Three Cheers for Triangulation [TIME's Joe Klein says all bloggers are nuts]

Time Magazine ^ | August 13, 2006 | Joe Klein

[summer]

Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman in last week's Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut precipitated the expected torrent of rubbish from left-wing blognuts and conservative wingnuts. There was a nauseating triumphalism on both sides, the unblinking assertion that this one poorly attended summer primary provided a lesson of earth-shattering significance to the future of American politics. Maybe it did, but I hope not....

...On the other side, Eli Pariser, the executive director of MoveOn.org and therefore, perhaps, the nation's blognut in chief, proposed the "death of triangulation"—that is, the end of Clintonian moderation—in a Washington Post Op-Ed piece and announced a return to ... well, the party's stupid excesses of the '70s and '80s....

But Pariser and the MoveOniks can't seem to get Bill Clinton's success out of their craw. They persist in seeing "triangulation"—which was the consultant Dick Morris' odious term for Third Way liberalism—as a mere political strategy rather than a governing philosophy. It was a bit of each, of course. But the philosophy was both successful and profound...

...Pariser calls for an era of "bolder, principle-driven politics." But we've suffered all the boldness we can handle these past six years. In the end, the real alternative to Bush's Republican extremism isn't Democratic extremism. It is bipartisan moderation—which has the additional advantage of being the highest form of patriotism and the only route to victory in a time of war.

[summer]

Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman in last week's Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut precipitated the expected torrent of rubbish from left-wing blognuts and conservative wingnuts.

I think Joe Klein is really off-base by calling everyone who blogs a "nut."

[Red Badger]

I resemble that remark!..........

[summer]

We only call mainstream media "MSM"-- who is the one showing restraint? The blog-"nuts" -- or MSM?

[summer]

LOL...

[dirtboy]

Why is it that just about every liberal blogger has a scraggly beard? Including the women?

[msnimje]

That's fair.

All TIME employees are egg sucking, liberal, whiney, wussie, terrorist loving dogs.

[SF Republican]

calling everyone who blogs a "nut." Is that what he said - everyone?

[weegee]

Pajama People rule.

Still waiting for the press/networks to break the story on a news agency that fabricates news. All such reports have come from the "new media" bloggers.

I don't mean the mass media CARRYING a report, I mean uncovering the hoax before anyone else.

[KJC1]

They only wish that all bloggers are nuts.

By the way, wasn't the "pajama" guy named Klein too?

[summer]

OK, we could sink to their level, but, why? OK, never mind! I just realized how many angry posts my remark might spark! ROTFLMAO!

[Publius6961]

I think Joe Klein is really off-base by calling everyone who blogs a "nut."

I don't really think he said that.
The example he gives are very specific.
Whoever wrote this article is using the usual mindless spin.

[summer]

Read my post #1.

[summer]

No, he said that. He makes no exceptions.

[em2vn]

If you are going to make grand generalization don't forget, lace panty wearing, pinko commie bastards.

[summer]

Re your post #8 - I agree.

[zarf]

Joe sits above the rabble from his throne at Time. The new media is really pissing him off.

[summer]

ROTFLMAO... yeah, OK, but - he did say what he said. Read his article. And, I think the real reason he believes all bloggers are "nuts" is because no blogger is sitting around writing a blog on how great "triangulation" was back in the Clinton era, like Klein believes...

[summer]

Re your post #16 - I think you've got it right.

[SF Republican]

I did read your post -

I think Joe Klein is really off-base by calling everyone who blogs a "nut."

My question is where does Klein say everyone who blogs (is)a nut?

[martin_fierro]

[RetiredSWO]

At least we have nuts...

[dead]

It is bipartisan moderation—which has the additional advantage of being the highest form of patriotism and the only route to victory in a time of war.

Frothy bromides intended to impress the sixth-grade level readers of Time Magazine.

He offers no argument in favor, let alone proof, of these dopey contentions, because he knows the people who buy that dentist office filler don’t have the mental cajones to question such airy prose.

I don't know why I interrupted my lackadaisical boycott of such an inane publication. I shall be more diligent in not reading their tripe in the future.

[JennysCool]

Exactly. This article has the tone of a buggy-whip salesman writing about those damned newfangled automobiles.

[mkjessup]

I think Joe Klein is really off-base by calling everyone who blogs a "nut."

Let's see Joe call Iran's Ahmadjihad (who started HIS own blog last week) a "nut".

Oh wait, Joe would be crapping his pants and hiding under his bed if he had to face an Islamofascist for real.

[MJemison]

Yikes! (Joe Klein is a mare?)!

[Heatseeker]

Gee, if I hadn't read this, I would have had no idea that welfare reform was a Clinton administration initiative. /s

[Luke21]

This commie jerk defender of Clinton calls Cheney the "wingnut in chief?"

