From the LA Times Top of the Ticket, “Obama tells NY Times he’d do better without Fox News around”:
The New York Times, of all places, has a long interview coming out Sunday with the freshman senator from Illinois, Barack Obama.
In it, the Democratic presidential nominee, who’s leading in most recent political polls, still bemoans the existence of Fox News because he feels he’d be doing even better in voter polls without it.
Logo of Fox News Channel that Democrat Senator Barack Obama thinks he’d do better without
That’s actually a feeling shared by many in public life, not just politicians. The McCain-Palin campaign might feel the world would be a better place without, say, MSNBC’s Keith-meister, for example. Or the New York Times.
[…]
Here’s Obama’s complaint, with a Hat Tip to all-knowing MediaBistro:
“I am convinced that if there were no Fox News, I might be two or three points higher in the polls. If I were watching Fox News, I wouldn’t vote for me, right?
“Because the way I’m portrayed 24/7 is as a freak! I am the latte-sipping, New York Times-reading, Volvo-driving, no-gun-owning, effete, politically correct, arrogant liberal. Who wants somebody like that?”
Last we heard, the New York Times subscription department isn’t turning folks away.
A Fox News spokesman replied:
Senator Obama's comments about Fox News are misdirected. If he is uncomfortable with tough questions, it may be because he has faced so few from the news media.
The McCain campaign also complains when we make them squirm. We will continue to do hard, honest reporting and let American viewers decide if we're being fair.
A tough, sensible response, but one that bespeaks an attitude that will soften, I suspect, if and when Obama is elected.
Clearly, Obama is sending a message here, and the implied threat is visible for all those willing to see it: Obama does not brook criticism; and those who slow down “progress” by forcing him to stop and answer to large segments of the population are an inconvenient threat that must be neutralized.
Is there really any doubt that an Obama administration — backed by a Democrat supermajority — would not rubber stamp high-minded sounding legislation that is, in effect, designed to do nothing more than turn the notion of free speech entirely on its head?
After how Obama’s MSM has attempted to trash and destroy Joe W for the crime of asking The One an actual question, this is not surprising.
Remember early in Obama’s campaign how he said he was post-partisan? How he’ll bring everyone together? Now we are seeing what he meant by that
All united under ONE ideology — The Left — no dissent allowed.
I still can’t believe he said that. I mean, I do, but honestly – how frightening.
There has been a long and troubling pattern of attempts by Obama’s supporters to silence critics, with the tacit and somtimes explicit (WGN Action Wires) support of the Obama campaign. The Fourth Estate has mostly ignored both the individual incidents and the overall pattern. If their journalistic instincts were not enough to interest them in one would think that the press would at least be concerned about it as practictioners of a profession that depends upon unfettered freedom of expression.
I suspet that under an Obama administration the American model of near-absolute free speech will give way to the more limited European/Canadian model. Somehow I suspect that right-wing ideas have a harder time finding a way to the mass market under concepts like the Fairness Doctrine and criminal libel prosecutions for uttering “false” political opinions. If that doesn’t work, they will unleash the thuggish mob which, with the help of the media, will give critics the Palin/Joe Plumber treatment.
You know, once someone else defines fairness the rest is just so easy.
I am just amazed at how quickly they can generate mass, unreasonable, focused, group hatred against an individual. They do not just dismiss policies or ideas, they actually hate the person. Tony Snow deserves to die for working for Boosh. Palin is not just a Republican from Alaska, she is a vile evil creature from the black lagoon who deserves to be ridiculed and lied about. Her kids are collateral damage who wouldn’t be in the position they are in if their mother hadn’t decided to be VP. Random plumber guy is not just someone who disagrees with O!’s policies, he is a plant, part of a conspiracy to “get” O!, and his life must be destroyed. It is like these people when confronted by someone who disagrees with them, be they politician or citizen, all get in a book group huddle like they are playing a football game and come up with the best way to destroy said person without touching the argument said person put forward. They do this while coming to actually hate the individual. Truly amazing if you ask me.
A photo of the Obama Action Wire in operation, an accidental bonus that the operator happens to resemble David Axelrod.
I am just amazed at how quickly they can generate mass, unreasonable, focused, group hatred against an individual.
Here’s a theory that I’ve seen floated (and damned if I can remember its originator):
Each new communication medium or artistic genre produces mass social unrest (which can be good or bad).
Hitler used radio and film.
The Hearst-era newspapers used the telegraph.
The classical liberals used the printing press.
Going way back, the Mongols used pony relays.
Going WAY, WAY back, the Sumerians used writing.
We’re now seeing this play out with the web.
The drastic impact is usually temporary — after the initial spasm, it’s like people become “immunized” to the effect of that communication medium.
