October 9, 2018

"Weeks ahead of the midterm elections, Republicans have cast the Trump resistance movement as “an angry mob'... a modern incarnation of the law-and-order thrusts Republicans have used before in tough campaigns..."

"... most notably 50 years ago, when Richard Nixon used the specter of rioting at the Democratic National Convention to cast the opposing party as the tool of antiwar protesters and violent malcontents.... Earlier this year, when White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was denied service at a Virginia restaurant and when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was heckled by protesters at a Mexican restaurant, Republicans cast Democrats as overreacting and unable to withhold their animus toward Trump.... 'They have encouraged mob rule,' Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said on the Senate floor Friday... Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) wondered on Twitter: 'Imagine the coverage on cable news if an angry mob of conservatives stormed the steps of the Supreme Court building.'... At his Saturday night rally in Topeka, Kan., Trump joined in, asserting that 'the radical Democrats have turned into an angry mob.'"

I'm reading "‘An angry mob’: Republicans work to recast Democratic protests as out-of-control anarchy" by Matt Viser and Robert Costa in The Washington Post.

There are 3 things that strike me that Viser and Costa don't talk about (and that others who are promoting women's rage are not talking talking about):

1. Law and order may be an old conservative theme — and I certainly remember how Nixon used it back in the days of angry anti-Vietnam War protests — but rape and sexual assault are violent crimes, and the #MeToo movement demands a more vigorous crack down on crime. Do you want more severe anti-crime enforcement or not? If you do, you're a law-and-order person. Own it!

2. Kavanaugh expressed anger at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, and he was condemned — by Democrats — for lacking the right "temperament." His opponents acted so shocked and disturbed by the display of emotion. Is showing righteous anger a good tactic or not? If it's bad only when the other side does it, you're engaged in the kind of hypocrisy that I collect under the tag "civility bullshit."

3. It's sexist to minimize the threat of violence coming from women. Some people use the term "cat fight" to suggest it's cute or sexy or laughable when women are violent, and women may sometimes take advantage of that low opinion of our capacity to do real damage. Female privilege. I'm seeing that in the current protests, with women expressing open, screaming rage. If these women think they don't deserve a law-and-order reaction, they are trusting that the rest of us hold the sexist opinion that they are ineffectual. Let them explain why that's pro-woman.

351 comments:

1 – 200 of 351   Newer›   Newest»
rhhardin said...

rape and sexual assault are violent crimes

Some are, some aren't. It's been redefined with the goal of claiming these offenses deserve the same outrage that those offenses did.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

This is why I love to read Althouse.

Jersey Fled said...

I've posted this here before, but here it is again.

I taught at a large urban university for eight years. During that time, we had two knock down drag out fights in our classrooms when I was there or near. I'm talking throw someone across a chair kind of fights. In both cases, the fight was between two women.

Men know they can do each other serious harm, and so they know when to back off. Women, I'm not so sure.

rehajm said...

Polling tracked by RealClearPolitics since October 3 shows all the momentum has shifted to the Republicans. Lefties have four weeks to try and find something that works and then right the ship. I don't think trying to deflect the backlash to the left's angry mob is going to work. For one thing leftie rage has been the only thing that's been getting them through the day. Good luck trying to hide that when so many depend upon it.

Dave Begley said...

Recast the Dems as an angry mob? That's who they are!

Robert Cook said...

The problem with Kavanaugh's show of emotion was that it was tonally off...it seemed both petulant and insincere. He seemed to be theatrically amplifying whatever emotion he actually felt to distract and/or rattle his interlocutors...to put them on the defensive, as Clarence Thomas did.

On the other hand, if his display was entirely genuine, it calls into question his general level of emotional maturity and self-control. I've seen murder defendants comport themselves with greater calm...as their attorneys no doubt encourage them to do.

In short, he was either acting or acting out...neither is a good look for a Supreme Court Justice.

Paul Zrimsek said...

4. I've spent most of my life hearing about Angry White Men. Not quite as much fun when they use that trope against you, is it?

mccullough said...

Antifa are mostly white men. Guys like Tim Kaine’s son. They push around old people and hit people who aren’t looking. Total pussies.

These mostly white women are hysterical. But not violent. Not yet anyway.

But at least they are all getting paid.

Freder Frederson said...

You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally. But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue.

rhhardin said...

More women should be offered starring roles in exchange for sex. Make it fairer, overcoming Althouse's objection.

Anonymous said...

Of course the light touch on women behaving as a lawless mob is rarely discussed. Anyone raising the subject would rightly be concerned about becoming a victim, whether of an actual mob, a social media mob or pressure put on his employer by either or both of the former. It's not certain whether the current climate is an end point or a way point, but it is an inevitable station along a path to to inequality under the law (aw, heck that's too mild - legally sanctioned persecution) that began with the "reasonable woman" standard for sexual harassment. Are women equal under the law or not? When the foundational idea is "all sex between men and women is rape" only bad things are likely to follow.

rhhardin said...

What is marriage but a starring role.

Freder Frederson said...

But at least they are all getting paid.

I have heard this before. Could you please tell me how I can get paid by George Soros. He has stiffed me so far.

cyrus83 said...

With regard to these 3 ideas:

1 - The failure of Ford or any of Kavanaugh's other accusers to take legal action against him suggests that Democrats don't want to solve the problem of rape and sexual assault via the criminal justice system. Here it depends whether the public is more on the side of due process for serious crimes as this or in favor of trial by (social) media. A strong crackdown legally requires strong due process protection. I favor this, but I do think no accusation should be aired in public unless an indictment is handed down.

2 - Highly emotional people disturbed by an emotional response. I suspect they are not used to having their emotional outbursts challenged.

3 - I think a lot of women these days are brought up with the idea that they can do whatever they want, especially to men, so the discipline of self-control is a bit absent.

rhhardin said...

The objection to Weinstein is that he didn't make it legal. He got divorced anyway, metaphorically speaking.

It's the reign of no-fault sexual harassment accusations.

Quaestor said...

It surely looks like out-of-control anarchy to me.

rehajm said...

In short, he was either acting or acting out...neither is a good look for a Supreme Court Justice

He wasn't a Supreme Court Justice.

clint said...

Freder Frederson said...
"You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally. But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue."

Location, location, location.

The Right is fired up at their own rallies.

The Left is going to restaurants, movie theaters, airports, elevators -- even Senators' doxxed homes to scream at people face-to-face in rage.

These are not the same thing.

This is the difference between practicing shooting at a firing range and breaking into someone's home to put a gun in their face.

rhhardin said...

I have heard this before. Could you please tell me how I can get paid by George Soros. He has stiffed me so far.

You need better readings of situations, e.g., You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally.

Robert Cook said...

"You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally. But I guess it is okay to chant
'lock her up' if you are on the right side of the issue."


The entire Republican base is an angry mob.

Robert Cook said...

"He wasn't a Supreme Court Justice."

He was being interviewed for the job, and he got it.

Do you suppose his character has changed in the interim?

rhhardin said...

The entire Republican base is an angry mob.

An angry mob that pick up its own trash.

rehajm said...

Do you suppose his character has changed in the interim?

No.

Quaestor said...

The failure of Ford or any of Kavanaugh's other accusers to take legal action against him suggests that Democrats don't want to solve the problem of rape and sexual assault via the criminal justice system.

Suggests? Perhaps..., but not very strongly. Keep in mind the fact that unlike the Senate's committee hearing rooms in the legal system of sworn complaints and cross-examinations under oath perjury carries genuine risk.

Ann Althouse said...

@Robert Cook

Do you think the raging women protesters are putting on a show of anger — that it's theatrical and not a purely straightforward revelation of true emotion?

