Comments on: Sinking In

By: sk8ral

sk8ral — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:46:05 +0000

I couldn’t agree with you more regarding the angry talking heads. It’s just bad karma that doesn’t help anybody. Not to mention, what kind of life do you have when you’ve made a career out of bitching?

I ran across an article that, I think, compliments your sentiment. It’s specifically about a couple Milwaukee area anger-mongers, but I suspect their techniques are not unique…

http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/currentIssue/full_feature_story.asp?NewMessageID=24046&pf=yes

P.S. Congrats on the upcoming addition to your family!

By: hellopapa

hellopapa — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:21:40 +0000

What kind of world is this now? Help the animals but screw the people. (Prop 2, OK Prop 8 not so much…..) which means this article shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody. http://tinyurl.com/6f5ks9

Even the LA times (http://tinyurl.com/6nh5uz) picked up on this a few weeks ago.

By: marimarimari

marimarimari — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 03:30:58 +0000

I don’t put Olbermann & Maddow in the same category as O’Reilly, Hannity and Limbaugh. Yes, Keith and Rachel were mad, but I was mad for 8 years and I think it was warranted!
I still think a lot of the press lean over backwards to be fair, and end up being too easy on the republicans. Years of the right screaming ‘Liberal media’ has apparently worked to muzzle many of them…

By: southerngirl

southerngirl — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:59:34 +0000

Alan T,

Clinton was a very popular governor here in Arkansas his second term and Arkansans were so proud to have a native son running for President that they turned out in droves to vote for him both times he ran. And we consistently elect moderate Democrats as governors and Senators –although Huckabee _did_ slip in there for two terms. ; )

But be there no mistake, Arkansas is a very conservative state and many people here can be influenced by the RNC spin machine.

But we do have our independent streaks. We kept re-electing Fulbright to the Senate even after he was the first Senator to oppose the Vietnam War. And there has been a huge influx of Hispanics into the northwest corner of the state which used to be a very strong conservative area and now is pale blue in the New York Times “The New Blue America” map. I’m hoping we turn purple in 2012.

By: southerngirl

southerngirl — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:45:15 +0000

Obama has turned his sights from McCain to Bush!

“Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues.

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) said that during Obama’s final swing through her state in October, she reminded him that because the restrictions were never included in legislation, Obama “can simply reverse them by executive order.” Obama, she said, “was very receptive to that.” Opponents of the restrictions have already drafted an executive order he could sign.”

Science is alive and well in America again. Huzzah!

By: Lesley

Lesley — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:58:28 +0000

PS. for a laugh and a half see http://ideas.rebuildtheparty.com, a veritable wingnut salad with extra loon chunks smothered in sour grape and piss vinegarette.

By: Lesley

Lesley — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:56:56 +0000

You can bet if they’d won, they wouldn’t be saying any of this stuff about Palin. Rethugs need to take a good look in the mirror. They’re all vicious little weasels, including Palin – and they picked her, didn’t vet her, so they should join her under that bus.

By: southerngirl

southerngirl — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 22:56:33 +0000

Jon, can you make faydean go away so we can continue the civil discussion that Alison commented on?

By: DaddyScratches

DaddyScratches — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:25:13 +0000

Pragmatically, I completely agree that all of these talking heads do nothing more than fan the flames of their respective demographics’ hatred toward the opposition. They exist so that their respective handlers can sell more commercials, and it is in their own best interest to manufacture controversy out of minutiae (see the “Nancy Reagan seance” headline on Drudge for the past 24 hours; clearly, the most important issue of the day).

And yet …

After living through eight years during which all of my idealism, optimism and faith in our country had been mercilessly beaten to death with no chance (or so I thought) of ever returning, there is something incredibly satisfying about “my side” now being the one that gets to rejoice in our nation’s new reality.

But I can honestly say that the degree to which I want to gloat and wield this victory like a club with which to bludgeon the extreme Right Wingers is very insignificant compared to the degree to which Obama’s election has made me feel unbelievably proud of my country, and has left me hoping that we can all do a better job of coming together as one nation.

(Eight years is a long time, though … and it’s only been a few days since this paradigm shift took place … which is why I just can’t resist saying: Holy fuck, can you believe that we are going from a self-proclaimed C-student who smirks like he just earned a gold sticker for successfully stringing together five scripted words to perhaps the brightest and most inspiring leader of my lifetime? Pinch me. Just pinch me.)

By: Alan T.

Alan T. — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:23:34 +0000

The map is really interesting Jon. Two comments: 1) It seems to show what a great politician President Clinton was in Arkansas and 2) Although overall Katrina hurt McCain, as it would any Republican, it did change the political landscape of southern Louisiana.