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Rook Di Goo<p>Ann Coulter's critics prefer to quote each other
IntellectuaConservative.com ^ | 26 August, 2003 | by Daniel Sargis

Posted on 08/27/2003 8:14:21 AM PDT by dogbrain

Ann Coulter's critics prefer to quote each other rather than deal with the arguments contained in Treason.

Talk about inferiority complexes! You know, it really tosses some “elites” into paroxysms of envy that Ann Coulter has the moxie to write her convictions in plain English while their cowardice condemns them to a life of paycheck prostitution.

As the elite intelligentsia pathetically shuffle through life staring at the insignificance of their politically correct Hush Puppies, Coulter ventures to the leading edge of thought. She makes a tough case and then documents her positions. Unlike the liberal idol Hillary, who employs numerous paid ghost writers, Coulter actually writes her books.

I have in fact read Coulter’s latest book, Treason, two times and followed each endnote before writing this commentary. This is more than can be deduced from reading the scathing critiques of Coulter’s critics.

Talk about bright minds! Andrew Sullivan leads diatribe with intellectual verve, “Few would dispute that she’s a babe.” And happily for his testosterone, “Lanky, skinny, with long blonde hair tumbling down to her breasts...” Good thing he wasn’t writing about Living History...

When Sullivan finally takes a shot at some substance, he asserts that Coulter is “defending the tactics of Joe McCarthy....” If Sullivan had actually read Treason, he would know that Coulter documents that the “tactics” attributed to McCarthy are little more than historical fabrication created by lying propagandists and their liberal devotees. Sullivan makes a better jilted suitor than serious writer.

It only gets worse. Kevin Canfield, a writer for the Hartford Courant, took his best shot on July 18th with side-by-side articles smearing Coulter and “Right-Wing Critics Of Big Media.” Of course, Canfield’s lead take on Treason is a reference to Coulter as “the right-wing pundit.” I guess that makes Canfield a “left-wing nobody.” At least Ann was correct when she wrote in her second book Slander that “ad hominem attacks is the liberal’s idea of political debate. They...make snippy personal comments about anyone who is actually talking about something.”

After assuring the reader that Treason is “getting almost universally negative reviews,” without defining which universe he lives in, Canfield naively cites “fellow right-winger” David Horowitz as a leading Coulter critic. While former radical Horowitz’s brand of neoconservatism is better than no conservatism at all, he is a Johnny-Come-Lately to the conservative fold. Coulter is a thoroughbred conservative, having founded the Cornell Review as an undergraduate. There is a difference between a fish and a human who has had swimming lessons.

Canfield does what all the Coulter critics do -- they quote each other and refute no specifics. They bring nothing to the table except hearsay commentary. With each of Coulter’s books, it has been the same old story from the left. From her hundreds of endnotes, the critics always dredge up some obscure source that can find, at best, maybe five “questionable” references. We’ve had Presidents who weren’t that good under oath!

In Canfield’s other piece, he argues that there is a “well-organized, well-funded drive by some on the right to dominate certain parts of the media.” One of Canfield’s confirmations for this point is the ascendance of Fox News. Of course, Canfield works for the Hartford Courant, which is owned by the Tribune Company that boasts of the earnings derived from the Fox affiliate stations it owns. Hey Kevin, tell it to the boss.

Reading Coulter’s critics is as laughable as reading a restaurant review written by Ronald McDonald. There is not one specific refutation of her facts in any of these criticisms, only name-calling and innuendo. Coulter’s use of decrypted Venona Project cables and intensive research to document her work is mysteriously ignored by her critics. Can’t let facts interfere with biased debunking.

Rather than regurgitating the “he said-she said” of one another, these critics should do their jobs. It’s easy: put Coulter’s specifics under the same microscope used to study the credibility of presidential cigars and either factually refute specifics or shut up and enjoy the book. And do Ann a favor: be careful about STD’s on that microscope.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Miscellaneous; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: anncoulter; mccarthy; treason
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presently reading...
1 posted on 08/27/2003 8:14:21 AM PDT by dogbrain
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To: dogbrain
It's called an idiot loop. A bunch of massively over-credentialled meatheads quote one-another as subject matter experts. It's a self-selecting bull-**** elite.

No rational thought ever has to enter the idiot loop production cycle at any stage of product development. I think Dilbert did a cartoon on this once.
2 posted on 08/27/2003 8:19:55 AM PDT by .cnI redruM (Nothing Is More Vile Than A Blowhard With Halitosis! - redruM)
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To: dogbrain
I have listened to Treason twice. Now my daughter has it. I have the book, also, for the footnotes.
3 posted on 08/27/2003 8:21:58 AM PDT by mathluv
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To: dogbrain
"Ann Coulter's critics prefer to quote each other rather than deal with the arguments contained in Treason. "

Sounds like Buchanan's critics. Probably left-wing whackos.

