Althouse: "Just a couple of months ago, in the wake of Jared Loughner's shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, simple talk of 'targeting' a political opponent for defeat was treated as beyond the pale."

March 21, 2011

"Just a couple of months ago, in the wake of Jared Loughner's shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, simple talk of 'targeting' a political opponent for defeat was treated as beyond the pale."

"But let's look at some more recent language -- and conduct -- that our bien-pensant punditry can't be bothered to notice, let alone condemn."

45 comments:

Trooper York said...: "Headless Body in Topless Bar."; 3/21/11, 8:32 AM
Scott M said...: Well, what are you going to do? The new civility, as we've seen recently, includes death threats and Hitlerisms. Par for the course in a world where a recent Noble Peace Prize winner can oversea three wars. Use whatever terminology you want to with this latest escapade. Heated metal is still being fired in anger to destroy.

Doubleplusgood.; 3/21/11, 8:32 AM
Trooper York said...: You made the big time.; 3/21/11, 8:32 AM
Scott M said...: oversee :); 3/21/11, 8:32 AM
sane_voter said...: That was then, this is union war. Big difference /sarc; 3/21/11, 8:32 AM
Trooper York said...: Seriously. If the New York Post notices you than you are on the cutting edge.

They broke the story of the bimbo summit where Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears all went out clubbing without any underwear on.

They have the bestest paper in all of these United States. Bar none.; 3/21/11, 8:34 AM
Trooper York said...: Next up you can make their "Weird But True" section.

Now that would be golden.; 3/21/11, 8:35 AM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: We should be big enough, lefties and righties, to discriminate between the casual use of a word and a serious threat. What makes this particularly infuriating, as Prof. Reynolds points out, is that conservatives get raked over the coals for casual use of words while liberals make real death threats and skate away. It makes me wonder if we conservatives ever have a chance to change things.; 3/21/11, 8:35 AM
Bob_R said...: Reynolds is wrong in his prediction that the story will get out. The primary problem with the mainstream media being controlled by such a narrow social class is that they can create such a tight cocoon for themselves. There will be sophisticated, educated, urban liberals who get all their news from NPR and the NYT who will never hear of this.; 3/21/11, 8:36 AM
kent said...: First hysterical, defensive leftard yelp of "KOCHTOPUS!" in response to this in 5... 4... 3... 2...; 3/21/11, 8:37 AM
Scott M said...: It makes me wonder if we conservatives ever have a chance to change things.

It's already started. Hopefully we'll do better with the next three or four decades than the left has done with the last.; 3/21/11, 8:38 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Seriously. If the New York Post notices you than you are on the cutting edge."

Less so if it's an article by Glenn Reynolds.; 3/21/11, 8:41 AM
Trooper York said...: Not true. The Post lets publicists write articles all the time.

Glenn is your publicist right?; 3/21/11, 8:42 AM
Trooper York said...: That's how they get all the scoops.; 3/21/11, 8:42 AM
Trooper York said...: Britney Spears publicist wrote the article and sent the photo where her cha-cha was hanging out. Just sayn'; 3/21/11, 8:43 AM
Bob_R said...: I hope you're not suggesting something Trooper. I can't see Meade in a kilt.; 3/21/11, 8:47 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Yeah, but that was different. Those people were opposing "Gabby". These people are fighting Hitler.; 3/21/11, 8:49 AM
Trooper York said...: No not that Bob.

You see the professor has a photo of Glenn Reynolds cha-cha.

That's how she gets all those links. Just sayn'; 3/21/11, 8:49 AM
The Dude said...: I prefer "oversea". That conveys the message that He is watching from across the water as the troops He loathes do his bidding. It's a good word.

WV: coupe - how garage shankman spells "coup".; 3/21/11, 8:57 AM
Anonymous said...: But, don't you think that the obvious bias of the press is being noticed by just about every sentient observer?

And, I think over the long run, this is going to erode market share for the already fading network TV and major newspaper market.'

They're killing themselves. Let them continue.; 3/21/11, 9:16 AM
damikesc said...: Did anybody seriously doubt this was a tactic to silence conservatives? Its funny watching progressive hypocracy in such a base form.; 3/21/11, 9:16 AM
Phil 314 said...: Well civility is so Karen Rodriguez !

I mean, yeah, its sweet and warm and inclusive but it just doesn't bring the power, the force, the anger that's needed when the competition heats up.

Adios; 3/21/11, 9:19 AM
Beta Rube said...: Is Meade's kilt tilted?

http://www.tiltedkilt.com/index.php?action=view&id=35&itemid=12; 3/21/11, 9:20 AM
galdosiana said...: st said...
But, don't you think that the obvious bias of the press is being noticed by just about every sentient observer?

Well, maybe it's because I'm in Madison, but that's a resounding NO to your question here, anyway. The people here, by and large, do not have any clue about any of this. If they do happen to hear about these threats and violence, they honestly believe it is all part of a giant, fabricated lie on behalf of Fox News. (After all, haven't you seen the videos of the Fox News broadcasts with the mob behind the reporter screaming "FOX LIES!!" in growl tones?)

Also, sadly, I'm beginning to believe that the "sentient observer" is quickly becoming extinct.; 3/21/11, 9:27 AM
Fen said...: Dear CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, NPR, NYTs, LA Times, WaPo, et al

This is why we hate you.; 3/21/11, 9:39 AM
Anonymous said...: I know it's difficult to write about this, but I'm interested in knowing how Althouse's writing is affecting her social relationships in Madison.

