A Matter Of Opinion

Tuesday’s Loose Thread

Posted by Gary

Nov. 17, 2009 9:26 a.m. • 37 comments

Is today gonna be a good day? I gotta feelin. (make sure you watch at least a minute)

What’s on your mind?

37 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Cindy_H on November 17 at 9:46 a.m.
I dunno. Right now, I’m wishing I could read html code so I knew what the heck you just posted.
garyc on November 17 at 9:52 a.m.
OK, I dumbed it down for you.
Arch_Druid on November 17 at 10:08 a.m.
Letters time. Ruth Dixon (letters recently published in the CDA Press) makes much the same argument as does GMorton and Morton Pool of Salt on National Health Insurance. She doesn’t want to end up paying for someone else’s health insurance. Did it occur to her that the same thing would be true that should national health insurance pass that we would also pay for her?

In the S-R recently, Patricia Hammond squeals about “socialism” in that people have no incentive to work. Uh, that was certainly true in the former Soviet Union. Here in the U.S.A. why are we attacking a nation for the leader we elected?

Rob Leach attacks the majority party Dems. Wonder why he wasn’t making the make everyone else pay for it argument when the prior administration was run by the GOP? Guess it must be partisan, huh?
Diana on November 17 at 10:10 a.m.
Teabaggers punked! Sheeple chant “Columbus go home!’ Heh heh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O66qDqfZm7k
nslopeofw on November 17 at 11:08 a.m.
Poor Diana, can’t see the forest thru the tree’s. Ah well, just keep spouting the sheeple, lefty, venom. Someday, perhaps you will understand freedom. I bet when you were protesting the Vietnam war (or whatever war) you didn’t feel like a sheeple. I bet you thought you were speaking your mind. Too bad you can’t give these people that same right without trying to corrupt it.
Arch_Druid on November 17 at 11:19 a.m.
Nslopeofw, Diana was linking to a YouTube in which a guy got up and proved that the teabaggers are the latest version of people banging away on the little red book. Just in case you don’t actually get the reference to the Maoist revolution in China.

You can tell these people anything and they’ll shout their contempt for same until they are shouting contempt for how their ancestors got here.

Obviously, the teabaggers have the right to protest and dissent, but they also need to start doing some thinking too. Which they have made quite clear that they aren’t about to.
empyrius on November 17 at 12:50 p.m.
Well the good news is: that Iraqi oil is ours!!!!!!
http://www.alternet.org/world/143879/did_big_oil_win_the_war_in_iraq?page=entire

Can I get a job shooting Iraqis who dare to tresspass?!? Ohhh, XE and the U.S. army beat me to it: shucks!

What is a teabEggAr anyway? A republican w/o a job. People that want this massive government to stay out of our lives but fully support laws that take away my freedom to smoke a joint (saying I know not what I do, as they drink their whiskey of course). A dude, or dudette, who does not mind spending trillions to kill people and “nation-build”, but God forbid we provide healthcare for all Americans; don’t worry about that, big pharma and your insurance companies would never allow that to happen!

The sheeple hear this word “freedom” and say, “hey man look, I can blog, I am free”! You have to have internet access to blog, that costs money, and you have to have a whole lot of money if you want to air your views on TV. You just be thankful you can afford that cable bill so Glen Beck can provide your talking points. “Freedom”: har har har har.

Biggest government in the world, and growing, and you think you are “free”: har har har har.
Diana on November 17 at 7:19 p.m.
nslope, I have a vague idea of what freedom is. I didn’t protest the Vietnam war, I served, which helped shape who I am today. Anti-war. Anti-chickenhawk.

But thanks for the lecture anyway.
richard on November 17 at 9:12 p.m.
Sarah Palin, the populist, must be perceived as a huge threat to the left and to media. Why else would there be so much venom, so much energy and time spent on trying to take her out?

There is, of course, no logical reason under the sun. While Obama’s policies are taking his “numbers” down, down and down further, Sarah Palin just released her book (yep, the one without an index - oh my!) which was a “best seller’ before it went on sale, she is stumping her populist ideas around the country and she has always been able to draw huge, huge crowds to see and hear her.

