Today Obama went to a dinner party at George Will’s house, along with conservative writers Bill Kristol and David Brooks. I have to give all involved a lot of credit, and how much would I have given to have been a fly on that wall!
The one thing you can take to the bank, though, is that all those conservatives, while they might have given the President-Elect a grilling if they got the chance, were polite, gracious, and respectful. I would expect nothing less from a Conservative.
Can you imagine, though, President Bush being invited to the home of Markos Molitasis, with special guests Paul Krugman and Keith Olberman? Would they even invite him? Would they treat him with respect if he was there?
The double standard the media has for conservatives and liberals is frustrating. But I’m glad we meet a higher standard. In the end, that matters a lot – there’s only so long Americans will put up with being ruled by churlish children.
Where are ‘kos, keith and krugman going to channel their frustration and hatred once Bush steps down?
Yes, they were kind and respectful because they are conservatives. Just like Rush and Anne are always kind and respectful, since they are conservatives…
Face it, there are doucheclowns (in the media and out) on both sides of the aisle.
The difference is that the jerks on the right are marginalized. The jerks on the left are mainstream. One’s about to be your Senator.
Coulter is a rude, crass hag, but she’s an outlier. Obama has a standing invitation to go on Rush Limbaugh’s show, and while he would be pointed and unforgiving in an interview, I have no doubt he’d also be polite and respectful. No mainstream commentator on the right would throw a pie, attempt a “citizen’s arrest,” etc. If they did, they would be roundly panned by other conservatives.
You just can’t say the same for the majority on the left these days.
For example, I have yet to hear a single conservative commentator NOT say that they fervently hoped for a successful Obama presidency. (To be fair, I don’t pay attention to Ann, so I don’t know what her position is.) If those sentiments existed on the left in 2004, they were rare and in the extreme minority.
Without question there are jerks on all sides of an issue. The difference is that right now, the jerks are THE voice of the left. Would it even occur to any contributor to the Kos, the Huffington Post, or MSNBC to invite Bush to dinner in good faith? But I would bet most if not all of the National Review writers would jump at the chance to break bread and have a few cocktails with Obama.
Very valid point, I see a lot more intolerant, hatred-spewing talking heads on the left than the right.
And your mention of fervently hoping that Obama succeeds is only echoed by many fellow conservatives here in Alaska. Do I like Obama from what I’ve seen and read of him? Heavens no, but I think the biggest difference I see in talking to conservatives and liberals in my day-to-day life is their mentality when it comes to elections and politics in general. The attitude I see coming from the left is almost always, “We need to win, we need to stay in power. We need to use whatever means possible to ensure that we are in power.” It’s very present, even online, there is no thought given to what candidate would possibly help the country as far as maintaining individual liberty, reducing government interference in our lives, etc. And that worries me, personally. I like to look at the candidates and their positions (if they actually state them, I’ll never vote for a politician who takes a stand on nothing) and look at how I believe they would benefit our country. It’s not just “I must vote Republican to stay in power,” or something like that.
Alas, I digress. I have to agree with you, though. I don’t imagine commentators like that sneering at Obama or making jabs at him at every chance. Just look at the reaction to this election as compared to the past two elections. I think that speaks volumes comparing the conservative movement to the democratic movement.
Interesting. The other day Rush Limbaugh told his listeners that many folks in the media and other VIP types, him included, were asked to write 400 words on their hope for the Obama presidency.
Rush’d response: “I can do it in four. I hope he fails”.
Nice.
To the extent that he hopes to socialize the nation and adopt a foreign policy of wimpy appeasement, I agree with Rush. I hope he fails, because I don’t WANT to be socialized.
To the extent he helps America be safe and prosperous, I hope he succeeds.
The problem is that those things are mutually exclusive, and Obama is already clearly pushing forward with the socialism/appeasement agenda.
I don’t WANT Obama to take care of me – I want him to keep government, terrorists, criminals, and bureaucrats off my back.
But what Rush DIDN’T say is that Obama is Hitler, that he’s evil, that he hoped he gets cancer and dies, etc. etc. etc. – all things that the MAINSTREAM on the left has spent the last eight years doing. That’s what this post is about.
Who DID say that?
Are you kidding? Check out the Kos and HuffPo. It’s a daily occurrence. MoveOn made an ad with Bush physically morphing into Hitler. Olberman pops a vein every night calling Bush the Worst Person In The World. And the press spent the entirety of the Iraq war trying to undermine American victory over there – the New York Times printing leaked classified information on several occasions being Exhibit One.
