Has the right really sunk this low?

[MrTuffPaws]

Matt Drudge. I read his site everyday. Not to get accurate news, but to see what the other side of America is reading and most likely believing.

Today, I am amazed that he, IMO, has sunk to a new low:

http://www.drudgereport.com/kerryk.htm

WTF?

[Lord Ashtar]

Matt Drudge does not represent the right.

[Munch]

I don't see the problem here. I'm pretty lefty, and in fact wrote an e-mail to both Kerry and Edwards this morning (yeah, I'm a dork). Drudge points out strange shit all the time, and he's not determinedly partisan.

Meh.

[Miller]

They do make an awfully cute couple, don't they?

[Ponder Stibbons]

I thought it was funny, myself. Geez, MrTuffPaws, get a sense of humor.

[lieu]

Nobody in their right mind puts much stock in a Drudge report. Heck, does anybody?

"I hope we do not see them wearing matching outfits when they ride bikes this weekend."


Gotta admit though, this was funny.

[Evil One]

My guess is that everything done in public by either campaign is carefully nuanced. The idea between this is to show warmth from Kerry, who is perceived not to have any...and to downplay the rumors of personal dislike between the two men.

[Bryan Ekers]

Heck, Jon Stewart has made sophomoric comments on Kerry/Edwards, and he doesn't strike me as right-wing.

[lissener]

I thought it was funny, myself. Geez, MrTuffPaws, get a sense of humor.
Dude, the political implications that Drudge is coyly trying to stir up are not funny. And except that NO individual represents any particular political party (well, except such figureheads as LaRouche) Matt Drudge is a voice of the Right insofar as he's a voice at all. Pretty slimy. But trust me, MrTuffPaws, lower depths will be plumbed before this thing is over.

[NurseCarmen]

I like the tip-o-the hat to the movie Office Space. Instead of "The Bobs" it's "The Johns".

[Clothahump]

Matt Drudge. I read his site everyday. Not to get accurate news, but to see what the other side of America is reading and most likely believing.

Today, I am amazed that he, IMO, has sunk to a new low:

http://www.drudgereport.com/kerryk.htm

WTF?

Sunk to a new low? How? He reported a fact, with photos to back it up. How is that sinking to a low of any kind?

[lissener]

Sunk to a new low? How? He reported a fact, with photos to back it up. How is that sinking to a low of any kind?
Um, what fact is that? And if you don't see what he's snickering about, you're either a liar, retarded, or a retarded liar.

[asterion]

Kerry and Edwards have seemed awfully buddy-buddy since Tuesday. I understand that it's important to look like you like your running mate, but every picture I've seen has pretty much screamed photo-op to me. Personally, I think they're overdoing it and making it look fake, as I've generally never been all that close with my friends--some personal space always rules.

This may be the Dope, not Slashdot, but still--Obligatory Simpsons Quote:

A Democratic National Committee van pulls up, and George
Stephanopoulos pokes his head out.

George: Uh, Mr. President, Sir. People are becoming a bit... confused by
the way your and your opponent are, well, constantly holding
hands.
Kang: We are merely exchanging long protein strings. If you can think
of a simpler way, I'd like to hear it.

[Yeticus Rex]

Um, what fact is that? And if you don't see what he's snickering about, you're either a liar, retarded, or a retarded liar.
.....or Michael Moore.... :rolleyes:

[lissener]

.....or Michael Moore.... :rolleyes:
Um, Michael Moore is pretty clear about what he's snickering about.

[Rysler]

I think it's cute. But then, I like that sort of thing. :D

[yosemite]

It's supposed to be funny. A joke. Not to be taken seriously.

[lieu]

Gotta admit... the pictures sure would be pretty on a candle.

[yosemite]

But something that does piss me off are the comments about Mrs. Edwards' weight. (My sister was listening to some talk radio program where they were discussing that.)

What a bunch of pricks. She's a lovely woman. Perhaps a little voluptuous, could lose a few pounds, but what does that have to do with anything? My sister related that the discussion was along the lines of trying to pin a "character flaw" on Mrs. Edwards because she was a little overweight.