She is a dagger that could pierce the very heart of the liberal playbook for rearranging this nation to its very foundations. And the left knows this. While Obama’s “positives” go down (from 52 to 45% in the last month) mainly independents leaving in droves, there is a huge bubble of independents who remain neutral about Palin. They have no real strong opinions one way or the other, which makes Palin a huge threat to garner the populism that is growing leaps and bounds in this country due to Obama and the leftists putting forth the most outlandish (and unpopular) legislation, policies and actions.

Starting with the freedom and liberty robbing health care bills, the very unpopular Cap and Tax legislation - even the latest boneheaded decision to try the jihadists in New York has Americans (53 to 45%) questing the soundness of their minds - and the incredibly irresponsible failure of deciding on a policy in Afghanistan.

And then there is media. They too are fearful of a Sarah Palin gaining traction with the American people - and they should be, actually - given that she was the recipient of the most one-sided, disreputable smear-job of any national politician in the last century … bar none. I just saw a study which found that during one stretch of last year’s election Major Network News reports of Palin were 32 negative stories to … 2 positive!

ABC, as well as all TV news networks, know that when you interview someone on camera, the closer you place the camera to the individual, the more distrustful the audience will be. So ABC, in all its liberal deviousness, took very close-up shots of her in her interview with BaBa Walters. (watch it for yourself). Completely manipulative on the part of a major news outlet.

Nope, there is no liberal slant in media.

And if none of this evidence is persuasive that the left is fearful and hateful towards Sarah Palin; then consider this, … she makes Diana “sputter and spit” every time she hears or reads her name. And Zelda believes her to be an intellectual midget because there is no index in her book.

The left despises and fears this woman.
richard on November 17 at 9:23 p.m.
And now I see that Newsweek just featured palin on its cover. And true to form with the always biased and degrading depiction of conservatives, Newsweek uses a photo taken by Runner’s World in which she is posing in a pair of shorts.

Where are similar pictures of Michelle such as this? No wher eto be found. Sexist, sleazy and hateful.

But Sarah Palin knows already knows this. And she takes it all with style and grace, showing-up the punkish and childishness of those who fear her..

And she will get the last laugh; America loves an under-dog. go media go.
Cindy_H on November 17 at 9:56 p.m.
“OK, I dumbed it down for you.”

Geez. One-armed paper hangers sure get grumpy!
spokelooneh on November 17 at 11:07 p.m.
Palin’s most effective critics are true conservatives, the paleocons, and they mock her incessantly. She’s a faux-populist but the rubes lap up her idiocy like it was chocolate milk. The anti-intellectual, hate the “elites” wing of the party likes her, the thinking Republicans, not so much.

From American Conservative Magazine:

“After reading some of the things Palinites have been writing this week, I am tempted to say that they are “objectively” pro-Obama inasmuch as they are doing their very best to make Obama’s re-election secure. It’s tempting, but it wouldn’t be entirely fair. What is a bit sad is simply how out of it Palinites are. R.S. McCain imagines that Palin is extremely popular. This is true only among a shrinking number of Republicans. Douglas thinks that Palin is powerful because she has become a favorite pinata of the left. In fact, she has very little power outside the conservative cocoon where she receives so much praise and deference. As her favorability ratings show, the intense and concentrated opposition to her has helped turn most of the public against her; Palin has managed to do the rest all by herself. That is evidence of her political weakness. She certainly generates a remarkable degree of irrational loathing, but then she also generates irrational and excessive admiration that makes her supporters believe absurd things about her and her political potential.