Darleen – everything is post partisan when there is only
One People
One Nation
One Leader
Obama!
And people laughed at me for saying that earlier this year…
WRECKERS!
“Because the way I’m portrayed 24/7 is as a freak! I am the latte-sipping, New York Times-reading, Volvo-driving, no-gun-owning, effete, politically correct, arrogant liberal. Who wants somebody like that?â€Â
Please, Mr. Barry, provide evidence that you are, in fact, NOT like this.
It’s not Fox News’s fault you’re a disgusting socialist pansy.
Obama is really showing himself to be a dick, isn’t he?
I wonder if his thugs will smash people who dress up in papermachete O! heads? Or will the state brook no ridicule of the One?
I’ve never seen that stuff on Fox News. Seriously. Fox News is just a little less twisted than the other networks in comparison. And there are just a handful of shows that aren’t full-on rabid leftists.
Of course, that makes Fox the Evil Empire for libtards.
Dear Mr. Pink.
I will not be mentioning the mirror.
But anyway, nobody wanted the death on T.Snow, not any sane person (I actually liked the guy and the sense of humor he had). And the hateful nutcases who comment on the blogs left and right should be discounted in intelligent conversation, they do not represent normal humans or mainstream views.
Palin dug her own bed with the interviews to Gibson And Couric and idiotic comments, now it is hard to dispel this image.
As far as the plumber, he was used by McCain and now is thrown under the bus.
It turned out to be embarrassing as well.
1. His name is not Joe.
2. He’s not a plumber.
3. He makes way less than $250K and would get a tax cut under Obama’s plan, not a tax hike.
4. He had no plan to but the plumbing business–tax hike, or no tax hike.
5. The business itself makes way less than $250K, so even the actual owner (who is not Joe) would get a tax cut under Obama’s plan, not a tax hike.
6. Everything McCain said about “Joe” facing a tax hike under Obama’s plan was an absolute lie. Again, both Joe and the guy who employs him would get tax cuts.
In sum, anything and everything said by and about “Joe” (not his real name) “the Plumber” (which he is not) is completely false.
best regards and respect.
sashal
Obama vs. Fox News…
Hmmm. Maybe one day, if he’s elected president, he’ll consult with the Democratic Congress to find a way to make it very very difficult for Fox News to exist.
Sound nuts? Well, on the surface it sounds crazy, but considering what both he a…
1. His name is not Joe.
Look! I have PROOF!!
“And the hateful nutcases who comment on the blogs left and right should be discounted in intelligent conversation, they do not represent normal humans or mainstream views.”
They represented around 75 percent of the comments on left wing sites such that they had to take down entire comment sections. If you want to pretend that didn’t happen feel free I can’t stop you.
About Palin, the people I was speaking about were busy posting lies about her family, posting her daughters boyfriends myspace page, and insinuating that her family commited incest, wayyyyy before she ever appeared on ABC or even did a national interview.
By the way the issue was never Joe the plumber, the issue was what O! said to him. My comment was about how much hate was generated toward this random guy within a day. To refute what you think I said you have to destroy a random US citizen by posting negative facts about his life and thus prove my point.
1. His name is not Joe.
OMG, because nobody but NOBODY goes by his middle name!! The HORRORS!
He forgets that if it were not for the tingling on the leg MSNBC and CNN he won’t even be a candidate.
By the way he is a plumber he is just unlicensed. The fact that after a day we know his licensed status as a plumber, have printed copies of his freakin voter registration card, and that he owes back taxes is also proof of my point. This guy existed in the eyes of the national media and left-wing thought for a day, one freakin day. Already they have given him an investigative anal similar to McCarthy in his prime. All for daring to ask a fucking question.
Do you think if he asked O! how his tax cuts would help him, thus giving Obama time to spout off, that any of that stuff you typed would be out there on the internet? Would you be typing it right now????? If you think so your brain damaged.
and sashal
the rest of your list is as credible
and that still doesn’t take away from the point that Obama himself said his plan is to take money from the workers and give it to the non-workers
Yeah, because THAT’LL create jobs!
putz
Oh, OK then. I shouldn’t feel any guilt over Trollhammering your nutcase rantings, sashal.
By the sound of Obama’s rally today the word “plumber” has replaced “n*gg*r”.
oops. should have said p-word. Sorry Joe
sashal it doesn’t make a bit of difference who asked the question. It makes a difference how Obama answered the question.
You are essentially proving Jeff’s point- instead of looking at the message (that you don’t like), you (and the left) try to destroy the messenger. “Dissent is patriotic” I hear, unless its conservatives doing the disenting.
1. His name is not Joe.
Since I have sashal TrollHammered, the only thing I’m seeing is what Darleen quoted.