4 posted on 08/27/2003 8:23:11 AM PDT by ex-snook (American jobs need BALANCED TRADE. You buy from us, we buy from you.)
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To: dogbrain
Sullivan makes a better jilted suitor than serious writer.

Is he saying that Ann Coulter is so hot she can make a gay man go hetero?

5 posted on 08/27/2003 8:24:39 AM PDT by Alouette (The bombing begins in five minutes.)
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To: dogbrain
lol. Right on the money
6 posted on 08/27/2003 8:26:39 AM PDT by Havoc (If you can't be frank all the time are you lying the rest of the time?)
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To: Alouette
(yes, but probably not speaking for himself...)
7 posted on 08/27/2003 8:27:33 AM PDT by dogbrain ("Life is hard son. It's harder if you're stupid.")
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To: Alouette
I don't think the author is aware that Sullivan plays for the other team.
8 posted on 08/27/2003 8:28:37 AM PDT by MalcolmS
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To: mathluv
"I have listened to Treason twice...

Who's voice is on the tape?

(remember, there's no such thing as a stupid question...)

9 posted on 08/27/2003 8:28:56 AM PDT by dogbrain ("Life is hard son. It's harder if you're stupid.")
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To: dogbrain
Here's a contrary view on Ann Coulter's latest efforts, from the soft right:

http://www.iconoclast.ca/NewPage11.asp
10 posted on 08/27/2003 8:31:45 AM PDT by BurkesLaw
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To: dogbrain
Ann does it herself. Her wry wit really comes through!

(remember, there's no such thing as a stupid question...) I said this many times in my classroom.

11 posted on 08/27/2003 8:32:57 AM PDT by mathluv
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To: dogbrain

12 posted on 08/27/2003 8:34:33 AM PDT by StriperSniper (The Federal Register is printed on pulp from The Tree Of Liberty)
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To: BurkesLaw
That's MUCH better than Horowitz's panic-attack inspired response.
13 posted on 08/27/2003 8:37:57 AM PDT by dogbrain ("Life is hard son. It's harder if you're stupid.")
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To: dogbrain
I've read the book, and pretty much every bit of commentary and opinion posted here on Free Republic about it. About the only articles with specific criticisms were the ones from Horowitz and Rabinowitz. Both of those articles were picked apart here, and were shown to be full of inaccuracies. The articles from Liberal sources have pretty much all been straight-up smear pieces, with no redeeming societal value.
14 posted on 08/27/2003 8:39:55 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (this space intentionally blank)
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To: dogbrain
Good thing he wasn’t writing about Living History...

Good thing he wasn’t writing about Lying History...

With each of Coulter’s books, it has been the same old story from the left. From her hundreds of endnotes, the critics always dredge up some obscure source that can find, at best, maybe five “questionable” references.

After reading "Treason", I see why the left cannot stand Ann.

We’ve had Presidents who weren’t that good under oath!

Slick Willie and Hitlery come to mind

15 posted on 08/27/2003 8:41:03 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (Clone Ann Coulter, the woman sent by God)
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To: FreedomPoster
It would be nice to critique Carville's book, or Joe Conason's book, or some other liberalidiot's work of fiction here on FR.

But I don't think I could get through 2 pages of something like that without retching...

16 posted on 08/27/2003 8:46:54 AM PDT by dogbrain ("Life is hard son. It's harder if you're stupid.")
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To: dogbrain
Canfield does what all the Coulter critics do -- they quote each other and refute no specifics.

Isn't that very close to her central thesis? That it is the same thing they do to McCarthy -- quote each other and refute no specifics.
17 posted on 08/27/2003 8:49:52 AM PDT by johnb838 (Deconstruct the Left)
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To: BurkesLaw
You're so-called "soft right" looks like the left to me. That article was more of the same, with no hard information to back up accusations of McCarthy's supposed "witch hunt".

That one was picked apart here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/942409/posts
18 posted on 08/27/2003 8:51:15 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (this space intentionally blank)
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To: FreedomPoster
/You're /Your /
19 posted on 08/27/2003 8:53:04 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (this space intentionally blank)
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To: dogbrain
You know the rule!


20 posted on 08/27/2003 8:54:36 AM PDT by Pyro7480 (+ Vive Jesus! (Live Jesus!) +)
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