The likes of Huffington Post, MoveOn and Olbermann are hardly mainstream. They are as left as you are right so to say that they are mainstream is to say that you are mainstream. I don’t know what you mean when you say that the press undermined the war. When? How? As far as the NYT leaking classified info, well…when?
See, when I brought up Limbaugh, I can actually give you the day that he said what he said. It was last Friday.
[Link]
When I take the time to dispute a remark, in this case, your second paragraph, I back it up. All I was trying to say was that all conservatives are not as nice and respectful as you would have them.
You reply with a bunch of opinions, which, even if true does not prove that conservatives are any nicer than liberals.
Edited above to shorten the given link due to formating. – OJ
Rush said exactly what I said he did. Here’s the full context:
“My hope, and please understand me when I say this. I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, “Well, I hope he succeeds. We’ve got to give him a chance.” Why? They didn’t give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated the search-and-destroy mission had begun. I’m not talking about search-and-destroy, but I’ve been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don’t want them to succeed.
If I wanted Obama to succeed, I’d be happy the Republicans have laid down. And I would be encouraging Republicans to lay down and support him. Look, what he’s talking about is the absorption of as much of the private sector by the US government as possible, from the banking business, to the mortgage industry, the automobile business, to health care. I do not want the government in charge of all of these things. I don’t want this to work. So I’m thinking of replying to the guy, “Okay, I’ll send you a response, but I don’t need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.” (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here’s the point. Everybody thinks it’s outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, “Oh, you can’t do that.” Why not? Why is it any different, what’s new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem.”
See? Not my opinion. Not an interpretation. Rush hopes Obama’s POLICIES fail. He hopes LIBERALISM fails. (As do I.) He does NOT hope the COUNTRY fails. He does not wish personal ill on the POTUS.
Because you’re drowning in Kool-Aide, you are unable to distinguish between hoping the President fails to implement policies you disagree with and being rude for the sake of it.
I cited the New York Times, NBC’s most watched commentator, and one of Obama’s most prolific funding agents and influential policy think tanks. That, my friend, is NOT the fringe, no matter how you slice it. As to the NYT’s exposing of classified info, see here and here and here. Even the Times ombudsman apologized for the last one.
Why do I even let me get myself sucked into this? There is a reason that conservatives are called “right”. That’s all that you are interested in being. Your opinions have no nuance; everything is lumped into one big sock. Liberals=bad. Conservatives=good.
I will try to isolate the context of my comment and spell it out in great detail.
The title of your post is CLASS. In it, you imply that you “would expect nothing less from a conservative” than being “polite, gracious, and respectful” if given the opportunity to speak to the president. It was in the context of certain conservative writers (listed above) meeting with then President-elect Obama.
You further imply that liberals, given the same audience, would not display the same “respect” or even invite him at all. (I believe that the invitation was on behalf of with then President-elect Obama and not the other way around, but I’m quibbling.)
You then go on in a later post to say “Obama has a standing invitation to go on Rush Limbaugh’s show, and while he would be pointed and unforgiving in an interview, I have no doubt he’d also be polite and respectful.”
My comment was based on what Rush actually said. Not what he might have said. Not what he, at least, didn’t say. Not what his politics are. Not whether or not you agree with him. Not what liberals might say. It is based on what Rush said: “I hope he fails.”
You imply that conservatives are by nature “polite, gracious, and respectful”. You attempt to make a point of saying that Rush would be “polite and respectful.” His response was none of the above.
He could have taken the high road (i.e. showed some CLASS) bay saying something like “My HOPE for President Obama is that he continues the traditions set by President Bush in keeping the country safe from harm and terror. I do not agree with his policies, but I wish him luck in at least this endeavor.”
That would have not only shown CLASS, but would have in no way sold himself out. He could have been courteous, taken a swipe, made his views known and wished him luck (on keeping us safe) without wishing him success.
You think that he would be polite in what he would say to the president? He DID say it to the president! He said it to America. President Obama, being an American (don’t even start) was part of that audience. Ergo, he told the president, via the airwaves, “I hope you fail.” Not a lot of CLASS there.
My point was merely that conservatives, or at least this one, are not by nature any more “polite, gracious, and respectful” than anyone else. Period. That’s all.
Where I screwed up was in getting sucked into a bigger agenda. But I did. So while I’m on it 1). A conervative blog cannot validate its opinion by merely pointing to other conervative blogs. 2). I could debate the validity of the assertion that the NYT is guilty of reporting classified data, but even if true, they would only be the second guiltiest party next to the classified source that leaked it. 3). If the Times ombudsman felt the need to apologize for a story or series of stories, well…I guess that shows a bit of ….hmm…what’s the word…oh, yeah, CLASS!
