tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post7621130296749111549..comments2024-03-28T20:37:26.897-04:00Comments on the daily howler: GLIMMERS: Joan Walsh and “that woman!”<b>bob somerby</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/02963464534685954436noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-29892234893176701192012-04-18T17:11:09.536-04:002012-04-18T17:11:09.536-04:00This one is bullshit, I'm sorry to say.
It w...This one is bullshit, I'm sorry to say. <br /><br />It was the Republicans who made Hillary Rosen's comment, which was unassailable in context, into the outrage of the week, so it's not surprising to see people on the other side fight back. Schultz and Walsh promptly used the “outrage” -- a bit of a hyperbolic descriptor for a few words of snark, I would say -- to segue into other, perfectly legitimate gender issues like the hypocrisy of throwing a hissy fit over the “hasn't worked” line after having long demeaned stay-at-home mothers who need welfare support; Romney's non-support of the Lily Lebetter Act and his support for Scott Walker, who reportedly just got passed a bill that eliminates some equal-pay enforcement mechanisms; the false right-wing meme about women losing almost all the jobs under Obama; and legitimate questions about how well people like the Romneys can understand ordinary working women. <br /><br />After that segment, he (1) talked about the lack of specificity in what programs Romney says he is going to cut; (2) discussed the “Buffett Rule” and the decline of middle class income with Bernie Sanders; (3) discussed the Wisconsin recall situation with John Nichols; and (4) covered Dick Cheney's recent attack on Obama and general issues of the campaign as it stands.<br /><br />“Outrage” by Walsh and Schultz over Ann Romney's response unattached to these other issues consumed perhaps 2% of the show. It's obvious some of your readers channeling the same thought process assume this was the main theme of the program, but this post is itself a highly cherry-picked basis for outrage.KISSWebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13917779875188133814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-78131582940463990522012-04-18T12:36:48.158-04:002012-04-18T12:36:48.158-04:00I have read the whole thing. That is a poor assesm...I have read the whole thing. That is a poor assesment of it-you are reponding to the required nicities that must be weilded if one is going to talk about the Military. BUT thanks for trying....Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09288008924419574934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-8039006004385015932012-04-18T11:46:29.548-04:002012-04-18T11:46:29.548-04:00OK, I'll bite. I read the fifteen or so pages...OK, I'll bite. I read the fifteen or so pages that Amazon gives for free, and I saw her Daily Show interview where she was pushing her book. I will not buy the rest because it seems to be an apology for our warmongers. Nobody is responsible. We just got here through inertia and slow incremental change. We are not dealing death from above with robotic drones. No, I will write a book about wars of choice to support massively wealthy oil companies with the gentlest title I can think of: "Drift."Hyponoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-89801578983670906592012-04-18T09:39:20.344-04:002012-04-18T09:39:20.344-04:00IMHO Politicians and pundits of all stripes make h...IMHO Politicians and pundits of all stripes make huge numbers of gaffes. Many are not jumped on.<br /><br />E.g., consider Obama's recent decision to refer to the Falkland Islands as the Malvinas. Using the Argentinian name was a questionable decision, since it pisses off Britain, our closest ally. It turned into a gaffe, when Argentina immediately thereafter nationalized a Spanish oil company. It was also a gaffe, because Mr. Obama actually said "Maldives" instead of "Malvinas", confusing an island off South America with a group of 26 atolls off that lie off the South coast of India.<br /><br />Conservative blogs pointed out this gaffe, and so did some foreign media, but the mainstream American media ignored it. <br /><br />Even the moderately left-leaning Politico noted how differently George Bush's mis-statements were covered.<br /><br />http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75242.htmlDavid in Calnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-62091112287021992442012-04-18T09:02:28.938-04:002012-04-18T09:02:28.938-04:00I saw Joan Walsh write that on Salon and wondered ...I saw Joan Walsh write that on Salon and wondered if she felt the same outrage when Barack Obama was introduced in the 2008 dem convention as the next president of the United States.<br /><br />These folks always pretend like they won because no one wants to vote for a loser. It's part of the language of campaigning.Alex Blazehttp://handsupgunsout.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-72430462877072752132012-04-18T07:49:23.366-04:002012-04-18T07:49:23.366-04:00Psychoanalysis aside, you do raise an important po...Psychoanalysis aside, you do raise an important point. <br /><br />I hate to raise a sports analogy, but Somerby does feed into a notion that the "other side" is the New York Yankees with unlimited resources and talent, and "our side" is the Kansas City Royals who have to play perfect baseball to stand any chance of beating the Yankees.<br /><br />Thus, any "gaffe" committed by any person no matter how remotely connected to "our side" becomes monumentally important and even decisive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-42696424678604900122012-04-18T07:30:58.600-04:002012-04-18T07:30:58.600-04:00With houses at $200K and up, cars at $25K and up, ...With houses at $200K and up, cars at $25K and up, gas at near $4 a gallon and hamburger above $3 a pound, and $2 a loaf for bread, it's rather easy to see how a family needs two incomes to achieve middle-class status.<br /><br />And limit the number of children to keep two checks coming in.<br /><br />I do reject the notion that "the rich" can't possibly understand the plight of the middle class by the sole fact that they are "rich." It still depends on the person.<br /><br />But I will say that there is nothing that either Romney has said to date that indicates to me that they "get it."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-9067412843255945042012-04-18T07:21:40.282-04:002012-04-18T07:21:40.282-04:00Read a book by the loathsome Rachel Maddow, then w...Read a book by the loathsome Rachel Maddow, then write about the issues she raises?<br /><br />Darlings! It just isn't done!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-79608870455683653592012-04-18T06:49:35.870-04:002012-04-18T06:49:35.870-04:00i left out some things:
