Althouse: "My blog is pretty left-wing today. I'm skewing left."

March 4, 2014

"My blog is pretty left-wing today. I'm skewing left."

I say. And Meade says: "About time."

76 comments:

Anonymous said...: You say 'skew'. I say 'slew'.; 3/4/14, 9:45 AM
chickelit said...: Skewer the skew!; 3/4/14, 9:50 AM
Wince said...: I skew left every day, if you know what I mean.; 3/4/14, 9:55 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: You are always very far left wing, Althouse.

Only at UW would that not be apparent.

You've pretty much dedicated your life to attacking and destroying traditional cultures.

Your job is producing rent seeking lawyers.; 3/4/14, 10:07 AM
Anonymous said...: A "always very far left wing" person wouldn't be such a strong supporter of a Tea Party governor like Scottie Walker.

Some people say he wouldn't have won the recall election if it wasn't for Ann's constant help during that time.; 3/4/14, 10:13 AM
Robert Cook said...: "You are always very far left wing, Althouse."

Your biases are showing, Tom, (not to mention seriously occluding your perception of reality).; 3/4/14, 10:15 AM
chickelit said...: Some people say he wouldn't have won the recall election if it wasn't for Ann's constant help during that time.

The same could be said about Obama's election in 2008.; 3/4/14, 10:18 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: A "always very far left wing" person wouldn't be such a strong supporter of a Tea Party governor like Scottie Walker.

Althouse's one departure from the far left is a semblance of fiscal responsibility.

She is, however, blithely vacant when it comes to the role of traditional culture in insuring that fiscal responsibility.

Althouse is smarter than generations of humans. She thinks.; 3/4/14, 10:20 AM
tim maguire said...: What's left-wing about it?; 3/4/14, 10:36 AM
KCFleming said...: Today??; 3/4/14, 10:39 AM
Ron said...: Give it up, Althouse....The Madison Buttplug-Orienter (or whatever that paper is) will not embrace you in their scribblings! Best stay to the right where you are "loved".; 3/4/14, 10:45 AM
Audacity17 said...: "She is, however, blithely vacant when it comes to the role of traditional culture in insuring that fiscal responsibility."

Amen. The social issues ARE the fiscal issues.; 3/4/14, 10:47 AM
LilyBart said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/4/14, 11:02 AM
LilyBart said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/4/14, 11:02 AM
LilyBart said...: I think you only dabble in looking at the center/right views because its 'interesting' to you.

You're left, no question.; 3/4/14, 11:03 AM
Anonymous said...: Funny, I always thought Meade as more of a righty, who knew? Welcome to the dark side, we have bacon.; 3/4/14, 11:12 AM
Henry said...: The social issues ARE the fiscal issues.

The stripes are the plaids.; 3/4/14, 11:14 AM
CWJ said...: Seriously, I didn't notice.; 3/4/14, 11:23 AM
Anonymous said...: A little birdie told me that the Isthmus will be the top paper in town, just watch and wait.; 3/4/14, 11:23 AM
KCFleming said...: In which Henry is outed as one who cannot see connections. It's a core failing among the left.

They lack an imagination and a long term orientation, and so are unable to foresee the unintended consequences of their demands and desires.

To them, it's just stripes and plaids; unrelated.; 3/4/14, 11:23 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: MadisonMa'am said...
Funny, I always thought Meade as more of a righty, who knew? Welcome to the dark side, we have bacon.

Nobody smart stays with the losers,...; 3/4/14, 11:23 AM
Henry said...: To them, it's just stripes and plaids

To me it's just the arguments by assertion and the arguments that aren't. When Shouting Thomas makes an actual case for his point of view, I'll consider it.; 3/4/14, 11:34 AM
KCFleming said...: Read Thomas Sowell.
He explains it better than anyone alive.
The Vision of the Anointed i is a good start.

“Civilization has been aptly called a ‘thin crust over a volcano’. The anointed are constantly picking at that crust.”; 3/4/14, 11:46 AM
Anonymous said...: Some think Althouse is a lefty because they are so far right, anything left of them looks and smells like a commie.; 3/4/14, 11:47 AM
chickelit said...: Whenever I get a whiff of commie, I reach for my Commie Cleanser; 3/4/14, 11:49 AM
Sixty Bricks said...: arm eritrea left of the dial - bank of amerika; 3/4/14, 11:51 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Yes, it's a good time for some left. Vortex time.; 3/4/14, 11:51 AM
KCFleming said...: "Some think Althouse is a lefty "

Some??; 3/4/14, 11:53 AM
Anonymous said...: Thomas Sowell turns on Ted Cruz.

