You couldn't be more wrong.
THIS is why they hate him:
Posted on 04/29/2018 6:55:47 AM PDT by BenLurkin
President Trump's absence for the second year in a row from the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner may end up being the least controversial thing about Saturday night's gathering of the White House press corps.
Chatter online among journalists and some in the administration's orbit after the event was full of criticism for comedian Michelle Wolf, who was the evening's headliner; criticism and soul-searching about the annual event itself; and an effort by former White House press secretary Sean Spicer to pressure the leadership of the White House Correspondents' Association into answering for Wolf's vulgar, personal jabs leveled primarily at the president and his inner circle.
The comedian spoke for roughly 20 minutes to a ballroom full of Washington's top journalists and political operatives. As the Washington Post's Paul Farhi wrote, Wolf's remarks "swerved from raunchy to downright nasty."
"She was particularly hard on the women associated with Trump," Farhi also wrote, adding "several cracks about [White House press secretary] Sarah Huckabee Sanders landed poorly." (Courtesy of two of Farhi's colleagues at the Post, here's a list of Wolf's "harshest" jokes.) And Politico said Wolf's performance "was a risque and uneven routine at first met with laughs but often greeted by awkward silence."
The comedic routine laced with sexual innuendo and, at times, dominated by outright vulgarities was directed primarily at Republicans and conservatives — a fact not lost on those in the room who expressed their displeasure on Twitter afterward.
"My wife @mercedesschlapp and I walked out early from the wh correspondents dinner. Enough of elites mocking all of us," Matt Schlapp posted on Twitter just before 11 p.m. Schlapp is the chairman of the American Conservative Union and his wife, Mercedes, is part of the White House's communications team.
Former Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus called the night an "R/X rated spectacle that started poorly and ended up in the bottom of the canyon. Another victory for @realDonaldTrump for not attending and proving his point once again. The room was uncomfortable. Trump lovers and even a large number of Trump haters were pretty miserable."
Spicer's critique was more pointed. "Tonight's #WHCD was a disgrace," the former Trump spokesman said on Twitter.
On Sunday morning, Trump weighed in, tweeting that the dinner was "a very big, boring bust...the so-called comedian really 'bombed."
The criticism was joined by some well-known political journalists who sounded off both about Wolf's remarks and the nature of the event more broadly.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was the particular target of harsh treatment by Wolf — as Sanders sat on the dais not far from the lectern where Wolf was speaking. Afterward, some of the journalists from outlets known to spar with the White House or to be on the receiving end of pointed attacks directly from the president spoke out on Sanders' behalf.
One example from Wolf's performance: "And I'm never really sure what to call Sarah Huckabee Sanders, you know? Is it Sarah Sanders, is it Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is it Cousin Huckabee, is it Auntie Huckabee Sanders? What's Uncle Tom but for white women who disappoint other white women? Oh, I know. Aunt Coulter."
"That @PressSec sat and absorbed intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth, instead of walking out, on national television, was impressive," tweeted Maggie Haberman of The New York Times. (Haberman said on Twitter that she did not attend the event in person but had watched it on TV.)
"Lots of critics but she has always been decent and professional to me — if not entirely forthcoming," The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey posted on Twitter about Sanders, attaching Haberman's tweet about the Trump spokeswoman.
about the Trump spokeswoman.
"The spirit of the event had always been jokes that singe but don't burn," said Kelly O'Donnell of NBC News, "Reporters who work with her daily appreciate that @presssec was there." Like Dawsey, O'Donnell included Haberman's tweet praising Sanders' composure under fire.
"Unfortunately, I don't think we advanced the cause of journalism tonight," Peter Baker, also of The New York Times, said online.
As Haberman's tweet had, Baker's set off a series of responses, subtweets and amens from fellow journalists.
Other journalists saw broader political implications stemming from the controversial remarks.
"Michelle Wolf — and the WHCD — really played into Trump's hand tonight. Trump is vulgar and mean-spirited, but that doesn't mean that Wolf needed to be the same," tweeted D.C. fixture and longtime political analyst Stuart Rothenberg.
John Ward of Yahoo News called the comedy routine "a political gift to the Trump admin[istration]."
