Barack Obama recently declared that he would "lead by example" in bringing civility back into political discourse...but apparently, he's as incapable of leading in that area as in any other.
Because David Axelrod, Obama's senior campaign strategist, just took to the airwaves to denounce Mitt Romney and other republicans of being "in the thralls of this reign of terror from the far right that has dragged the party to the right."
Clearly, such an ugly and incendiary remark would be considered uncivil if it couldn't be backed up with facts. Which is why Axelrod then trotted out the long list of mass murders, bombings, and public executions which the Tea Party Right is responsible for and...
Oh wait, no he didn't. Because he couldn't.
But he did say that conservatives are waging a "reign of terror" by not supporting Obama's "everybody in, all you can eat!" immigration policy (and Janet Napolitano's new "Unlawful Presence Waivers" which give illegals a free pass on deportation).
In other words, Axelrod threw out the libelous insult for no reason at all, other than to inject a little more poison into the national dialogue...and because he knows that the media will give him a free pass when he presents defense of our nation's jobs and borders as being as morally unacceptable as the 9/11 attacks.
Per today's cartoon, all of this puts Hope n' Change in mind of Lewis Carroll's poem "Jabberwocky," in which an epic - but somewhat vague - battle is described with impressive words which impart feeling but actually make no sense at all.
Which, sadly, will be indistinguishable from the rhetoric of Obama's reelection campaign.
But this time, when the vorpal swords go snicker snack, the real victims will be be truth and civility.
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38 comments:
Calloo! Callaay! (no doubt both mispeledt)
@Pete(Detroit)- Your spelling looked frabjous to me.
And has thou slain the Constitution? Come to me, my beamish Comrade! O Frabjous day! Glory to the People's Republic of America! What, that doesn't rhyme? Hmph, thank you for pointing that out. Put Mr. Jarlsberg against the wall with the rest of them. Please make a note that he received a fair trial, etc., etc. and was found guilty of contradicting the official version of a beloved poem.
As an addendum, please note that this was in direct violation of Executive Order # 415,987 "Sedition Act 2012"
Repeat:
The 'rules' work to the exclusive advantage of liberals/progressives.
Consistently and without fail.
"Twas brillig, and the slithy halfrican, Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the Democrats, And the New York Times outgrabe."
If it weren't so deadly serious, it would be fun watching the LSM twist themselves into pretzels to lie and cover for that failed POS. When they should be searching for a lifeline, they are grabbing a boat anchor...and telling us all how wonderfully it floats.
BTW, I memorized Jabberwocky as a child and still remember it all. Every now and then I will recite it to impress my friends (or at least keep them wondering).
Try this for civil political discourse: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/04/post_302.html - it ain't just them's in da White House, er, scratch that - the "People's House", it's the whole party that can't seem to follow their own party line...
Jabber Wookie = Bo & The Yam Eater.
Seriously, what else do you expect him to do? Run on his record?
And we all knew from day-1 that this "civility" thing was only intended to by applied against conservatives. Liberals, sling away. Just write it all down to the "soft bigotry of low expectations" and you'll feel better about it.
And we do, of course, have this paragon of civility snarking at Romney's adult offspring.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2012/04/22/maher-attacks-romney-kids
But hey, he's a comedian, right?
I truly wonder just what alternate universe Axelrod lives in.
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/04/22/5-trillion-later-axelrod-warns
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/04/22/Axelrod-GSA-Scandal
It must be the one depicted on Fringe, I'm sure.
@RandyS- Leave it to the Dems to make a "poetic license" 2000 pages and available only with a presidential waiver.
@BS Footprint- Odd coincidence, isn't it?
@Coon Tasty- Finally it all makes sense.
@Angry Hoosier Dad- Jabberwocky is a wonderful poem, and not a bad metaphor for the sort of bilge we're expected to swallow whole these days.
@Emmentaler- Armor, swords, and "blood sport." It's getting so you can't tell the difference between the evening news and "Game of Thrones."
@Colby- See, the truth is hidden in there; it just needs to be deciphered like the works of Nostradamus.
