Rachel Maddow Trumpets Inane 'Amish Bus Driver' Analogy for Obama Contraception Rule
Rachel Maddow is so awash in self-esteem, it's all she can do to contain her modesty.
There she was on her MSNBC show, enthusing about her appearance on "Today" that morning to defend President Obama's mandate that employers' health insurance cover birth control and contraceptives virtually across the board. (video after page break) --
MATT LAUER: Is there traction to this? Is this an issue that's going to last well into the election or the campaign or is this going to be something that's going to fizzle out?
MADDOW: I think this is going to, listen, I think this is going to fizzle out. Listen, if there's a bus driver opening and you're Amish, nobody's going to say you can't apply for that because you're Amish. But if you get the job and you say, actually, I can't drive this bus, I'm Amish, people are going to say, sorry, if it's a bus driving gig you gotta be able to drive. And if it's health insurance it includes contraception. It's part of health care in the 21st century.
Hmm, why would Maddow cite the Amish in her hypothetical as opposed to, oh say, Muslims, Native Americans, gays or any number of other people of faith, ethnicity and sexual orientation who might take offense?
Presumably this has something to do with the unlikelihood of many Amish being aware of Maddow saying this, what with their aversion to television, (motorized) school buses and all manner of modernity.
The problem with Maddow's analogy is that it falls apart at its outset. It's like invoking the lesbian who marries a man and then decides she doesn't want children, the orthodox Jew with second thoughts about that shellfish restaurant he just bought, the MSNBC anchor watching CPAC videos on the sly.
It doesn't make sense that any of these hypothetical people would do these hypothetical things because if they did, the woman wouldn't be a lesbian, the Jew not really orthodox, the MSNBC anchor not Stalinist enough. In Maddow's hypothetical, the bus driver isn't Amish, he's actually agnostic and just discovering it.
Maddow beamed with pride on her show Tuesday night, noting how she produced her polished gem "before 8 a.m. on a day after a day spent in bed with the flu."
"Do not try this at home," Maddow warned with mock solemnity. "The Amish bus driver analogy invoked here by a trained professional on a closed course."
More accurately, the analogy invoked here comes from a person secure in the knowledge that few in her workplace at MSNBC, as was the case at Air America Radio, and in academia before that, would dare challenge such an inanity from a left-wing lesbian for fear of the allegation of homophobia that would surely follow.
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Comments
idiot thinker
Submitted by midwest lady on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 1:36pm.
Rachel you're supposed to be intelligent. Well dear, intelligence without common sense is like a pile of books on the back of an ass. Must be the water at MSNBC.
Maddow speaks, and removes all doubt.
Submitted by motherbelt on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 1:52pm.
Maddow speaks, and removes all doubt.
Her analogy is laughable on its face.
if it's a bus driving gig you gotta be able to drive. And if it's health insurance it includes contraception.
This is not about insurers not wanting to provide coverage, it's about certain employers not wanting to be forced to pay for it.
Maybe you'd better go back to bed, Rachel.
There's an easy way to do it. The insurance companies provide a rider in the policy that says they can have birth control coverage, if they pay for it themselves, with no contribution by the employer.
But then again, the point is not to get coverage for those women, the point is to get someone to give it to them for free.
Motherbelt, There is no
Submitted by Liberallies on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 2:07pm.
Motherbelt,
There is no compromising here. The Roman Catholic Church is clear on this.
No Catholic run institution can provide contraceptives, abortions or tell you where you can get these.
Additionally, neither can they point you in the direction of where to get these or how to pay these or do business with any organization that do any of the above.
The simplest thing to do is to give the freedom that belongs to us and let the Church buy whatever insurance it wishes from which ever business and include any coverage for Her employees that she so desires. This should go with any and ALL business.
But you said it well, it is all about the entitlement mentality and that now people want everything for free.
I see it in my job all the time. I give those who work for me a day off during the week for working hard. Then all of a sudden what I gave out of generosity becomes a demand from them and soon it turns into something that I have to give or else law suits will start flying. Pretty ridiculous mentality we have in America today when it comes to the job.
demands lead to changes
Submitted by jon_torlin on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 2:26pm.
Do what I do, when demands start cropping up like that, make changes like cutting back on their schedules, cut their hours.
I had one do that with me a few times and given that it's a part time position, I was a bit surprised that this one worker started wanting it rather than working with me to make up for lost time. So I dropped the bomb on them after cutting their hours back and said "well, I gave you some more time off, you didn't seem to need those hours, I don't know why you are complaining." Had a little protest and etc, and I could have ended it all by just outright firing the brat, but I was trying to teach the brat a lesson. Didn't take, though, but don't think I didn't try to work to resolve and better the situation.