They did the same thing with Barbara Bush, with Hillary Clinton and her "chunky" legs, and so forth. It's annoying.

[lissener]

It's supposed to be funny. A joke. Not to be taken seriously.
Yeah, that's right. That's what Drudge is all about. He's not a muckraker. Well, OK, he is a muckraker, but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt this one time.

[Larry Mudd]

Next week: White House staffer tips Drudge: "Kerry's gay-- and Canadian!" :rolleyes:

[Left Hand of Dorkness]

But something that does piss me off are the comments about Mrs. Edwards' weight. (My sister was listening to some talk radio program where they were discussing that.)

Wow, I hadn't heard that. How fucked up.

At least it gives me a chance to dredge up my favorite Rush Limbaugh moment ever (http://users.abac.com/ksitterley/rushp.htm) (not that I have a long list, mind you):
LIMBAUGH: I know everybody -- I was out in Los Angeles
for a book party the other weekend, and her best friend is
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason who produced "Designing Women" and
"Hearts Afire" now, and she said, "If you just meet Hillary
you would love Hillary. Everybody that meets her says that."
And I am sure she is a charming woman. Look, I have no
problem with Hillary Clinton's personality, who she is, but
it's like this Vogue magazine lay-out that everybody is just
tripping out over. Here are her photos, which I think one of
them looks like a Pontiac hood ornament, to tell you the
truth, if you look at it.
(laughter)
LIMBAUGH: Look at it and you'll see.
LETTERMAN: You know, you can say that because you are
the finest-looking human specimen on the planet.


Daniel

[yosemite]

Yeah, that's right. That's what Drudge is all about. He's not a muckraker. Well, OK, he is a muckraker, but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt this one time.
Oh, come on. It's ludicrous. Absurd. Stupid. Lame.

I remember when Drudge did an "exposé" on the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" tit thing, where he showed close-ups of the exposed breast, feigning outrage in an obvious tongue-in-cheek manner. That was a joke too.

I don't know much about Drudge, but judging from the Jackson/tit thing, he's capable of being full of shit and doing something that is supposed to be "funny" (whether or not he succeeds is a judgment call).

If you are determined to be offended, knock yourself out. But I think it's misplaced. I'm sure there's plenty of genuine muck-raking that you can focus on. But I don't think this is an example of it.

Daniel: Thanks for the link. Limbaugh got a good come-uppance from Letterman, eh?

I remember that people were making comments about Barbara Bush being a (gasp!) size 14. Horrors! And then there were Hillary's thick ankles. Horrors! And now Mrs. Edwards, a lovely woman who looks to be about size 12-14 or something. But for some reason this matters somehow? What bullshit.

[lissener]

. . . That was a joke too. . ."Joke" doesn't equal "innocent joke." Just because he was presenting it snarkily doesn't mean he wasn't expecting it to rake some muck.

[SolGrundy]

HA HA HA! ROFLMAO! Lookit the funny homos! OMG LOL!!!

Sorry, but it bugs me. It bugs me when SNL does the same thing with Bush & Cheney (and Ashcroft, and whoever else) too. It bugs me when people use implying that somebody's gay as a slam. It bugs me when people think that the implication is "hitting a new low."

[yosemite]

"Joke" doesn't equal "innocent joke." Just because he was presenting it snarkily doesn't mean he wasn't expecting it to rake some muck.
What muck was he trying to rake? Was he trying to seriously convince people that both Kerry and Edwards are cheating on their wives with each other? Do you really think anyone would buy that? Do you really think that he'd do that?

[lissener]

What muck was he trying to rake? Was he trying to seriously convince people that both Kerry and Edwards are cheating on their wives with each other? Do you really think anyone would buy that? Do you really think that he'd do that?
You don't seriously need me to explain it to you, do you? Seriously?

