Althouse: "It's questionable for a candidate appear on a book cover with a scantily clad woman or to crudely dismiss Jewish people in an online video..."

February 3, 2013

"It's questionable for a candidate appear on a book cover with a scantily clad woman or to crudely dismiss Jewish people in an online video..."

"... even if it's done as satire. Nor is it ideal for someone seeking statewide office to make a rude gesture to a state senator during committee testimony."

And the statewide office is...

... Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.

38 comments:

Automatic_Wing said...: Ha ha. He is a perfect fit for the job. Hopefully he continues to wear the clown shoes after he gets elected.; 2/3/13, 8:53 AM
ricpic said...: I was dismissed for Yom Kippur. No harm.; 2/3/13, 9:02 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: I'd like to know who does his eyebrows.; 2/3/13, 9:04 AM
garage mahal said...: tags "anti-Semitism"

For what? He made front of Dear Leader?; 2/3/13, 9:07 AM
KCFleming said...: I was going to say something derisive, but then remembered that I'm from Minnesota and we elected Al Franken and Jesse Ventura.; 2/3/13, 9:08 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "tags "anti-Semitism" For what? He made front of Dear Leader?"

For "crudely dismiss Jewish people"; 2/3/13, 9:11 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Tags just indicate the presence of a topic, not a particular statement on the topic.

For example, I use "unfair sentence" when the subject is whether a prison sentence is unfair. I'm not, by using that tag, taking the position that it is unfair.

I use "racial politics" when there is any issue of someone using race in politics, even if I think an accusation of racial politics is a bad one.; 2/3/13, 9:13 AM
Hazy Dave said...: Perfect for the job in the give the people what they want good and hard sense.

Guy posts a video stating "My governor calls a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. Fuck* the Jews." Is that okay as long as he's not a Republican? As long as he's Jewish himself**? What's the rule, here?

*I assume that's the (expletive) quoted in the paper.

**I've no idea if he is or isn't, religiously or ethnically.; 2/3/13, 9:19 AM
garage mahal said...: "He also noted Walker had dubbed the tree in the Capitol a Christmas tree, rather than a holiday tree."

"In Wisconsin, my governor calls a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. (Expletive) the Jews," Megna said in the video.

I don't see how that is anti-Semitic; 2/3/13, 9:22 AM
KCFleming said...: Ironic anti-semitism points out anti-semitism, but often becomes anti-Semitic itself. See the progressive Jews that hate Israel.

Read The Wicked Son: Anti-Semitism, Self-hatred, and the Jews by David Mamet for the best explanation ever.; 2/3/13, 9:28 AM
Hazy Dave said...: It's not anti-Semitic to make baseless claims of anti-Semitism as long as you're a liberal? Or does that apply to everyone?

Anyway, the anti-Semitism (real or imagined) tag doesn't seem misplaced.; 2/3/13, 9:29 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: He's got a point. Hitler started out by refusing to say "Holiday Tree", too.

It's a slippery slope. One day Walker is insisting on calling a Christmas Tree a Christmas Tree, the next day he's firing up the ovens. You can never be too careful!; 2/3/13, 9:39 AM
garage mahal said...: By naming the Rotunda tree a "Christmas Tree", Scott Walker and Republicans are anti-Semitic for not recognizing Jews.; 2/3/13, 9:40 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: garage. Calling a Christmas Tree a "Holiday Tree" does not make it any less of a Christmas Tree. Likewise, calling a Menorah a "Holiday Candle-Holder" doesn't make it any less of a Menorah. I am perfectly OK with displaying both, or neither, during the season, but simply renaming them doesn't change the underlying symbolism.; 2/3/13, 9:45 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Is anyone still questioning my use of the tag?

Garage? I answered your question. You should at least say something like "thanks, I get it."

It's rude to ask a question then when you get an answer, switch to a related topic. I answered you, now you ought to say something back to me.

I have had this problem with other commenters, and I am at the point where I am simply never going to respond to a commenter who does that to me again.

See if you can tell whether you have moved into the category of commenters who have been responded to multiple times in the past but that are not getting any responses now.; 2/3/13, 9:57 AM
edutcher said...: Anti-Semitism is all the rage among the Lefties these days.; 2/3/13, 9:59 AM
Anonymous said...: The holiday associated with displaying a tree indoors in the wintertime in America happens to be Christmas.