I ended up saying "you know what, just get the hell out of here, I don't want you working here anymore, and don't come back. I'll mail you your last check." Usually I do these firings in private, but given that this person was making an ass of himself in front of the other workers, I decided to make an example of him in front of the other workers so as to send the message "Next?" And believe me, I felt righteous for doing that, screw with me in public and you're gonna get your ass burned.....third degree style.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hard ass, but I expect fairness in return. On the other hand, the others know what a generous guy I am and they appreciate it. You're not kidding about the mentality we have these days.
-Jon
Jon, I pretty much do the
Submitted by Liberallies on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 4:14pm.
Jon,
I pretty much do the same thing. I am a very nice manager. I understand, however, that as a manager, I have a target painted on my back. Thus, I attempt to treat the people I manage as fairly as possible. But I have enough management experience to know that one rotten apple spoils a whole bunch.
I use to take individuals out for lunch when I first hire them. I invited one or two people from my team to come along. In one ocassion I only to newly hired individual. It was ridiculous how a few in my office reacted. They demanded to know why I had not taken them out to lunch. Why did I give someone a free lunch and not them? What i thought it was a nice thing, turned into a huge issue and I had to stop doing it. Then, I get new hires demanding that I take them out for lunch because I took someone else. RIDICULOUS!!! Something I did freely because I thought it was a nice thing to do, out of my own pocket never charged the university for it, turned into something that now was expected and demanded by those in my office.
I have countless stories like that. The above is one that gave me the biggest headache, but I can tell you stories how 23 year olds with a masters degree believe that they must be in management because they were born and have a masters degree. then I have to go into the whole talk about, EXPIRIENCE!!! But these newly graduated hires have such a freaking entitlement mentality. They are clueless to the fact that you earn things, privilages, you don't demand them!
And a benefit given to you by the job, boss, etc is just that a benefit that can be given or taken away, not something you have a right to.
Shoot, and I am not that old, 36 years old and the stark difference between my generation and the upcoming one is bigger than the space in the Grand Canyon.
It is an inane analogy
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 1:53pm.
It's disturbing that she has an audience (including my 87 year-old father-in-law) who think she is exceedingly intelligent (But then again, he does realize that she is a Lesbian, so his perceptions are questionable.)
Let's turn it around for dear Rachel --
Rachel owns and runs a modest resort hotel catering to the LBGT market. Cable TV service is available in each of the guest rooms.
The Federal government mandates that all hotels offer cable TV service and it MUST include a particular evangelical channel in its mix of choices.
Rachel doesn't want to pay for that extra channel because its programming includes messages against same-sex marriage, etc. -- programming that she and her guest find offensive.
"But," the Federal government say, "No one has to watch it. You just have to make it available in case someone does, because all the other hotels do."
Does Rachel comply with the mandate and shell out the money?
I think you meant "insane"
Submitted by motherbelt on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 1:53pm.
I think you meant "insane" not "inane."
See my agreement above.
That'll work
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 2:01pm.
I must correct my earlier description of my father-in-law'; he doesn't realize Maddow is a lesbian. Now the rest makes sense.
Self Esteem??
Submitted by KornKing on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 1:57pm.
This is one result of the campaign to build "self esteem" in our culture. It used to be that there were a certain number of idiots, but, for the most part, they knew they were idiots. With the new culture of self esteem, we still have at least the same(although w dumbing down of education is probably much higher) percentage of morons, but now, like Ms. Madcow, they think they're hot shit.
Liberals, they are great at
Submitted by Liberallies on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 2:02pm.
Liberals, they are great at giving you fake your analogies with no chances of ever happening in the real world!!
It is their favorite pass time. Whether it is here on NB, my Liberal friends, watching, reading or listening to these individuals, they love to put forth ridiculous "what if..." scenerios which have ZERO chances of happening in the real world.
AND as others have pointed out, her logic is beyond flawed, liek that of 99.9% of Liberals.
There are two issues here and I list them in order of importance.
1) Religious freedom. No religious institution can be forced to provide a service that goes against its religious beleifs, dogmas, etc, etc.
2) Why the frak is the government of the United States forcing ANY business, big or small, to provide ANY type of benefit to its employees?!!!!
the benefits that a business provides to its employees were created so the job would attract people to the position. Now, it has become an entitlement. ridiculous.
Huh?
Submitted by CobraMan on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 2:08pm.
Hay. Maddow, what, in your wildest imagination would lead you to believe that someone, like an Amish person, whose own believes would prevent them from operating a bus, would apply for such a position in the first place?
It's analogous to assuming that someone would refuse their newly gained position as an airline pilot because they're afraid of heights! It's an asinine assumption.
Here's a better "Amish" analogy, Maddow: The federal government forces the Amish to offer automotive bus services to anyone who resides within their community, whether the Amish community agrees to this or not.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
I listened
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 2:11pm.
to Obama at noon, because local station cut to him while I was waiting for weather. I could only take so much.
