Just a couple of quick things:

1) I realize you probably don't care (i.e. you don't have extensive first-hand knowledge and wouldn't want to), but one of your criticisms of Glenn Beck is off-base. He is quite unlikely to blindly express support for Republicans, and is often critical of both of the old parties.

2) Forget YouTube, I can't even get through the comments at 538.com. This site should have high-level intellectual discussions, but they invariably devolve into partisan nonsense very quickly. I've given up reading them.

 

Ahh "quick" things. Seldom found in these parts.

As for Glenn Beck, my knowledge of him comes from the same place (and shares a consistency with) my knowledge of most of the far right bloggers: from frequently satirical posts by moderate bloggers. And since those posts are, necessarily, made when Glenn Beck or someone like him has done something especially outrageous, my impression of their work is necessarily skewed.

And since I don't own (or miss owning) a TV, I'm unlikely to increase my exposure to Beck's work any time soon.

And yes, I could view online, but... no. From the (perhaps unrepresentative) clips I've seen, the histrionics inherent in his delivery preclude my viewing. Half pro wrestler, half televangelist, his schtick creates a revulsion in me that makes his content entirely irrelevant. He could agree with me on every issue and I couldn't tolerate his antics long enough to appreciate our meeting of the minds.

 

I'd say that bloggers and their readers are simply slightly repressed in real life so their e-vitriol comes out all the more intense. Heck, they don't necessarily have to be repressed, either. That whole veil of anonymity thing tends to amplify emotions.

On Sarah Palin, people are mad at the good old, "if WE did it to THEM..." routine. It seems like "edgy" leftist personalities can mount any baseless criticism they want with impunity while people like Bill O'Reilly are faced with a shitstorm when they call Dr Tiller "Tiller the Baby Killer" or mention that Helen Thomas sounds like the Wicked Witch of the West.

I'm personally of the mind that the world doesn't need any rightist Ann Coulters or leftist Janeane Garofalos. I just wish the latter bitch would catch as much flak for her rhetoric as the former bitch.

 

Well, BillO has risen from his upper middle class roots to become a multimillionaire with a faux-populist schtick as a browbeating, lecturing, abrasive, insulting, condescending, loud mouth. He makes outrageous comments intended to shock and gain attention, and has built a successful career with those antics, so clearly he relishes creating "shitstorms" since that's how he rolls. Even without that back history, the guy spent years demonizing a doctor who carried out legal procedures Bill chose to disagree with on ethical reasons, and as you point out, called the guy, "Tiller the baby killer." Ad when a nut case who is squarely in the BillO fan base murders the doctor... doesn't BillO deserve a shitstorm?

On that issue, I'm surprised that we've not yet heard of wrongful death lawsuits by Tiller's family against personalities like Orielly, and especially against the organized anti-abortion groups. That's how the SPLC heroically ruined a number of white supremacist organizations, whose rhetoric led to assaults and murders much like Tiller's.

As for Ann Coulter, she's a perfect example of the professional outrage merchant. The one that makes me laugh was when she got every author's dream, a puff piece cover and book profile in Time magazine. Naturally, Coulter spent the next month railing against the cover photo.

I don't say it's an exclusively right wing psychosis, but there are certainly a lot of intentionally-polarizing media figures who aren't happy unless they can play the victim. (For personal satisfaction and political leverage.)

 

I can't speak to Beck's TV show as I've only listened to his radio program.

Also, I thought there was some disagreement about whether Tiller's killer was actually a BillO fan? Not that either of us probably cares enough to look it up.

The thing that worries me about connecting what one person says in general with what another person does specifically, is that it sounds eerily similar to the right's argument for censorship of comic books, video games, etc. X teenager is a fan of y violent comic books and committed z crime; therefore, we must censor/eliminate the comic books.

I just don't think it's a good idea in either case.

 

I don't know if the Tiller Killer was a billO fan, but he was clearly in the demographic of people who are, which was my claim. As for the culpability of BillO, I'd sue if I were Tiller's executor. Here's a selection of BillO's remarks about Tiller, in the years leading up to his assassination.

* In the state of Kansas, there is a doctor, George Tiller, who will execute babies for $5,000."

* "For $5,000, 'Tiller the Baby Killer' -- as some call him -- will perform a late-term abortion for just about any reason."

* "Tiller has killed thousands, thousands of late-term fetuses without explanation."

* "No question, Dr. Tiller has blood on his hands."

* " 'Tiller the Baby Killer' out in Kansas, acquitted, acquitted today of murdering babies."

* "This guy will kill your baby for $5,000, any reason. Any reason."

* "If we allow Dr. George Tiller and his acolytes to continue, we can no longer pass judgment on any behavior by anybody."

* "If we allow this, America will no longer be a noble nation."

The factual claims are all lies, of course. 3rd trimester abortions are tightly regulated and Tiller only took on patients who had referrals from their own doctors and documented extreme complications. Facts I'm sure BillO was aware of, but which would have diminished the impact of his demagoguery.

If someone with a huge megaphone had said these things, repeatedly, about your relative, who was eventually murdered by someone whipped into a murderous lather by these sorts of comments... wouldn't you feel obligated to sue? Or just take a shotgun and hide in the bushes outside BillO's mansion and take matters into your own hands?

Not that I'm recommending the later course of action, since I have some level of conscience and decency. Unlike BillO.

 

First off, let me make clear that I'm not a BillO fan. From what I can tell by the policies he endorses he is essentially a socialist (like most Republicans) and he comes off as a bully.

I can understand wanting to sue him for what he said, but if I were on the jury I would not find for Tiller's family. The action to punish is the murder. Otherwise the slope gets too slippery for me.

On the other hand I realize my political views are in the minority in this country...

 

The murderer was not a Bill fan. In fact, I think he was anti-right wing. But that is hardly relevant.

And no, Bill's claims weren't lies; he's basing those claims on the opinion of a doctor who's actually seen Tiller's records. Plus there's a friggin' video interview of a girl who flat out said that she had her baby aborted by Tiller for reasons completely unrelated to her health.

As for his "outrageous comments," if you actually watched his show you'd know that he's not a sensationalist. If he's yelling, chances are it's about a baby murderer or child rapist getting a year in prison and some probation; he's very defensive of the children. Among right wing personalities, he's the least sensationalist by far. Not to mention he doesn't even hold a candle to the major left wing personalities.

Also, LOL @ at the socialist bit. Care to explain that one for me? I watch the guy just about every night and I have to say... socialist isn't what comes to mind when his name pops into my head.

 

Well, to be fair I don't listen to him that often, but I specifically remember him stating that he is for government-run healthcare. He also was constantly attacking the oil companies for making so-called "windfall profits" and presumably wanted the government to intervene in the industry. I can't remember any other specific points right now, but those two always stuck with me. (This was on his radio show.)