Conservatives - Where Is Your Outrage at Coulter?

[Bricker]

@Kimstu

Many conservatives like to lecture liberals about giving too much visibility to “fringe elements” like Michael Moore and MoveOn, both of whom are remarkably rational and moderate compared to somebody like Coulter. But if Coulter really is viewed as a leading conservative, then conservatives are in a much more precarious position than liberals.

Exactly correct. While I think there are left-wing nutcases, I cannot off the top of my head think of any that have such seeming prominence in the arena as Coulter does in hers. It disturbs me greatly to see that her prominence is not causing her to muzzle herself. Maybe she sees this as humor; maybe she’s dead serious: either way, it’s wholly and completely wrong. She discredits herself - fine; her business. She also discredits legitimate conservative groups merely by their uncritical acceptance of her.

[ElvisL1ves]

If her shit is still all that wildly popular among such a large segment of the conservative population, then perhaps the criticism really shouldn’t be of her, knowhamsayin?

A decent attempt at buying back some cred with this one, Bricker. Fish in a barrel, though.

[Contrapuntal]

@Left Hand of Dorkness

When life gives you lemons, eh?
Daniel

Not to pick on you, but I’ve never liked that saying. Unless life is giving you ice and a pitcher and some sugar and a clean source of water you’re pretty much all puckered up. Kind of like Coulter.

[John_Mace]

@Kimstu

To give credit where credit is due, according to the OP’s linked article, Grover Norquist stepped up to the plate on this one too:

Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, called her remarks “completely inappropriate and destructive. Ann should have known better.”

She does know better. That’s what is particularly disgusting about her. According the article, she considered the comment to be a joke. But that’s always the weasel way out for such people. Say something outrageous to get attention and rally the faithful… claim it was just a joke if you’re called on it. Gotta love having it both ways!

[bup]

@Bricker

My ire is saved for those who … spew ignorant hatred. Today, that’s Ms. Coulter.

@Ann Coulter a few years ago

We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.

TODAY that’s Ann Coulter?

[Waverly]

@saoirse

So why can’t she get naked and pour various things over herself like a normal performance artist?

Indeed!

[Apos]

@Kimstu

To give credit where credit is due, according to the OP’s linked article, Grover Norquist stepped up to the plate on this one too:

Yeah, a friendly finger wag at someone he’s otherwise buddy buddy with. Sooooo much credit to him!

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

@Kimstu

I think most of them are suppressing it on the principle of DNFTT.

Do Not Fault Thy Teammate?

Seriously, she does seem popular in mainstream conservative political circles. She’s warmly welcomed at ConPAC meetings, and is seen with the influential conservative donors and power brokers. She has not been marginalized.

[Apos]

Where is the outrage? Let’s see:

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/fdbb21ea-9c35-11da-8baa-0000779e2340.html

To a chorus of “We love you, Ann”,

Her talk was the most enthusiastically received of the Conservative Political Action Conference. It was better attended than talks from Vice-President Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker who sees himself as the intellectual leader of the movement, or Lt Colonel Oliver North, a regular on the conservative speaking circuit.

A crowd-pleaser was anti-French jokes, with Mr Gingrich dismissing the word détente as a “fancy French word”.

[MaxTheVool]

Actually, there’s someone even worse than Coulter, namely the extraordinarily vile Michael Savage. Fortunately, he seems to be fading in popularity.

[Jackmannii]

Next up: Bricker takes on Fred Phelps.

[Shodan]

@Left Hand of Dorkness

Because, again, she’s wildly popular in conservative circles, and she is (to the best of my knowledge) the most poisonous popular commentator out there. There is nobody else who is remotely popular in political punditry who makes such fucked up declarations even in jokes.

I don’t know about that - I seem to remember a remark about how God intended New Orleans to be “chocolate” that seemed roughly at the same level of offense.

I know, I know - that’s different.

That having been said, I didn’t care mostly because I pay about the same amount of attention to Coulter as I do to Air America. The only difference is that the SDMB can be relied upon to highlight whatever Coulter says that is offensive. Air America - not so much.

Still and all, bad Ann! Bad! No calling nuclear-armed terrorists racist names!

Regards,
Shodan

[ElvisL1ves]

@MaxTheVool

Actually, there’s someone even worse than Coulter, namely the extraordinarily vile Michael Savage. Fortunately, he seems to be fading in popularity.

But the comparably vile Glenn Beck just got a CNN gig.

Wouldn’t be a supply if there wasn’t a demand, right?

[FinnAgain]

@Bricker

She discredits herself - fine; her business. She also discredits legitimate conservative groups merely by their uncritical acceptance of her.

A poor turn of phrase, or what you actually mean?
Wouldn’t those conservative groups who support her, uncritically, be discrediting themselves? Isn’t it a dodge to avoid responsibility to claim that they are merely passive and that someone else is discrediting them, and not their own actions? Aren’t they supposed to be The Party of Personal Responsibility?

[John_Mace]

@ElvisL1ves

But the comparably vile Glenn Beck just got a CNN gig.

Never heard of him. Does he have long blond hair and a preference for short, leather skirts?

[Kimstu]

@Shodan

I seem to remember a remark about how God intended New Orleans to be “chocolate” that seemed roughly at the same level of offense.

I know, I know - that’s different.

One important way in which it’s different, of course, is that the person who made that remark retracted it and apologized.

[MsRobyn]

@Shodan

I don’t know about that - I seem to remember a remark about how God intended New Orleans to be “chocolate” that seemed roughly at the same level of offense.

I know, I know - that’s different.

Offensiveness is offensiveness, regardless of source. However, Ray Nagin was speaking out of his ass and Coulter is a professional offender. That’s the difference.

Robin

[Miller]

@Shodan

I don’t know about that - I seem to remember a remark about how God intended New Orleans to be “chocolate” that seemed roughly at the same level of offense.

I know, I know - that’s different.

Well, yes, it is different. How many best-selling novels does Ray Nagin have to his name? How many sold-out speaking engagements does he get on the national scene? And perhaps most tellingly, how many times has Coulter apologized for one of her racist proclamations? I’m not defending Nagin’s statement: it was absolutely unacceptable. But beyond a simple comparison of the two statements wholly devoid of any external context, there’s no reasonable comparison of Coulter and Nagin to be made.

[bup]

@Shodan

Still and all, bad Ann! Bad! No calling nuclear-armed terrorists racist names!

Wow, this bit of sarcasm has made me see the light. You’re absolutely right, Shodan. It is ridiculous to get mad about this, because Arabs are nuclear-armed terrorists. Thanks for showing us all the error of our ways.

[Kimstu]

@John Mace

Never heard of him. Does he have long blond hair and a preference for short, leather skirts

Well, he’s blond. I don’t know how he feels about short leather skirts, but he’s the guy who hates 9/11 victims’ families:

you know it took me about a year to start hating the 9-11 victims’ families? Took me about a year. And I had such compassion for them, and I really wanted to help them, and I was behind, you know, “Let’s give them money, let’s get this started.” All of this stuff. And I really didn’t – of the 3,000 victims’ families, I don’t hate all of them. Probably about 10 of them. And when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I’m just like, “Oh shut up!” I’m so sick of them because they’re always complaining.

@Miller

I’m not defending Nagin’s statement: it was absolutely unacceptable.

And, as I noted, Nagin understood that and apologized for the remark. If Coulter were similarly rational about retreating from any of her over-the-top absolutely unacceptable comments, there might be some grounds for comparing the two.