Wednesday Open Thread: June 29th, 2011
Today in History: June 29th
1950 – In one of the greatest upsets in sports history, the United States defeats England during the 1950 FIFA World Cup.
1974 – Isabel Perón is sworn in as the first female President of Argentina. Her husband, President Juan Peron, had delegated responsibility due to weak health and died two days later.
What’s on your minds this Wednesday?
What are people talking about in your part of the world?
© 2011, Bridget. All rights reserved.
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I haven't been here in a while, but did you guys hear about Rick Perry signing into law a lightbulb freedom act for Texas? And also Geert Wilders acquittal?
yes I heard that great news
Morning fellow Palin patriots!
Wanted to let everyone know the much anticipated GAME ON! T-shirts are now in at http://essexandorange1773.com/. The iconic image we have been inundated with requests to reproduce on Ts. It's now GAME ON! for Palin and us Palinistas! ENJOY!!
Anyone else addicted to the Casey Anthony trial ? No wonder Soap Operas are going off the air when you can get capital family DYSFUNCTION in real time
Meanwhile over at the Grudge and Pete's finding DYSFUNCTION in our news and government….
http://polination.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/the-we…
Michelle… um… Malkin… No… Obama… No… Bachmann! That's the one. (I'm kidding. But it was amusing to hear Our Leader Mark Levin say M.Obama a couple of times by mistake, even when he was talking to Bachmann! Quite understandable, as he'd been talking about MO.)
So, Monday, I read early-on that Michelle Bachmann announced her candidacy in her home town of Waterloo, Iowa, saying she's going to fight like the other home-town hero, John Wayne. "Well what I want them to know is just like, John Wayne was from Waterloo, Iowa. That's the kind of spirit that I have, too."
Okay, first of all, John Wayne was a sweet boy named Maurice who grew up to be an actor who played tough guy roles. So, if you want to be tough, you sort-of want to be like the characters he played, more than like him, but that's okay; he's the symbol. (Here's a classic: John Wayne on Laugh-In doing a bit of poetry à la Henry Gibson.) Second, Waterloo just wasn't the actor's town. His parents met there, but they moved away to Winterset, Iowa, about three hours away, before Marion (his given name) was born. All this was in the original articles. That's a pretty silly mistake. Why did she say it? Iowa is his home state, at least. But, a tiny, tiny mistake.
But! This gave the Democrats a hook for another aren't-Conservatives-stupid meme (Palinizing as they say at Legal Insurrection), as they began spreading it around that Bachmann had "confused" the handsome, famous actor with the ugly, infamous John Wayne Gacy, the "Killer Clown."
Well, of course she didn't confuse them! Not even <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=videos&search_query=biden+gaffes&search_sort=video_date_uploaded&suggested_categories=25">Gaffes Biden could be that dumb. Possibly not even Obama, who apparently <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6-tiig_cKI&feature=player_embedded">can't remember his own kids' names, much less <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9meB7G9R1E">the identities of living and dead recipients of the Medal of Honor. (Special h/t to <a href="http://barnhardt.biz/">Sarah Barnhart for her article on the psychopath in the oval office.)
I first saw this meme repeated by <a href="http://www.conservativecommune.com/2011/06/bachmann-mixes-up-her-john-waynes/">Joy McCann at ConservativeCommune.com under the headline "Bachmann Mixes Up Her John Waynes." McCann linked to <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2011/jun/27/the-wrong-john-wayne/">the Washington Times (headline: "The wrong John Wayne"). <a href="http://hillbuzz.org/2011/06/27/monday-open-thread-june-27th-2011/#IDComment167390699">I repeated it on HillBuzz.
The Times article noted that Gacy "had his first taste of the criminal life in Waterloo, where he lived for a short time." How short a time is not noted (January, 1967, through March, 1968, according to Wikipedia).
That's the only association.
The Times has an "update" at the bottom of the article — no change in the headline, of course — citing a release from the Bachmann campaign, noting that the actor's parents lived in Waterloo, were married there, and that the actor is from Iowa, and reiterating the patriotic spirit the actor represents.
Why anyone would think that Bachmann might be thinking of Gacy's living there at all is not even suggested. (Not that "thinking" has much to do with the "say anything" crowd.)
As I look again at the Times article, I see that the"problem" was reported to Times reporter Stephen Dinan by "one [unnamed] eagle-eyed reader" and that a clip of it is already on YouTube under the name BachmannLovesGacy.
I smell brimstone.
(Continued — sorry — in 2nd post)
(Continuing from previous post)
I am guilty of participating in repeating Democratic mud-slinging propaganda, for which I apologize. I have corrected myself to those to whom I spread the news personally.
I watched the video of Bachmann deriding our "gangster government." I listened to the Monday program of Our Leader Mark Levin, hearing Levin getting the news about this from a caller — who already had a better take than I had. Levin, naturally, dismissed it out of hand. I heard all of his interview with Bachmann at the end of his show. They discussed the Wallace interview, and she reiterated her credentials, but this later matter was not mentioned. (Levin had only just heard about it from one caller, of course, no time to research.)
