The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwan's posts personally offended me. It's not how I talk to people, and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor, or anything else. But I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake. I've talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith, and I take them at their word. We're beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can't let it be hijacked. It will take discipline, focus, and courage to build the America we believe in.Sen. Edwards will not be dictated to by the right but neither will he directly comment on the hypocrisy of those leading the attacks. This is probably appropriate for a national candidate. Edward's supporters and the mass media should call out those condemning left bloggers for similar statements. Let him without sin....
This is an interesting example of perhaps a gulf that exists between the lefty and the rightie bloggers. They have as one of their missions doing opposition research on prominent figures, or issues, to advance their cause. They can even get paid for this by some of their well-heeled backers, as the recent trips to Iraq to attack the Associate Press demonstrated. When they strike paydirt there is an entire noise machine cycle to move the items along until they hit the mainstream press.
This opposition research and creating scandals out of thin threads is much less developed on the left, particularly anyone in the so-called-liberal mass media who will pick up on an item developed by bloggers and make it a story. Salon's The
Nedra Picker seems restrained by her editors in citing examples from the two women bloggers and from their chief critics that have caused the heated discussions online.
ADDED - Edwards gets praise from Juan Cole and others.
FINAL SAY - The media and right expressed outrage over these comments:
Just imagine if a white guy is performing oral sex on a statue of Martin Luther King with an erection. Do you need to see it to know it's ugly?" and "Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. It's not a secret, okay? And I'm not afraid to say it. … Hollywood likes anal sex."Well, no they didn't. They ignored these remarks from the one leading the charge against Edwards hiring of vulgar bloggers. Even in his later statements I haven't put up he makes a not very disquised dig against Jews.
2 comments:
1. Isn't it interesting how mainstream media started piling on with the attacks on bloggers? Hmm, what does MSM have to gain by publicizing some discredited bloggers?
2. Bloggers sometimes use overwrought rhetoric and go on rants they later regret--unbelievable! Do bloggers actually do these things in the real world?
3. I'm so thankful right-wing bloggers never engage in name calling on the Net--and that Republican candidates always distance themselves from everything Rush and Bill Oreilly say by refusing to appear on their talk shows. If right-wing bloggers behaved that way, the level of political discourse today would be horrible. How terrific that we single out a left wing blogger's overheated rhetoric in order to spotlight the excess of the so-called liberal media.
4. We live in an age of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears open crotch shots. Yes, people are scandalized for one day, and then they forget about it.
5. In other news, Time mag ONline has turned half their staff writers into bloggers. I find that incredible.
Edwards is shedding the softie,breck girl image though...here's video proof:
www.minor-ripper.blogspot.com
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