I do understand the difference in setting, that protest is inherently theater and amplification is the norm, whereas testifying under oath is requires honesty and restraint is the norm, but BK didn't scream hysterically, and his display included struggling to maintain composure.

Ann Althouse said...

Thanks, Annie C.

Ralph L said...

Althouse talks too much before number 1. Looks more like number 2.

Dave said...

Yes it is a nice bridge from the Gracie post to thought number three. So I agree with you Annie C.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Robert Cook said...

I've seen murder defendants comport themselves with greater calm...

Have you seen that from entirely innocent murder defendants in situations where they were to be accorded no due process?

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Republicans pounce! Republicans seize on video evidence of their opponents acting as an angry mob to cast their opponents as...members of an angry mob.

Who are you gonna believe, Robert Costa or your lyin' eyes?

It's really quite amusing--you'd think the Media bigshots would be better at this. They play up Dem/women's rage one day and the next try to make it illegitimate to NOTICE that many of the raging people are raging/acting like an angry mob.

One moment it's "girl power, yeah, shout down those Senators, pound on those doors!" and the next it's "how dare you dismiss these smart, brave women by calling them angry and saying they're acting as a bullying mob?!"

Do they really not think we'll notice the contrast, there? Maybe if there were only 3 network news channels they could alternate headlines and push the narrative that's most useful to the Left at any given time (switching as necessary), but today a 14 year old with a phone can put up clips from the WashPo in about 5 minutes that will show the utter idiocy of this article's take. Laughable!

rhhardin said...

I wonder if dogs liking their tummy rubbed is wiring to enjoy nursing puppies.

If you want equal strength males and females some changes are necessary. Sharp teeth would be one equalizer. Still, the males are persistent when the in-heat scent is there. It's been a minute, maybe she's changed her mind.

Then there's six weeks of puppy traffic between the paws. You have to keep the female around somehow.

Darkisland said...

The problem with Kavanaugh's show of emotion was that it was tonally off..

That's JUSTICE Kavanagh to you, Cookie.

And it will be for the next 30-40 years.

Deal with it.

I see a good chance for President Trump to appoint 2 more, maybe 3 more, in his first term.

MAGA! Baby

John Henry

Kate said...

"You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally. But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue."

This comment is very instructive. A rally, a place designed for releasing high emotion which disperses upon leaving, is confused with an angry mob overrunning civic spaces. The Left may actually not know the difference.

MadisonMan said...

I wouldn't say they've cast them as a mob. They've held up a mirror and shown the truth. They are a mob.

I think the election in 4 weeks will be very interesting.

Anonymous said...

Good points.

Contra the headline writer, I don't think Republicans have to put much work into getting the public to perceive batshit mob behavior on the left.

A few gems from scanning the article.

"President Trump and the GOP...have massive financial and media infrastructure behind them".

Shame the Democratic Party has to rely on bake sale revenues.

"The characterization evokes fear of an unknown and out-of-control mass of people, and it taps into grievances about the nation’s fast-moving cultural and demographic shifts..."

Lol. Get some new material, guys. Does anybody hire reporters who don't write like bottom-of-the-class freshman sociology majors parroting their not-much-brighter professors anymore? I did enjoy this variant on the boilerplate, though:

"“It’s aimed at firing up Fox viewers and the more strident elements of Trump’s base; it’s fearmongering,” said John Weaver, a longtime Republican strategist who is a frequent Trump critic. “I’m sure there is some little old lady in Iowa who now keeps her doors locked because she thinks there’s going to be some anarchist mob coming through Davenport.”

Yeah, that's what has us rubes in Flyoveria all aflutter. (The "longtime Republican strategist" was a nice touch. I'd laugh, but some dumb Republican is probably paying this clown for campaign advice.)

This from people who take middle-aged catladies protesting in Handmaid's Tale costumes seriously.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Yeah, it's republican perceptions chasing people out of restaurants and theaters, and Republicans casting people into stabbing GOP candidates and shooting GOP politicians, and Republicans pouncing on mobs of Democrat party members blocking streets and attacking cars trying to pass. And it's the democrat party media trying to portray these mobs and assassins and thugs and muggers as the good guys.

Mike Sylwester said...

Democracy Dies in Darkness!

FIDO said...

Yes, Sexual Assault and Rape are violent crimes. Crimes demand this little thing we call 'evidence', not just assertion.

If you are calling for extra-judicial treatment of rape and sexual assault, or super special treatment of female victims so one is not allowed a defense, you forfeit the idea you are 'law and order'.

If you don't like the current laws, try to change them...and justify your position.

etbass said...

"I've seen murder defendants comport themselves with greater calm...as their attorneys no doubt encourage them to do."

Judge K's anger was at the unjust and uncorroborated accusations of men of intelligence who know better. That's a tad different than the guilty murder who was convicted by due process.

Do you see the difference?

Gilbert Pinfold said...

Steve Scalise begs to differ

FIDO said...

I have heard this before. Could you please tell me how I can get paid by George Soros. He has stiffed me so far.


He only hires quality.

etbass said...

"You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally. But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue."

How many Trump rallies have you attended?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

It is pretty easy to cast people as being an angry mob when they act like an angry mob.

Quayle said...

“the nation’s fast-moving cultural and demographic shifts..."

Yeah, that’s why people are trying to get into the United States anyway possible, legally or illegally - its for our better civil unrest, political violence, and mob rule.

Freder Frederson said...

How many Trump rallies have you attended?

None. But I have seen plenty of the two minutes hate on the tv.

etbass said...

"The entire Republican base is an angry mob."

And it is about time!

FIDO said...

You won't like me when I'm angry.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Robert Cook@7:22 ... lulz... It's over, fool. You lost, Trump won. He swore in Kav-brah, made a very classy apology to the Kavanaughs and the country for the despicable behavior of the detestable Democrat party, then he spiked the football, the American football, in your fucking face. Trump won, AGAIN! You must be tired of it.

FIDO said...

How many fights broke out at Trump rallies?

Were the people fighting OTHER Trump people...or...OTHER non-Trump people?

What are other non-Trump people doing at a Trump rally? Were they...protesting? Acting up in an angry manner?

I don't for a moment disbelieve Freder that there is violence at Trump rallies. We've had Dem operatives confess that they were hired to start fights.

AllenS said...

You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally. But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue.

Yeah, especially crazy is when the Trump rally ends and the people go to the streets and break windows and burn cars.

tim in vermont said...

Men have to show restraint in a way that women don't, or the streets would be littered with bodies.

Rick said...

Freder Frederson said...
You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally


Freder again shows his bias. Marchers who burn limos and break into stores: not mobs. Cheering people: mobs.

The left's positions are always determined by who they are analyzing. It's how they're trained.

tim in vermont said...

Brownshirts used to go to opposition rallies to create a violent atmosphere. Which party does that?

But I bet Freder is ecstatic that Saint Hillary is touring again, shoring up American decency!

Henry said...

Is showing righteous anger a good tactic or not? If it's bad only when the other side does it, you're engaged in the kind of hypocrisy that I collect under the tag "civility bullshit."

This was the primary thing I noticed in that Casey Cep hatchet job article -- the sanctimonious attack on white women as exemplars of the bad kind of rage.

This failure to parse politically inconvenient anger is, as Ogden Nash once put it, “a notable feat / of one-way thinking on a two-way street.” “Eloquent Rage,” “Good and Mad,” and “Rage Becomes Her” give little space to Sarah Palin, the women of the Tea Party, and the legions of women who—in what they, too, feel is an expression of righteous anger—lend their voices to the anti-abortion movement. All of the books do, however, acknowledge a fact that undercuts their attempts to valorize women’s anger: one of the angriest demographics in America before the 2016 Presidential election was white women, and the majority of them voted for Donald Trump.

