Around The Sphere Oct. 2, 2007
October 2nd, 2007 by JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief
Our link-fest offering readers links to blog-posts from websites of many different viewpoints. Linked posts do NOT necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers.
THEY’D SWEAR ON A BIBLE THEY’RE NOT HAPPY: Dick Polman reflects on the GOP’s problem with the religious right, opening with some inside info:
Back in May of 2000, I learned first-hand that James Dobson is a tough man to please.
Dobson, the prominent Christian conservative who believes that his religious brethren have the God-given right to vet Republican presidential candidates, invited some political journalists to dine with him at his headquarters in Colorado Springs. As we silently forked our pasta salads, in his oak-trimmed boardroom, Dobson explained why he was so disappointed in frontrunner George W. Bush.
Bush, apparently, was not sufficiently conservative, because he had not yet categorically renounced the idea of choosing Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge as his running mate. Ridge was a defender of abortion rights, and this triggered Dobson’s ire. Basically, he was threatening to bolt the GOP and take his followers (four million listeners, six million on his email list) along with him.
That day, he told us:
You’ll have to go the link to read the rest. But his key observation is this: “What’s noteworthy right now is that religious right leaders are dividing into two camps: the purists and the pragmatists. That, by itself, signals that spirits are low within the GOP coalition.”
Could a lot of this be generational change? Other surveys have found that younger Americans — particularly those who are not Baby Boomers Stuck On Stupid in 1960s’ (I am a BB) perceptions and negative labeling — don’t view things as rigidly as their elders. Polman has one suggestion for Rudy Giuliani aka “The Pariah” to many in the Religious Right: “He’ll probably need to address the assembled religious right leaders, and conveniently arrange for his cellphone to ring midway through.” Read it all (Polman is among the best).
TRENDS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED DEPT: Dutiful sons are caring for their parents.
YES, TALENTED BLOGGERS CAN BECOME FULL-TIME WRITERS and they don’t even have to write on politics. Actor/blogger Wil Wheaton has a major book coming out. His details HERE.
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS WAS ON 60 MINUTES and said some provocative things. You can watch the VIDEO HERE. Thomas’ comments may be welcomed and rejected by partisans but, no matter where you stand, you can’t help feel: he IS someone who marches to his own drummer (like him or not).
ARE THE NEW MEDIA, OLD MEDIA, LEFT AND RIGHT NOW UNITED….in piling on Hillary Clinton (quite an image) and is it sexist? (We withdraw that last cheap joke…but what do you expect from someone who does comedy…better material?) The latest pile on is about her laugh/cackle/guffaw — and the always-perceptive Tom Watson looks at his issue in a MUST-READ POST HERE.
AND IT SOUNDS AS IF HILLARY CLINTON is getting bolder..
AND WHAT ABOUT BARACK OBAMA? Is his promise to stick to a high road working and wise? Or is he evolving into the next Bill Bradley?
WHO IS “THE MOST PEACE LOVING OF MURDERERS?” Wizbang says it’s this guy.
THE NEWS FROM IRAQ isn’t all bad…
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR LARRY CRAIG: This…
A STORY WITH “LEG”: A man fights to get a leg back.
THE RUSH LIMBAUGH WARS CONTINUE: Blogs for Bush feels Rush is getting a raw deal:
Harry Reid and Co. know that there is absolutely no way to prevail over Rush Limbaugh in the arena of ideas; and that conservatism and its ideals will prevail handily on its worst day over liberalism and its “ideals” on its best.
The only weapon that the democrats have? Character assassination.
The cheap shots taken at Rush with regard to something that was clearly taken out of context may be considered mildly amusing, if one were considering a Saturday Night Live sketch, in which the only comeback made by a cognitively challenged dupe would be, “well… you got big ears!”
But that’s the issue: Rush’s critics insist it is not taken out of context, while defenders say it was.Fox News’ John Gibson is under fire for trying to prove there was insidious tape editing by playing a tape supposedly showing the whole thing that Media Matter says was edited. Senator Tom Harkin won cheers from Rush foes for his comments — but Rush’s defenders say Harkin has now jumped into the mud. While the Democrats introduce a resolution condemning Rush…you guessed it…a Republican now introduces one COMMENDING him. (Nothing says more about the value placed on national unity and consensus than introducing a Congressional resolution to commend a talk show host who spends three hours a day demonizing anyone who belongs to a political party with a “D” in front of it).
Bottom line: Rush has stepped in it many times and each time his fans/defenders insist didn’t say what he said or didn’t mean what most people thought he meant. Or they attack those who criticize him. His audience will be limited to talk radio and “the choir.” Don’t look for him to be ever a sportscaster or a mainstream television talk show host, unless he self-syndicates.
THE LIVELY CONSERVATIVE MEDIA WATCH SITE NEWSBUSTERS IS LAUNCHING a new comedy webcast called News Busted.
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