Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Shep Smith, Master of Weary Annoyance
It's not so much the pummeling of Nader that I enjoy in this - but, really, what was he thinking, using such a loaded term? - as the follow-up comment about 'giving him time' during the roundtable (at the very, very end of the clip), and the expression of infinite, tired disdain that Smith bears along with it. Classic.
D.
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I've always admired Nader for his stance on a lot of things, and for his sense of urgency. But this was an unfortumate case of years of old, angry, bitterness spewing from his mouth like vomit. Add to that a horrible sense of timing ridiculous choice of words, and a self-imposed need to "stand his ground" and you have the end of his career.
I actually saw this on election night and could not believe what I was seeing. (My wife was flipping around, comparing different network coverage, I typically watch FOX).
I''ve always thought that Nader should have been a top adviser to someone else's campaign with the same agenda, and not be a candidate himself. I can't believe I'm sort of agreeing with the FOX news guy--he's still a dick, though.
holy crap. Stupid iPhone. I meant to say I typically DON'T watch fox. Yikes.
Hey, you had punctuation and capitalization, for three full paragraphs. I can barely send a two word text without fucking up. The iPhone is the clear winner, here.
Yeah, I was a little surprised by how much I was agreeing with Smith. I mean, Nader has an impressive history, and could still play a vital role as an anti-corporate muckraker. But the fact that the doesn't understand why his choice of words was wrong (and highly unpresidential) just shows he's done as any kind of viable candidate.
D.
I totally agree with what Nader said. There was nothing wrong whatsoever with what he said. He didn't use the N-word. He used a term that is not off-limits to white people.
He is correct that Obama is a corporate toadie, bought and paid for many times over. Nader WON the exchange, by the way, sturdily holding his ground, and not being intimidated, "not in the least."
Don't liberals refer to Clarence Thomas as an Uncle Tom after each and every time they utter his name. That's OK though, huh?
Also, stop the idiotic insta-judgement that "his career is over." Like the guy had any real standing with the electorate to begin with?
He may have gained a new supporter in me.
In all seriousness, do you think Nader has any viability as a political candidate left?
D.
I think he had next to none before election night and this FOX news thing. I keep up with the fringe and I barely knew of his campaign.
But again, this was the first time maybe ever I found a reason to really admire him.
Look, it was an off-color remark, happens all the time in politics. People have to stop the worship of O, the heartfelt devotion, the undying love... THIS IS DANGEROUS.
I don't care that he's black! He is just a man. It is okay to criticize him. He is not a god.
Right, but I think you're coming to the wrong place to do it, both here and over at Hermit & Catch 22. None of the three of us are rabid Obama supporters, and none of us have any illusions about the difficulties facing the new administration.
And as far as being naive about politics - well, I can accept that charge for myself, and it's one of the reasons that I rarely go political here. The Rambler has close to 500 entries under its belt in the last 18 months, and I think only six or seven of those touch on political content, and in as non-confrontational a manner as possible - again, since I find the overwhelmingly negative tone of contemporary political discourse to be really dispiriting. That's another reason for the pleasure of my response to the Nader clip.
Anyhow, yes, you could classify me as being naive. But given the global nature of Hermit and 22's upbringing and current careers, I don't think you can level the same charge at them. I assure you, their political beliefs - even if you disagree with them - do not come from a place of naiveté.
My suggestion is that, since you identify yourself as a writer, and you definitely have the passion to express yourself at length on these and other topics - you should start your own blog. And I don't mean that in a snide way; I mean, really, with discipline, sit down and write a blog from your own unique perspective. I'd suggest even putting it on Walrus, but you'd have to do something to distinguish yourself from Longcipher.
D.
I think that's a good idea too...
I second the motion.. You got a spot on Walrus whenever you want..
That being said, Dave's right on the money.. I'm not a huge Obama fan.. I was a Hillary supporter... I do think that the election was an historic one though.. and a positive step in the maturation of this country and globally it has done a lot to clean ourselves of the filth that that's been heaped on our image.. and yes, I think that's important.. a matter of national security even...
Obama seems to be touched with that special vibe that important fugres have.. and it feels good to have someone of substance at the helm.. to go on and on and on with the negativitiy before he's even sat his ass down at the Oval Office is meaningless.. Let him at least get through the fucking door before you make with the complaining..
People have a right to celebrate now, if only because Bush is gone.. and we dodged the Sarah Palin bullet.. which if youve been reading the new stuff thats coming out about her was quite a sizable bullet..
I'm sorry, I'm not trying to rain on everyone's parade... what is paining me and making me a miserable mother-effer is the fact we didn't have a real election... McCain sucked as a candidate and Palin was a joke... We had one anointed candidate with all the money behind him... McCain was just playing his role,the sad-sack stand-in. Palin, maybe we start worrying about when she strings her first sentence together. Then the media won't be too chagrined to play her sound-bites.
I hate to be so negative, but I am. Obama gives me a bad, bad feeling. It is very strong. Why do I have this feeling? Why can't I shake it? I just want not to care now. To forget about the campaign. I feel like I'm in a Twilight Zone. The more joyous the celebrations are at work, the more I want to vomit.
I see livestock, merrily prancing their way inside the abattoir.
So- the first cabinet appointment is Rahm Emanuel, partisan knife-fighter, key oparative under Clinton in the darkest days of that administration... that's change?
Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'll stop for awhile. But you should look at the hyperinflation link I posted on Longcipher's talkback. It will... just trust me. (And that's what people should be concerned with now, after all appropriate genuflection before the reality of our first black president is completed.)
Who's fault is it that the republicans couldn't put forth anyone worth running?
If you want to look at things with serious glasses, the actuality of our politics here in the US is we're a center LEFT country. You may say that Bush won the last 2 elections, but my retort is :
a) he didn't win in 2000 and
b) He barely SQUEAKED by in 2004 - quite dubiously if you want to look at Ohio. Besides which, all his votes came from the fear mongering of Rove.. fear trumps a lot, always has, but as far as to what people's actual politics/cultural affiliations are, it's way more liberal than conservative...
We just have a president now that reflects where the MAJORITY of americans are at..
I don't even really understand you politically.. you're not a conservative when it comes to religion or any of that culture war crap.. however the faction that has a stranglehold on the republican party are not the fiscal conservatives, they're the culture conservatives, the moralists... the MORONS...
This is why your party lost.. because they threatened McCain that if he picked Lieberman, or Crist, there'd be a revolution and he'd lose... they forced Palin on him... In fact Palin now is the future of the republican party...
HOw does that sit with you?
Does Palin not scare you?
If I were you, I'd really try and explore the feelings you have about Obama, and why he scares you so much. I'll bet if you were really honest with yourself it stems from the fact that he's a black man, and all the baggage of your upbringing and life experience is causing this unease in your soul...
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