What McCain misses in his article is that liberal journalists actually take great delight in the Palin phenomenon. Yes, of course, they don’t want to see her in power, but I think they do want to see her prosper and thrive as the face of the Republican Party. An American right led by or identified with Palin is one that they can very easily ridicule and discredit, and at the same time they can be confident that a Palinized GOP poses no threat to anything they value. Palin is not going to bring the party out of the minority, and were she to lead the party it would more or less guarantee continued Democratic ascendancy for many years to come. Her content-free pseudo-populism ensures that the legitimate political concerns of her constituency remain irrelevant to real policy debates. Media outlets also thrive on controversy and conflict, both real and manufactured, and Palin continues to give them plenty of opportunities for both. …”

http://www.amconmag.com/larison/

I know it’s not right to ask, but please God, let Caribou Barbie be the Republican presidential nominee in 2010.

She’ll get creamed. <wink wink=”“>
empyrius on November 17 at 11:12 p.m.
Not that I would ever truly vote for a moron like Palin, but your little “populist” republican/democrat divide is some funny stuff; Wall Street laughs all the way to, well, Wall Street, with your “populist” ignorance. Now, can we start another war please, http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2009/11/17/our-chief-industry-war/, we need the jobs! War is peace, war is peace . . .
spokelooneh on November 17 at 11:12 p.m.
To repeat for those of you with Short Attention Span Syndrome, the next teabagger party is this weekend, whoops, no I mean this:

“Palin is not going to bring the party out of the minority, and were she to lead the party it would more or less guarantee continued Democratic ascendancy for many years to come.”

Run Saracuda, Run!
spokelooneh on November 17 at 11:24 p.m.
The standard measurement of success and economic worth to true patriot capitalists is the value the “market” assigns to any particular good or service.

Caribou Barbie’s much anticipated book has a list price of nearly $30, yet you can get it just about anywhere (Amazon, Walmart, etc) for less than $10.

Newsmax will give you Saracuda’s book for $4.97 AND a subscription to their American Christianity exceptionalist propaganda rag.

In the retail world, if you have to deep discount a product from the get-go, you know have a lousy product, but hey, gotta get that crap out of the warehouse, so you can actually stock something of value. Perhaps Al Gore has a new book coming out.
spokelooneh on November 18 at 1:15 a.m.
We know any good Christian woman, especially one longing for Armageddon, should not be posing in magazines with short-shorts, but that’s what Saracuda did, hey, we’re all sinners don’t cha know.

The Brazilian university folks don’t cotton to such tramp exhibitionism on their campuses.

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/hbo/2009/nov/17/high-noon-she-wears-short-shorts/

As Richard put it, oh I mean he copied from, Christian Broadcasting Network: ” Others, like CBN’s David Brody, said our cover was a new low: “biased and sexist at the same time.”

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/11/17/official-statement-on-newsweek-s-sarah-palin-cover.aspx
Arch_Druid on November 18 at 7:59 a.m.
That was some good reading Spokelooneh. Now for “Richard’s” information as to people who DO exhibit bigotry (not necessarily “racism”) toward President Obama. Sight’em latest CDA Press letters. Maggie Lyons for one fears Obama’s “Muslim roots” (he grew up to be a Christian by the way) and that he will by reason of his being the scary other, ultimately change the fundamental nature of this country—from one of Judeo-Christian to that of Islamic. Actually, the fundamental nature of this country is a DEMOCRACY. Sorry Ms. Lyons and in a DEMOCRACY we can elect whom ever we wish. Even a CHRISTIAN mixed-race dude with Muslim roots. Should Obama commence to apologize for a father he never really knew? No. For a family that he spent most of his life never really knowing much about? No. Unless Ms. Lyons wants to also apologize for HER background! LOL!

Next, Gene and Candace Lammon; where I will certainly provide a pertinent quote: “Then to be politically correct his administration has let a Muslim terrorist loose in the U.S. Army to commit Muslim Jihad against our soldiers.” First of all, how long had Hasan been serving before he became Major? Quite a few years, actually. How long did it take before the fellow began going the route of the unhinged? From all indications, it was over a year’s time. Hasan had been in the military for far longer than Obama had been president and yet Obama can be accused of “letting him loose” to commit Muslim Jihad against our soldiers. That’s ignorant and ignorance breeds bigotry. Then Lammon wants to be up in arms that terrorist suspects can be brought to NY and tried. Uh, excuse me, but successful trials against OTHER terrorists had occurred in federal courts. So excuse me.