Echoing Ward, Rothenberg and Baker, Meg Kinnard of The Associated Press saw very specific implications for journalists, especially those working and reporting in predominantly Republican states. Saturday night's event "made the chasm between journalists and those who don't trust us, even wider," Kinnard tweeted. "And those of us based in the red states who work hard every day to prove our objectivity will have to deal with it."
Comedian Kathy Griffin, who has herself been embroiled in controversy over her past comments about the president, took up Wolf's defense and responded to Baker and other critics.
"Then don't have a comic do a roast," Griffin said on Twitter, "If you want to focus on the journalism do a boring awards show. Journalism is all about the 1st amendment..If you don't see the import of what @michelleisawolf did tonight then you don't get it."
For her part, Wolf responded to Spicer calling the event a "disgrace" with a simple "Thank you!" on Twitter. And the comedian also challenged Haberman's critique, suggesting The New York Times White House reporter was harboring unspoken concerns about Sanders' appearance.
The controversy over Wolf seemed to steal headlines which the president had seemingly tried to steal for himself by absenting himself from the dinner for a second consecutive year and going to Michigan for a campaign rally instead.
In his remarks there earlier Saturday evening, Trump had called the press "very dishonest people" and "fake news." He called the dinner in D.C. "phony" and said he had much preferred to be in Washington Township, Mich., rather than back in the nation's capital in a ballroom full of the journalists who cover him and his administration.
He told the enthusiastic crowd of supporters that had he been at the dinner in the other Washington, he would've been forced to smile through attacks on him or face negative stories afterward about not being a good sport while being roasted by Wolf.
"You know, there's no winning," he said over cheers.
Back in D.C., Matt and Mercedes Schlapp articulated Trump's concerns more philosophically — concerns widely shared by conservatives across the country who see themselves as losing out in a broader culture war despite their electoral victories in the Trump era.
"It's why America hates the out of touch leftist media elite," Mercedes Schlapp tweeted.
I’d like to see the leftist media a Treasure as well...
.. a buried treasure.
I had to google her name. I genuinely had no clue as to who Michelle Wolf was. Turns out she’s a writer for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah — which I’ve never watched, but at least I’m aware of it.
I guess the Democrats that run the roast known as the WH Press Correspodents Dinner would know who she is — Wolf probably ghost-writes a lot of their material.
These so-called “journalists”are lucky to have the skirts of the first amendment to hide behind, otherwise many of them would get a well deserved “vacation” in Gitmo. Traitorous slime.
Wolf act was proof that liberals have no idea about comedy.
These people were adults.
The ‘entertainers’ today are middle schoolers.
Base potty humor is all they understand.
It is too much work to keep it clean. And perhaps considering the disastrous state of public education today the younger audiences would be totally incapable of understanding humor at the level of Dean Martin’s Roast.
Some of the young people today are incapable of conversing for 3 minutes with out a profanity thrown in. I am afraid our culture has hit rock bottom and the new regeneration has brought in the jackhammers to keep going.
She need not worry. There are millions of Americans who have the taste and morals of a porn star. Vulgarity and trash appeal to low lifes, and there are plenty of them, especially in Washington.
I hope President Trump never attends. Even if Gutfeld hosts, no reason for President Trump to honor this press “event” with his presence.
I have never heard of Michelle Wolf before. Her jokes about SSH were rude, but just that.
The abortion “joke” was beyond the pale. I cannot believe she said that. I did not watch- did anybody in the audience actually laugh at that remark?
Only Trump could have made the Left reveal their true ugly selves for all to see.
Did any of the Journalists leave during the Raunchy Comedian’s Tirade (other than the White House staffers)?
[[Probably the most skilled comic to date Tim Conway could have the audience and the cast of the Carol Burnett Show rolling in the isles with out ever using a single vulgar word.]]
I was just thinking back to the roasts that comedians used to do which were respectful and really funny at the same time- sad that our ‘roasts’ have become so vulgar, hate-filled and vile- The left proved tonight that the msm and ilk are full of vile hatred for republicans- they just proved they are nowhere near ‘fair and balanced’ as they claim to be- they exposed themselves as disgusting liars big time last night
they only hate him b/c he’s the guy that beat Hillary. If he had never even thrown his hat in the ring- they’d all still be friendly.
and they hate the perceived judgement they get from conservatives. Thats why they are trying to make stuff like abortion and trans/ queers all the rage, to be celebrated with cookies afterwards.
