must not be passed up?

YoungHegelian said...

...forgiving and justifying his most egregious crimes..

What would those "most egregious crimes" be? Remind us again, just so we can be sure that our list matches yours.

somefeller said...

I've spoken favorably of the St Louis Cardinals' policies and critically of the Cincinnati Reds' management decisions. Doesn't make a Cards fan.

But look at that bird!

tim maguire said...

somefeller, I never gotten the sense that she is a Walker supporter. Since I missed those posts, can you link to one?

Frederick, same for you--link, please. And for bonus points, what were his most egregious crimes? Heck, never mind "egregious," what were his crimes?

Drago said...

Bush's "crime" is being insufficiently marxist.

It's no more complicated than that.

Can you imagine the response by the left if the bush administration had authorized lobotomies for homosexuals? Castro did and the lefties love love love him still.

Drago said...

Bush's "crime" is being insufficiently marxist.

It's no more complicated than that.

Can you imagine the response by the left if the bush administration had authorized lobotomies for homosexuals? Castro did and the lefties love love love him still.

Michael K said...

"George W Bush, forgiving and justifying his most egregious crimes,"

And Happy Thanksgiving to you, young Marxist.

Paco Wové said...

"Still looks like an exercise in semantics"

Perhaps you are too much of a partisan to see clearly.

Paco Wové said...

"...your continual defense and support of George W Bush, forgiving and justifying his most egregious crimes..."

I must say, these dispatches from Frederland do crack me up.

Big Mike said...

Shame on you for thinking for yourself, Professor! What sort of UW-Mad college professor are you, anyway?

A tenured one, obviously.

Howard said...

The lady doth...

When you go to the dictionary, you are admitting that you have lost the argument.

Illuninati said...

Jack Craver said:
"As a couple bloggers — one a Walker critic, the other [Althouse] a Walker fan — have already noted, the negative customer reviews on the mega-retail site far outnumber the positive ones."

Never look a gift horse in the mouth. Free publicity is good.

I'd say that Althouse was more repulsed by the actions of the protestors than a Walker fan.

Humperdink said...

"When you go to the dictionary, you are admitting that you have lost the argument."

Well that's a new one for me.

Ann Althouse said...

I'm getting < 0.1% of my traffic from that Cap Times link, so it's virtually meaningless, just stupid. But I wanted to point out the stupidity. The Cap Times is the traditional, mainstream Madison newspaper, not the alternative press. Really pathetic.

Drago said...

Shorter howard: as a leftist I require the meanings of words to be infinitely flexible and to mean what I want them to mean in order to facilitate my side achieving political victory.

If language must be destroyed in the furtherance of the left wing agenda so be it.

Eggshells, omelettes, broken etc.

Drago said...

Also dictionary definitions are now probably racist.....and a tool in the war on women....and anti worker.

Saint Croix said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kirk Parker said...


Michael K,

young Marxist??? As if Freder had that for an excuse...

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Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

When Cheetah Speedo Man Read "Walker fan" He Assumed it Meant His Existential Enemy, the Dog Walker, Smug with Their Plastic Bags of Poop.
A Simple Misunderstanding.

moistwilly said...

betamax is living down to his name. these posts are analagous to a damaged tape skipping

David A. Carlson said...

but is Craver really a "weasel"?

Hack, perhaps.

Jingoistic Pendantic Troll could describe him.

Delusional even

To be a reporter don't you have to work for a real newspaper, not some fish wrap that is not even the second best freebie strewn around town?

Meade said...

"But look at that bird!"

Ball State Cardinals. Coach Whit. Four Freshmen.