Yes, please do read Thomas Sowell.; 3/4/14, 11:53 AM
KCFleming said...: It's odd, MM, when one picks one quote to buttress their opinions, but firmly rejects all other conclusions from that same author.

Is it the stopped clocke effect you're after?
Or dishonesty?
Enjoyment of an in-family fight?; 3/4/14, 11:56 AM
Anonymous said...: Just having some fun poking a dead 'possum.; 3/4/14, 11:58 AM
KCFleming said...: He's only mostly dead.; 3/4/14, 12:02 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Funny, I always thought Meade as more of a righty, who knew? Welcome to the dark side, we have bacon."

Meade voted for Nader in 2000. I voted for Gore (but I supported the Supreme Court's resolution of the Florida litigation and accepted Bush as President).

Both of us changed after 9/11 and came to appreciate and support George Bush.

That doesn't mean we like anyone else too much. We're both liberal on the social issues. He's closer than I am to being a Tea Partier on taxing and spending. Remember that he took a bus to Washington to be in the protest at the U.S. Capital the day of the final vote on Obamacare.; 3/4/14, 12:03 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I'm proud of the fact that lefties are convinced I'm a righty and righties are convinced I'm a lefty… and this after 10 years of prolific and perfectly open writing about politics. I say this is a rare achievement. But it's a hell of a thing to expect anyone to admire me for and I don't. Only the politics-averse people who still want to read about politics can possibly like me. I think I have a lot of readers in that category and that they don't tend to participate in the comments.; 3/4/14, 12:07 PM
Tank said...: I think you are quite obviously a moderate.; 3/4/14, 12:11 PM
Anonymous said...: Althouse, I appreciate your fairness in throwing red meat to both sides, but could you possibly throw a bit more to the left, please?; 3/4/14, 12:18 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Leftish posts vortex the inside. Rightish posts vortex the outside.; 3/4/14, 12:22 PM
pst314 said...: LilyBart I think you only dabble in looking at the center/right views because its 'interesting' to you."

Well, that is a chronic failing of intellectuals.; 3/4/14, 12:23 PM
hombre said...: MadisonMa'am: "Thomas Sowell turns on Ted Cruz.
Yes, please do read Thomas Sowell."

Unbeknownst to the minions of the left is a most important type of diversity: diversity of opinion among partisans.

I admire Sowell, but I'm with Cruz on this one. Self-immolation for the cause is all too common among losing conservatives.; 3/4/14, 12:37 PM
Anonymous said...: The same could be said about Obama's election in 2008

Were there commentators from foreign countries that said on this blog they were donating to Obama due to Ann's support of him? Because there were a lot of commentators not from Wisconsin saying they had sent money to Scottie, because of this blog.

If even only half the posts were true then she helped funnel over $100,000 to the Republicans during the recall elections. That isn't left wing at all, let alone very far or always.; 3/4/14, 12:40 PM
Anonymous said...: Forgot to add: She ain't right wing either, rather she simply flows back and forth with the breeze with no anchor on either side.; 3/4/14, 12:42 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: Ann Althouse,

"Both of us changed after 9/11 and came to appreciate and support George Bush.

That doesn't mean we like anyone else too much."

Ah, there we go,...; 3/4/14, 12:43 PM
hombre said...: Althouse: "I'm proud of the fact that lefties are convinced I'm a righty and righties are convinced I'm a lefty...."

Lefties only think Althouse is a righty because she occasionally departs from their template to stimulate conversation and because they don't know much about the righty point of view.

BTW, I'm not quite sure how a person "who still likes to read about politics" occurs to the Professor as "politics-averse," but what do I know. (12:07); 3/4/14, 12:55 PM
chickelit said...: @madisonfella: In the final analysis, it doesn't take money to win elections but rather votes. Was your vote bought?