Altogether, this is more of Bachmann than I have actually had so far. Levin ran the audio of the Wallace interview, about which I'd only heard the "flake" gotcha, so now I've heard Bachmann's great response. Because I listened to Levin, I learned much more about her than I had known before.
I don't know why she would confuse the birthplace of John Wayne (THE ACTOR!). (More significantly, I don't know why she's permitted her campaign guy to chew at Palin.) But I vehemently repudiate the whole "she confused her John Waynes" meme. It's not that I ever thought she did, but I was "concerned" that this gaffe was going to stick to her. And they're trying to make it stick. But it's just another left-wing propaganda ploy, another wad of madly-hurled monkey poo.
I haven't fully taken the measure of the site Conservative Commune, but despite the separate article pointing out the killer's Democrat background, the "Bachmann confuses her John Waynes" headline is prominent. It matters, just as Mark Levin pointed out the tactic of Wallace repeating the "flake" charge twice in his lame apology, and how it's the repetition of the meme, in any context, that starts it being cemented in the neurons. Well, remember, OBAMA IS NOT A MUSLIM OR A SOCIALIST!
I regret being suckered in by this for even a day. (And that I was too busy to get back to it on Tuesday.) I regret my own "toast" reference. Thanks to Amy for answering on the Monday thread that it's less of a deal than I made it. I thank the folks at HillBuzz for steadily reinforcing the concern trolls watch, and other propaganda awareness. I have been eyeing non-candidate Palin all along and have been listening to the "concern" about Bachmann being a RINO or a RINO dupe. I now have new-found respect for her, and I'm going to be keeping an eye on the other best possible Madame President.
(Concluding in 3rd post)
(Concluding from earlier posts. Whew. Sorry.)
After writing the above, I went looking at news.google.com for any straightforward article about Bachmann's announcing her candidacy. On page after page I found nothing — NOTHING — but repetition of this same meme. Headlines (links eschewed) like:
John Wayne who? Michele Bachmann getting last laugh in polls (Los Angeles Times) (well, that's okay, but the lede talks about her "gaffe-rich entry" into the GOP presidential sweepstakes.")
All in a name: John Wayne vs. John Wayne Gacy and other mix-ups (Washington Post, also not bad — mentions how easy it is for folks to mix up names like, oh, say, Ted "Chappaquiddick Killer" Kennedy confusing Obama & Osama.)
Will Michele Bachmann’s Gaffes End Her Presidential Chances? (US Snooze & World Retort)
Bachmann Campaign Starts With a Bang (Matt Taibbi in Rolling Stone actually held back until the 2nd sentence to mention it)
Michele Bachmann, you're no Stepford Wife: Only a gaffe-proof candidate can win (S.E. Cupp, NY Daily News — "latest unforgivable gaffe" in the fourth paragraph)
'She's not ready for the White House': Former aide attacks Michele Bachmann for her 'wildly out of control' office (UK Daily Mail's Fiona Roberts can't even get Gacy's name right when in the 5th 'graph she says Bachmann "inadvertently compared herself to serial killer John Wayne instead of the actor.")
And that's some of the nicer stuff.
I went looking on YouTube for the video about her "gangster government" speech, and until I refined the search saw only page after page about her gaffes and worse. (Everyone should be aware of the problem of "filter bubbles.")
Levin pointed out what Wallace was not asking — what I haven't found any of those in this latest manufactured flap saying — that Bachmann is a serious candidate, a contender, with serious backing, and, why look at that: she's a Republican woman! Where's the excitement about that, like there was for the "historic" half-wit psychopath-in-chief under whom we currently suffer? We may have in Bachmann the first female U.S. President. Historic. Monumental. Where's the buzz?
Webworker, thanks for your thoughtful analysis and correction of the earlier comment. I actually missed that thread so I had to go back and see what you said! I think it's very important to sort out friends from trolls, especially with the primaries heating up so much, so I think we all need to be careful what we say and hear either for or against Michele Bachmann.
Here is my take. I admired MB from when she spoke out against ObamaCare, and I have just assumed all along that she is what she seems, a Tea Party patriot. I was baffled by Ed Rollins' comments denigrating Palin a few weeks ago, and I've read a lot of commentary that suggests she is actually a sell-out Romney plant, trying to placate the conservative base so Romney can win and pick her as his VP. This seemed to be corroborated by a lot of positive press coverage over the last few weeks, from formerly critical people who were apparently wowed by her first debate performance. It seemed conspiratorial, to say the least, to have fawning from Chris Matthews (http://www.mediaite.com/tv/chris-matthews-real-time-michele-bachmann/), who had mocked her so bitterly just a few months before.