And finally, Linda Cook wants to point to the violence of one man who just happens to be a Muslim and therefore apply a sweeping generalization of an entire religion as being violent. Actually, I could point to that violent bible that Ms. Cook no doubt embraces wholeheartedly…

This is bigotry. And bigotry is based on fear of people we don’t know anything about and don’t want to know anything about. Sorry, “Richard.”
Diana on November 18 at 8:10 a.m.
If the picture of Sarah is so sleazy and sexist, why did she pose for it in the first place? Did she think no one would see it?

I like it. I like the gym outfit with pantyhose look.
terrymr on November 18 at 8:55 a.m.
Diana, I just scrolled down here to ask the same question … don’t want a picture printed, then don’t pose for it :-)

It’s not like she didn’t know the guy with the camera was going to take it.
richard on November 18 at 10:11 a.m.
Like I said … leftists are obsessed with Sarah Palin, and she is a convenient dodge from having to discuss Barack Obama’s most miserable performance and sinking approval.

I mean, who wouldn’t spend all that time and energy that is being spent by smarmy liberals attacking a woman who is not in politics, is making no policies, has no say in dissecting our economy, is not failing to make a decision about Afghanistan, who is not “bowing down” to world leaders in an act of submission, etc etc.

It is far easier talking about her than it is Obama. Plus they are truly obsessed with Sarah Palin … as is Diana. Oh, I see we can now add Loone’ to that list; what? Five straight positings on her? Whew! Now that is a lot of time and energy!

Obsessions will destroy your sanity!
Diana on November 18 at 10:24 a.m.
LOL, Richard! I wouldn’t call it an obsession. I find it fascinating that such a stupid, idiotic woman has become a fixture in American pop culture. She’s great comedy relief, in a train wreck sort of way. Did you see she is not ruling out a 2012 run with… Glenn Beck? It doesn’t get better than that! Please! Bring it on. Are you just pretending to not get it?

Thanks to President Obama for losing the Bush swagger/cowboy diplomacy and bringing back American respect for the other cultures of the world with grace and dignity.
nslopeofw on November 18 at 10:55 a.m.
Sadly, its Diana slamming the right, again.
” I find it fascinating that such a stupid, idiotic woman has become a fixture in American pop culture.”

Knowing nothing of the REAL Sarah Palin, you use the lefty media’s garbage to discribe her. Too bad you can’t think for yourself.

I, on the other hand, can speak with MUCH MORE reality about Sarah, and Todd. If i were to walk up to them, I would be greeted by name. You know nothing. You claim to live your life based on your experiences (Vietnam) yet here, all you do is spout anti-right hate. Too bad you don’t use your alledged experiences, instead of your left wing intolerance. Get a life!
garyc on November 18 at 11:15 a.m.
<<obsessions will=”” destroy=”” your=”“ sanity!=”“>>

How many media bias posts?

Why are you ignoring the rightists who rip her? What’s that all about? American Conservative magazine is run by liberals?

i saw David Brooks call her “a joke”. On the same show, I saw George Will wonder why Republicans would want their very own William Jennings Bryan, who lost three times.

What are they afraid of?

And what’s this about polls? Her numbers have gotten worse.

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/11/17/sarah-palin-going-rogue-to-the-white-house-polls-say-no/

Rather than the meta-analysis of Palin coverage, how about telling us what appeals to you?
spokelooneh on November 18 at 11:54 a.m.
Richard thinks that David Brooks, George Will, and American Conservative Magazine are “smarmy liberals”.

Can you say deluded?
garyc on November 18 at 4:09 p.m.
Sorry, folks, but the guidelines apply to acronyms, too. So some otherwise acceptable posts were zapped.
empyrius on November 18 at 7:00 p.m.
What?!? Where’d my posts go???

