Howard Fineman: If Obama Said 'I Love Apple Pie' Republicans Would Call It 'A Socialist Plot'

August 22nd, 2011 7:21 PM

It's not at all surprising the Obama-loving, anti-war media are gushing and fawning over what appears to be a rebel victory in Libya.

On MSNBC's "Hardball" Monday, the Huffington Post's Howard Fineman joined in the victory lap mocking skeptical Republicans by sniping, "If Barack Obama came out and said, 'You know, I really love apple pie,' they would say, 'Apple pie is a socialist plot'” (video follows with transcript and commentary):

HOWARD FINEMAN, HUFFINGTON POST: And I think in this case his vision of careful multicultural, multilateral diplomacy and careful pinpointed use of force really did, really did work, and he deserves credit for it.

RON REAGAN, HOST: The Republicans, of course, don't see it that way. They're sort of nitpicking the situation. Do they risk looking peevish and small-minded as a result?

FINEMAN: I'm laughing because if they, if they ever worried about the risk of seeming peevish and small-minded, I haven't noticed it. I mean, if they, if Barack Obama came out and said, “You know, I really love apple pie,” they would say, “Apple pie is a socialist plot.”

That would depend on the ingredients, Howard.

Like so many of his colleagues, Fineman has a poor sense of irony.


On the one hand, he mocked Republicans for not worrying about "seeming peevish and small-minded."

What this of course means is that he sees members of the GOP as "peevish and small-minded," and doesn't feel it's at all important for him as a so-called "journalist" to hide such negative sentiments about a large portion of Americans.

Yet those on the Right that possess a similarly negative view of the President, and feel uncomfortable giving him credit for anything, are to be mocked and derided for having those feelings.

As I've said for years, it takes a tremendous number of rationalizations to be a liberal these days.

What is also quite striking about today's left-leaning political analysts is how they conveniently feign total ignorance of politics when the situation warrants.

There's an election next year that the Republicans would like to win. It is therefore not in their best interest to say nice things about the president they're trying to defeat.

Surely someone that has covered national politics since 1978 is not only aware of this, but also has experienced it throughout his career.

Apart from the months immediately following 9/11, Democrats hardly ever had anything nice to say about George W. Bush. That's called politics.

Unfortunately, folks like Fineman lose all knowledge of how this game works whenever there's a Democrat in the White House.

At that point, Republicans are considered rude if they don't fawn and gush over him like members of the media do.

Sorry to disappoint you, Howard.