How are your friends and co-workers reacting?

Are they reacting?

Where I work the leftists can't shut up about politics... not even at work.; 3/21/11, 9:52 AM
Scott M said...: but I'm interested in knowing how Althouse's writing is affecting her social relationships in Madison.

Perhaps (just a guess) that she's still kinda a newlywed and doing some heavy-duty spousal cleaving. The insular nature of the current broohaha, I would think, would only make them closer, forgoing all others, etc, etc.; 3/21/11, 10:00 AM
Bill said...: Please, please tell me you didn't just link to a New York Post article. In NYC, even Republicans won't read that filth--most people, especially the homeless, use it as toilet paper. It has all the credibility of the National Enquirer or, worse, the Washington Times.

Great sports section, though.; 3/21/11, 10:14 AM
Tyrone Slothrop said...: Ren--

For your reading pleasure; 3/21/11, 10:20 AM
Anonymous said...: Please, please tell me you didn't just link to a New York Post article. In NYC, even Republicans won't read that filth--most people, especially the homeless, use it as toilet paper. It has all the credibility of the National Enquirer or, worse, the Washington Times.

Jesus, but you're a sensitive cuss.

You mean the National Enquirer, which broke the John Edwards story that the rest of the media conveniently ignored?

Pretty bad when the National Enquirer will do what the New York Times won't, eh?; 3/21/11, 10:24 AM
Michael said...: REN: So nobody reads the Post in ever so hip NY? I see. And who broke the story on candidate Edwards? Oh, the National Enquirer.

Dude, it isn't cool to be too cool to read the Post. When you say "nobody" reads it you mean nobody in your little circle would admit to reading it. Except for the sports, of course.; 3/21/11, 10:24 AM
Unknown said...: Well, that's Insta's problem. He expects the Lefties to be logical and have integrity.

Doesn't he know they've got the right to change things any time they see fit?; 3/21/11, 10:27 AM
bandmeeting said...: @Ren-

You don't have even the slightest idea what you are talking about.

Going about the city on a daily basis I see scads of people carrying and reading The Post. The editorial pages of The Post are terrific

Where was The Times on the series of ongoing Rangel scandals? They are not a newspaper anymore, rather the DNC house organ.

The Post is a far better paper than The Times.; 3/21/11, 10:33 AM
Trooper York said...: The Post is the conservative ethnic (ie white) paper.

The Daily News is the liberal paper favored by minorities who are in fact the majority in NYC today.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.; 3/21/11, 10:40 AM
Trooper York said...: The Times is the paper of the yuppie scum and the upwardly mobile hipster dofous types.

Most working class New Yorkers have never read the NY Times.; 3/21/11, 10:41 AM
Trooper York said...: The Post is the Yankees.

The Daily News is the Mets.

The Times is the WNBA.; 3/21/11, 10:42 AM
Trooper York said...: The Post is a meatball hero.

The Daily News is a Jamaican beef patie.

The Times is tofu.; 3/21/11, 10:43 AM
Trooper York said...: The Post is a SUV.

The Daily News is a Toyota Camri.

The Times is a bike in one of these new fucking bike lanes.; 3/21/11, 10:45 AM
Carol_Herman said...: Civility went out when women no longer had to wear gloves, and a hat, when they went "out."

While, actually, politics in America was never civil! Of course, even electing Woodrow Wilson president happened before women were given the right to vote.

But the whole idea is that people scream at each other. Even in families! You didn't know that parents have been known to tear their hair out when they heard how their young were gonna vote?

Sister against brother, I tell ya!; 3/21/11, 10:58 AM
Trooper York said...: The NY Post is Archie Bunker.

The Daily News is George Jefferson.

The NY Times is Maude.; 3/21/11, 11:17 AM
vnjagvet said...: I guess Ren never noticed that much of the referenced NY Post opinion column highlights and agrees with the post of a liberal commentator in the liberal Huffington Post.

Just a little more evidence that Ren's drive-by comments are solely to get attention.; 3/21/11, 12:07 PM
Toad Trend said...: Well, we must remember that union types are simply MORE EQUAL than regular non-union working squids. The union 'workers' pay their protection money and, they get their protection.

@Ren

Any paper that would have Ralph Peters as a columnist is fine by me.

The guy flat out knows what he's talking about.; 3/21/11, 12:33 PM
vbspurs said...: You made the big time.

THE STORY MADE IT TO THE POST, CONGRATS!

Quoting from the article:

At the Huffington Post, liberal Lee Stranahan wonders why this kind of thing isn't getting more attention from the traditional media who were tut-tutting over much more minor (and even imaginary) offenses to civility so very recently. "Ignoring the story of these threats is deeply, fundamentally wrong. It's bad, biased journalism that will lead to no possible good outcome and progressives should be leading the charge against it.

Good Lord. Would this story have been written on HuffPo before AOL (more right-leaning) bought it out?; 3/21/11, 1:23 PM
Palladian said...: "The NY Times is Maude."

No. Bea Arthur had balls.; 3/21/11, 3:03 PM
Trooper York said...: Actually she is dead.; 3/21/11, 6:46 PM