first, its not just that ...i left out some things:<br /><br />first, its not just that the 'lefts' political instincts are weak and that they/we react as though they/we are perpetually taking an exam (instead of a fight). its also that the right knows that that is how the left reacts. they will jump on any mistake with all the indignation which they can muster to make the left feel even worse about itself. they wouldnt even try that if they knew that they were facing a self confident adversary.<br /><br />second, as to why the left is so lacking in confidence – they feel, subconsciously, that they are second class citizens to the wasp dominated party. they feel it would be unpatriotic to fight hard against the sons and daughters of washington and jefferson. it is an asymmetrical political contest. just on the merits, the left should win easily -- if only they would actually fight with the vigor the other side does. and btw the democratic party office holders sense this basic weakness in their voters and cow down to the rights pols unnecessarily because they feel we dont sufficiently have their backs if push were to come to shove.<br /><br />on the ground, the right, with the aid of the moneyed interests, is basically fighting an ethnic political battle against anyone who isnt them (in their minds) but the left is too meek to fight back. its a sad situation: “look here wasps, we hate the descendants of irish catholics too! you see that? we like you! please accept us!”nosireebobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-45669448157606413242012-04-17T21:44:26.240-04:002012-04-17T21:44:26.240-04:00Perhaps someone could, as a contribution to the si...Perhaps someone could, as a contribution to the site, loan The Daily Howler the use of their Barnes and Noble Card so he could receive a discount on Rachel Maddow's new book. It's a good book, on perhaps the most critically important and most ignored topic of our time. <br /> That way, he wouldn't have to spend his whole vacation wringing his hands over MSNBC filler segments.....Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09288008924419574934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-42076251445993798322012-04-17T21:14:34.949-04:002012-04-17T21:14:34.949-04:00To a great degree, the "real economic issues ...To a great degree, the "real economic issues confronting working mothers and the non-rich in general" are no different from the three economic issues that confront all Americans today: <br /><br />1. Inflation, particularly in food and fuel, which has made us all poorer.<br /><br />2. A lousy economy, which makes it hard to get or keep a job and makes it hard to get a raise.<br /><br />3. Unprecedented deficits, which will force higher taxes and cuts in benefits.David in Calnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-73913771946668353082012-04-17T20:47:58.920-04:002012-04-17T20:47:58.920-04:00To be fair, I think that was always ironic.To be fair, I think that was always ironic.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-45629688273654658832012-04-17T20:30:52.383-04:002012-04-17T20:30:52.383-04:00#1 anonymous said:
“She keeps up with the news so...#1 anonymous said:<br /><br />“She keeps up with the news so well she got every fact wrong in her Trayvon Martin reporting. Since those were the facts you preferred, you probably didn't mind.”<br /><br />>>> this goes to a very critical political dynamic which favors the gop right now.<br /><br />i dont know, but lets say youre correct about her bollixing up that particular story. on the fact-based left the typical reaction to this kind of thing is “oh no, i/she/we were *wrong*!!! all is lost!”, whereas on the cause-based right, where they routinely get their facts wrong, the reaction would me more like “ok, we lost to the 'libs' on this one -- big deal, tomorrows another day.” the rosen flap is a perfect example of this difference. [somerbys whole purpose seems to be to perpetuate this misguided attitude of the left.]<br /><br />the right is in a fight and the left is sitting for finals. if i were a bettor my money would be on the side which understands where they are. the right understands the political system demands perpetual politicking or fighting. the 'left' doesnt get it. . . . but if we could learn, it might well lead to something we dont have: significant unity among the anti-gop, anti moneyed-interests people and a renewed old left, a real left. and this cause-based unity would breed in the left the kind of confidence the right evinces now.