ADDED: Jonathan Chait, a commentator with no affinity for conservatives, writes:
The ugliest, most illiberal political ad of the year may be this one, from Kentucky Democrat Jack Conway:
... The trouble with Conway's ad is that it comes perilously close to saying that non-belief in Christianity is a disqualification for public office. That's a pretty sickening premise for a Democratic campaign.Consider that the ad has more to do with the question of whether Rand is weird than whether he's irreligious. But, ironically, Conway has made himself seem creepy for throwing all this crap at the screen.
AND: Conway stammers through an attempted explanation of his ad:
AND: Here's a montage of nastiness:
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57 comments:
Good for him. The Demos have been allowed to Alinskyize people for too damn long and get away with it.
Paul's opponent will harrumph about civility, but, like everything else with the Demos and the other small c (and big C) communists, civility has always been a one-way street.
Fine with me. If you feel that a "line" was crossed in the debate then F##K him.
No problem with the decision, but if you have to make a big deal out of it, you've crossed the line from personal integrity into political theater.
Rand seems to be a Tea Party guy with an angry chip on his shoulder. If Ron Paul was my Daddy, then I would show out a few angry ideas too. Kentucky will be in for an interesting 6 years with Senator Paul.
My gut reaction is that Dr. Paul is getting too worked up.
The accusation seems to boil down to this: when Paul was a college kid, he did dumb stuff that college kids do. That was 20-30 years ago, so how much does that matter today?
Would Paul be better off responding more in sorrow than in anger, because Conway is wasting the time of the people of Kentucky on this, when there are 500 more important things to talk about?
It would've been better if Rand Paul'd gone to shake his hand and given him a Bible instead.
I'm with Scott -- making a big deal out of it crosses some kind of line. Thundering out that his opponent is attacking Paul's religion, and asking him to leave religion out of it, isn't doing much to leave religion out of it.
He could have slapped the opponent's hand, like Rep. Perlmutter.
I saw the TV ad that Conway is running. It's a disgusting smear. Conway deserves to be treated with scorn.
He could have slapped the opponent's hand, like Rep. Perlmutter.
Nah, if you're going to cross that line, make it count. Knock him out!
...seems to be a Tea Party guy with an angry chip on his shoulder.
No angrier than Jim Bunning and Kentucky liked him just fine.
As I see Rand Paul,there is a tsunami flood coming ashore on Nov 2nd. That will bring in good ideas, but it will also bring in some trash with it. But the trash can be cleaned up later on.
I guess Rand is not going to man up as now he is talking about not showing up for the next debate.
Non-belief in Christianity? If that is a disqualification, how did Obama get elected?
Althouse said: "... The trouble with Conway's ad is that it comes perilously close to saying that non-belief in Christianity is a disqualification for public office. That's a pretty sickening premise for a Democratic campaign."
And the trouble with Paul's defense is that he states that his opponent has "attacked his Christian faith". Not that his opponent is loathsome for making faith a prerequisite for the office; but for questioning his faith.
A little more Rand, and a little less Paul, would be nice.
Question. Is there one false statement in that ad?
I don't think so.
So what's the problem?
I personally don't give a damn if Rand Paul worships Aqua Buddha instead of Jesus Christ. That's his choice. But if the people of Kentucky feel otherwise - well that's their choice.
Non-belief in Christianity? If that is a disqualification, how did Obama get elected?
Christian belief is a requirement for being elected President.
Obama was elected President.
Therefore, Obama has Christian beliefs.
QED
Pasta, Rand is using what's going to work in Kentucky, not what's going to win over the ACLU.
Do you live in Kentucky, dtl? If not, then shut up. It's not your fight.
Let's also not forget that Republicans ran ads that said John Kerry lied about his service in Vietnam.
Those were lies.
Ann Althouse had no problems with those ads.
DTL, there don't have to be errors of fact in an ad for it to represent an error of decency.
The ad trades on innuendo. You know, the sort of thing that you usually get worked up by when it's Rove using the tactic on a Democrat.
I don't know who Aqua Buddha is?
Is he like a Indian Super Hero?
Does he have his own comic book like the Submariner?
Does Kerry still have the hat and the seared memory?
And Obama is a muslim, so your QED is DOA.
What's his super power?
Does he waterboard the Super Villians?
Or is he really chubby and sit on them and talk philosphy till they give up?
downtownlad said...