@John the Econ- No, there aren't any surprises here. And I'll confess that today's cartoon and commentary really amount to little more than a world-weary sigh on my part as the charade of civility goes on and on. But I've also got to say that the word "terror" strikes a raw nerve in me; this administration - which has been so reluctant to apply the word to either the acts or perpetrators who've caused such loss and pain - has no problem using it to describe political opposition. That's an obscenity to me, because it diminishes the very idea of "terror."
@Gang of One- Bill Maher has never been funny a single day of his life. He is the perfect example of the smug, self-satisfied, vastly overpaid Hollywood liberal. And let's be clear: by accepting Maher's $1 million campaign donation, Obama essentially endorses everything that comes out of Maher's mouth - no matter how vile and offensive.
Regarding Axelrod, he indeed seems to be speaking about an alternate universe. He is singularly unhampered by facts or linear logic.
@Gang of One, comedians are supposed to be funny. Bill Maher is not. Comedians who have to resort of blurting obscenities to get a chuckle out of low-brow audiences are pathetic.
The only thing I find funny about Democrat comedians is the fact that most of the ideological fronts for the Democrats over the last few decades (Maher, Franken, Garofalo, etc) have been comedians. It's not as though they can sell their agenda seriously, is it?
@ Stilton -- Regarding Maher, I would also add self-important, self-impressed, self-satisfied, self-defeating, and self-destructive.
@ -- Agree totally ... not one of them is genuinely funny, they are nothing but takers of cheap shots, and their brand of "humor" is nothing but screeds and invective against 'The Man™'. They ALL seem to have some sort of arrested development and mommy/daddy issues. Yes, the only people who laugh at their drivel are the equally stunted, dysfunctional, and traumatized.
That last part was @ -- John the Econ.
I hate when I do that.
Stilton, you already called Maher 'self-satisfied'.
Wow ... Preview Is My Friend ... repeat ...
@Gang of One: I noticed that Axelrod's favorite number in those two clips is "$10 Billion" as he cites this as how much the ØA has saved in each of his two examples... Really lends credibility when all you can say is we saved $10B here, we saved $10B there. Especially in the face of what they've spent. But, to his credit, he did accurately paint Øbama's economy as the antithesis of the economy we deserve. (In case you missed that beauty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFUYhN3ikxI&feature=youtu.be)
Who here has read Ayn Rand's Altas Shrugged? (Don't be shy! Raise your hands!) I am rereading it after having last read it over 30 years ago. When I first read it, Reagan had just taken office, and I was a wet-behind-the- ears university freshman. Even just after the horror that was the Carter administration, it really didn't strike many chords with me. Today? I cannot help but be struck by the similarities between what she wrote, and what we see around us today. It's actually a bit eerie. And quite a bit scary...
@John the Econ- I've heard some really funny ideas expressed using profanity, but I've never heard profanity itself be funny. Maher's idea of wit is to call Sarah Palin a c*nt. That's not funny, not brave, not smart - not anything except offensive. I found Franken funny a long, long time ago (ending before he became a regular on SNL) and Garafalo has always struck me as being an unfunny trainwreck. I'll give a somewhat reluctant nod to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, though - both are pretty funny guys.
@Gang of One- I think the relationship between liberal comics and their audience is called a "circle jerk" by the impolite.
@Emmentaler- I never tire of that clip.
Regarding "Atlas Shrugged," I've got to admit that I haven't read it yet (and keep kicking myself). I'm pretty familiar with the broad strokes, of course, and the fact that the work was clearly - and frighteningly - prophetic.
I read "Atlas" for the first time last winter, and yes, it is soooo close! A few more years of these progressives in power... look out! I will say, though, that the villians in the book had just a teeny bit more intellegence than that dorkrod Axlerod.
I remember when I thought Al Franken was funny; back when I thought Jimmy Carter was a great President! Yes, folks, I am a convert! I'm ashamed to admit it, but I actually voted for McGovern. So there is hope for all those misled liberals out there. The truth penetrated my thick skull, so it can reach anybody. Do I hear an AMEN, Brothers and Sisters?!
Funny guys that lean Right?
Larry the Cable Guy
Jeff Foxworthy
Jeff Dunham
Yep, I'm a REDNECK conservative.
