alternative hippopotamus

progressive cyberdadaism from our nation’s capital

November 30, 2006

Oh, The Humanity

by AltHippo @ 11:23 am. Filed under Uncategorized

George Will:

Webb’s more gross offense was calculated rudeness toward another human being — one who, disregarding many hard things Webb had said about him during the campaign, asked a civil and caring question, as one parent to another.

Middle Earth Journal:

And speaking of civility, has Mr Will forgotten that the ever civil Vice President told a Democratic Senator to “go fuck himself” on the Senate floor.


TPMCafe:

See what happened? Will omitted the pissy and rude quote spoken by the President which originally provoked Webb. Will cut out the line from the President where he said: “That’s not what I asked you.” In Will’s recounting, that instead became a sign of Bush’s parental solicitiousness: “The president again asked `How’s your boy?’”

Of course Will distorted the record. Of course he ignored The Curse of the Shooter. Will is a Republican activist. Have we already forgotten this is the same guy who stole Carter’s debating materials, coached Reagan, then praised Reagan’s debating performance on air- keeping his role secret?

This is a guy who gets paid by the number of right-wing echoes he can create.

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3 Responses to “Oh, The Humanity”

  1. Ervin Sowell Says:
    November 30th, 2006 at 6:10 pm

    You are going to need to make some changes in your portfolio George. Don’t hold Halliburton too long and you’ll do just fine. The majority of americans will do much better. Then again you could just continue defending the “Swift boating”, “Dixie Chicking”, Decider in Chief.

  2. Alexander Dietz Says:
    December 1st, 2006 at 11:51 am

    “Will is a Republican activist.”

    No, he’s not. He is a conservative, but he’s been one of the most ardent conservative critics of the current Republican administration and Congress, especially on the war and on spending. One of many, many examples of his criticism comes from his October column on the Bob Woodward book “State of Denial”: “The book is hardly a revelation about supposed hidden chaos in Washington that produced the obvious chaos in Iraq. It does demonstrate that President Bush and others were shockingly slow to recognize Iraq’s complexities and downward spiral. But we already knew that.”

    Incidentally, just as Will points out that Senator-elect Webb does not get to alter the meaning of the words “literally” and “infinitely,” you do not get to alter the meaning of the word “activist.” Activism is “the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.” If writing a weekly column is vigorous campaigning, then I’m Eleanor Roosevelt.

  3. AltHippo Says:
    December 1st, 2006 at 12:48 pm

    Alexander,

    Here’s what I get when I look up the definition for “activist”:

    an individual who is extensively and vigorously involved in political activity, either within or outside the governmental system.
    A person who believes in or particiaptes in direct action to make changes in government or social conditions by campaigning in public or working for an organization.
    Activism, in a general sense, can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change. This action is in support of, or opposition to, one side of a controversial argument.

    Of these, the first definition is closest to my use of the word “activism.” It’s probably true Will advocates not so much for social change as the status quo of Republican power, or at least the status quo of his paycheck.

    Surely, when Will prepped Reagan during the Carter debates, and then gave him flattering reviews on air- without informing anyone of his role in the debates, he would satisfy the definition for activist.

    When you’re in the media business, as Will has his entire life, and you selectively quote someone, as he did with Webb, then your performing a hit job. That is a symptom of activism.

    Now, you make a separate point that I think is worth looking at. Will also takes on the Republican party. True, but so does Michelle Malkin, and even the hysterical youngsters at NRO. Selectively, of course, and never in a way that would seriously undermine Republican leadership (immigration would be one example). That doesn’t make them any less activists.

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