Votes can be convincingly won over. Althouse did that for Obama in 2008.; 3/4/14, 1:01 PM
LilyBart said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/4/14, 1:13 PM
LilyBart said...: pst314 said...
LilyBart I think you only dabble in looking at the center/right views because its 'interesting' to you."

I passionately believe in the idea that "That Government which Governs Least, Governs Best", and support personal liberty and fiscal responsibility. While I like to hear others' thoughts, and will consider their view points, I don't spout one viewpoint for a while, then move back in the other direction. (At my age, I know what I think works, and have likely heard all sides of the issues).; 3/4/14, 1:13 PM
RecChief said...: "Only the politics-averse people who still want to read about politics can possibly like me"

Not true. I like dog lovers too.; 3/4/14, 1:17 PM
Hunter McDaniel said...: Anne's news judgment/story selection is what makes her hard to pigeonhole on the usual left/right axis; 3/4/14, 1:32 PM
J Lee said...: Ann reminds me a little bit of Professor Daniel Pat Moynihan, who was always great for logical sound bites and statements from the Johnson through the Clinton years. But when it came time to vote during his four terms in the Senate, it often seemed as if he was paying no attention to the statements made by Professor Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Old habits die hard. Dallas Cowboys fans still can't stop rooting for their team, no matter how many times they tell themselves and their friends what an out-of-control idiot Jerry Jones is. Politics, when it comes to long-time loyalties and hoping things will get better in the future -- even when you can see they're not -- can be the same way (but the dog pictures on Ann's site are more worthwhile).; 3/4/14, 1:47 PM
Anonymous said...: My theory is that some people won't stay with a party they perceive as losers. With the socon nature of the Republicans, they are not going to be on the winning side anytime soon. I think that Althouse, as well as others on the right who don't have their heads up the ass of the religious right are seeing the writing on the wall.; 3/4/14, 2:15 PM
Fen said...: I don't see how she's skewing left today, but

Evidence that Althouse is not a Lefty:

1) her ravaging of Monica-wanna-be feminism during the Valenti breast posing incident. And (in general) her pushback against some of the dumber feminist tropes.

2) her pulitzer worthy coverage of the Madison protests where she spotlighted the union goons and they idiotic protestors.

But most important:

3) her defense and support of free speech on this blog. I know there was some kind of setback when the comments were closed, but in general she allows for a back and forth between left & right without censoring viewpoint.

That 3rd example is the reason I still read her. She's set up a venue that has outstanding commentary.

Although I wish we could get a better breed of Lefties in here. Stripped of all their racist/sexist/homophobe rants, they don't do so well. Hey, maybe thats why the intelligent Lefties stay away - they know they'll get their ass kicked.; 3/4/14, 2:42 PM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: I'm proud of the fact that lefties are convinced I'm a righty and righties are convinced I'm a lefty… and this after 10 years of prolific and perfectly open writing about politics. I say this is a rare achievement. But it's a hell of a thing to expect anyone to admire me for and I don't.

I do actually admire you for that and am continually amused at those who pigeonhole you one way or the other. Few of "us" on this side of the blog really hew radically one way or the other, and over time it is obvious which ones are rigid ideologues. I'm here because I like your writing style and appreciate this for what it is: current events or topics you want to take note of in your own inimitable style.

Despite the occasional highjacking attempt, this comment section is the most diverse and best executed one I've been part of. PowerLine and Ricochet don't have enough contrarian commenters. Here, about half the group usually assumes you are on the opposite side from themselves and spout off appropriately. It's good stuff, Hostess Ann.; 3/4/14, 2:43 PM
Fen said...: Sockpuppet #3: others on the right who don't have their heads up the ass of the religious right

What makes that comment hysterical is that I don't even know anyone on the "religious right".

I'm beginning to wonder if you guys made them up: "Big boogie monster fundie going to crawl up your uterus if you don't vote Dem!"

*snort*; 3/4/14, 2:44 PM
Fen said...: Sure, Althouse has her blind spots. Everyone does. And being more intelligent only means your mind is better at hiding them from you.