[milroyj]

You have to admit, the picture on the bottom right looks like they are at a gay wedding and the preacher has just said "You may now kiss". ;)

[yosemite]

You don't seriously need me to explain it to you, do you? Seriously?
You mean you seriously think that people will believe that Kerry and Edwards are cheating on their wives with each other? Yes or no?

[Brutus]

Matt Drudge does not represent the right.

Someone didn't get the memo, I see.

...It bugs me when people use implying that somebody's gay as a slam. It bugs me when people think that the implication is "hitting a new low."

Eh. Happens around here all the time. Just a bit 'o humor, you know....

[Apos]

It's sort of sad to say, but the reality is, it does represent a pretty significant portion of the right, and I hope the right that is disgusted by it won't put up with it forever. When the Richard Clarke thing was going strong, the very next step in the smear campaign against him was "Dick's a fag!" He went off the radar screen before it was necessary, lucky for him. But I've already heard this "John and John, buttbuddies for a fag America" thing snickered among national Pubs: big in-joke. A lot of this sort of thing lives under the radar, because they know it might alienate moderates if it got press, but it's a definate subtext.

And, of course, for right wing talk show hosts, this is par for the course (along with suddenly realizing that trial lawyers are the number 1 threat to America, unless Gephardt was picked, in which case unions are the number 1 threat). I expect Doors to walk in calling THEM propagandists akin to the Nazis any day now. Any day now.

"It bugs me when people use implying that somebody's gay as a slam. It bugs me when people think that the implication is "hitting a new low."

It's quite possible to think it's a new low BECAUSE it's using "gay" as if it were a slam.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

What muck was he trying to rake? Was he trying to seriously convince people that both Kerry and Edwards are cheating on their wives with each other? Do you really think anyone would buy that? Do you really think that he'd do that?
Why wouldn't he? It wasn't that long ago that he completely fabricated a charge that Kerry was having an affair with an intern. He was also sued for falsely accusing Sidney Blumethal of being a wife beater. Not much is beneath this guy.

Having said that, I doubt that Drudge intends any serious insinuation of man on man love between John Kerry and John Edwards, not because of any ethical constraints but simply because it's so wildly implausible. I think what he is doing is just engaging in a little mean-spirited snickering for the benefit of those trogyldites in his party who find such insinuations to be the height of wit. It basically amounts to "look at 'em. They look like a couple of homos! haw haw haw!"

It's roughly the equivalent of saying a guy with long hair looks like a girl. It's not said with any literal intent it's just a completely witless attempt at humor.

[Apos]

Next week: White House staffer tips Drudge: "Kerry's gay-- and Canadian!"

Funny story. When the Bush campaign was pushing the "Kerry looks French, the French suck" angle, they bought some ad time with this theme in a certain area: fairly high Republican percentage, not a bad strategy for them. Well, this certain area also happened to have a high percentage of French Canadians living there. And fucks sake were they PISSED about it. There was an en masse move to unregister as Republicans and register Democrats.

Moral of the story: being ignorant, hateful fucktards can come back to bite you in the ass.

[yosemite]

Having said that, I doubt that Drudge intends any serious insinuation of man on man love between John Kerry and John Edwards, not because of any ethical constraints but simply because it's so wildly implausible. That's my point too. Nobody is going to seriously believe it. It's a dumb joke.

How "funny" it is depends on the individual. I don't think much of it either way, other than it's a rather lame joke. Not something I'd pick as being terribly funny myself. But I suppose some people might be tittering at the "scandal" of it all. Bleah.I think what he is doing is just engaging in a little mean-spirited snickering for the benefit of those trogyldites in his party who find such insinuations to be the height of wit. It basically amounts to "look at 'em. They look like a couple of homos! haw haw haw!"

It's roughly the equivalent of saying a guy with long hair looks like a girl. It's not said with any literal intent it's just a completely witless attempt at humor.I can buy that.

It is wildly implausable so I don't believe he's seriously trying to get people to believe it. I don't know much about Drudge, don't visit his site, but I'll take your word on the fact that he's tried to pin false claims on Kerry in the past.