But.
I’ll bet money that “sashal” isn’t his legal name.
How about it, “sashal”? Is “sashal” what it says on your passport?
No?
Moron.
I think Joe used to go by “Barry” but changed it to seem more authentic.
Plumma please!
What up plumma?!
Plumma gotta get paid!
Plumma betta give me my money!!!
Sashal: Do you actually and truly believe that an Obama administration would not increase taxes or fees or surcharges on those making less than $250k?
If you do, I have a bridge to sell you.
Maybe someone could answer this for me: Has anyone asked Obama whether he would veto any tax legislation that would increase taxes or fees for those making under $250k?
What was his answer?
Derek
Plumma, you ain’t gonna make no quarter mil, sheeit.
I like Joe. He seems a lot aware that socialism is bad. Baracky is going to hurt so many people what used to have freedom and opportunity.
plumma-party liberal unity my motherfucking ass!
Damn, that plumma be trippin
Joe did get something wrong
As a single guy, Barry starts punishing him at $125,000 not $250,000.
That shit was tight! You are my plumma!
I distrust people that tell me that “joe” would get a tax cut under O!’s proposal, because these same morons told me that ONLY the rich got tax cuts from the Bush tax cuts. I got a tax cut. One that mattered. I am nowhere near being rich. Not even sniffing the ballpark. And, again, why would a “conservative” like Sashal have such a flaming hard-on for a very left of center Barack? I do understand the Buchanonite conservatives hating on Bush. It makes some kind of perverse sense. But loving Obama? Um, yeah…
Plummas and hose
The sheriff is a plum *GONG*!
What did he say?
I think he said the sheriff is some sort of fruit.
You know what I like?
I like that people who have never run a bathroom DWV system in their lives feel free to pipe up and say about a guy who not only runs bathroom DWV, but whole house DWV and supply lines and places fixtures all day, every day, “He’s not a plumber!” God, what a great country we got here, eh? A country where everybody knows everything! Whose gonna beat us?
Baracky is a vicious socialist who promises vengeance, OI. It’s the vengeance what sells him and what appeals to sashal. It’s how they do it in Venezuela.
Liberal Fascism, The Tyranny of Nice. Welcome to Canada. It ain’t so bad. So far.
I present this laurel, and hearty handshake to our new……..plumber.
Because of the BOLSHEVIKS!!!
Actually, I suspect it *is* connected to sashal’s endless rants about “neocons”. He knows for damned sure there won’t be any “neocons” in Barry’s administration.
In the end, though, I suspect sashal (and cynn, and others on the left) are using “neocon” as a “code word”. Cynn’s mentioning “skulking neocons” in connection to the subprime mess gave the game away.
Every Dem lies about raising taxes.
Add http here members.aol.com/votebuzz/cr/Clinton-Calendar-1993.html
2/17/93
Clinton announces economic plan, widely recognized as a government-growth package with $359 billion in increased taxes and fees, breaking his campaign promise to lower taxes for the middle class.
plumbobs[sp?] and hitjobs
ass cracks and facts
bald heads and racist threads…
make sure you leave the gun above the tank-i don’t want michael standing there w/his dick in his hand
It appears that all the noise is intended to deflect from the question Joe asked–does anyone have a strategy to assure it remains in the forefront?
tweedle- dee is a sorry old man….
tweedle dum-he’ll stab ya where you stand
Joe the Plumber goes by his middle name.
Barack Obama, not so much.
AP poll: 44-42
How long until Obama breaks his pledge to cut taxes for 95% of people? Will his politburro otherwise known as the MSM call him on it? Will they be able to convince the American people that the money they see missing out of their pay stubs is really not the money they thought they knew? Will bears continue to shit in the woods? Film at 11!!!
dear Mr Pink
Here is an interesting tidbit about plumbing outrage
BREAKING: Obama socialist jerkass. Followed by film at 11.
Sash try to stay on topic please.
AP poll: 44-42
Yep. But they’ve buried that lede so far that it’s in a backed up toilet somewhere in Xinjiang.
precisely. Expect memechange soon.
did you check the link? It is about plumber topic…
or another pravda, errm, NYT, poll tom with O! by 10.
I just did several searches for TrollHammer and can’t seem to find what it is. From the context it sounds like maybe an add-on to suppress specified trolls’ postings on blogs? Where can I get it?
They do not use toilets in Xinjiang they use squatters. You also have to put your teepee in a little trash can beside the squatter because if you put it in there it backs up. They smell lovely too.
“I tried really hard, but we just couldn’t make it work”.
Didn’t Clinton pull that back in ’93?
Have any of you seen the charity dinner last night with McCain and Obama?
