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'Gaffes' and Personal Destruction - Compulsive "borking" is a symptom of the left's sickness
Wall Street opinionjournal.com ^ | May 5, 2003 | ROBERT L. BARTLEY

Posted on 05/05/2003 9:23:14 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen

Edited on 04/23/2004 12:05:33 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

To judge by the headlines, the GOP is suffering an epidemic of "gaffes." But if you read further, you find what Republicans call "Borking" and Democrats call "the politics of personal destruction."

The notion is to find some comment or anecdote that can be labeled beyond the pale, making the victim "controversial" and unsuited for office. Not that this is new, witness the lies about Robert Bork or the trumped-up ethics charges that toppled Speaker Newt Gingrich. But we're reaching the epidemic stage. It's the Lott virus. When the Senate majority leader was dethroned for some boneheaded if ultimately frivolous comments on Strom Thurmond's segregationist 1948 presidential campaign, other infections were inevitable.


(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 05/05/2003 9:23:15 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
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To: Stand Watch Listen
Here's a simple formula:

RATS + Biased Media = Cluster F*** of American Politics

Only current and former Marines are allowed to fill in the blanks.

2 posted on 05/05/2003 9:30:26 AM PDT by w_over_w (Hillary IS NOT running in 2004! NO! She's not!)
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To: Stand Watch Listen
I don't think you have enough reference material. ;^)

Seriously, I've written to my state Senator on the judicial nominees. I'll write him about the general Borking as well.

Good post.
3 posted on 05/05/2003 9:30:57 AM PDT by visualops (Who are these people anyway?)
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To: Stand Watch Listen
Compulsive "borking"

"Compulsive Borking" is a useful insight, because it is about the only explanation for the truly pathetic fascination with Bill Bennett's gambling. Who cares about Bill Bennett? Who cares about gambling? It's like watching a re-run of the Salem Witch Trials. "Oh look! A Republican! He must be a witch! Let's throw spears at him! If they pass right through, we'll know he was a witch!"

It's the frenzy that's the giveaway. This is a stupid non-story that belongs in a gossip column somewhere. Instead we have Newsweek and the AP treating like it's really heavy news. Now come the rest of them, with torches and pitchforks. "We've found a witch! Attack! Attack!"

They look like those yahoos dancing on the downed Apache with their AK-47's. Hello? We've captured Baghdad, suckers.

I guess these days, liberal journalists have to take their victories where they can find them. Since there aren't any in the actual news, they have to make stuff up.


4 posted on 05/05/2003 10:12:01 AM PDT by Nick Danger (The liberals are slaughtering themselves at the gates of the newsroom)
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To: Stand Watch Listen
From the title I thought this was another Mike Price story..
5 posted on 05/05/2003 10:17:17 AM PDT by shotgun
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To: Stand Watch Listen
Outstanding post, as usual. I think Dubya will stay the course with his judicial nominees. The question is whether Frist will ever find the courage to smash the Tiny Tomlett and his pals. It seems like such an easy thing to do.
6 posted on 05/05/2003 10:56:32 AM PDT by Bedford Forrest (Roger, Contact, Judy, Out. Fox One. Splash one.)
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To: Nick Danger
  This is a stupid non-story that belongs in a gossip column somewhere.

Yes, it should be.  What disturbs me, though, is Newt Gingrich's personal
life should also have been a non-story to the social conservatives who joined
the pitch-forked posse that drove him from office.  The rush to canonize
Bennett is just too rich when I see these same people still
demonizing Newt.

7 posted on 05/05/2003 10:57:01 AM PDT by gcruse (Piety is only skin deep, but hypocrisy goes clear to the soul.)
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