[Apos]

Another note: when Kerry announced Edwards, Drudge posted a story saying something like "Kerry picks Edwards.... ethics charges already begin." But the linked story was about an ethics charge against Mass governor Rowland for apparently illegally using his taxpayer funded offices to launch a partisan attack on Kerry and Edwards.

That's drudge in a nutshell: he leans right, but he's also a joker. He's not trying to do straight journalism, but also have a bit o fun.

[New Iskander]

So now we get "petting Johns". Before that we had "kissing Al". Before that - "bimbo Bill". I must admit, Dems dig "Sex & Politics" hilarity.

But can they defend "this Nation"?

[Lord Ashtar]

Someone didn't get the memo, I see.

Ah, see what happened was I moved. I guess I forgot to ask them to update my customer record.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

So now we get "petting Johns". Before that we had "kissing Al". Before that - "bimbo Bill". I must admit, Dems dig "Sex & Politics" hilarity.

But can they defend "this Nation"?
Defend it against what?

All I know is that only one guy on either ticket has ever defended his country against anything. Edwards was too young for Nam, Cheney had "other priorities" and Bush....well we know about Bush.


[cue "Cocaine" riff on the soundtrack]

[lissener]

You mean you seriously think that people will believe that Kerry and Edwards are cheating on their wives with each other? Yes or no?
There are plenty of people who think "where there's smoke, there's fire."

In the first place.

In the second place, a veiled accusation of homosexuality is meant to imply an accusation of effeminacy, or whatever: it's an attempt to make them seem, to a certain segment of Drudge's more retarded audience, less manly, and hold them up against Bush's hips-forward cowboy diplomacy. It's a thin layer of spin, but it's spin nonetheless.

[Brutus]

The top-left and top-center pictures look like something out of a SNL skit. Damn, but Edwards has the most precious pouty-face in the top-left picture!

And lissener, lighten up. Look at the pictures, and tell me comedy does not reside within.

[yosemite]

There are plenty of people who think "where there's smoke, there's fire." And these people are determined to believe whatever they want to believe, then. Kind of like you? ;)

In the second place, a veiled accusation of homosexuality is meant to imply an accusation of effeminacy, or whatever: Oh yeah, the war hero is "effeminant." Tons of people are going to buy that.

Hey—I'm not saying that a few won't. I'm sure anything's possible. But I doubt many will. It's just too stupid and absurd. it's an attempt to make them seem, to a certain segment of Drudge's more retarded audience, less manly, and hold them up against Bush's hips-forward cowboy diplomacy. It's a thin layer of spin, but it's spin nonetheless.They're going to believe whatever they want, no matter what.

Look—I'm not defending Drudge. I think it was a lame little piece. Stupid joke. Kind of on a Beevis and Butthead level. But to think that any serious—I mean serious—damage will be done of it, is reaching.

[asterion]

Actually, it does remind me a bit of an SNL skit. Remember when Gore went on as the guest and did that Bachelor bit?

[SPOOFE]

Y'know, there were some people in the theater audience that snickered "Gay!" when Aragorn kissed Boromir on the head.

That had about as much political influence as this "scandal" will.

[lieu]

Wow, consider this straight conservative male completely and utterly whooshed because the last thing I suspected this little event to be offering was any serious or even partisan pandering suggestion of homosexuality.

In my mind I saw a couple of guys that I seriously suspect would much rather be squeezing the last O2 out of each other's lungs instead playing big pals, hamming it up like long lost kin while the political spotlight shines bright. As such, it was amusing for the sado-masochist in us all. The juxtaposition of their physical expressions of mirth seriously in turmoil with their inner distrust of the other made me smile and quietly say to myself "You guys are in fucking agony, arent you?"

But a slam against gays? Shit, they were a little close, obviously caught up in some momentary entheusiasm and I'm suspecting they'll look back sometime in the future and wish they'd chilled a bit more in their overzealous display but let me emphatically state that I sure as heck don't anticipate the right to parasitically paint and champion this as part of a larger devisive issue.

They came out and kinda whored themselves for political gain. Which candidates haven't? It was funny for a moment and we don't take it seriously, laugh once and move on.