That the words “President” and “Trump” came together anywhere outside of a Mad Lib is itself perhaps the most straightforward argument against anger as a political virtue. According to exit polls and endless postmortems, many people were so furious about immigration, the economy, the election of a black President, the potential for a female one, Black Lives Matter, the War on Christmas, and any number of other real and phantasmagorical issues that they voted for Trump. Was there ever a better example of blind rage?


That's a rhetorical question, but the answer is yes, of course. The blind rate that justifies an attack on a broad group of people by smearing their motives, trivializing their life experience, and misrepresenting their concerns is a better example.

Everything Cep wrote -- all the historicizing and theorizing and philosophizing -- is a burrito wrapper around this rotten slab of hatred.

I'm against anger in general.

FIDO said...

3. It's sexist to minimize the threat of violence coming from women. Some people use the term "cat fight" to suggest it's cute or sexy or laughable when women are violent, and women may sometimes take advantage of that low opinion of our capacity to do real damage. Female privilege. I'm seeing that in the current protests, with women expressing open, screaming rage. If these women think they don't deserve a law-and-order reaction, they are trusting that the rest of us hold the sexist opinion that they are ineffectual. Let them explain why that's pro-woman.


What an incredibly shallow reading of the issue.

It is not that women can't hurt people. It is specific political posturing to use chivalric instincts for media purposes: either women are treated the way they deserve...which is horrible optics as they are arrested...or they are allowed to get away with their crapulence.


So it's sexist, but deliberately sexist in a weaponized way. When women start getting punched in the face and jailed, this tactic is likely to fall into discredit.


It's like these graphically violent women on YouTube who beat on men, assured of their privilege that they are untouchable by law or man. Which is as sexist as it comes.

Didn't we have that video of that drunk Doctor being a real bitch at that Uber driver? She could get away with it 'because I'm a girl.'

Except she was wrong. And I hope those protestors get very long prison sentences, though I doubt the Republicans have the stones for that yet.

Amadeus 48 said...

In the course of a long legal career, I went off a couple of times, surprising people on the other side with my emotion. While I don't recommend it necessarily, it did get the other side's attention, and things moved forward thereafter. Emotion in a righteous cause can be effective. It shows people what is at risk.

I have no problems with BK's show of emotion in those circumstances.

By the way, Senator Graham's interview by the appalling Jeffery Goldberg at the Atlantic Festival (you can see it on C-Span) is interesting. He carefully shows that he doesn't believe Ford and why, and he swats away Goldberg's forays into the temperament and high school highjinks questions.

Robert Cook said...

"Judge K's anger was at the unjust and uncorroborated accusations of men of intelligence who know better. That's a tad different than the guilty murder who was convicted by due process."

Not all murder defendants are guilty...even some who have been convicted.

The point is, in either case, (the murder defendant or the prospective Supreme Court Justice), the party knows he/she is under public scrutiny, and therefore is conscious of his/her behavior, and, presumably, will behave in a manner to give the best impression to those looking on. Did Kavanaugh truly have so little control over himself, or was the the entire spectacle a controlled performance? Either way, he comes off looking bad.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Women seem to somehow think that they are immune to the consequences of their actions. They can scream, get right up into your face with spittle flying. They think that they can hit and never be hit back because they are girls/women and therefore untouchable.

They think wrong.

Any of those actions coming from a man to another man, would result in a fight. And rightly so.


This video is a prime example of a woman thinking she is invincible. Don't bite off more than you can chew

Situation is that these people were trying to barge into an establishment and the "bouncer" was attempting to keep them out. One of the women kicked him in the balls and he pushed her back. Then the stupid bint (they are in England so that is the word) decided to punch the 6'7" bouncer. Guess what! She got what she deserved and what any man would have gotten in the same situation.

Decide Ladies. You want to go toe to toe with the guys? or do you want to be put on a pedestal and protected from life?

You want EQUALITY girls? You can't HANDLE equality.

AllenS said...

One has to wonder what Mr. Cook was like as a child and then a juvenile.

Quaestor said...

Robert Cook wrote: I've seen murder defendants comport themselves with greater calm...

Murder defendants are murder defendants because the State brought some fucking EVIDENCE into court, you fucking sophist!

Quaestor said...

AllenS wrote: One has to wonder what Mr. Cook was like as a child and then a juvenile.

Wrong verb tense, Allen.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

" #MeToo movement demands a more vigorous crack down on crime. Do you want more severe anti-crime enforcement or not? If you do, you're a law-and-order person. Own it!"

The MeToo movement was about some prostitutes in Hollywood and the Media and their lefty bosses/pimps. It's not "law and order" to try and destroy conservative supreme court justices with transparent lies.

You are a shallow thinking affirmative action benificiary feminist retard. Own it!

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Cook: Either way, he [Kavanaugh] comes off looking bad.

Only to you.

tcrosse said...

Either way, he comes off looking bad.

If you're predisposed against him, nothing will make him look good. Kavanaugh is guilty of having been nominated by Trump, and all the rest is just pretext because the opposition didn't have the votes to reject him on the merits.

AllenS said...

Oh, believe me, Quaestor, I thought about it.

Fabi said...

"Did Kavanaugh truly have so little control over himself, or was the the entire spectacle a controlled performance?"

He showed incredible constraint. He would have been justified in coming over the table and ringing a few necks.

Robert Cook said...

"One has to wonder what Mr. Cook was like as a child and then a juvenile."

Always very well behaved and self-controlled. Never prone to temper tantrums or loss of emotional control. Still true today.

NKP said...

How many 'rapists' have spent years and years in prison because of 'mistaken identity'?

How many 'rapists' have had their lives ruined when no assault occurred, thanks to lack of due process?

How many 'victims' have been intimidated from coming forward because of circuses brought on lying 'non-victims'? Tawana Brawley, U VA fraternity accuser, Duke La Cross accuser and Columbia Mattress Girl; I'm asking you.

A person wrongly accused, regardless of role or position in life, is entitled to fight back with righteous indignation. When your 'life' is at stake, self-defense of any kind is legitimate.

Democrats need Mob Rule so they can save you from it. Not that they give a crap. This will not stop until people start going to jail.

FWIW, I believe Kavanaugh's accuser perjured herself bigly. Di Fi, too, perhaps.

Gahrie said...

It's not rage, it's hysteria.

Fabi said...

Or even "wringing" a few necks. Lulz

Gahrie said...

Either way, he comes off looking bad.

In a rational world, Kavanagh is the only person in this shitstorm who doesn't come off looking bad.

rehajm said...

Cookie can't see he's the poster child even when civility bullshit is right there in the post.

Amadeus 48 said...

Mr. Cook is very clear about what he thinks. As an emotional person, I have no trouble with displays of emotion, particularly when one is being attacked in a vicious, scurrilous way. I would have been disappointed if BK had not shown emotion. He is a passionate person. Me too. I liked it when Graham did it, too. It suited the moment.

On the other hand, Senator Collins's clinical review of the situation in her speech was done without emotion because that was the proper way to make her points. This was great political rhetoric.

President-Mom-Jeans said...

" #MeToo movement demands a more vigorous crack down on crime. Do you want more severe anti-crime enforcement or not? If you do, you're a law-and-order person. Own it!"

He was a Stalin cheering little Commie twat then. Now he is a slightly larger unrepentant Stalinist twat. Not much changed.

FIDO said...

Decide Ladies. You want to go toe to toe with the guys? or do you want to be put on a pedestal and protected from life?