We got suckered into making him appear (to the people still watching network news, sadly my mom is one) like a reasonable mediator. What made me turn it off was him saying something like, "But these women won't have to pay for the birth control, saving them hundreds of dollars a year that they can spend on other things."
As usual I started screaming at the TV, "WHAT ABOUT THOSE OF US THAT HAVE TO PAY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS A YEAR SO THESE FREELOADERS CAN GET ANOTHER FREEBIE?!" My granddaughter thinks I'm insane.
Women's fasion isn't cheap, you know.
Submitted by CobraMan on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 2:24pm.
Look at it from Obama's point of view: It's better for the women to spend those hundreds of dollars a year purchasing the clothing, and make-up, that they use to seduce the men they're planning to have non-procreative sex with.
Of course, all that fashion isn't really needed to seduce men, for we can be seduced by nothing more than a old, worn, tight fitting t-shit (testosterone is a wonderfull thing, isn't it?). It's intended mainly to impress the other women. And that's all it's about, isn't it? Prestige?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Using the Amish is a perfect analogy.
Submitted by KyWriter on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 2:27pm.
Consider the view the Amish have when they ride in their wagons behind their horses; it's much the same as watching Maddow on TV, although considerably more pleasant.
A great episode of Dirty job
Submitted by CJohnson on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 3:05pm.
A great episode of Dirty job would show us how Rachel hand selects, molds and spits out polished gems made from what she excretes.
Amish?
Submitted by Dave the mailman on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 3:14pm.
Rocky Maddow may think she's the smartest guy in the room, but we all know better. Heck, even a non-tv-watching Amish person would look at her and instantly KNOW he/she is confused and not likely to speak anything useful.
It isn't even an analogy.
Submitted by LinTaylor on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 4:03pm.
She made some inane statement about an Amish bus driver, then said "contraception is part of health care, end of discussion". It's not an analogy, it's the Chewbacca Defense. Is this woman really considered intelligent? If so, the Left must have some pretty low standards.
keep it up and the
Submitted by jkwtrading on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 5:13pm.
keep it up and the "righteous" will cleanse you little girl.
pfft
Submitted by dcnnj on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 5:21pm.
how can anyone take her seriously - the women wants to look like a 16 year old male.....
YO RACHEL
Submitted by D'saredumbpeople on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 5:31pm.
no pill needed for rachael the man.
Put Up or Shut Up....
Submitted by JRobertGiles on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 5:41pm.
"Concession" or not, the contraception rule treads on dangerous grounds. Silence is tyranny. Please share the following article.
http://jrobertgiles.blogspot.com/2012/02/put-up-or-shut-up.html
J Robert Giles
I repeat: WHY does a lesbian need contraception?
Submitted by drsamherman on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 6:17pm.
She has as much credibility on the issue as Milton Berle did on women's fashions.
Funny that you say that.
Submitted by djwolf12 on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 9:57pm.
I've never seen the Madcow wear a dress or any clothing that is feminine. Uncle Miltie atleast wore dresses on his show.
Picture
Submitted by djwolf12 on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 7:41pm.
Everytime I see this pic of the Madcow, I picture her with dildos in her hands while wearing a bunny suit.
I give up, wolfman, what's with the ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 9:42pm.
bunny suit? :o)
MD
Umm...
Submitted by Rukus on Sat, 02/11/2012 - 8:27am.
The fake phallus's (phalli?) I kinda get. Maybe the suit is 'cause he just keeps going and going and going...
Ruk ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Sat, 02/11/2012 - 10:30pm.
That works for me.
MD
⇒ The bunny suit?
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 02/11/2012 - 10:37pm.
I don't understand the bunny suit, but maybe she's going to make pickle bread with the dill dough.
How...
Submitted by rgallegos on Fri, 02/10/2012 - 8:33pm.
Maybe I am just dense but how in the world does this analogy work? I mean I see no connection between her "clever" Amish example and the church's resistance to covering birth control. It was an incredibly weak analogy that is just plain bad.
the Amish bus driver, is a lesbian
Submitted by Injest on Sat, 02/11/2012 - 2:12am.
MADDOW: I think this is going to, listen, I think this is going to fizzle out. Listen, if there's a bus driver opening and you're Amish, nobody's going to say you can't apply for that because you're Amish. But if you get the job and you say, actually, I can't drive this bus, I'm Amish, people are going to say, sorry, if it's a bus driving gig you gotta be able to drive. And if it's health insurance it includes contraception. It's part of health care in the 21st century.
So the Amish bus driver, is a lesbian talking about birth control?
And if it's health insurance it includes contraception. It's part of health care in the 21st century.
So pregnancy is a sickness? A disease? According to MADDOW the Amish bus driver