Michelle Wolf... spoke for roughly 20 minutes to a ballroom full of Washington's top journalists and political operatives. As the Washington Post's Paul Farhi wrote, Wolf's remarks "swerved from raunchy to downright nasty." ...Politico said Wolf's performance "was a risque and uneven routine at first met with laughs but often greeted by awkward silence." ..."My wife @mercedesschlapp and I walked out early from the wh correspondents dinner. Enough of elites mocking all of us," Matt Schlapp posted on Twitter just before 11 p.m. Schlapp is the chairman of the American Conservative Union and his wife, Mercedes, is part of the White House's communications team. Former Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus called the night an "R/X rated spectacle that started poorly and ended up in the bottom of the canyon. Another victory for @realDonaldTrump for not attending and proving his point once again. The room was uncomfortable. Trump lovers and even a large number of Trump haters were pretty miserable." Spicer's critique was more pointed. "Tonight's #WHCD was a disgrace," the former Trump spokesman said on Twitter. On Sunday morning, Trump weighed in, tweeting that the dinner was "a very big, boring bust...the so-called comedian really 'bombed." ..."That @PressSec sat and absorbed intense criticism of her physical appearance, her job performance, and so forth, instead of walking out, on national television, was impressive," tweeted Maggie Haberman of The New York Times. (Haberman said on Twitter that she did not attend the event in person but had watched it on TV.) ...
I left off one transparently partisan comment by Washington ComPost Partisan Media Shill Josh Dawsey, who obviously enjoyed everything the fake comedian said.
"The spirit of the event had always been jokes that singe but don't burn," said Kelly O'Donnell of NBC News, "Reporters who work with her daily appreciate that @presssec was there." Like Dawsey, O'Donnell included Haberman's tweet praising Sanders' composure under fire. "Unfortunately, I don't think we advanced the cause of journalism tonight," Peter Baker, also of The New York Times, said online... Stuart Rothenberg [insulted the President while pretending to criticize the fake comedian] ...John Ward of Yahoo News called the comedy routine "a political gift to the Trump admin[istration]." ...
Oh no, we all got caught on TV doing something we all enjoy doing every single day, while the entire country was appalled.
Meg Kinnard of The Associated Press saw very specific implications for journalists, especially those working and reporting in predominantly Republican states. Saturday night's event "made the chasm between journalists and those who don't trust us, even wider," Kinnard tweeted. "And those of us based in the red states who work hard every day to prove our objectivity will have to deal with it."
Oh? Is that what they've been doing?
Kathy Griffin...
No one cares.
Wolf responded to Spicer calling the event a "disgrace" with a simple "Thank you!" on Twitter... also challenged Haberman's critique, suggesting The New York Times White House reporter was harboring unspoken concerns about Sanders' appearance.
How *dare* Haberman exercise her white privilege?
"It's why America hates the out of touch leftist media elite," Mercedes Schlapp tweeted.
In a nutshell. Thanks BenLurkin.
[[Bob Hope, George Burns, Henny Youngman... many others, clever is funny. Vulgarity is a very poor substitute.]]
Exactly- vulgarity is nothing but cheap filler crap used because the ‘comedian’ lacks talent
[[The barbs were pretty strong, but they were good-natured. The person being roasted was usually laughing with everyone else.]]
Precisely- many were extremely funny even if you didn’t agree with their political ideology- they knew how to get their political message across without being nasty and vile, and being very funny at the same time- Sadly those days are long gone
The liberal bitch didn't go after Trump's 'inner circle' she went after conservative white women in power. Martina Stewart needs to open her eyes... the 'entertainment' was a hate crime.
Well, THAT'S true... even if it's from a 'journalist'....
You couldn't be more wrong.
THIS is why they hate him:
They know it.
The comedians don’t care. Eight years of Obama have embolden them to the point they believe that they can say anything against conservatives and everyone will agree with them no matter how vile it may be.
And as far as the press is concerned they are likely to be correct. As far as most of the Democrat Party goes they are likely to be correct.
Will much of the US public hear about the vile things Ms. Wolf said at the White House Correspondents' Dinne?. Probably not. If they do, will they care? Probably not.
I’m shocked!
Dennis Miller, P. J O’rourke, Mark Steyn
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