The obvious answer is 'yes to both'. They want the girl defense while having the license to hit.


This is a seriously selfish attitude.

Robert Cook said...

"If you're predisposed against him, nothing will make him look good."

If he had maintained his composure he would have looked much better. I didn't have any animus toward him; I'd never heard of him. It goes without saying Trump will propose conservative judges, so it's silly and unrealistic to automatically oppose any person Trump would have named as his appointee to the court, (or will do again in the future).

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

"Republicans pounce."

mccullough said...

Kavanaugh was fine at his hearing. Just like Clarence Thomas. He did what he needed to do.

He pushed the right buttons. Amy Klobuchar outed her elderly father as a drunk on TV. What kind of despicable person does that? A bitter, cruel shrew. Good stuff.

Not as good as “high tech lynching of uppity blacks who deign to think for themselves” but pretty good.

ron winkleheimer said...

But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue.

Yes, expressing a desire to prosecute and jail a law breaker is exactly equivalent to . . ., wait a minute, its not equivalent to an angry mob!

etbass said...

Robert Cook, what would your reaction be as the innocent murderer on the stand who had been convicted by a prosecutor using totally bogus evidence?

1) Stay calm and convey a solemn appearance (justice always prevails)

2) Be indignant and proclaim complete innocence (I am about to be executed for something I did not do)

3) Cry (I'll get some sympathy from this prosecutor)

4) Soil your pants

Shouting Thomas said...

For once, professor, I'm in complete agreement with you.

I would like to add, however, that a Bernie supporter attempted to assassinate the Republican congressional contingent at a softball game. This is a fact that does not have to be explicated as a literary argument.

FIDO said...

Freder,

how many twitter posts have been Republicans wanting Democrats assassinated?

How many Democrats have begged and prayed that Trump be assassinated?

How many Republicans have been attacked by Democrats in the last two years? How many have been put in fear of their lives?

I understand you won't answer these difficult questions because you are a dishonest little git with bad short and long term memory.

For those not so afflicted, we see how ridiculous these assertions are.

And yes, without evidence, I still believe that the Vegas shooter was a Dem. Reid got involved VERY quickly at that incident.

Curious George said...

2. "Kavanaugh expressed anger at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, and he was condemned — by Democrats — for lacking the right "temperament." His opponents acted so shocked and disturbed by the display of emotion. Is showing righteous anger a good tactic or not? If it's bad only when the other side does it, you're engaged in the kind of hypocrisy that I collect under the tag "civility bullshit."

Please don't equate anger from being falsely accused of a sex crime to being pissed about not getting the political results you want. It's a false equivalency and frankly, stupid.

CWJ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Robert Cook said...

"Murder defendants are murder defendants because the State brought some fucking EVIDENCE into court, you fucking sophist!"

1. Not necessarily; there are murder defendants who have been charged (and even convicted) with little or no evidence. (Some who have been convicted have later been exonerated.)

2. That's beside the point: if one is being accused of a crime, guilty or not, a person can still choose how he or she behaves under public scrutiny.

CWJ said...

"You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally. But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue."

We're talking about today, Freder. Leaving aside whether or not "lock her up" qualifies as an angry mob identifier, you do realize that that meme is two years old now.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Cook

The petulance and insincerity are ALL on the left.

FIDO said...

If he had maintained his composure he would have looked much better.


You say that NOW.


And if he had kept his composure, you would have joined in the Althousian 'too good to be true...emotionless and disconnected from the populous...obviously scripted and a real person would have gotten angry'.



Classic obvious BS double bind.

Ambrose said...

There is also our old friend "conservatives pounce TM" in this.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Hillary set up a private server and used it to run a public job.

Imagine is ANY republican had done the same.

Imagine.. it's not hard to do.

CWJ said...

"I have heard this before. Could you please tell me how I can get paid by George Soros. He has stiffed me so far."

First step. Leave your parents' basement.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Bill Clinton settled with Paula Jones, because her accusations were real and he actually sexually assaulted her.

Now the Clintons are going on tour. Will you leftists show up?

Birkel said...

How dare you call our angry mob an angry mob!
Harrumph!

Shouting Thomas said...

Trump has won. I think he's won on all fronts. We've won.

It's time for peace and happiness.

Our political opponents might want to consider just letting it all go and enjoying the peace, prosperity and happiness. Why not? Why do you have to continue the Holy War against the bigots forever? Do you have to denounce and destroy every last sinner?

I don't know exactly how Trump's success works, but it does. At some point in my life I let go believing that the world must be morally purified before I would accept being happy.

Let's be happy. It's a wonderful era to live in the U.S.A.

mccullough said...

Kavanaugh showed the right amount of emotion. And he didn’t take his anger out on Ford but out at the Dems on the committee.

The people who were silent about their rapist colleague Daniel Inouye and their rapist colleagues Ted Kennedy and Christopher Dodd.

The people who defended their rapist friend Bill Clinton and his Rape Apologist wife Hilary.

The Party of Weinstein deserved the back of the hand. And Kavanaugh gave it to them.

Etienne said...

Demo = mob
crat = rule by

donc...

RMc said...

If it's bad only when the other side does it

Everything is bad when the other side does it, regardless of what it is, by definition. That's why they're "the other side", see?

Henry said...

For the record, I didn't think Kavanaugh came across well in the post-Ford hearing. I didn't watch so I can't speak to his presentation, but I read the transcripts and thought his argumentative responses were often devoid of content and showed more access to Republican tropes than careful consideration of the situation both he and the Senators were dealing with. It is possible that the Ford situation was a setup and it is certainly clear that Feinstein helped create as bad a reveal as possible, but given the Ford allegations, Kavanaugh had to expect to be questioned. His careful refusal to condemn Ford was compromised by obvious contempt for the Democratic Senators who had no choice but to pursue the allegations.

That said, he wasn't that contemptuous, or that angry. And much of the questioning was both trivial and appalling. I'm not sure his performance rises to anything other than "could have done better."

FIDO said...

Henry,

Trump offered a list of 20 SCOTUS picks.

Please indicate ONE that you find acceptable.

Chuck said...

Althouse:
1. You're right.
2. You're right.
3. You're right.

Henry said...

FIDO. All of them.

Michael K said...

Blogger Freder Frederson said...
You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally. But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue.


You've already answered that you saw it on TV. You must know the violence was outside, not in the rally except for a couple of protesters that got in. If you deny that, you are in character. As for getting paid, you could find that guy in the videos of protesters being paid.

Or you could be that woman who trapped Flake in the Senate elevator. She makes $153,000 plus bonuses. All funded by Soros and his investors.

Michael K said...

His careful refusal to condemn Ford was compromised by obvious contempt for the Democratic Senators who had no choice but to pursue the allegations.

If you did not have contempt for that clown show, you are a Democrat.

They had a choice not to sound like fools.

brylun said...

Hey Freder,

You want to be paid by Soros? Here's an article in WSJ by a liberal woman who documents how Soros has paid for the Kavanaugh protests. It's even outside their paywall so even non-WSJ subscribers can read the entire thing.

I'm sort of surprised that Althouse or any of her commenters have not commented on it.

Chuck said...

"You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally. But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue."


But there are plenty of us Republicans who don't do that. We were never the ones shouting, "Lock her up!" We were the ones at Federalist Society meetings, doing speeches and articles and symposia and building (literally) "bench strength" for future federal judiciary nominations. Like Brett Kavanaugh.

I always wondered, who it was that Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh supported in the 2016 primaries. My guess is that of 14 candidates, they'd each have ranked Trump around #14. I also suspect that in the end, like me, they voted for Trump in the general. If they voted for president.