What is wrong with “Great Indian Looking Woman”? What is wrong with that? What type of acronym could those four letters possibly signify that would constitute a forbidden four letter word (or phrase)? Was I flagged by a know-nothing b/c they feel Native Americans have treated us unjustly? Is this another way for those “Puritan” type to counter-protest the Native American Thanksgiving protestors? It should be a compliment to a very dark-skinned “white” person to say they are a “Great Indian Looking Woman” . . .

Good grief Charlie Brown . . .
nslopeofw on November 18 at 9:29 p.m.
GILW? Never heard that one. Empyrius (Bro), If’n yoo waz takin’ ‘bout mizz Sarah, she iz lily white. Her hubby Todd, now he iz an Alaskan Indian, and, a really great guy!!
empyrius on November 18 at 10:29 p.m.
“Woman” = “Female”. I did’t want to spell it out, that is what got me in trouble to begin with, acronym wise anyway, b/c some people thought it stood for something else apparently (har har har)! Don’t flag me bro, don’t flag me (not that I think you would)!!!

Peace
nslopeofw on November 19 at 9:48 a.m.
I don’t flag. Everyone (even those that are wrong) have a right to their opinion. Flagging is for people who can’t handle words. And, its pretty sad that something spoken can cause that level of fear. Of course, all you have to do is listen to the PC media of today, and you can hear the fear.
empyrius on November 19 at 7:04 p.m.
Rght on!
ChefGus/ John Olsen on November 20 at 6:14 a.m.
Diana… thanks for your service.. I did not realize you are a veteran…. come on down and serve with us other veterans some morning and meet and greet some of the detritus/collateral damage from all of the wars fought in our lifetime.

Thank you too for your persistence in “service” here on this blog… it IS a tough job and you do it well…

Nslope///// ??Pregunta?? por favor?? What was the duration and location and your dates of service in our Armed Forces… just wondrin…. captain gus
nslopeofw on November 20 at 3:12 p.m.
Again with the “can’t serve your country w/o being in the military”?
I think one can serve their country (of course, i am biased, here) w/o being in. And, although we don’t agree here, I still thank you, and all who have seved for your service. (drafted or not)

But don’t get any idea’s that we are gonna be buddies, ‘cause, military or not, you are wrong. People serve in many ways. If i’d been drafted, i’d have served. Just didn’t have my priorities right at 18. That doesn’t mean i haven’t served in other capacites.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on November 21 at 7:37 a.m.
Nslope… no problem with priority choices at 18.. I’d likely now at my advancing age have not enlisted… and not served given he historical hindsight… and i’m happy for you if you have a “calling to service”… which is what I found when I was baptised at age 40….. although a variety of service venues from age 25 till age 40… Big Brothers, Seattle Bach Choir, Kiwanis Cerebral Palsy Camp,.. etc etc… but my call is to “follow christ’s way” and not to be a bible based christian church member… thank you for your various services… it does make the world a better place, and makes my life more happy for me…. j
Arch_Druid on November 21 at 8:23 a.m.
Nslopeofw is correct that there are many calls to service. But, on other threads where Diana as a war veteran from the Vietnam era gets name called; let’s put it bluntly, that she defended you, and GMorton and “Richard,” with her service to this country. She should get a lot more respect for having done so than having to endure childish name calling. And as much right to her opinion for having served at all.

As a Cold War Veteran myself. U.S. Army.
richard on November 22 at 9:40 a.m.
Show me one example, Druid, where I “disrespected” Diana’s military service. Just one!

You can’t, but you go ahead and make allegations about me anyway. I guess you believe I deserve being falsely charged, simply because I express conservative views.

Real nice.
Arch_Druid on November 24 at 9:41 a.m.
“Richard,” if you actually PRESENTED conservative views we’d be in agreement over 90% of the time. And yeah, I saw you slamming Diana, go back and reread what you wrote.
richard on November 24 at 7:33 p.m.
“slamming” is different from disrespecting military service. keep your stories straight.

And I don’t know what kind of conservatism you consider yourself. I don’t recognise anything in your “conservative” views.

You obviously have taken some obscure definition of conservative to label yourself. That is fine.