<br /><br />but the only way I can see this occurring is to shift (not abandon) emphasis away from culturally liberal issues (the new left) and get back more (not entirely) to the more economically based politics of the party <br />(the old left) which gave us fdr, truman and kennedy. . . . <br /><br />*** the point my party seems to miss is that each side only has so much political capital to expend and for the last forty years the new left has been getting its way at the expense of the economic issues the democratic party used to prize most highly. . . . it would be nice to be able to do both equally, but unfortunately that is a prescription for losing elections. . . . and then getting nothing or losing what you already have in the long run. ***nosireebobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-70878201499009951042012-04-17T17:19:39.916-04:002012-04-17T17:19:39.916-04:00MSNBC = "One True Liberal Channel" = onl...MSNBC = "One True Liberal Channel" = only on the far side of Neptune. There is no such thing and there never was such a thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-2402219240654109032012-04-17T17:19:22.636-04:002012-04-17T17:19:22.636-04:00If one partner works, and the other stays home wit...If one partner works, and the other stays home with the kids, is the partner who stays home "obligated" to the working partner to do anything more than raise the kids? Are they "indebted" to the working partner?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-54757126269888077162012-04-17T15:40:01.260-04:002012-04-17T15:40:01.260-04:00"She is in tune ... only ... with her hosts ...."She is in tune ... only ... with her hosts ... and communicates this on multilple levels even within her constrained role."<br /><br />The one true statement. <br /><br />She smiles, nods, and agrees with everything her hosts say.<br /><br />That is the rule she slavishly follows so she can be seen on TV.gravymeisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16075831177588700301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-60199018528912251962012-04-17T15:28:37.757-04:002012-04-17T15:28:37.757-04:00Bingo. And, yet again, the "liberal" si...Bingo. And, yet again, the "liberal" side of this debate misses the opportunity to discuss the real economic issues confronting working mothers and the non-rich in general. Mothers decisions on whether to work just because of health care coverage being tied to the workplace is a major cultural issue right now. This construct insults stay-at-home moms more than any talking head slip-up.Hyponoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-72974616046308551682012-04-17T14:41:31.828-04:002012-04-17T14:41:31.828-04:00What Rosen meant was not "never worked outsid...What Rosen meant was not "never worked outside the home" but "never HAD TO work" or "never had a job." In other words, she's had a cushy life and thus her opinions about women's current economic struggles carry no weight. It's a slam at her status as idly rich, not as a mother, and it was obviously so all along.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-77477582919624801932012-04-17T14:36:04.943-04:002012-04-17T14:36:04.943-04:00Joan, if you are going to comment her about your o...Joan, if you are going to comment her about your own performance, at least use your own name.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-62888909680314786782012-04-17T14:27:43.997-04:002012-04-17T14:27:43.997-04:00Zimmerman will walk.
What you didn't see on M...Zimmerman will walk.<br /><br />What you didn't see on MSNBC, CNN, or FOX:<br /><br />http://fsblog.s3.amazonaws.com/zimmerman.mp4Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-39092150550490756882012-04-17T14:14:27.831-04:002012-04-17T14:14:27.831-04:00She keeps up with the news so well she got every f...She keeps up with the news so well she got every fact wrong in her Trayvon Martin reporting. Since those were the facts you preferred, you probably didn't mind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-11595523170451381702012-04-17T14:12:53.258-04:002012-04-17T14:12:53.258-04:00The obvious point was that when a single parent is...The obvious point was that when a single parent is raising a child on the government's (taxpayer's) dime, they are in debt to the taxpayer and obligated to work for pay for the cost of raising their own children. Doing otherwise is undignified.<br /><br />When parents finance the upbringing of their own children, not involving the taxpayer, the government is not owed anything so should not impose a requirement for those parents to earn an income.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-77931134531052503142012-04-17T13:53:16.366-04:002012-04-17T13:53:16.366-04:00walsh is a killer. surprisingly good on tv consid...walsh is a killer. surprisingly good on tv considering she hasnt much of a broadcast background aside from short guest appearances. she obviously keeps up on the news very well and has great recall but also she has a certain je ne sais quoi about her which is hard to describe but you know it when you see it. she is in tune not only with the subject matter but with her hosts and fellow guests and communicates this on multilple levels even within her constrained role. <br /> <br /><br />no surprise somerby tries to denigrate her regularly...and for other reasons i presume as well.nosireebobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-25065870746526848602012-04-17T13:43:50.664-04:002012-04-17T13:43:50.664-04:00It might be better if Joan explained some of Romne...It might be better if Joan explained some of Romney's truly awful policies (aren't journalists supposed to provide information) instead of fulminating about "that woman" Talking about how evil she thinks the Romneys are avoids the issue altogether-but I realize it's really all about entertainmentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8611810694571930415.post-88304901869068289282012-04-17T13:34:10.305-04:002012-04-17T13:34:10.305-04:00This whole conversation is mind-numbingly stupid. ...This whole conversation is mind-numbingly stupid. Of course I do think it's only fair to point out the times Mitt Romney has implied that women who are raising children but aren't working at a job for pay aren't really working at all. Or, Bob, in the name of "fairness" and "rising above it all" should we decline to even point this out? I guess that would align with your seeming wish for liberals to have policy debates with one hand tied behind our backs, but does it do justice to the real issues?Soprano2noreply@blogger.com