We're still allowed to do that, right?

[lissener]

Y'know, there were some people in the theater audience that snickered "Gay!" when Aragorn kissed Boromir on the head.

That had about as much political influence as this "scandal" will.
Yep, snickering individuals in a darkened theater have exactly the same influence as a widely mouthpiece for the naster corners of the American right wing.

In any case, Drudge is gay, so add hypocrisy to the list of charges.

[lissener]

must perview. . . widely read mouthpiece . . .

[lieu]

My three and a half year old daughter has something she'd like to add to the discussion as well...

jjbvfgjkgj oirjtlpguguggjgjgmmgmg,gg,,gg,mhki87tmnghtrqa6gggggggn65ruijmnxzaz

That was real and she then asked me to add "pizza" to the end. So...

Pizza

Once again, she said it better than I could ever hope to.

Proportionately,

lieu

[Weirddave]

Funny story. When the Bush campaign was pushing the "Kerry looks French, the French suck" angle, they bought some ad time with this theme in a certain area: fairly high Republican percentage, not a bad strategy for them. Well, this certain area also happened to have a high percentage of French Canadians living there. And fucks sake were they PISSED about it. There was an en masse move to unregister as Republicans and register Democrats.

Moral of the story: being ignorant, hateful fucktards can come back to bite you in the ass.
Boy, Bush can just FORGET about carrying Quebec now!

On a semi-related note, Gingy spotted the following bumper sticker yesterday:


BUSH/CHANEY '04: One Dick and one Bush, just as God intended.

[Tyrrell McAllister]

Wont you Kerry/Gephardt shippers ever let it go? ;)

[yosemite]

In any case, Drudge is gay, so add hypocrisy to the list of charges.Like I said, I don't know much about Drudge, so I never heard anything about him being gay. I did a quick search on Google, and could find only "gossip" sites claiming this.

Could you provide a reputable source for this? Accusing him of hypocricy in this particular instance seems a little premature if you don't have a reputable cite backing it up. (Not that I'm attempting to defend Drudge in general. He seems like a piece of work.)

[New Iskander]

Defend it against what?Against that hypocritical homosexual homophobe Matt Drudge, obviously. Sheesh...

[Spavined Gelding]

Like the man said – politics makes for strange bed fellows. I’ll bet the President will not allow himself to be seen shaking the Attorney Generals hand after this, not without a latex glove, anyway. :p Smilie so there will be no misunderstanding.

[Larry Mudd]

Geez, this has poisoned my brain.

Watching John & Teresa Kerry on Larry King, and tripped over a couple of lines.

Kerry: "I look forward to watching Dick Cheney and John go at it."

Larry: "Did you give John McCain a 'feeler?'"

:smack:

[Sam Stone]

Man, those conservatives are evil bastards. Because we all know that liberals like, say, John Stewart would never stoop to using a picture that looked funny in a comedy bit. no sir. And David Letterman would never try to catch Bush doing stupid things and play it over and over again on his show. Nope.

You liberals need to get over yourselves and grab a sense of humor, for God's sake. John Kerry and John Edwards are not deities. Just because you support them doesn't mean you can't laugh at funny pictures.

[Leaper]

Man, those conservatives are evil bastards. Because we all know that liberals like, say, John Stewart would never stoop to using a picture that looked funny in a comedy bit. no sir. And David Letterman would never try to catch Bush doing stupid things and play it over and over again on his show. Nope.

You liberals need to get over yourselves and grab a sense of humor, for God's sake. John Kerry and John Edwards are not deities. Just because you support them doesn't mean you can't laugh at funny pictures.

Well, yes, I see your point, but if you interpret the intent of the humor in this case as "Hey, lookit! They're fags! Haw haw!", as the OP did, then I'm sure you understand why they don't laugh.