Once upon a time, Brett Kavanaugh actually had the opportunity -- more than any of us can imagine -- to "lock her [Mrs. Clinton] up." And he didn't. He knows the limits of that case better than anyone who has ever been to a Trump rally, including Trump.

Anonymous said...

Cook:

1. Not necessarily; there are murder defendants who have been charged (and even convicted) with little or no evidence. (Some who have been convicted have later been exonerated.)

And you know for a fact that that a significant proportion of them (in particular the ones who were later exonerated) conducted themselves with exemplary restraint and equanimity when on trial. You have an exhaustive empirical experience of these events on which you're basing your opinion of proper form under false accusations, I see.

Look, you're welcome to your (most likely bad faith, but at best silly) opinion that righteous anger in the face of false accusations is bad form. But there's no need to try to run into the weeds here, away from the point. It's almost as if you realize that your silliness on the actual point in question isn't defensible.

2. That's beside the point: if one is being accused of a crime, guilty or not, a person can still choose how he or she behaves under public scrutiny.

Obviously, a lot of people thought Kavanaugh's behavior under public scrutiny was just fine, and don't share your idea of proper form for the falsely accused. So why don't you just drop this silly premise that your personal perceptions and premise ("expression of righteous anger is bad form") is the universal standard from which we're all supposed to be arriving at judgments?

It's not like anybody believes you advanced your opinion in anything remotely approaching good faith, anyway.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

Birkel,

You know the law, you cannot harrumph without a link.

Harrumph

mccullough said...

Chuck,

The Federalist Society is now considered an organization of Rape Apologists.

The only thing standing between those with the pitch forks and torches wearing the pussy hats is Donald Trump and his supporters.

They were right and you were wrong.

Anonymous said...

Chuck: But there are plenty of us Republicans who don't do that. We were never the ones shouting, "Lock her up!" We were the ones at Federalist Society meetings, doing speeches and articles and symposia and building (literally) "bench strength" for future federal judiciary nominations. Like Brett Kavanaugh.

I always wondered, who it was that Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh supported in the 2016 primaries. My guess is that of 14 candidates, they'd each have ranked Trump around #14.


And yet Brett Kavanaugh would not be sitting on the bench today if not for Trump.

Funny old world, isn't it?

I suspect that, unlike you, people like Gorsuch and Kavanaugh understand that.

etbass said...

Robert Cook, do you believe the testimony of Dr. Ford?

Seeing Red said...

most notably 50 years ago, when Richard Nixon used the specter of rioting at the Democratic National Convention to cast the opposing party as the tool of antiwar protesters and violent malcontents..

What specter?

We watch them on TV and social media. Trump was right about what he said in Kansas.

Night Owl said...

"The entire Republican base is an angry mob. "

There's angry, which is a normal human reaction in certain circumstances, and then there's bat-shit crazy, which is what we're seeing from the antifa goons, the ball-field shooter, the doxxers and the shrieking harpies, all from the left. People can try to conflate the two for partisan reasons, but clear-eyed apolitical onlookers know what they see and will judge for themselves.

Big Mike said...

He has stiffed me so far.

@Freder, so you’re sort of like a whore who doesn’t get paid?

Seeing Red said...

But I guess it is okay to chant "lock her up" if you are on the right side of the issue.


That’s truth she should have been tried and sent to jail. NO ONE is that powerful and when those heads roll, it sends a good message to the world.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Hillary set up a private server and used it to run a public job.

Imagine if ANY republican had done the same.

Imagine.. it's not hard to do.

Rick said...

the Democratic Senators who had no choice but to pursue the allegations.

Ridiculous. They are responsible for their own choices which fully justify contempt.

rightguy said...

The two A's of the modern democrat party : Anger and Anarchy. That's really all they have to offer.

rightguy said...

The two A's of the modern democrat party : Anger and Anarchy. That's really all they have to offer.

Seeing Red said...

The entire Republican base is an angry mob.

Impossible. I’m not tired of winning.

Hysterics Cookie.

William said...

If only for cosmetic reasons, the femobs should gang up on some Democrats. Cyrus Vance dropped the charges against Harvey Weinstein. Maybe somebody should get in his face, even though he's a Democrat......This is an unrealistic hope, but I'd like to see some activists rig up a bucket of blood and pig offal over the stage at the Academy Awards, and then pull a Carrie on the award winner when they give their gracious acceptance speech. I think such a move would really boost ratings and spike interest in the Awards.

Seeing Red said...

Or the other response is you shrieking harpies shouldn’t poke the bear or roundhouse kick someone who doesn’t agree with you. Vile stuff like that does make us angry. Or shoot at us on basketball courts, threaten our livelihoods, try to “other” us.

But it’s better than living in fear which is what your side is creating.

No peace ? If you want it take the violence, whine about the EC, etc and take dial it down a lot.

mccullough said...

The Dems and the Never Trumpers are pissed that the economy is growing, unemployment is low across the board — for blacks, for Latinos, for those without a high school diploma — and real wages are increasing across the board.

You have to give Trump props. He was right about the Never Trumpers and Dems. They lie and cheat to enrich themselves.

The Koch Brothers and Soros are crying.

MeatPopscicle1234 said...

Oh... here's a nice one... How many Trump supporters do you see committing arson against Democrats?

Antifa / Anti-Trump Arson Attack

Michael K said...

We were the ones at Federalist Society meetings, doing speeches and articles and symposia and building (literally) "bench strength" for future federal judiciary nominations. Like Brett Kavanaugh.

Yes and I saw you at Romney sessions thinking about how to lose gracefully.

Seeing Red said...

The people who defended their rapist friend Bill Clinton and his Rape Apologist wife Hilary.

Voted for her knowing what he is AND wanted to put him back in the WH.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Kavanaugh's temperament is just fine int he face of rabid ugly hysterical leftwing femi-nazi lies - coordinated lies.

The criminal coordination is all on the left.


Tom Cotton:

“I believe the Schumer political operation was behind this from the very beginning. We learned last week that a woman named Monica McLean was Ms. Ford’s roommate, and she was one of the so-called beach friends who encouraged Ms. Ford to go to Dianne Feinstein and the partisan Democrats on the Judiciary Committee. Well, it just turns out, it just so happens that Monica McLean worked for a Preet Bharara, the former U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, now a virulent anti-Trump critic on television and former counsel to Chuck Schumer. So I strongly suspect that Chuck Schumer’s political operation knew about Ms. Ford’s allegations as far back as July and manipulated the process all along to include taking advantage of Ms. Ford’s confidences and directing her towards left-wing lawyers who apparently may have violated the D.C. code of legal ethics and perhaps may face their own investigation by the D.C. Bar.”

Do it.

mccullough said...

And how pissed is Xi and his Red Scum cronies in the Politburo.

They spent a lot of money buying off the Clintons, Bushes, Obamas, etc. They have Biden’s son a billion contract.

And Trump is just slapping them around. Their fake economy is in a lot of trouble.

Michael K said...

The China story is a good one. They had a lot invested in the Clintons.

We will be years weeding out their little hacks and agents, like DiFi's "driver" who appeared in her place at meetings.

etbass said...

The perps behind Dr. Ford should be vigorously pursued. Would the dems howl? Of course they would. But it would send a message that you cannot pull that in America. And for the very same reason, Hillary should be locked up.

Wince said...

"Lock Her Up" actually was a call for equal justice under the law, when compared with other people who were locked-up for mishandling classified information. Not the abandonment of the presumption of innocence or due process on her way to the slammer.

Ralph L said...

Every man should carry a grapefruit half at all times.

Jeff Weimer said...