I'm unaware of any Jewish customs that an indoor wintertime holiday tree could relate to, and I've only once ever met a Jewish person who took offense at anything Christian -- as she was eating a ham sandwich.; 2/3/13, 10:00 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: Walker needs to display a Festivus Pole this holiday season. garage can go there and air all his grievances.; 2/3/13, 10:03 AM
Anonymous said...: I realize almost no one here will believe it. I had a hard time believing it myself.; 2/3/13, 10:05 AM
Wince said...: "Patience Roggensack"?

Isn't that what men are supposed to repeat during sex while thinking of baseball?; 2/3/13, 10:08 AM
garage mahal said...: Garage? I answered your question. You should at least say something like "thanks, I get it.

I don't get it. And nobody here has even attempted to explain why Megna's comment is anti-Semitic. You were the person that made the charge, not me.; 2/3/13, 10:19 AM
KCFleming said...: Don't be thick, Garage.

"Tags just indicate the presence of a topic, not a particular statement on the topic."

It's merely a category, not a judgment or accusation.; 2/3/13, 10:28 AM
garage mahal said...: Pogo

"Tags just indicate the presence of a topic, not a particular statement on the topic."

Where is anti-Semitism present? Why is it so hard to demonstrate? Here is the video just in case you actually wanted to examine the comment. It's obvious to me the skit was sarcastic and told through the eyes of a Walker supporter.; 2/3/13, 10:37 AM
madAsHell said...: I'll guess Megna is circumcised, and celebrated his bar mitzvah.; 2/3/13, 10:38 AM
bagoh20 said...: I understand the point, but I also think the professor or most anybody would not appreciate being the subject of such a tag. It doesn't even have a question mark.; 2/3/13, 10:41 AM
KCFleming said...: If you don't think saying "Fuck the Jews" is either anti-Semitic or referring to it ironically, you have more difficulties than I can address.; 2/3/13, 10:45 AM
KCFleming said...: In the video he knelt down and did the sign if the cross. In his blog he has a post discussing things he doesn't like about the Pope and the history of no-meat Fridays and mortal sin.

He's an ex-Catholic, and an angry one, I'd bet. Questionable for him to say 'fuck the Jews,' really, even ironically.; 2/3/13, 10:54 AM
garage mahal said...: Althouse, I think I may have misinterpreted the intent of the tag. So on that I apologize.; 2/3/13, 10:57 AM
bagoh20 said...: I'm not arguing the point pro or con, but have you noticed that our culture really does not excel at anything any longer except outrage, and we do that effortlessly. It's a debilitating addiction, like being a crackhead. We need that fix daily, and I find that outrageous!; 2/3/13, 11:02 AM
Chuck said...: All across the country, state by state, Democrats are going to be confronted by a stunning reality; right-to-work laws and reform of public emplyee unionism will mean that their backers in the unions will no longer be able to pump money into campaigns. And it will get worse still, when the state electorates discover that plaintiffs' bar is a luxury that the medical system and manufacturing businesses can no longer tolerate. The Democrats' second biggest source of funding thereby ends as well.; 2/3/13, 11:43 AM
garage mahal said...: All across the country, state by state, Democrats are going to be confronted by a stunning reality; right-to-work laws and reform of public emplyee unionism will mean that their backers in the unions will no longer be able to pump money into campaigns.

Eh, I think you meant to say it's all about the budget and protecting hard working taxpayers.; 2/3/13, 11:45 AM
Mark said...: Funny, the article never identifies him as a Democrat, except to note that "[the] situation prompted him to testify before legislative committees and produce a series of YouTube videos mocking Gov. Scott Walker and other Republicans."

Somehow I think if he were a conservative JSOnline would have taken a different approach.; 2/3/13, 11:50 AM
Mogget said...: Yeah, just what we need: another unbalanced idiot with piss-poor judgment sitting in judgment of the rest of us on our state Supreme Court. It must be the water in Madison...; 2/3/13, 11:51 AM
Chip S. said...: Is this guy's campaign slogan going to be, "The WI SC is no place for Prudence"?; 2/3/13, 11:59 AM
Known Unknown said...: As someone who has seen South Park and co-authors a non-PC fake news blog, I get where the "f the jews" remark is coming from.; 2/3/13, 1:31 PM
Known Unknown said...: Also, who elects someone named Prudence Roggensack?

Oh, Wisconsinites ... that's who.; 2/3/13, 1:32 PM
n.n said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/3/13, 2:03 PM
n.n said...: "I've given them so much more stuff to talk about that they're not going to bring up..."

He's the perfect candidate for a political or journalistic office, but is a judicial office also disposed to changing the subject for expediency?; 2/3/13, 2:05 PM