As everyone knows, conservatives are a distinctly disagreeable bunch. Mean-spirited knuckle-draggers, pretty much. It's therefore a shock to come across one who's actually likeable. At least if you're Chris Matthews.
Ryan Lizza of the New Yorker, a guest on this evening's Hardball, observed that the Obama campaign hasn't quite decided how to go after Sarah Palin. The first line of attack was on the experience issue, but "now they're saying, OK, let's define her as a right-winger. You know, we'll talk about her views on creationism and some of these other extreme views." That elicited this from the Hardball host.
CHRIS MATTHEWS: She's got a lot of--they are pretty far over. For a person that seems very likeable and mellow, she doesn't look like a political zealot.Great point, Chris. Keith Olbermann is no doubt shocked Sarah didn't give her acceptance speech in tongues. Likable people, as is a well-established fact, tend to be liberal. You know, folks like Michael Moore, Harry Reid or the ineffably charismatic Al Gore.
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Mark,
September 9, 2008 - 19:53 ET by NorthCoasterThe liberals that you mention are so ummm ahh ---mainstream that from Lizza's point of view she's so far right that he can't understand how she can be nice. According to Leftist propaganda, the Left is normal and Sarah should be a low-brow Neanderthal.
Oh wait, she does hunt. Does her sister who own a bass boat? I've got a friend who would like to meet a woman like her.
Brilliant VP choice John! I was a bit disappointed when Sarah initally said that she was still too busy with business in Alaska to consider VP. I guess that she can help Alaska and the rest of the Country from the VP slot starting in Jan. 2009.
The Difference
September 9, 2008 - 19:55 ET by exLibThe Difference, as I've come to see more clearly lately, is that Liberals really hate the person a conservative is - if you are family or a friend before they find out or like you anyway it's always a point worth mentioning when talking about you. Like "Yes, Joe is a friend of mine, even though he is a conservative, he's really likable, really!"
On the other hand, Conservatives tend to hate what Liberals stand for, their tatics and the horrible outcomes of their policies. I don't think the majority of conservatives actually personalize their attacks on liberals as people, only their ideals.
Most of us either have family members, friends and neighbors and co-workers we like and do our best to get along with whom are liberals. We are aware that they are around us and I know I tend to watch what I say while liberals always seem to think everyone agrees with them and just go and insult you to your face, then realize, "Oops, I forgot you had different views than me"
exLib, I was thinking
September 9, 2008 - 20:49 ET by hydrodynDMexLib,
I was thinking pretty much the same thing. Now, I don't want to generalize (but I will anyways), but it seems that many liberals do truly think that conservatives are bad or evil.
Consider Bernhard's comment in a previous post:
As another example: on the commentary track on "Blue Harvest" (a Family Guy spoof on Star Wars) Seth McFarlane says how surprised he was that Rush Limbaugh (who has a cameo in the episode) was a nice guy. Um, why would you be surprised by that? Ohhh, 'cause he's a conservative and all conservatives are jerks, I guess.
Like you, I've known a lot of people with liberal views and I would never view them as bad people - just as having bad ideas.
English correction
September 9, 2008 - 20:03 ET by nicholas nickleby"At least if your Chris Matthews."
should be corrected to
"At least if <b>you're</b> Chris Matthews."
(I don't think typoes take away from the force of your argument, but they sure don't help the conversation.)
D'oh! "Your" right! I've
September 9, 2008 - 20:05 ET by Mark FinkelsteinD'oh! "Your" right! I've fixed now.
You know...
September 10, 2008 - 00:44 ET by JPR1that is like the "Hope Diamond" of typos don't you? :-)
Likable Liberals
September 9, 2008 - 20:10 ET by LionKing"'You can put lipstick on a pig,' he said to
an outbreak of laughter, shouts and raucous applause from his audience,
clearly drawing a connection to Palin's joke. 'It's still a pig. You
can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still
going to stink after eight years.'" [LINK]
Barack has now resorted to calling Palin a Pig. Furthermore, he refers
to McCain as an "old fish" that stinks. I guess this is the high-brow
sophistication the Democrats want in their president. Hateful and
mean-spirited ad hominem
attacks we garner a giggle, but in the end, it demonstrates their
inner-fear and desperation. In the end, these tactics only alienate
swing-voters and may cost the Dems some of their female votes.
Some much for tolerance -- Obama shows his true colors; he is
misogynistic and an ageist. (I have now doubt because as a child he was
raised as a Muslim that he has antisemitic leanings.)
Chris the knuckle-dragger too
September 9, 2008 - 20:25 ET by zachlindFrom what I’ve read, Chris is considered the knuckle-dragger around NBC studios. And when you throw in all the on-camera flirts from Chris to his liberal female guests it’s not hard to believe such a rumor.
Liberals on Republican VP
September 9, 2008 - 21:50 ET by LLMTI've pretty much come to conclusion that there are only two entities that the limosine liberal elite would have been happy with for a Republican VP nomination. The first is Oprah--you know everybody just loves Oprah, don't they. The second is Satan. Then they could say, "We knew you guys were the true embodiment of evil all along." Anything in between will be met with scorn. A bright, conservative woman with enough backbone to take them on at there own game--well that just has to be destroyed.
Give Her More
September 9, 2008 - 22:34 ET by Lee BoggsLizza also said that the press has not gone after Sarah hard enough. Yes, he did.