There's nothing for Republicans to cast - the evidence was plain to see for the last two weeks.

This is nothing but Costa's attempt to minimize the damage to his side and friends.

buwaya said...

All these details and speculations are irrelevant.

Taking things from a few thousand feet of elevation, this is all minutiae. Its focusing on the fate of each individual tree in the path of a Hawaiian lava flow.

The only reason any of this matters (or seems to matter more than usual) is because it has been material used in a propaganda campaign. Including the raging women, who are both paid professionals working for the cause, and the willing victims of it.

Jupiter said...

You're dancing around the issue. The women who confronted Flake in the elevator were not trying to harm him physically. But they were trying to harm the rest of us politically. They gained access illegally and they should have been arrested, charged and punished. The Democrats, who were once a legitimate political party, have formed an unholy alliance with Leftists whose street theater turns readily to violence and mob intimidation. When you have friends who are gangsters, it's always tempting to have them lean on people who get in your way. And they are happy to do it, but then you are a gangster too, and people who are not gangsters are necessarily your enemies.

Karen said...

And what of the actual angry mobs in Portland chasing down hapless drivers? https://twitter.com/bretweinstein/status/1049370098056585216?s=21

MayBee said...

In general, I don't like anger or rage. It's an easy and cheap emotion, too easy to indulge.

But I saw Kavanaugh's anger as a righteous anger against a cultural moment in time that's gone too far. The #metoo "movement" has been running roughshod over due process, logic, and justice. Men have been expected to sit back and take their punishment, deserved or not, for the good of the culture and to somehow make up for the 9 year old little girl who was molested by a relative and didn't tell anyone.
But injustice in the name of justice is still injustice, and we needed someone brave enough to remind everyone that is true. You don't like Kavanaugh getting angry? Let him be speaking for Brian Banks, or the Duke Lacrosse team, or the UVA guys, or the target of mattress girl. Or the countless other men accused in a way they know not to be true, and expected to accept the accusation for the good of all women.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

EDH said

"Lock Her Up" actually was a call for equal justice under the law, when compared with other people who were locked-up for mishandling classified information. Not the abandonment of the presumption of innocence or due process on her way to the slammer.

Members of our military and anyone else would be in jail. Not the Clintons. They go on tour.

Jupiter said...

Chuck said...

"Once upon a time, Brett Kavanaugh actually had the opportunity -- more than any of us can imagine -- to "lock her [Mrs. Clinton] up." And he didn't. He knows the limits of that case better than anyone who has ever been to a Trump rally, including Trump."

This is tendentious. It is true that Kavanaugh played a role in Starr's investigation of Clinton, and may well have acted improperly in the cover-up of Vince Foster's murder. But he was never in a position to do anything about Mrs. Clinton's blatant criminality and corruption during her term as Secretary of State, except perhaps to shout "Lock her up!", along with the rest of us.

Chuck said...

EDH said...
"Lock Her Up" actually was a call for equal justice under the law, when compared with other people who were locked-up for mishandling classified information. Not the abandonment of the presumption of innocence or due process on her way to the slammer.


Right. Hahahaha.

But then you've got the other uniquely Donald Trump issues; his calling for the death penalty for the Central Park Five, suggesting that police rough up suspects while putting them into cars, his suggestions to rally attendees that they rough up protesters.

You can explain all of that as Trump's political genius in appealing to a certain demographic. If that's your thing. But you cannot explain it as a call for due process by Trump and the Trumpkin movement.

GRW3 said...

It's pretty easy to cast the Resistance as an angry mob when, you know, you have video of angry mobs screaming they are part of the Resistance.

clint said...

"Freder Frederson said...
"How many Trump rallies have you attended?"

None. But I have seen plenty of the two minutes hate on the tv."

Unintentionally 100% accurate.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Chuck - what ever "suggestions' Trump makes are not the issue.

Hillary set up and used a Private Server to conduct public businesses and she mis-handled classified information. A mishandling that would put anyone else behind bars.

clint said...

Chuck-

Urging the legislature to bring back the death penalty is the same as mob violence? I must be misunderstanding your point.

Kevin said...

But I have seen plenty of the two minutes hate on the tv.

There are entire networks dedicated to it. You can tune in any time that’s convenient.

Republicans may congregate at rallies, but Democrats have a never ending stream of televangelists that preach the gospel and take your money on any screen you prefer.

Kevin said...

If the Rs combine uncensored footage of the insanity on Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court, going all the way back to the beginning with the handmaids and the bizarro "yes i'm stalking him and am creepy as hell and appeared suddenly out of nowhere but he didn't shake my hand therefore he's a monster" guy, with the new footage of the street fascists in Portland, again uncensored, into a series of pointed commercials aired nationally, then yes the Rs will hold the House and make gains in the Senate.

It's hard to watch the footage from Portland and NOT come to the conclusion that we're already in the midst of an undeclared civil war.

Seeing Red said...

his suggestions to rally attendees that they rough up protesters.

At this point that’s self defense.

Chuck said...

I honestly think that the Kavanaugh controversy is going to end when Justice Kavanaugh is part of a 9-0 decision allowing a subpoena or a search warrant or some other tool of criminal prosecution to be used against President Trump by the Office of Special Counsel. And all of the overblown hysteria about Kavanaugh's views on executive power and privilege are shown up as phony and exaggerated.

William said...

Does anyone truly believe that they're protesting against rape rather than against Republicans? This is the party of Bill Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, Ted Kennedy and John Conyers......The outcome of volatile situations is, by definition, unpredictable. If one of the Republicans feels threatened and responds too forcefully, his career will be over. We will hear many lectures about how this represents the true brutish face of the Republican Party. They dump on Kavanaugh for holding back tears. Just think how they'll respond to the guy who tells a rape survivor to kiss off, bitch.

Seeing Red said...

"“It’s aimed at firing up Fox viewers

They’re still using that?

Facepalm all what 2-3 million of them in a country of 325+million?

And aren’t most of them geriatric? What are they afraid of being run over by walkers?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Office of Special Counsel

The true overlord

Seeing Red said...

You want EQUALITY girls? You can't HANDLE equality.


I’m still waiting for the all-women boat on Deadliest Catch.

MB said...

"I have heard this before. Could you please tell me how I can get paid by George Soros. He has stiffed me so far."
There were those widely-reported small grants after the election, for organizing "resistance" groups. But probably you need to be self-motivated, come up with a proposal, spread the money around by involving more people, and write periodic reports on how the money was spent. This could be a significant amount of work and it may not pay so well. You can't just lie around waiting for George Soros to show up to your door and hand you a stack of $100 bills.
But then if you get involved with these left-wing organizations and are willing to put in the hours I'm sure you can get paid, eventually. It seems more of a job opportunity for young and/or underemployed people though.
Or if this is how it works, after posting this comment asking for money on a right-leaning website someone does show up to your door with a briefcase full of money, please let us know; that'd be awesome.

Ray - SoCal said...

The lady with the egg smashed on her face after a Trump rally in San Jose is iconic.

Project Veritas outed somebody working for Clinton that helped create the political dirty tricks st Trump events...

Michael K said...

the Kavanaugh controversy is going to end when Justice Kavanaugh is part of a 9-0 decision allowing a subpoena or a search warrant or some other tool of criminal prosecution to be used against President Trump

CHuck's moment of sanity is officially over. He is back in Max Bootville.

Chuck said...

clint said...
Chuck-

Urging the legislature to bring back the death penalty is the same as mob violence? I must be misunderstanding your point.


If you think that Trump's full-page advertisement was nothing more than an appeal for a return to the death penalty, then you are hiding behind the deliberately vague passive-aggressive language that Trump used in that ad.