Let's also not forget that Republicans ran ads that said John Kerry lied about his service in Vietnam.
Those were lies.
Like Hell they were. Lurch lied about Cambodia and he lied about his Purple Owies.
Start setting the following in type - "Senator Elect Rand Paul (R-KY)..."
Paul's smack-down of Bill Clinton, who visited Kentucky was such a beautiful thing that I have to quote it here:
Paul's reaction to the former Democratic president's remarks added to the rough edge of the race.
"I'm not sure I would trust a guy who had had sexual relations with an intern. I mean, do you think he's an honorable person?" Paul said at a campaign stop in Shelbyville.
"I think that's disgusting. It gets to the point where we discount what he says," said Paul, who was referring to Clinton's liaison with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
The only religion that seems to have any relevancy for the Democrats is the Church of Orthodox Social Security that will burn a heretic at the electorial stake for any suspicion of heresy.
Christian belief is a requirement for being elected President.
Obama was elected President.
Therefore, Obama has Christian beliefs.
QED
No, I don't think Obama has Christian beliefs, nor do I think he's a devout Muslim or a sincere believer in any other religion. A sincere belief in a religion requires you to believe in something far greater than yourself. "We are the ones we've been waiting for" suggests Obama doesn't believe in anything greater than himself.
Wally, what are the odds that Rand Paul will hold Gingrich and Vitters, et al, to the same standard?
I Live in Lexington.
Conway is too Liberal for the State.
Democrats fooled us for years with their Farm Team in Frankfort, moving on up the the Pros in Washington.
Once they got there, they went Lefty. Look up Ben Chandler.
That doesn't fly now.
Electing a Democrat don't make him Conservative, just like putting a Cat in the Oven don't make him a biscuit.
I don't know who Aqua Buddha is?
Aqua Buddha is the figurehead of the Aqua Buddhist sect, the religion of the Aqua Velva man.
Now that democrats have FINALLY discovered religion, I can't wait till they discover the second amendment.
peter hoh said...
"The ad trades on innuendo. You know, the sort of thing that you usually get worked up by when it's Rove using the tactic on a Democrat."
Very true. Although, I am not sure "getting worked up" is as effective as "paying back in kind".
WV: I kid you not - purifi
I also thought the ad was trying to paint Paul as weird which I sucpect he is a bit weird.
But the outcome is good IMO. We don't need any more aisle-crossers who agree to crappy so-called bipartisan boondoggles and bad law like McCain-Feingold.
If Aqua Buddha is not cool would Taupe Buddha be better?
AJ, what do you mean by "the outcome is good"?
It's a pity dueling was outlawed. This is precisely the kind of thing that used to get settled on the field of honor with pistols at 10 paces. Bring back dueling and I'll bet you see less of this sort of political mudslinging and if we're lucky, we'd have fewer politicians to boot. Sounds like a win-win for the electorate.
Don't see anything wrong with the ad. Talking about how something said is "Close to X" is boring. When someone actually says "X" - wake me up and I'll be suitably OUTRAGED.
Why should we protect candidates with a history of "mocking Christianity", as opposed to say a million other things.
Mocking should be a fundamental right. And guns.
dtl - this is how Althouse dealt with the whole Swift Boat issue back in '04:
Bush volunteered for Vietnam
Ann said:
Personally, I'm willing to accept Kerry's medals as the final judgment about what Kerry did in Vietnam and Bush's honorable discharge as the final judgment that Bush fulfilled his duty to the Guard. I'd rather talk about more relevant things.
The secret society is The NoZe Brotherhood, a sort of joke anti-fraternity at Baylor University, who beat the hell out of Colorado Saturday.
Rand Paul gives off the aura of someone who got beat up for his lunch money every day. "I will not shake the hand..."
But what is Rand Paul's religious belief? There is no Church of Jesus Christ, Capitalist that I know of.
I thought all republicans were knuckle dragging christianists? I would think Paul's atheism would be right up the alley of many on the left.
I would think Paul's atheism would be right up the alley of many on the left.
If Rand Paul continues to present himself as a weenie, he will get only the former hs A-V Club vote.
Mocking should be a fundamental right.
Especially when you are mocking politicians.
The spookiest thing about Paul isn't what Conway said. Its Paul's hair in that video. Is it 1980 again? Paul likes like he is channeling his inner Mac Davis.
