We really won’t give her more hits in Google searches. So we won’t mention her name (OR even put the category with her name above this post). So no one can accuse us of promoting her.
But a certain person who has done more to further the vulgarization, polarization and insulting nature of 21st century American political discourse — and is consequently a monster success and a HUGE favorite with political groups, cable and radio talk shows — has been at it again. This time she made a statement suggesting she’d be happy if John Edwards was assassinated (just joooooooooking, of course!).
But then Elizabeth Edwards (who happens to be married to John Edwards) confronted her (I mean, what’s cable political discussion without controversy and confrontation unless you want to have to watch those boring old policy wonk issue discussions that you see on CSPAN that don’t have people yelling over each other) by telephone while You Know Who was making her latest (verbal) bomb-throwing cable appearance (with bombs only thrown at one political party).
You can watch it here.
PS: Yes, it is schtick. Schtick that sells books. But there is a cultural PRICE to the high profile schtick: it’s helping create, nurture and validate a culture of political demonization and seemingly perpetual confrontation. Hopefully, young people see through it and will do better when it’s their moment to replace the old, screeching. name-calling political guard.
People can discuss and debate without hating each other — and without wishing those with whom they disagree be blown up in a terrorist attack.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.