But if *I* had to write some 1500 words per day and then let *this* crowd dissect them? ... fuck that noise. I couldn't do it.; 3/4/14, 2:47 PM
Alex said...: Is he a tom cat, prowling around for female cats?; 3/4/14, 2:56 PM
Anonymous said...: Nader?! Seriously??; 3/4/14, 3:00 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/4/14, 3:01 PM
tim maguire said...: I'm proud of the fact that lefties are convinced I'm a righty and righties are convinced I'm a lefty…

In fairness to the righties around here, the lefties around here made it clear in an earlier post about the NYT that the bare minimum requirement of being liberal is supporting Soviet-style show trials for anyone who departs from liberal dogma.

That liberals don't accept you as liberal is hardly evidence that you aren't liberal. (There is other evidence in your history, but this isn't among it.); 3/4/14, 3:06 PM
Fen said...: Yah, this is why making the distinction between Lefty and Liberal is becoming more important.; 3/4/14, 3:18 PM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Yes, Fen. As is being pro-Free Speech. Althouse still believes in more speech = free speech; that and her willingness to call bullshit on feminists endears her to me.; 3/4/14, 3:24 PM
Rusty said...: Robert Cook said...
"You are always very far left wing, Althouse."

Your biases are showing, Tom, (not to mention seriously occluding your perception of reality).

The irony screams down the quarter mile.
I'm afraid, Bob, your time beat Thomases.; 3/4/14, 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...: Althouse also called bullshit on the notion of downtrodden men last summer, remember? She laughed in their scrunched up little faces.; 3/4/14, 3:30 PM
Rusty said...: Fen said...
Yah, this is why making the distinction between Lefty and Liberal is becoming more important.

No it isn't.; 3/4/14, 3:30 PM
dreams said...: "That liberals don't accept you as liberal is hardly evidence that you aren't liberal. (There is other evidence in your history, but this isn't among it.)"

I agree.; 3/4/14, 3:45 PM
n.n said...: The difference between left and right is not the so-called "social issues", since libertines (e.g. faith in spontaneous conception, normalization of dysfunctional behaviors) exist on both sides. It is not fiscal conservatism (i.e. capitalism), since the right is principally designated capitalist, and the left distinguishes itself by a minority capitalist class by design. No, the difference between left and right is the acceptance of organic growth (i.e. the "invisible hand"). The right defers to individual development. While the left defers to mortal gods (i.e. centralization) who reward individuals with their favor.

You, Professor, are assuredly right-wing, of the libertine or libertarian order. You prefer not to compromise, but will accept formation of authoritarian monopolies, and the diminished liberty they entail, in exchange for greater libertine freedoms.; 3/4/14, 4:29 PM
Known Unknown said...: Althouse still believes in more speech = free speech; that and her willingness to call bullshit on feminists endears her to me.

Except when it comes to comments here sometimes.; 3/4/14, 6:34 PM
Known Unknown said...: Also, MadisonMa'am makes me miss Madison Man.; 3/4/14, 6:34 PM
Known Unknown said...: Nice profile, MadisonMa'am, er, someone else.; 3/4/14, 6:37 PM
Matt said...: Another Inga sock puppet.... ugh.; 3/4/14, 7:19 PM
James Pawlak said...: Have you been in Colorado of late?; 3/4/14, 7:27 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I'm proud?

Althouse has gone off her reservation.; 3/4/14, 10:26 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/k/kid+rock/my+name+is+rock_20078155.html

I skew too.

But without context, which for Althouse is topical toward bias other than Mark Steyn yet not yelling for more Martin Luther King Jr. Readings from/of/by Letter From Birmingham Jail.; 3/5/14, 12:36 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: "Oh Steel Panther is below comment."

This is what you, the more Brave New Worlders, is what my highest compliment toward your sort could achieve, disdain, Panthers of Steel.

You've reasons justified.

So've others.

BUT THEY AIN'T FEELIN THE STEEL; 3/5/14, 12:55 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: As I've thought of the Great Sally Kohn. I exist.; 3/5/14, 12:56 AM
Guildofcannonballs said...: What matters most is how Ronon feel.

You know they have special ways to influence and win, right?; 3/5/14, 12:57 AM
Krumhorn said...: I love Ann's blog, and I admire her ability to keep it fresh and interesting. That she grew up a leftie,but constantly questions the leftie premise is her defining characteristic. I think she would embrace outright the small government conservative view if there were just one national figure who could argue the case in a genial and forthright style without being repellant about it.

These are the days when we need another Reagan.

- Krumhorn; 3/5/14, 1:38 AM