Oh! And a hint to those who have not yet read Atlas Shrugged... When you get towards the end of the book to the 4,578 pages of John Galt's speech? Just skip over it. You won't miss a thing. I suffered through about ten pages of it before I started leafing through to find the end. I think I still pretty much got the whole point of the book after reading the first 47,000 pages.
Just a hint... Still a great book despite the copious amount of padding.
Emmentaler Limburger: Atlas Shrugged is just about the lengthiest novel on the face of the planet, and that lady can sure get on a soapbox (especialy the John Galt speech near the end - I mean really, how many ways can you hammer home 'collectivism sucks ass squared')? But she sure had good reason to bitch due to having plenty of experience with governance gone very, very bad. This was made infinitely clear in one of her previous novels 'We the Living'... I nearly hanged myself with a lamp cord after reading that dark work. And no way could I read it now, as there is no longer anywhere else to run to. If her warnings come to fruition then that is it, folks. Keep them lamp cords handy.
Colby: Amen, brother - I skimmed that book so much I just about got chapped eyeballs.
Stilton: Definitely agree about the infuriating misuse of the word 'terror' by this bunch of ingrates. The mental illness behind this sort of thinking is nothing short of breathtaking. With that being said, I don't think I would be too far out of line to suggest that the current bunch in power are, well, terrorists.
Aw, c'mon, Mike! It's tied for 14/15 in this list of the longest novels - though I clearly see your point. I'm reading it as an e-book on the puny screen of my Treo 680 (old school technology); I feel like I've been reading it forever, but the progress bar doesn't seem to move at all...
@Colby- You're not the only reformed sinner around here; I was a brainless liberal (oops, sorry - I'm being redundant) for way too long. But I got better.
@Mike Porter- I'm not very enthusiastic about writing (however compelling) which makes people start looking around for potential noose material. Although I realize a stiff dose of Ayn Rand isn't just about reading for pleasure, and can be motivational.
And regarding the word "terror," I don't throw it around lightly either - but I find it's pretty easy for me summon words like "totalitarian" and "marxist" when talking about the Left.
@Emmentaler- 1,088 pages, huh? The last political book I wrote was only 78 pages, and filled with dirty pictures.
@Emmentaler Limburger, we're solidly in the middle of part 2, wouldn't you agree? We're only a single presidential election away from the issuance of a "directive 10-289", an almost certain outcome of the inevitable collapse that will take place after the economic carnage caused by ObamaCare.
@Stilton, I am shocked. On the other hand, perhaps it's better you haven't read it. I would hate to see [i]Johnny Optimism[/i] take a dark turn and end it all with a lamp cord...
@ John the Econ -- Johnny is too optimistic; Mr. Duck or Giggles the Clown will do Johnny in.
Since I do not regard the folks in the obama admin to be that bright, even though they have wayyy more education than myself, I tend to believe they know exactly what they are doing...it's just 180 from the good ol' way of governing that we grew up with that usually won out in the hearts and minds of people such as you and me!
I could have a bit of pity if I thought they didn't know what they were doing to our country, but that is not the case!
obama has made it abundantly clear he intends to just as he pleases regardless of the 'people's' desires...and for that he is detestable, as is most of congress.
I read "Atlas Shrugged" in 1976. I was hooked by the very first line: "Who is John Galt?" I skimmed through Galt's speech too, after getting the gist from the beginning. The storyline gave me enough background for that speech. Still, it is a scarily prophetic novel. Too bad there's no gulch for the non-socialists among us in which to find safety.
Another very interesting book to read that is kind of a warning against herdthink is "Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang", by Kate Wilhelm. It's probably hard to find, but it's worth a read!
Read "Atlas" the first time probably 20 years ago, have made a point fo reading it every four years (or so - may have been more or less the first time) to remind me why my vote is important....
Have felt NO urge / need to read it THIS year - a) I know the story b) it's like reading the headlines, and that's just too damned depressing...
Was Mahr the one who did "politically incorrect" bitd? I remember seeing Jennifer Flowers on that show, about "Monica" time, and she was subtitled "Clinton relationship expert"... THAT, I thought, was EVERY funny. For a hint that he may actually have a soul, here he is, bowing at the alter of Ayan Hirsi Ali (who's autobio "Infidel" is a gripping read).