That ad is why Donald Trump should always be under oath and cross-examined before anyone believes a single word that he utters.

Michael K said...

the Kavanaugh controversy is going to end when Justice Kavanaugh is part of a 9-0 decision allowing a subpoena or a search warrant or some other tool of criminal prosecution to be used against President Trump

CHuck's moment of sanity is officially over. He is back in Max Bootville.

Ray - SoCal said...

It’s strange how some project violence by the GOP, but it’s ususlly the Dems doing it.

Howard said...

Lefty activists are violent. The right doesn't do activism much at all except for minor counter anti-anti-fa and the now historic relic tea banger ralleys. Trump rallies are not violent unless some lefty activist instigates something.

The lack of clear-eyed reaalism by democrats is fuelling a Trump snowball. We will know the democrats have turned the corner when they start chanting "Lock Her Up at political ralleys. Until they get an exorcist to cast out the Clinton Machine, expect to be exhausted by Trump winning.

Howard said...

Mike K counters Chuck by linking him to a randomly selected whipping-boy instead of crushing his point with facts and logic... unexpectedly.

Howard said...

Trump has completely mind-fucked the left and they don't know to shit or go blind

Howard said...

IOW: his con is a double edge sword making right and left his bitch.

Marcus said...

Anger, Anarchy, and Althouse.
Althouse: Shallow. Check.
Althouse's argument: False Equivalency. Check.

The Old Grey Mare, she ain't what she used to be.

Chuck said...

Michael K said...
"the Kavanaugh controversy is going to end when Justice Kavanaugh is part of a 9-0 decision allowing a subpoena or a search warrant or some other tool of criminal prosecution to be used against President Trump"

CHuck's moment of sanity is officially over. He is back in Max Bootville.


I could hardly have been clearer, in my support of the Kavanaugh nomination.

Jennifer Rubin, David Frum, Charlie Sykes and others have a lot to answer for in their weakness on Kavanaugh. And some, who were thought to have been hopeless NeverTrumpers like Bret Stephens, showed their spine in supporting Trump.

I am still pro-Kavanaugh. I still think that Kavanaugh's critics who claimed that Kavanaugh's nomination was a ploy to insert a corrupt pro-Trump functionary on the Court in order to shut down due process of law against the president, were all out of their minds on that. And I think that if given a chance (and the chances seem pretty good) Kavanaugh will side with a mainstream judicial view, whatever that might be, when push comes to shove in any criminal investigation of Trump.

gahrie said...

If he had maintained his composure he would have looked much better

And he would have been attacked for his icy robotic demeanor, obviously because he was hiding something.

tcrosse said...

Trump has completely mind-fucked the left and they don't know to shit or go blind

Embrace the power of 'and.

tim in vermont said...

This 'tour' the Clintons are making is the perfect opportunity for the Democrat rank and file to fit them with the metaphorical cement over shoes they richly deserve.

hombre said...

Althouse: “... the #MeToo movement demands a more vigorous crack down on crime.“

Bullshit! The #metoo movement demands a more vigorous crackdown on white men.

MadisonMan said...

That’s truth she [Hillary] should have been tried and sent to jail

There is a presumption of innocence I am willing to grant her. Tried, yes. Sent to jail only if convicted.

I think she's guilty, but I'm not certain about the laws. That's for a jury to decide. There was enough of a miasma of guilt around her -- and her husband -- that I wouldn't vote for her for all the Tea in China, if I can use an old phrase.

I was and am still less certain of Kavanaugh's guilt. He (and Prof Ford) were guilty of bad decision-making as teens, for sure. All teens are. But that's not a disqualifying trait for anyone.

FIDO said...

Chuck, we told it to Ford, we told it to Althouse and now we are telling it to you AGAIN.

Show us evidence. Evidence that PERSUADES the undecided, not that which affirms what true believers like yourself have already decided.

You sound like a Bircher at this point.

tim in vermont said...

Chuck is still counting on trumped up charges to get Trump. The FBI took their best shot already.

Big Mike said...

We are looking at female privilege here, because if a man got in my face like these harpies enjoy doing, I would feel obliged to punch him in the mouth. These harridans know I am too much the gentleman to to hit them.

Or so they imagine.

Michael K said...

when push comes to shove in any criminal investigation of Trump.

Chuck, hope springs eternal in the Trump haters' minds. What criminal actions by Trump do you think exist ?

I would highly suggest reading Conrad Black's book about Trump. He knows him well from before this all began.

Black is also well informed about the misuse of the law in commercial disputes.

Did you happen to see the expression on Rachel Madcow's face when she realized her scoop with the Trump tax return showed he paid $25 million in taxes ?

MeatPopscicle1234 said...

Chuck said...
I honestly think that the Kavanaugh controversy is going to end when Justice Kavanaugh is part of a 9-0 decision allowing a subpoena or a search warrant or some other tool of criminal prosecution to be used against President Trump by the Office of Special Counsel. And all of the overblown hysteria about Kavanaugh's views on executive power and privilege are shown up as phony and exaggerated.


10/9/18, 9:56 AM

-----------------

Chuck... GIVE IT UP ALREADY!!! Your wet dreams of impeachment are NEVER. GOING. TO. HAPPEN!!! You've lost... your side has lost... the NeverTrumper's have lost and the Dem's are totally lost...

In terms of results, Trump is the most conservative President since Reagan... He's the modern day incarnation of Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt and PT Barnum all rolled into one... And is single-handedly undoing 30 years of Marxist, Left-Wing American Socialism in the span of 2 years... If you can't see that, then your just a sad, pathetic little tool...

At this point, the only question remaining is, if/when the SHTF, which side are you going to be on? Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of true Conservatives against the horde, or out howling at the moon with the raging sea of Antifa brown-shirts & nut-jobs?

Bay Area Guy said...

"Angry mob acts like an angry mob gets called an angry mob" -News at 11:00

gerry said...

I have heard this before. Could you please tell me how I can get paid by George Soros. He has stiffed me so far.

Change genders. You can do that instantly, right?

Francisco D said...

If he had maintained his composure he would have looked much better

I cringed a bit when Kavanaugh became overtly disrespectful. Then I thought about Sheldon Whitehouse, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, et. al. and thought "How can anyone respect these braying asses?"

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

When the Clintons tour, I anxiously await the #metoo folks to protest outside the tightly secured venues.

Because consistency.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The left and their media are one big:

We taunt you, we lie about you, we threaten you -- How dare you respond in anyway.

JAORE said...

You know where I see angry mobs? At Trump rally.

There are none so blind....

Clyde said...

I like the "You don't give matches to an arsonist" comment by President Trump, too. It would make for a great campaign T-shirt, with a big logo of a pack of matches with a red circle-slash over it.

hombre said...

My oldest son lives in Portland. One of his friends, a solid Portlandia progressive Democrat, had to replace his windshield after one of the Antifa rampages. He just couldn’t understand. He’d done everything right.

My son is smarter and despite being a Democrat is beginning to figure it out. It’s like Sinn Fein and the IRA, isn’t it?

Clyde said...

Freder Frederson said...
But at least they are all getting paid.

I have heard this before. Could you please tell me how I can get paid by George Soros. He has stiffed me so far.


Ask Ana Maria Archila, one of the activists who confronted Sen. Flake in that elevator. I'm sure she'd set you right up, Freder.

Fernandinande said...

Stunning video out of Portland shows leftist Antifa thugs trying to block and direct traffic while threatening anyone who doesn’t obey with violence and calling them “white supremacists”.

"The footage, which was filmed on Saturday, shows a group of about 20 leftists gathered at an intersection."