[elucidator]

I very much doubt any of the men in question are homosexual. They are all politicians, more to the point. Whores first last and always, virgins don't get elected they get canonized. I prefer my party's harlot because she has fewer obvious running sores. I suffer no illusions as to their character, there is not one man among them who, if it would ensure their election to President, wouldn't publicly blow any or all of the others, in Macy's window, at high noon, and with all networks on live feed.

And each and every one would be convinced he was performing an act of stern and selfless duty. As the Duke said in Sands of Iwo Jima: "A man's gotta suck what a man's gotta suck. Pilgrim."

[Rex Fenestrarum]

Again, if this was Bush and Cheney on The Daily Show you guys would be laughing your asses off about it.

Although I consider myself a "reluctant Republican" - which is actually a former card-carrying Libertarian that got sick of being irrelevant and unheard - what depresses me the most about this whole election is that... out of a country with 300 million people... we end up with these four guys running for president.... Well, six if you count Nader.. .and I don't. Bush\Cheney? Kerry\Edwards? Nader\That guy? God help us!

[FriarTed]

Actually, it does remind me a bit of an SNL skit. Remember when Gore went on as the guest and did that Bachelor bit?


*Gore/Lieberman in unison* "...lockbox!*

[Daisy Mae]

Defend it against what?

All I know is that only one guy on either ticket has ever defended his country against anything. Edwards was too young for Nam, Cheney had "other priorities" and Bush....well we know about Bush.


[cue "Cocaine" riff on the soundtrack]

Nothing makes me giggle more than a well placed reference to Dubya's fondness of his Texas Booger Sugar.

Well done.

[Apos]

Man, those conservatives are evil bastards. Because we all know that liberals like, say, John Stewart would never stoop to using a picture that looked funny in a comedy bit. no sir. And David Letterman would never try to catch Bush doing stupid things and play it over and over again on his show. Nope.

Pardon me if I don't chuckle with people who play the "hey: lookit the fags and fag lovers!!!" card. I know you don't like this side of your party anymore than I like the "let's abolish the military" or "all tax cuts are evil" Democrats. So why stand up for them?

Pruden plays the same game: poo-pooing the "buncha homos" reading while simultaneously playing it up, just like the Bush Hitler ad tried to attack Kerry for a Hitler ad he never made or condoned while simultaneously trying to compare him to Hitler themselves
http://www.washtimes.com/national/pruden.htm

[Apos]

Again, if this was Bush and Cheney on The Daily Show you guys would be laughing your asses off about it.

Maybe. But if it was, it probably wouldn't have the same "fags are ruining america" slimy feel that you get from people like Drudge and Pruden and all the local Pubbies who pushed the "John Johns for a fag America" theme I referenced earlier.

[ElvisL1ves]

Funny story. When the Bush campaign was pushing the "Kerry looks French, the French suck" angle, they bought some ad time with this theme in a certain area: fairly high Republican percentage, not a bad strategy for them. Well, this certain area also happened to have a high percentage of French Canadians living there. And fucks sake were they PISSED about it. There was an en masse move to unregister as Republicans and register Democrats.That crap just might wrap up Maine for Kerry, if that hasn't already happened. I mean, just look at any Maine phone book - half the names have a Le or a De or a Du in front, and end in -et or a bunch of vowels.

lieu: Mmmm..... pizza ...

[lissener]

Like I said, I don't know much about Drudge, so I never heard anything about him being gay. I did a quick search on Google, and could find only "gossip" sites claiming this.

Could you provide a reputable source for this? Accusing him of hypocricy in this particular instance seems a little premature if you don't have a reputable cite backing it up. (Not that I'm attempting to defend Drudge in general. He seems like a piece of work.)
David Brock describes several occasions, after he came out, where Drudge tried to get him into bed.

[clayton_e]

[QUOTE=Weirddave]Boy, Bush can just FORGET about carrying Quebec now!QUOTE]

Yeah, there are no people of French Canadian discent living in the United States at all. :rolleyes:

[MrTuffPaws]

Personally, I think some of the photos are funny, but the contex is certainly not. Considering what a hoopla gays are going though, having a known right wing supporter insinuate that John 'n' John are guy is just low. Those Americans that think attacking ones sexuality is a valid attack will be eating this shit up. I can't wait for the quote from Joe blow:

"Kerry?, that French fag is gonna take our guns."