(Ok, cheap Mahr reference used as hook to pimp Ali)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyYZulIxNCE
Got sent a 'People of Walmart' pic today, of a woman in a t-shirt that read on the back "Obama loves America like OJ loved Nichole"
and like we don't know who the "real killer" is gonna be...
@John the Econ- I'm embarrassed that I haven't read it, but had to be truthful. Maybe I'll just grab the Cliff's Notes version, which is only 700 pages (joking, I hope).
And I'm happy to say that Johnny Optimism will never come to a bad or despairing end. My moods (frequently dark and stormy) don't bring his down - rather, his outlook (unexplainably upbeat despite everything) helps mine.
@Gang of One- There are certainly dangerous characters and dangerous circumstances surrounding Johnny, but he is occasionally visited by an angel (albeit one who is seemingly no great shakes as a guardian angel).
@Pryorguy- If Obama's team was just stupid, then they'd occasionally do something good for the country by random accident. Since that's never happened, I share your assumption that their actions are deliberate.
@JustaJeepGuy- Appreciate the literary notes! I'd never heard of the Kate Wilhelm title and will keep an eye out for it (as Peter Falk used to say).
@Pete(Detroit)- Like I said, I'm familiar enough with Atlas Shrugged to know how much it parallels what's happening now. Scary stuff.
And yes, Bill Maher was the guy who did "Politically Incorrect" - on which he praised the courage of the suicide crews who flew hijacked jets into civilian targets on 9/11.
I went to your link to see his segment with Ayan Hirsi Ali, but have so far only made it through about two minutes. I was dumbfounded to see that smug douchenozzle making jokes at the expense of Ali, then making light of Theo Van Gogh being stabbed to death for having dared to make a film critical of Islam (with the aforementioned Ali). Seriously, Maher is a total shitstain - and I'm sorry about the language, but I find him to be one of the most detestable humans on Earth.
@Stan da Man- And like OJ, Obama spends most of his time looking for the "real answers" on the golf course.
It occurs to me that the real reign of terror is being planned and carried out by those who advocate killing judges for doing unpopular things.
Oh, and the real terrorists? those who benefit from stirring up those kinds of emotions.
I enjoyed Galt's 100+ page 'speech' in Atlas Shrugged immensely. Read every word of it. Repetitive? At times. But it's a refreshing antidote to the endless stream of blather that comes out of the MSM, no? Consider it an effective deprogramming tool.
And yes, we're stumbling our way through part 2.
Here's a courtesy tip: Don't ride coal-burning trains through long mountain tunnels...
@Stilton:
Your choice of foul language, though harsh, is completely understandable due to the subject matter - you're merely describing what you see in the most direct, cogent, and accurate way possible.
re: Atlas Shrugged
I admit it. I've never read it. However, I have (I believe) a valid reason for not reading it: a tendency towards herniation. I've had to have double hernias repaired twice ... and a weight limitation of no more than 10#. I'm pretty sure that even the paperback copy at the local library exceeds that!
;^D
I just ran across this when a friend linked to your facebook account. I love it and I wish I'd found it before. You can bet I'll be spreading the word to my friends about you and your blog.
@BS Footprint- I think part of the Left's strategy in debasing language is to make people numb to hyperbolic accusations which may actually be true. Because much of the Left's agenda is terrifying.
And regarding my use of (ahem) colorful language, I really try not to lower the bar and go there on this blog. But some people and situations stir such visceral reactions from me that civility just isn't one of my options.
@Gone Jalt- Maybe I should just go straight to the speech; it would have to be easier to get through than any of Obama's.
@Jazz- That excuse may have worked in the past, but now you (and I) have to claim with a straight face that we can't lift a Kindle or other eReader without damaging ourselves. Darn pixels.
@Steve Moyer- Glad to have you aboard, and I'm always appreciative of those who spread the word. Be sure to check out the archived cartoons and the word search feature (in the left column) to get caught up on any topics of special interest to you!
I heard on the radio this morning that the US State Department has declared the "War on Terror" to be OVER. Hallelujia!! I hope they remembered to tell Israel.... you know, just in case they hadn't heard.
Jazz,
I read the paperback version to avoid a possible hernia. This plan worked fairly well other than having to duct tape a microscope to my face in order to see the actual words written in .000005 size font.
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