Addition or subtraction?: Ann Coulter and the conservative crossroads

Townhall.com ^ | March 7, 2007 | Michael Medved

[goldstategop]

She didn't call Edwards "a faggot" but she could have left that out of her talk. If you're going to use satire don't employ a sloppy expression.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[EagleUSA]

Yes, more vudoo commentary. If you oppose illegal immigration and demand immidiate action on our border so we retain our soveigrnty and prevent another terror attack then we are anti immigrant and will lose votes. Screw you Medved!
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Yes, that is about it. That is the way the pro-illegal cabal, from the White House, all the way to every mother-loving, power-mad, vote-scrounging liberal wants it.

[MadIvan]

I realise that you're not big on rational argument, but it is rather surprising you're exhausted so quickly. Or perhaps not.

Ivan

[penowa]

"I quit listening to Medved quite a while ago when it became apparent he prefers some kind of system where only party members vote and they vote the way they're told."

Why would you expect anything else from a school chum of the Clintons?

[Tribune7]

We should not ape their behaviour - particularly when our vocabulary is much better than theirs and can be used to deadlier effect.

I can respect that view, but I'm still not throwing Ann under any bus.

We are supposed to operate at a higher standard than the liberals - that's one of the reasons why I signed up for conservatism - partially because they are base, venal and disgusting.

It's funny, but here the liberals are often decent and gentle people. The problem is they are also fools who follow leaders who want nothing more than to shear their wool then butcher them. Which, would be bad enough except they want to drag me along with them.

[EagleUSA]

So why is the standard so high on the right?
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Political cowardice. Absolute fear of losing political parasite status because of the MSM or whining socialists.

[BufordP]

Before we speak or take any action we should always consider how the left will react and/or make hay of it...NOT!

Sure, Ann made a mistake. But one thing I'd never do is apologize to the perps.

[Ramcat]

We should ask a crucial question before we speak or act: will this draw people to conservative ideas and ideals, or will it serve to turn them off and push them away?

I call BS on this statement.
It's impossible to no matter how careful we are with our speech to not offend those who are looking to be offended.
The libs have successfully linked the struggle for racial equality to the gay rights movement. Thus they have successfully linked using the N word to using the F word.
The fallacy of their logic must be constantly explained and Ann's humor works fine here.

[ishabibble]

Well, Ivan, the joke that AC told wasn't about Edwards specifically. She could have used any name.
The joke was about a Hollywood actor who went to rehab as a penance for calling another actor a "faggot".

I think many, many people don't know how to listen anymore. You can see this on any cable news program with the talking heads constantly interrupting each other, or they wait until a person finishes speaking and just start spouting their own stuff. They are simply waiting, not listening or thinking. Conservatives are not quite as bad as the Lefties, but this incident proves that so few people actually even heard what AC really said. It was about free speech, how's that for blackest irony?

[pissant]

Nonsense. See post 43.

[jetson]

Yes, more vudoo commentary. If you oppose illegal immigration and demand immidiate action on our border so we retain our soveigrnty and prevent another terror attack then we are anti immigrant and will lose votes. Screw you Medved!

I'm with you. We are being compromised right down the river. We have the dirty rotten dems using the no holds bared tactics while the above it all conservatives want to compromise. This government is not upholding the constitution but cowering to lawyers. It seems the bulk of conservatives are more sensative to an idiotic word that our country being overun with illegal foreigners.

[PajamaTruthMafia]

I don't see how matters are improved by Ann calling Edwards a "faggot".

It exposed the issue of "semantic totalitarianism" gone wild, just as her Jersey Girl's comments exposed the "Human Shields" strategy. Once it's identified and debated it loses it's effectiveness.

It exposed the weak links on the Right who think fighting an Asymmetric war is good strategy.

Ann did more good and gained more ground by using one word than the all the Michael Medved put together have in the last year.

And, for the record, I am no real Coulter fan. I've never read any of her books. I read her columns every once in awhile but that's about it. I do know this, she is one of the few people on the Right with the GUTS to challenge the insanity.

[TChris]

Good article. Medved got it right, IMO.

[concerned about politics]

I'd ask you to refrain from copying and pasting slogans.

It's not a slogan. It's what I think and believe.
If you vote for a liberal, forget Conservatism. That's just the way it is.

(All- if it does make a good slogan, please feel free to use it at any time. Pass it it.)

[antisocial]

LOL, notice that the ones that are the most offended by Anne are the wacko RUDY supporters?

[Minn]

...too many activists on the right seem determined to reduce the conservative cause to self-righteous irrelevance

You know who you are.

[Rutles4Ever]

Although I generally like Ann Coulter, her "playground lingo" excuse for the word "faggot" was silly. In fact, the word "faggot" has been seen frequently in the news in the past couple years because of its use by the military funeral protestors who believe God is punishing America for its support of the homosexual agenda.

[RexBeach]

Quite right.

Have a great day! :)

[SoothingDave]

Thus they have successfully linked using the N word to using the F word.

Neither is appropriate for polite company. They are vulgar. Perhaps some people think acting vulgar towards our political "enemies" will impress people.

I don't. Conservatives are not supposed to applaud vulgarians.

[highball]

You think she should go to rehab?

No, I think she should engage her brain before her mouth when the cameras are rolling.