[WireAndWood]

I made it through all the 'nut' bits fine, but when I got to the term "Clintonian moderation" said with a straight face, if not reverence, then it became clear where I was.

[threeleftsmakearight]

I'm not so sure he uses the term left-wing "blognut" as a perjorative.
Note that he uses the term "wingnut" for conservatives, as we all know, that is the term lefties think offends us. Klein's use of this term shows where he's coming from.

[FreedomCalls]

I think Joe Klein is really off-base by calling everyone who blogs a "nut."

Joe Klein is a Democrat. Democrats read only Democrat blogs. Democrats are all nuts. Therefore the blogs Joe Klein has read are all Democrat nut cases.

[threeleftsmakearight]

...also, I would love to ask Klein which issues he's NOT in the Democrat extreme on. I guarantee Klein would have no problem with any Democrat administration, no matter how left-wing they were.

[BenLurkin]

"Bush's Republican extremism"

When will that start -- I'd like to see some of it.

[summer]

This article has the tone of a buggy-whip salesman writing about those damned newfangled automobiles.

ROTFLMAO!

And, yes, I think you're correct.

[summer]

FYI. :)

[backhoe]

My kind regards to you, summer.

The ship is sailing off to exotic ports of call, but Joe has been left standing on the dock.

Pajamahadeen Rule... rise of the New Media
various FR links | 09-17-04
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1219250/posts

[summer]

I don't know why I interrupted my lackadaisical boycott of such an inane publication. I shall be more diligent in not reading their tripe in the future.

LOL...

[summer]

Oh, always so nice to hear from you, backhoe. I really enjoy reading your threads, keeping up with the true history of the rise of the blogosphere. My hat's off to you! :)

[MNJohnnie]

Well since he labels Bush an extremist that pretty much indicates anything Klein has to say totally divorced from even a nodding acquaintance with reality. Anyone labeling Bush "Extremists" is so far out on the political fringes he must be one of the very "nuts" he is crying about in this article.

[antiRepublicrat]

[TIME's Joe Klein says all bloggers are nuts]

Iran's president now has a "blog," so he's right for at least one case.

[uncbob]

can't seem to get Bill Clinton's success out of their craw.

Yep 43% in 92 less than 50% in 96
Cost the democrats control of congress in 94
Kissing Fidel's buut and sending Elian back in 2000 cost Gore the election

Real political genius that Clinton

[MNJohnnie]

"Wing nuts" is a Leftist pseudo intellectual expression made popular in a book about how the Reagan Republicans who took over the Republican party from the Rockefeller wing after Reagan's 1976s primary defeat. It is supposed to be a pejorative term used by Gerald Ford to describe the Reagan Republicans.

Let see. The "Wingnuts" elected the greatest President in US History. Who dragged the Leftist kicking and screaming to defeat the Soviets and and a 45 year "Cold War" at the same time managing the longest sustained peace time economic expansion in US History.

Not willing to rest on their laurels with the "Wingnuts" next managed to shatter a 40 years lock by Leftist Democrats on the Legislative branch of the Federal Govt and are NOW on the verge of shoving the Democrat Party into perpetual minority party status.

I guess I see why Fringe cacko Political Leftists like Klein hate the "Wingnuts".

[colorado tanker]

Joe, turn on the light so you can find your . . . er, uh, . . . backside.

This has nothing to do with blogging or Algore's invention. It's 1970 all over again and the Dim base is in a mood to throw anyone who's not "antiwar" overboard.

[Diplomat]

And all this time I thought the MSM were a "bunch of skirt wearing poddle walkers."

I stand corrected.

[msnimje]

OK, we could sink to their level, but, why?

It was meant as a commentary on name calling.

[exit82]

Leftwing Blognuts? The proper term is "leftwing moonbats".

[Zathras]

Translation:
Everyone get off my case, I'm busy writing a book about how great Hillary is.

[OldFriend]

No doubt Klein is particulary not amused with the man from LGF!!

[longtermmemmory]

Joe Klein is trying to hold on to the last vestiges of his world view.

think about it. 30 years ago, this article would be unchallenged as THE final world. Now we are not only able to disect and point out the absurdities and illogic of Mr. Klein, we are able to share those findings with the global community.

The Emperor of Time Magazine has no clothes.

His faux ridicule of the internet is just his "hitler in the bunker" denial of the new media order. Mr. Klien is surrounded. No longer will he have sicophants who praise him for being a TIME MAGAZINE writer. He now has a global community putting him through journalism 101 on a daily basis.

The other dinosaurs were just as confused as Mr. Klein.

[backhoe]

A tip o' the hat in return to you, Miss summer...

[summer]

Not me; a stock photo! :)