SportsGuy - that's my reaction, too. What the hell sits atop Rand's head?
Larry J, I've said the same thing myself, about reviving dueling. Unfortunately, in Kentucky, the state constitution requires that all office holders swear that they have never been in a duel, or been a second in one. Yes, even in 2010. It's the law.
Toy
DTL;
I personally don't give a damn if Rand Paul worships Aqua Buddha instead of Jesus Christ. That's his choice. But if the people of Kentucky feel otherwise - well that's their choice.
so what you're saying is that if a candidate, based on rumors about college activity, ran an ad stating "My opponent supports bestiality and group orgies"
One could excuse it by saying
"Not that I have any problem with that but i think the voters of _____________ should know so thay can make an informed choice"
(Why is it so hard to declare a scumball ad a scumball ad?)
Claire McCaskill spoke out against Conway's ad this morning.
I was impressed, until she pivoted and went negative, saying that Paul's response showed himself to be too thin skinned.
Blogger MadisonMan said...
It would've been better if Rand Paul'd gone to shake his hand and given him a Bible instead.
Blogger Ann Althouse said...
He could have slapped the opponent's hand, like Rep. Perlmutter.
OR, he could have slapped him with a bible!
Sigh. When will you people learn?
"Nobody wants to be seen as New Age because nobody wants to be seen as irreparably stupid."
Paul's no atheist - why can't you guys put this stuff together yourselves by now?
A frat that mocked Christianity.
"Aqua Buddha"
Ending faith-based initiatives
Weasley claims to being, both, an atheist and a Christian
Add it all up and Rand Paul's a closet NewAger.
Listen to Larry J:
I don't think Obama has Christian beliefs, nor do I think he's a devout Muslim or a sincere believer in any other religion. A sincere belief in a religion requires you to believe in something far greater than yourself. 'We are the ones we've been waiting for' suggests Obama doesn't believe in anything greater than himself.
All of this is true. And then there's Oprah - completely overlooked in any discussion of Obama's beliefs, yet known for evangelizing for NewAge, and still important to the president's life and the life of his administration.
NewAge encourages dabbling in a bit of this and taking a bit of that. Christian, Hindu, Muslim, American Indian, Chinese - NewAge is The Borg and resistance is futile. All will be assimilated.
NewAge teaches that it is we ourselves who are gods (Easy for a president to accept with Oprah Winfrey whispering it in his ear, no?) and, of course, that goes hand-in-hand with a major feature of NewAge belief, that Obie One radiates like a searchlight: Narcissism.
His mom was a NewAger, too, described by Obama as "the most spiritual" person he knew, though she was "not in the church". (Don't you love the euphemisms?) He supports quackery in our Health Department and cookoos in science. Michelle's an environmentalist (fascist) and a (fascist) health nut. None of these interests or behaviors fall outside the NewAge umbrella.
Get on your game, y'all: when it comes to spirituality - and especially to NewAge - Christine O'Donnell may be the most honest person out there.
You know the narrator of the anti-Rand Paul ad probably lol'ed when he got to the part where he had to say 'Aqua Buddha'.
downtownlad said...
Let's also not forget that Republicans ran ads that said John Kerry lied about his service in Vietnam.
Those were lies.
Ann Althouse had no problems with those ads.
John "Why the long face" Kerry is a liar about his service. It's been proven he is a liar about his service. Fuck, the guy threw service medals over the white house fence during a protest and claimed they were his only to find out they weren't. You are just a deranged piece of drech. What a pathetic life you must have. Seriously.
wv = hella = DTL is hella stupid.
What Crack said.
Republicans ran ads that said John Kerry lied about his service in Vietnam.
I especially liked the bit where he blamed Richard Nixon for lying to him about Cambodia, two months before Nixon became President.
Pure unadulterated truth -- all of it.
Conway is an asshole. And that should be a disqualifier for office.
Libertarians don't want tax funding for "faith based initiatives"; a lot of liberals and a lot of religious folks agree.
Facing massive deficits, it makes sense to rank spending projects from most-to-least essential, and start lopping things off, working up from the bottom. Agreed, we won't save much on cutting "faith based initiatives," but goodness, why aren't we zeroing that out for the sake of solvency? Same with NPR, PBS, all the art-funding and who knows what other things are frills we cannot afford with trillion-dollar deficits.
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