The footage also shows cop watching from a block away while the thugs, some with masks, block traffic and threaten people.

Fernandinande said...

Here they chase and attack an old white-haired guy

tim in vermont said...

Maybe they should put pistols in their bras, but still the fembots will be powerless before Donald "Austin Powers" Trump.

hombre said...

Even now, as the Kavanaugh debacle has enlightened GOPe and most Never Trumpers about Democrat hostility to all things Republican, LLR Chuck continues to channel Schumer and fight on the side of Democrats and their thugs.

Earnest Prole said...

Once again Althouse elides the difference between banal and profound civility, between words and violent action.

LA_Bob said...

Remember how the Democrats celebrated this guy for his passion?

PM said...

Obviously "angry mob" refers to the younger, left-wing, my-way or die Dem partisans. The older mainstream Dems are more your slick, wily, feed-the-media mob. Both were born long, long before the Kavanaugh hearings.

Kevin said...

Change genders. You can do that instantly, right?

No fair! You’re revealing the only question in the job interview.

Dave said...

"Bullshit! The #metoo movement demands a more vigorous crackdown on white men."

This is correct. I went to the doctor with my wife, and the nurse tried to force confidential information out of her. I got upset, so just cursed, lunged at me, and stomped out.

Well, I have said here I have a disability, several in fact, and I got very upset at that treatment. I asked for a complaint form, but they didnt have any. I told them I was handicapped, so they gave me a clipboard with a blank piece of paper, and then walked out on me.

Another lady came in and sat down, and I was still upset and realized they didn't care.

Well, I threw the clipboard down in disgust and left.

Today I go to court for throwing down a clipboard. The young lady filed harassment charges against me.

I think my plea today should be, guilty your honor, because I am a male.

Chuck said...


At this point, the only question remaining is, if/when the SHTF, which side are you going to be on? Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of true Conservatives against the horde, or out howling at the moon with the raging sea of Antifa brown-shirts & nut-jobs?


When "the SHTF" with Kavanaugh, you know what side I was on.

When the shit hits the fan and we see (hypothetically) solid evidence supporting probable cause to charge Trump with dozens of felonies involving bank fraud, mail fraud, FEC violations, state and federal tax fraud... then I still won't be on the side of any "Antifa brown-shirts & nut jobs." But I won't be on Trump's side either.

I ardently supported Gorsuch and Kavanaugh because there was very good reason to do so. I'll do it again when that time comes.

I haven't supported Trump on his various personal debacles -- "so-called judges," "disheartening and demoralizing," "shithole countries," "Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated," and his bizarre flipping on Dr. Ford ("very credible... a very compelling witness"). And way too many others to list of course. Scaramucci; Omarosa; Stormy Daniels; Karen McDougal; Shera Bechard; Elliott Broidy; Michael Cohen.

tim in vermont said...

Please expand on that EP. Or do you already fear that you won't be able to defend it?

tim in vermont said...

"Show me the Republican and I will show you the crime." - Mueller

AZ Bob said...

Notice the Post frames the issue of Republicans trying to "recast" Democrats. What the Post is trying to make you think is that the Republicans are manipulating something to achieve an end goal. How devious.

This is a favorite technique in the liberal press. The press will never say that Republicans believe what they say. The press likes to frame Republicans as using an issue for some political gain. It is never about actual belief. This is especially the case when the issue makes Democrats look bad, to wit, the unhinged resistance.

And comparing it to Nixon is the ultimate in saying it is an insincere belief.

Big Mike said...

For years Democrats have been using appeals to “sisterhood” and “female solidarity” in an effort to turn women into a gigantic voting block. Remember the “special place in Hell”? But now the Democrats have given up an “own goal” (a soccer term for accidentally kicking the ball into your own team’s net). Because now men can ask whether they really want to be in solidarity with the howling, screaming mob, or are you a civilized human being?

Seeing Red said...

And comparing it to Nixon is the ultimate in saying it is an insincere belief.

How many kids really know who Nixon was? Lololol

FullMoon said...

Kavanaugh Foes Fill Senate Gallery With Sounds of the Insane


"I was in the Senate gallery this afternoon when Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed. You would have thought I was at an exorcism in an insane asylum.

Perhaps you were watching on television and heard the disruptions, though you certainly didn’t see them. The attenuated audio probably didn’t catch the frightening, incoherent shrieking – including the lingering screaming and howling as they were being dragged down the hallways outside the gallery.

If there was any doubt that the opposition to Kavanaugh was unhinged, uncivil, disruptive, rude, and borderline nuts, my experience in the gallery made it clear.

The first example came when Senator Cornyn rightfully railed against the mobs who spent the last three weeks assaulting and assailing Kavanaugh supporters.

“Mob rule is necessary,” one shrieking woman shouted before security personnel could settle her down.

At least she was honest. It did not appear that Capitol Police removed her for her crime, unfortunately. That would soon change.

Another crazed woman later screamed, “I will not consent, I will not consent, I will not consent, I will not consent." She was like a feminist automaton: “I will not consent, I will not consent.” Capitol Police were less forgiving and dragged her out the doors and down the hallway.

I have visited hospitals for the seriously mentally ill, and the shrieks from this woman were as odd and unearthly as anything I ever heard inside a mental hospital. They echoed off the halls and ceilings outside the gallery in decreasing but astonishing amplitude.

Then the roll was called, and it sounded like the gates of hell opened up.

Nearly a dozen women erupted in unison, shouting, howling, screaming, in an unrecognizable venomous wail. They wouldn’t stop. There was fury, rage, hate, poison in the noise.

It wasn't prose. It wasn't song. It was a swarming, shrill, swirling noise.

I leaned over to someone and whispered, “Pay attention, that’s what the Left sounds like.”

Nothing they were yelling and howling could be heard. It was the sound of all of them, in discordant, rage-fueled, wild fury, that was so unearthly. I have never heard a sound like it before.

Senator Dick Durbin said a few weeks ago in response to the committee that these were the sounds of democracy.

No they weren’t. They were the sounds of a group of people tinkering with madness. They were the sounds of irrational, unhinged, and unmoored lunatics. These were the people who opposed Kavanaugh’s nomination. They were an embarrassment to themselves.

If the anti-Kavanaugh forces had any sense, they would have put the kibosh on these nuts. But they can’t because they like it. They think criminal disruption of the Senate is part of their political strategy. Absent being disowned by a single Democrat, the loons became the face of the Kavanaugh opposition -- even more than Christine Ford.

Unlike with the earlier disruptors, the police swarmed on the howling mob and proceeded to drag them out. There was less mercy this time, with one woman, who might also play professional rugby, being dragged out of the front row, her clothes aiming to come off.

Thankfully that didn’t happen.

But the unhinged weren’t finished.

As various senators were called, the ugly uncivil howled and shrieked. “Coward,” they yelled at Joe Manchin before being dragged out. When Susan Collins cast a ballot, they erupted again in their radical fury. Before Vice President Pence could read the tally, there was one more howl: “This is a stain on our country,” she yelled before being dragged out.

These are not merely insane disruptors. These are people who care nothing for the country’s institutions. Even courtesy in the Senate gallery is an institution these monsters hate.

Robert Cook said...

"And if he had kept his composure, you would have joined in the Althousian 'too good to be true...emotionless and disconnected from the populous...obviously scripted and a real person would have gotten angry'."

To the contrary, I would have seen him acting as a mature adult should.

Sigivald said...

Eh, they've cast themselves as an "angry mob".

(They'd agree they're angry. They wouldn't like the term "mob", but it fits pretty well in the aggregate.

The President and his fans didn't have to do anything other than exist to create that casting.)

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