But then the "flake" meme popped up, and a lot of people jumped on that bandwagon. I'm not sure whether the media are running with that because they inevitably link her to Palin, and think this is a chance to take them both down together, or whether because some people are not in the "Let's pretend Michele Bachmann is a wonderful candidate to split the Tea Party vote/convince Sarah Palin not to run and give the nomination to Romney" secret.
Here's what I believe, though. If she's a viable candidate, then she'll stand her ground. If she's a plant, that will shake out too. Meanwhile I want to be careful not to reflexively jump to her defense *solely* because I know how the media tried to destroy Palin. I want to defend her when she needs defending. Like the John Wayne "gaffe" – I agree with you entirely: it was a non-story, and even if it could be proved that MB is really a Romney plant, fooling us all with her Tea Party shtick, that "gaffe" would have nothing to do with her viability as a candidate. If they wouldn't be picking on anyone else for this kind of remark (and they probably wouldn't), then we shouldn't tolerate it. Like the whole Chris Matthews flake question: it was an inappropriate question, and enough people refused to tolerate it that he had to apologize. Even if I suspect that she's working an ulterior agenda, I can still be outraged at the unfairness of the inquiry. I think Romney's an Establishment sell-out, but he's not getting asked insulting questions like that.
So I do want to support her insofar as I am supporting general principles of decency and/or the conservative principles she is advancing, but I wouldn't want to go out on a limb and cry "Palinization!" if someone advances a valid criticism about her voting record, for instance.
Sigh. Called John Wayne "Maurice" instead of "Marion." Called Ann Barnhardt "Sarah" and screwed up the link. Forgot to close a strong tag. Left out a space. I'm obviously unfit to be President, also! (Heading for bed, in shame.)
The hateful Left reveals itself once again. He said/she said on the Glenn Beck Bryant Park incident, and then the truth out of the perp's twitter feed. Excellent analysis of who does something like this.
http://thedarjeelingexpress.wordpress.com/2011/06…
Well, at least she finally has a modicum of fame . . .
Michele Bachmann staged her announcement on Monday in Iowa. It was planned for weeks, and about 100-400 people showed up, including staff and press. This was highly reported on, and aside from a few snide remarks (from reporters who didn't get the "We're going to pretend to like Michele Bachmann long enough to fool the Tea Partiers to abandon Sarah Palin, who is SO not running, and then we're going to drop her so Mitt Romney can win the primary so Obama can win the general" memo) on her John Wayne Gacy misspeak, most pundits continue to speak seriously of her surge. Whatever. There was a headline on Drudge today that she has great respect for Governor Sarah Palin and won't take the media's bait of creating a feud, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt on her intentions. But a couple of hundred people turning out for a highly publicised announcement in one's home state seems pretty weak to me, kind of akin to the level of love and passion ignited by Romney supporters.
Then, when Sarah Palin attends, as a guest, a screening of the documentary on her career on Tuesday, the crowd goes nuts. Even though she's not officially coordinating the event, even though only 300-some tickets to the screening are given out, and even though she wasn't even confirmed as attending until a few days ago, supporters from ALL over drove for hours just to show up and cheer. She got to meet with real Iowa voters, connect with people, even give a quick speech. The excitement and enthusiasm, not to mention the grassroots quick-moving organisation of it all, is astounding.
So all the media can do is try to ignore her. If they don't report it, it didn't happen, right? Because she's so polarizing and unelectable. Oops, she's not, actually: http://conservatives4palin.com/2011/06/ap-poll-pa…
Their own poll puts her favorables the highest now! When did THAT happen? Clearly, it can't be true, so they bury it in the story and hope no one notices.
Even the stories that grudgingly mention it (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/29/us/politics/29palin.html?_r=2) don't show pictures of the crowds. Keep your eyes open, people! Even Drudge doesn't link to all the right stories.
Enjoy.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pag…
URGENT!!!
Obama has placed ISRAEL on the list of countries that sponsor freaking terrorism! OMG!
Yid With Lid has the details: http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2011/06/unbelievab…
In other news, in reactions to the violent black racist mob attacks in Philadelphia (one of which resulted in a woman's leg being broken during a beating), the cops there say they are worried that the intended victims may try to protect themselves and that some of the violent racist mob thugs might get hurt. Seriously. that and more, here: http://zillablog.marezilla.com/2011/06/warped-pri…
Looks like everyone in a position of authority in this country is on the wrong freaking side of everything, both at home and abroad.
A friend of mine, a democrat liberal artist who supported Hillary Clinton, predicted that these things would happen in Philly if Obama was elected. He said that black people would start pushing whites in the street. The sad thing is he actually wound up voting for Obama after he caught a bad case of Palin derangement sydrom. He made the mistake of saying something sleezy about Sarah Palin to me and I put him right in his place. Now he can ask himself, along with this writter fromm The Onion (can you say poetic justice?) if they might feel safer having someone like Sarah Palin in power.
Our liberal judges in Philly are libtards who always take the side of criminals. Liberal are a threat to our civilazation, or what is left of it.