# Leave this kid alone! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2007, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214 "2007-10-10T15:26:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/201 "2007-10-13T17:34:59Z")
[QUOTE=Weirddave] \ “Fox-inspired”. I like that. One of these days I’m going to have to actually watch Fox News just so that kind of attempt at an insult will have some factual basis. [/QUOTE] I stand corrected. You have arrived at your Fox-like sense of fairness and balance all by yourself. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/202 "2007-10-13T17:40:36Z")
Hey, I watch Faux News all the time, just about every day. Just yesterday, what with that Gen. Sanchez nominating himself for Phony Soldier of the Week and Al Gore winning the Nobel, Fox was breathlessly attuned to breaking news about murder in Fort Worth, with live coverage of what may very well be an arrest, and further updates from helicopter pilots and Greta von Stroheim, plus legal analysis, and the crucial parallels to OJ. Oh, and Algore won something or other. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/203 "2007-10-13T18:19:02Z")
[QUOTE=Kimstu] Did anybody chase down Mr. McFadden’s family history to verify that his father did in fact die at age 57? Or that Mr. McFadden was there to see it? Or that Mr. McFadden’s family did not in fact qualify for SS survivor benefits? Did liberal pundits discuss his widowed mother’s financial circumstances in editorial columns or blogs? No, because that would be fucking disgusting. When an ordinary individual is recruited to tell their personal story for a political cause, the story is nothing more than an illustration, an advertisement. If you don’t think that illustration/advertisement correctly reflects the general facts about the cause, what you should do is expose those general facts, and confront the politicians who are trying to spin them. E.g., it’s fair game to point out something like “In contrast to Mr. McFadden’s anecdotal evidence, over 98% of families whose breadwinner dies at age 57 qualify for survivor benefits” [statistics made up for purposes of illustration]. [/QUOTE] That’s right! All they did was [attack a 9-year old boy.](http://www.qando.net/Details.aspx?Entry=7047) Totally different. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/204 "2007-10-13T19:20:59Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Well, I certainly haven’t defended Pataki on this issue, have I. But he certainly couldn’t have cleaned up the problem singlehandedly - after all, the unit that handles investigating Medicaid fraud is run by the office of the Attorney General, per my cite. [/quote] How stupid can you get? (Don’t answer that.) There is absolutely nothing to stop an executive from conducting an internal investigation of operations under his purview, or calling on outside governmental investigators (e.g. the AG or US Atty, as appropriate) or hiring outside investigators. Not to mention he can fire any political appointees at will, if they’re not cleaning up the messes underneath them, and replace them with people who’ve got a reputation for doing that sort of thing. Yes, in fact, Pataki _could have_ cleaned it up on his own. Goddamn, you’re dumb. > [@](#): > > Another newsflash - Spitzer was Attorney General from 1999 until early this year. So Republicans weren’t running everything - they weren’t running his office that investigates this kind of fraud. > > Stop spreading lies yourself. Please to cite the lie. No doubt it involves looking at my words through **Mr. Moto** ’s special lenses, in a pathologically twisted effort to catch me out on something. You know, it’s really about time for you to let go of your **Firefly** obsession. Like I’ve said, you’ve been trying to make me the issue ever since January, not that you’ve had any success with it. Does your wife know you spend your nights fantasizing about me rather than her? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/205 "2007-10-13T19:30:11Z")
[QUOTE=ArizonaTeach] That’s right! All they did was [attack a 9-year old boy.](http://www.qando.net/Details.aspx?Entry=7047) Totally different. [/QUOTE] Hmm. I checked out those links. I couldn’t find where they posted his personal information, went by his house, interviewed his family’s friends… Can you point me to those things? All I see is links to bloggers who joked about challenging him to a fight, suggested that he was the only one who Judith Miller hadn’t “fondled his aspens,” or GASP… called him “Cousin Oliver.” (THE HORROR!!) I didn’t like that one of them referred to him as a “budding young fascist,” but that seems to be the worst example. If you find that equivalent, I’m not surprised, but this wet noodle of a tu quoque is pretty pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/206 "2007-10-13T21:07:24Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] Hmm. I checked out those links. I couldn’t find where they posted his personal information, went by his house, interviewed his family’s friends… Can you point me to those things? All I see is links to bloggers who joked about challenging him to a fight, suggested that he was the only one who Judith Miller hadn’t “fondled his aspens,” or GASP… called him “Cousin Oliver.” (THE HORROR!!) I didn’t like that one of them referred to him as a “budding young fascist,” but that seems to be the worst example. If you find that equivalent, I’m not surprised, but this wet noodle of a tu quoque is pretty pathetic. [/QUOTE] Uh…yeah…that’s why I agreed that they didn’t post personal information, and said that it was totally different. They just attacked a nine year old boy. I only posted one line of text; I can’t believe you misunderstood that one line! Shoulda put a sarcasm smiley or something in, I guess…! Yes, there was no digging up of personal information, and I never said that there was, but if it was somehow implied, it shouldn’t have been. The Democratic Underground comments were pretty scuzzy, though, so I don’t believe that you actually read them all if you think the worst they called him was a fascist. TBogg’s hope that Jeff Gannon gets to interview and hit on him? Dadahead calling him a pussy and wanting to kick his ass? (Oh, it’s a joke; that’s ok to do). Bottom line, just to head off all the breathless hand-fanning that comes from apologists: Using a 12 year old to make a political point: Politics as usual; no biggie. Researching the background of the 12 year old’s family to see if the story is true: Valid reporting; no biggie. Doing a crappy job in actually doing the research: Pretty unforgivable for anyone who considers themselves journalists, and rather irresponsible. Honestly, this is pretty damning towards bloggers in the new vs old media battle in that it showcases why it’s important to have levels of checks and balances. Publishing personal information or attacking the family: **Out of bounds. Definitely unforgiveable.** Driving by the house: Not sure how I feel. Should people who make themselves public figures have an expectation of privacy? Still, a little ookie. Saying that the left would never do something like this: Ignorant and naive. (As an aside, I do like all the Democratic Underground responses stating how stupid it was to have a kid talk about these important issues…how the wheel turns.) ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/207 "2007-10-13T22:31:14Z")
**ArizonaTeach** , I’ve read through your last post, and I can only say - up the voltage. You were being sarcastic, but not, but it was different in this case versus that, but it wasn’t, but it didn’t involve the same awful tactics, but the Democrats do engage in the same behavior. Here’s a hint - have a coherent point. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/208 "2007-10-14T11:48:36Z")
[QUOTE=ArizonaTeach] That’s right! All they did was [attack a 9-year old boy.](http://www.qando.net/Details.aspx?Entry=7047) Totally different. [/QUOTE] I checked out that link too. The only instances I could see of attacks by bloggers, were by a couple of bloggers who, AFAICT, got about as much traffic as my blog did when it was active - i.e. close to zero. Nobody knew about Dadahead’s and Kewpie’s nasty words, so nobody needed to call them out and condemn their attacks, because _nobody read them in the first place_. I don’t see any evidence that anyone on the left _with any sort of following_ attacked this kid. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/209 "2007-10-14T14:02:01Z")
I was reminded of this while I was watching a particularly manipulative ad for Pedigree dog food. A rational response to the ad would have been to consider whether the claims they made were true, to consider how much of an improvement it would be over other brands of dog food, and whether the cost would be worth it. Hiring a private investigator to expose the puppies on the commercials as bad, bad dogs would not be a rational response to it. Disgusting as the Republican response was, I do have to save a little criticism for the Democrats for turning an important policy debate into a dog food commercial. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/210 "2007-10-15T15:43:40Z")
At the risk of resurecting this thread after it’s hijacking by **Mr. Moto** and **RTFirefly** , Tom tomorrow has a great look at the right wing noise machine and it’s next target… [You’ll have to watch a quick ad beforehand.](http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2007/10/15/tomo/index.html) Lebeef yanceylebeef ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/211 "2007-10-15T16:56:47Z")
[QUOTE=Tom Tomorrow] Next: innocent butterfly - or Al Qaeda **sympathizer**? [/QUOTE] Clearly the butterfly’s responsible for all the chaos in Iraq! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/212 "2007-10-16T00:16:02Z")
Another bump. The Frost family will be on Olbermann shortly. Robin ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/213 "2007-10-16T00:24:43Z")
Olbermann? Who is this “Olbermann” of whom you speak? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214/214 "2007-10-16T00:39:10Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Olbermann? Who is this “Olbermann” of whom you speak? [/QUOTE] Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. If you want to watch it, it’s on now. Robin [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-this-kid-alone/422214.md?page=10)