Why do you engage me? I don’t know, but I’m glad of it. Stick around, and continue holding me to account. I disagree with you on this (explained below), but I’ve certainly admitted I’ve been wrong before. I really do appreciate your contribution. 🙂
“He could have taken the high road (i.e. showed some CLASS) bay saying something like “My HOPE for President Obama is that he continues the traditions set by President Bush in keeping the country safe from harm and terror. I do not agree with his policies, but I wish him luck in at least this endeavor.””
Rush (and every other conservative I know of) has said this on many occasions. Occassionally you’ll find some fringe nutter who says, “I hope we get nuked, so we can blame it on the left – that’s the only way the country will wake up!” Those people are roundly and immediately castigated by the vast majority of the Right. We love our country first.
“My comment was based on what Rush actually said. Not what he might have said. Not what he, at least, didn’t say. Not what his politics are. Not whether or not you agree with him. Not what liberals might say. It is based on what Rush said: “I hope he fails.””
Your comment was based on a single phrase from the man, taken out of its context. That’s why I cut and pasted the entirety of the exchange. There was nothing impolite or rude in what Rush said. nothing at all. There is nothing impolite about me saying to the President, “Sir, I sincerely hope you fail in your attempt to socialize the USA.” It is merely a statement of fact. There was no ad hominem, there was no vitriol for its own sake. There was no “Chimpy McBushitler” absurdity that has been the bread and butter of Air American and its ilk for the past eight years.
If merely wishing your opponent fails in his bid to pass policies you dislike is “rude”, then every Democrat and lefty talking head needs to go sit in the corner for awhile.
And let me expand. At the inaguration, high ranking Obama supporters (for they had been able to access the close seats for which you needed to be connected) heckled and booed the outgoing President of the United States. That kind of display at an inaguration ceremony when the party transfer was the other way around is unthinkable. Go back and watch Reagan’s in 81, or W’s in ’01. And when it does happen, such as on election night when McCain conceded, the smattering of boos was IMMEDIATELY rebuked by McCain, and by the end those Republicans were applauding the new President-elect’s accomplishment.
I will GUARANTEE that scene would not have been mirrored at DNC/Obama HQ had the results been the other way around. In fact, even just today Obama couldn’t help but to take cheap potshots on the White House’s official website.
OK OK OK! Since I have expanded, now I will contract.
I don’t believe that any group of people is more inclined to be more gracious than any other group of people based solely on a belief system, be it politics, religion or owning dogs vs. cats. We can lob anecdotal evidence back and forth until the internet runs out of server space, but there will never be an absolute, definitive and conclusive answer as to what side comes out on top.
There, I’m done.
The real reason that I came back was to answer your question. “Why do I engage you?”
I would love the opportunity to answer that, but I will have to veer off topic, so if this ends up not being posted, I understand, but at least you will know.
I would rather explore the opinions of someone that I disagree with than simply nod in agreement with those of a like mind.
After the initial volleys of anger and contentiousness, I let go of your lapels, giggle and say “This? This is what we are arguing about? Who is nicer? Oh for heaven’s sake.”
At that moment of humor, I recognize that there may be more similarities than we give each other credit for. We both seem to be proud and patriotic Americans. We both have a passion in our beliefs and even though we sharply oppose, isn’t it great to live in a place where we can?
Well, I appreciate it, and you’re always welcome here.
I agree that no group of people is naturally inclined towards politeness. That’s why culture and peer pressure matter. Right now I think the culture on the left is more tolerant of incivility than the culture on the right. We’ll see if we can keep that up – one of the reason I thought I was a Democrat in high school is because the Clinton haters were so over-the-top obnoxious.
(BTW, “off topic” so it “might not get posted”? I think you mistake this for a blog with “rules.” The last one just went into the moderation queue automatically because of the hyperlink. Unless you’re selling Viagra or internet porn, your comments will always be welcome.)
Good to know :). And thanks for the space and replies!
BTW, did you happen to catch Rush on Hannity? I would be curious as to what you thought. Might be a topic there, but I would not dictate the path of your content. I would reply, tho 😉
You mean if I just stop putting links to porn in my comments, they’ll get approved?
I missed it – I’ve been swamped at work lately, and working the hours of a private attorney. But there’ll be other opportunities…