[lieu]

"Fuck the Right because they're probably going to insinuate such and such!"

"Ummm... did they?"

"Well, no... but they could!"

[Wolfian]

In the second place, a veiled accusation of homosexuality is meant to imply an accusation of effeminacy, or whatever: it's an attempt to make them seem, to a certain segment of Drudge's more retarded audience, less manly, and hold them up against Bush's hips-forward cowboy diplomacy. It's a thin layer of spin, but it's spin nonetheless.

It worked for Cato the Elder.

Apos, do you have a cite for the mass French defection from the Republican party? I don't doubt you, but I'm curious as to where and when this happened.

[JohnBckWLD]

John Kerry and John Edwards can't keep their hands off each other! In the past 48 hours, "candidate handling" has become the top buzz on the trail. News photographers have been going wild with photos of the two Johns.The scorned Dick (http://public.fotki.com/JohnBuckLINY/farks/kerry_gephardt-1.html). Two-timing / flip-flopping - is there really much of a difference?



I, for one, am bracing myself for a bowl full of crappy 'two Johns' jokes and bumper stickers this Fall.

[The Great Zamboni]

The Right hasn't sunk that low, but apparently Matt Drudge has. What a doofus. He could have gone after their records and idealogies instead.

There are many people of many different sensitivities on the Right and Left. I knew nothing about Matt Drudge until now, and I don't like him. He's one of those irrational, loud people that every group has.

If you want to know how the Right really feels, read National Review and other respected conservative publications. Read more than one issue, too. (I am not a shill for NR, but I do like it.)

The biggest problem with this is people have let it get to their heads. A stupid website won't affect much of anything, so be angry and then let it go.

[Unregistered Bull]

Don't most mainstream comedians use 'homosexual' humour? Jay Leno does it. Hell, he's even used "pedophilia" humour with Catholic priests.

[Little Plastic Ninja]

I suffer no illusions as to their character, there is not one man among them who, if it would ensure their election to President, wouldn't publicly blow any or all of the others, in Macy's window, at high noon, and with all networks on live feed.

My God, elucidator, that image is burned now so hard into my retinas that I see it when I close my eyes.

Bastard. :p

[Sam Stone]

Pardon me if I don't chuckle with people who play the "hey: lookit the fags and fag lovers!!!" card. I know you don't like this side of your party anymore than I like the "let's abolish the military" or "all tax cuts are evil" Democrats. So why stand up for them?


If I thought that was what it was, I'd condemn it. Because I can't stand that crap. I just didn't get that vibe. I thought it was just a joke. Not even a gay joke, just a, "Aw, they love each other" kind of joke. But I'm willing to admit that my interpretation of it could be wrong.

[panache45]

And lissener, lighten up. Look at the pictures, and tell me comedy does not reside within.
Yes, it's comedy to most people, but there are still plenty of jerks out there who take this sort of thing literally. There are still people who consider the word "fag" to be the most serious accusation you can make about anyone. And there are still people out there who are getting beaten up or murdered for doing exactly the same things that are done in these photos.

[edwino]

The line determining what is tasteless in humor is always fluctuating and hard to nail down. Even as a Democrat, I can see the obvious humor here. But where that line of tastefulness falls depends in a large part to the source and target audience of a joke. A black comedian telling black stereotypes to a black audience is obviously a completely different animal than a Southern white comedian telling black stereotypes to a Souther white audience.

So when Wonkette (http://www.wonkette.com/) makes jokes about Bush suppressing his homosexuality or on the overly-close Johns, IMHO it has a totally different feel than when Drudge does the same about Kerry. Wonkette, a liberal gossip blogger, peddles to a liberal audience which is almost completely composed of people to whom homosexuality is only an afterthought. But the Republican Party right now is struggling mightly with the issue of homosexuality. From Andrew Sullivan (http://www.andrewsullivan.com), a moderate gay Republican:


THE REPUBLICAN PURGE: It's becoming clearer and clearer what the Federal Marriage Amendment is really about: the purging of gay Republicans and any Republicans who do not follow the dictates of the religious right. Listen to the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins in the New York Times today: "Social conservatives are looking at this issue so we know who needs to be educated on this issue or removed if that is possible."... I love that idea of "educating" politicians and, if they fail to be "educated," removing them. You know that a party has become a sect when that kind of language is used.

