Coulter’s modus operandi is rhetorical extremity. She was fired from the conservative National Review magazine when, in the wake of 9/11, she urged the invasion of all Muslim nations and the forcible conversion of their citizens to Christianity...I though Ann defended this position rather nicely in her interview with Katie Couric last year:
COURIC: You were also fired, I guess, because you wrote in the National Review that we should--when it came to fighting terrorism, "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."
Do you still believe that that's the best way to combat terrorism worldwide?Ms. COULTER: Well, that's a somewhat dishonest quote. I was referring to the people in the previous sentence of that column, cheering and dancing in the streets right now. And, in fact, this--the way that was so widely misquoted is an example of what I describe in my book, which is the constant mischaracterization, switching a small word, taking out the word, apparent. It makes a big difference and these subtle differences that are then glossed over as if there's absolutely no difference, to try to portray conservatives as crazy people, as--as Nazis, slave owners...
COURIC: Well...
Ms. COULTER: ...sexist, homophobic. How about dealing with our ideas? I mean, I've written two books now, I've written hundreds of columns, I've been on TV hundreds of times. The idea that someone can go out and find one quote that will suddenly, you know, portray me, 'Just dismiss her ideas. Read no more. Read no further. This person is crazy!' This is precisely what liberals do all the time.
COURIC: But obviously--but obviously, the National Review had a problem with these articles and some of the pieces you did because you were fired from that job. Can you elaborate or at least tell us what you exactly meant?
Ms. COULTER: Well, that--that also isn't quite true. I mean, I write a syndicated column. I write for Human Events. That's the newspaper that hires me. People buy a syndicated column, they drop the column. But a lot of people don't like me for a lot of different reasons, including...
COURIC: Well, why don't you explain what you meant then.
Ms. COULTER: ...that they're my competitors.
COURIC: What do you think is the best way to--to battle terrorism?
Ms. COULTER: Well, point one--point one and point two, by the end of the week, had become official government policy. As for converting them to Christianity, I--I think it might be a good idea to get them on some sort of hobby other than slaughtering infidels., perhaps that's the Peace Corps, perhaps it's working for Planned Parenthood, but I've never seen the transforming effect of anything like Christianity...
COURIC: You were also fired, I guess, because you wrote in the National Review that we should--when it came to fighting terrorism, "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity." Do you still believe that that's the best way to combat terrorism worldwide?
Ms. COULTER: Well, that's a somewhat dishonest quote. I was referring to the people in the previous sentence of that column, cheering and dancing in the streets right now. And, in fact, this--the way that was so widely misquoted is an example of what I describe in my book, which is the constant mischaracterization, switching a small word, taking out the word, apparent. It makes a big difference and these subtle differences that are then glossed over as if there's absolutely no difference, to try to portray conservatives as crazy people, as--as Nazis, slave owners...
Sullivan used a similar trick in this article, adding the word "forcible" to the quote about converting them to Christianity.
................ Ms. COULTER: Well, point one--point one and point two, by the end of the week, had become official government policy. As for converting them to Christianity, I--I think it might be a good idea to get them on some sort of hobby other than slaughtering infidels., perhaps that's the Peace Corps, perhaps it's working for Planned Parenthood, but I've never seen the transforming effect of anything like Christianity....
RonDog...Great reply. Thanks for taking the trouble to find and paste these quotes.