If McCain was this good and winning when actually campaigning, he might actually be leading in the polls. Many more people would enjoy politics if they watched this instead of the debates.
The video is definitely worth watching:
link
McCain was slightly better – he has better timing and a more natural gift for humor.
And that’s good. After November, McCain will have lots more time to do the talk shows and comedy :)
Yes I read it Sashal. It does not address anything I said. That is why I said stay on topic.
Never mind, found the info in the Pub. I don’t remember to go there often enough.
Yes he did Rob. I tried to post a link to it up thread but some reason this site kicks back any comments with http in them.
Another guy who definitely did NOT go by his middle name:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Grissom
It’s another re-hash of the same talking points we’ve seen seven hundred thousand times already, asshat.
Shouldn’t you be off accusing Obama of being a BOLSHEVIST!!!! for wanting to “spread the wealth around”?
Oh, hells no Rob, he’s much too busy staying around here ignoring JeffG to be off enlightening some other bunch of moronic putzes.
milhouse[soon to be our house]
damn-if mccain only had msnbc-he’d be even now
@61 Go to the protein wisdom pub (link in top left margin) and search there for TrollHammer. It’s specific to this site.
Okay, now I look dumb again because I didn’t read far enough before commenting. Such is life.
Yes, it’s a shame Fox is making the Metrosexual Mugabe so uncomfortable — without us doing more to help…
It was completely obvious Obama was talking socialism. That’s why all the attacks on poor Joe, he “forced” or “tricked” Obama into telling the truth, it’s the attack the messenger. It’s a warning to anyone who dares question Obama’s plans or authority. Watch out, if they find out you aren’t for Obama, besides calling you a racist they will investigate every facet of your life, your divorce, your financial dealings, your family, your relationships, the name on your birth certificate, your medical records…wait, why hasn’t the media done that with Obama yet???? I’m just surprised he hasn’t yet been accused of being the father of both Palin’s down syndrome child and her daughters child. He was accused of being a wife beater among other things, without any proof merely for asking Obama a question….asking a question…in an Obama world apparently unapproved questions are punishable by media lynching.
Oh, not that it matters, but most of the stuff put out about Joe was not accurate. The only accurate thing is that Joe is his middle name, which he goes by, not his first name. Going by your middle name is perfectly common and legal. He never said he made over 250,000, only that he was thinking, as his boss confirms discussing with him, of buying the company in the future. The company where he works as a plumber on residential plumbing for which he does not need a license. McCain said businesses making over 250,000 would be taxed more, which they will. In fact most making over 200,000 will be taxed more and will no doubt pass it on to their customers. Do you think they are just going to take the loss? Less taxes lead to more revenue, not less, but some people don’t care about facts, only about punishing people who succeed. Some people really don’t understand business, economy or even have common sense.
That guy from Georgia died of a heart attack. Just died. Buffet next?
LJ: “That guy from Georgia”..? Who?
Chutzpah
[…] effect, designed to do nothing more than turn the notion of free speech entirely on its head?  Jeff Goldstein This was written by chasrmartin. Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008, at 6:49 pm. Filed under […]
Not only can one not question Obama’s patriotism, it seems that one cannot question Dear Leader at all. Or is that Der Fuhrer? Hard to say any more.
First fox news and any other right news org, will have to go. Then every state item with god on it has to go. No more bibles used in any government business. Then we will redraw all the districts to take total power in the future. Yea we’ll raise taxes below $250, I figure less then 50% of the people make more then $100, so we can raise taxes on all of them over $100,. And it won’t take much get get rid of these right wing web sites, since we control most of the web already. We are already in control of the schools, why do you think it is so easy to kick your asses this time. The children we all be on the left before the next 8 ends. GOODBYE Repubs, your time has come to the end. you will never get back in control. Do you have any idea how many immigrants we will also bring into this country in the next 8 years to insure we always have the numbers we need. lol
“All the other latte-sipping, New York Times-reading, Volvo-driving, no-gun-owning, effete, politically correct, arrogant liberal freaks??
nomorerepubs:
“And it won’t take much get get rid of these right wing web sites, since we control most of the web already. We are already in control of the schools…”
Finally, a lib who isn’t just a brainwashed “useful idiot” spouting talking points like 98% of the left, but actually understands how the scumbags on his team delinberately split this country in two over the last several decades. How you doing, Comrade?
Hers is a video of a KGB defector made nearly 25 years ago where he predicts this, tells you how it was done, and that it was helped along by the old USSR, when it was still openly communistic.
But you forgot two things, moron:
– you haven’t gotten our several hundred million guns away from us yet, not for lack of trying either
– the military isn’t going to take turning us into Venezuela sitting down. I’m sure they remember all those military ballots you guys have managed to disallow every election because usually they don’t vote for leftists