# "Gotcha ya!" video from the conservative noise machine seeks to make NPR look bad **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 8, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960 "2011-03-08T19:47:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/21 "2011-03-08T23:32:55Z")
While it may be a bit of hyperbole, his actions led to the defunding of ACORN, which was later cleared of any wrongdoing - of course after they had been forced to shut down. My argument is that O’Keefe’s dishonest behavior directly affected ACORN staffers as well as those that the groups for which it advocated. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/22 "2011-03-08T23:48:36Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > While it may be a bit of hyperbole, his actions led to the defunding of ACORN, which was later cleared of any wrongdoing - of course after they had been forced to shut down. My argument is that O’Keefe’s dishonest behavior directly affected ACORN staffers as well as those that the groups for which it advocated. It was cleared of any criminal acts, which is not the same as “wrongdoing”, especially wrt receiving federal funds. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/23 "2011-03-09T00:03:33Z")
Please enlighten me **John** - why did they lose their funding? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/24 "2011-03-09T00:14:46Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > [Lovely.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecutline/20110308/ts_yblog_thecutline/npr-appalled-by-former-execs-comments). An NPR executive, now a **former** executive, made some foolish remarks. > > I know how extremely difficult it must be to endure these vicious conservative attacks and remain respectfully silent, but NPR needs to maintain the moral high ground here. Never wrestle with a pig; you’ll just get muddy, and the pig will enjoy it. Those who officially represent NPR must comport themselves accordingly. I applaud NPR for firing this man. :dubious: Waitaminnit, now: > [@](#): > > In the video, Schiller said that the current Republican Party has been “hijacked” by a group that’s “not just Islamophobic, but really xenophobic” and suggests the tea party movement is comprised of some “seriously racist, racist people.” Speaking the plain truth should be a firing offense **why?** ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/25 "2011-03-09T00:15:50Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > Rape isn’t funny. Imagine Porky Pig raping Elmer Fudd. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/26 "2011-03-09T00:26:48Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Speaking the plain truth should be a firing offense **why?** There’s a difference between believing and proving. I strongly suspect that a large proportion of opposition to Obama is fueled by racism, either conscious or unconscious. But good luck objectively quantifying that. Your average tea partier will swear up and down that racism has nothing to do with it, and act very offended at the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/27 "2011-03-09T00:56:29Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > There’s a difference between believing and proving. I strongly suspect that a large proportion of opposition to Obama is fueled by racism, either conscious or unconscious. But good luck objectively quantifying that. Your average tea partier will swear up and down that racism has nothing to do with it, and act very offended at the suggestion. The Tea Party would be just as racist, and just as **obviously** racist, if it had been active during the Clinton years. It just wouldn’t have been as big. ---
**Author:** ![Xan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ac8455/32.png) [@Xan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/28 "2011-03-09T01:08:57Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > There’s a difference between believing and proving. I strongly suspect that a large proportion of opposition to Obama is fueled by racism, either conscious or unconscious. But good luck objectively quantifying that. Your average tea partier will swear up and down that racism has nothing to do with it, and act very offended at the suggestion. Or he’s “your guy” so you search for reason to make the oppositions arguments invalid. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/29 "2011-03-09T01:42:24Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > While it may be a bit of hyperbole, his actions led to the defunding of ACORN, which was later cleared of any wrongdoing - of course after they had been forced to shut down. My argument is that O’Keefe’s dishonest behavior directly affected ACORN staffers as well as those that the groups for which it advocated. Wasn’t that the whole point? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/30 "2011-03-09T01:43:27Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It was cleared of any criminal acts, which is not the same as “wrongdoing”, especially wrt receiving federal funds. How exactly **could** ACORN be “cleared” of “wrongdoing” in the sense you are using the terms? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/31 "2011-03-09T01:56:38Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Imagine Porky Pig raping Elmer Fudd. “I want you to sque-to sque- squea— to squ… to oink like a pig!” ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/32 "2011-03-09T01:56:45Z")
Lets try to get serious here for just a moment – although seriousness seems to have become a scarce commodity around here ever since to was conceded that Iraq had no nuclear, biological or any appreciable amount of chemical weapons, the much ballyhooed WMDs. The guy who has apparently been eavesdropped on saying non-politic things was not a reporter for NPR, was not an editor or writer for NPR, was not a producer for NPR and had precious little to do with any editorial or news policy. He was a fund raiser for Pete‘s sake. He does not seem to have been speaking for NPR. He seems to have been sharing a private opinion with what was represented to him to be potential big time donors to the outfit. It sure looks to me as if he were responding to inquiries presented by dishonest fakes in hopes that he would say something damaging so the whole out fit could be beaten about the head and shoulders with a new cudgel. Now, all sorts of people have been embarrassed by having candid and presumably private conversations revealed by privies to the conversation who have their own and secret agenda. It has simply happened again. Those who wish to take umbrage may and will do so. However, what was so bad about what was said. The Tea Party movement does have a distinct raciest and xenophobic streak to it. The closer you go to the Mexican boarder the stronger it is (notable exception is Iowa’s Fifth Congressional District). What the Patsy said is at least arguably true. He also said that NPR would survive without federal help; some stations would close but the outfit would survive, albeit in a diminished form. Again arguably true and pretty apparent. So what. It’s another 90 minute sensation which solidifies the opinions of people who think NPR is a Pinko conspiracy and doesn’t do much to supporters of the network or the disinterested. Somebody needs to get a life. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/33 "2011-03-09T02:29:36Z")
**Spavined** is feeling guilty about cheaping out on Pledge Week this year. Again. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/34 "2011-03-09T02:35:47Z")
[http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war\_room/2011/03/08/okeefe\_npr\_pamela\_geller/index.html](http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/03/08/okeefe_npr_pamela_geller/index.html) It gets better. By way of _Talking Points Memo_, without which no citizen can hope to be well informed… > [@](#): > > As part of the prank James O’Keefe et al. pulled on NPR, they set up a website for their phony group that, well, apparently fooled some of the most virulent of our homegrown Islamophobes. Or as Justin Elliott puts it: “A fake website about Muslims created by right-wing bloggers confirmed everything right-wing bloggers believe about Muslims.” “Oh, what a tangled interweb we weave When first we are clueless dipshits…” - Percival Dovetonsils ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/35 "2011-03-09T02:49:21Z")
O’Keefe has “will one day be shot in the nuts by a welfare mom” written all over him. He’s going to go too far at some point, but he’s got a lucky charm so far. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/36 "2011-03-09T02:56:50Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > Rape isn’t funny. “One, two, three o’clock, four o’clock,…” [sup]-Autolycus[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/37 "2011-03-09T02:56:59Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > [Lovely.](http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecutline/20110308/ts_yblog_thecutline/npr-appalled-by-former-execs-comments). An NPR executive, now a **former** executive, made some foolish remarks. > > I know how extremely difficult it must be to endure these vicious conservative attacks… Yeah, those vicious conservative assholes, showing people up for what they really are! How dare they! > [@Enderw24](#): > > All this kid does is make 30 second clips, splicing together scenes taken from a two hour meeting and yet it keeps making headlines as if what he’s released has any resemblance to reality. Every television news site and news magazines like 60 Minutes, 20/20, etc. do this routinely and they always have. Oh, and btw, the Tea Party is not racist. Some members of the Tea Party are racist, but then so are some liberals. And probably in about equal proportions. I think people who wrongfully accuse other people of racism are as bad as, if not worse than, racists themselves. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/38 "2011-03-09T03:05:33Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > …but then so are some liberals. And probably in about equal proportions… Rock solid assertion, firmly grounded in insinuation and buttressed by innuendo, **Starkers** wrongfully accuses liberals of racism. Followed by this gem. > [@](#): > > …I think people who wrongfully accuse other people of racism are as bad as, if not worse than, racists themselves. The SDMB Unintentional Iromy of the Year for 2011 Award nominations are now closed. There is no further point in accepting nominations. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/39 "2011-03-09T03:07:59Z")
That article reminds me of a sketch by the 70s-era hippie comedy troupe “The Committee”: Four guys are shown lighting up and smoking what is obviously marijuana. One of them suddenly announces he’s FBI and flashes a badge. One by one, the other three do the same. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960/40 "2011-03-09T03:08:32Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > **Spavined** is feeling guilty about cheaping out on Pledge Week this year. Again. A base and meritless slander, sir. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gotcha-ya-video-from-the-conservative-noise-machine-seeks-to-make-npr-look-bad/573960.md?page=3)