Yes, it is a double standard. But think of the comedian example; for social conservatives to be trashily playing this up reeks much more than similar jokes made by Democrats. Drudge is conservative and plays to a conservative audience. If anyone thinks that this line of humor does not parallel Religious Right push to use gay marriage as a major part of this election, they are closing their eyes to how trashy and crassly manipulative every aspect of politics has become in the last 10 years (on both sides...)

[Apos]

Apparently, some good news on the Republican front:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/welcome.shtml

Bush's stance is alienating some Republcian moderates and their donors:

"A footnote: Moderate Republican senators grumble that some longtime contributors are refusing their usual contribution to the Republican presidential campaign. Their biggest grievance: Bush's endorsement of the anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment."

[The Flying Dutchman]

These photo's are really really hilarious. Kodos to the photographer who managed to recognize a comedic theme to exploit.

I am presently composing captions to accompany these pictures. For example, for the top left picture, how about;

Kerry: John baby, you are a very handsome man, and I'm proud to have you as my mate, er running mate"

:D :D :D :D

Please, I can't help myself :D :D :D :D

[The Great Zamboni]

As edwino mentioned, it's the context of the pictures that determines whether this is offensive or funny. If Jay Leno had done this as a montage set to music, it would be funny because it's irreverent and not politically motivated. In Matt drudge's case, it is offensive because it is politically motivated and intended to insinuate something secret and possibly damaging. IMHO, Drudge really didn't take it this steeply. He did this just to be funny and ended up looking stupid.

[Clothahump]

Um, what fact is that? And if you don't see what he's snickering about, you're either a liar, retarded, or a retarded liar.

Duh. And you call me retarded?

Two dudes are holding hands, giving each other long, deep looks in the eye, and patting each other's face. That's what got reported. With pictures.

:wally

[Bruce_Daddy]

If Jay Leno had done this as a montage set to music, it would be funny
No it wouldn't. Nothing Leno does is funny. ;)

[Larry Mudd]

In the interest of fairness, I have to admit that I did find this funny:

Is President Bush a Homo? (http://www.bettybowers.com/isbushgay.html)

Of course, it's largely because it contains enough irony to seriously harm a child.

Yeah, there are some funny pictures, but the supporting material goes a bit beyond "OMG! They're totally touching each other! LOL!"

[The Great Zamboni]

No it wouldn't. Nothing Leno does is funny. ;)
Okay then, if Jon Stewart had done a montage, it would be funny. :)

[Abbie Carmichael]

Caption for the last picture in the montage:

*singing*

What would happen if we kissed?

[The Great Zamboni]

This ugly duckling thread of sincere political anger has left the nest and has now become a glorious swan of irreverency. :D

[AskNott]

When I saw the thread title,even before I read the OP, I said, "Sunk this low? You have no idea!" It turns out my first impulse was right. The other day, right-wing bombastard Dennis Miller introduced GWBush at a fundraiser. He echoed Drudge's "their hands all over each other" shot, and followed it with "Get a room!" Bush reportedly was amused, and he didn't chide Miller. At about the same time, Whoopi Goldberg, at a Demo fundraiser, made a sexual joke on Bush's last name. Right-wingers organizers quickly put together a storm of emails and phone calls to Slim-Fast, who employs Whoopi as a spokesmodel. The next day, Goldberg was fired as the Slim-Fast gal.

By the way, if you don't think Matt Drudge works for the right, you don't understand the GOP smear machine. Many of the smears start in Drudge's column, then they're echoed within hours by Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, Safire, and Savage, as if they were fact.