What difference does Ann Coulter make?

[MOUSETHIN]

Today is Thursday, so there's the usual fussing about Ann Coulter. Really, though, I like to ask everyone just what difference do you think she makes?

[warrens]

1. She pushes the discussion every rightward

As long as you're not THAT crazy, whatever hatemongering drool you're spitting out gets a little extra legitimacy.

[Warpy]

2. Unopposed hate makes a big difference

Ask the people in Rwanda, Kosovo and Bosnia. All the trouble in those places started with unopposed hate on the radio.

Give people permission to hate, and they will oblige. That is why it is important to identify hate as what it is and answer it at all times.

[RufusEarl]

3. Who !

[LSparkle]

4. Who is Ann Coulter?

[jedr]

5. Ann obviously makes a living at what she does;

However I was once told ,when whining about someones irrational behavior, "Why treat someone who is irrational as being rational" If someone is crazy, them handle them as such. I don't listen to her, I have enough real things in my life to get worked up over.

[WI_DEM]

6. The only people who truly take her seriously are the idiots on the far

right.

[jedr]

7. I Have a rebub Friend who considers her a satirist....? n/t

[pretzel4gore]

8. she's a table dancer

the gopigs love that harry butt....

[Seabiscuit]

9. She periodically causes people to post threads about her on DU;

beyond that, I can't imagine she makes any difference to anyone but herself.

[Greyhound]

10. I never see or hear her anywhere but here (DU), and I live right in the

belly of the beast. So, I don't think she makes any difference at all, except to those that seek her out.

I do find it somewhat disturbing that so many feel it necessary to attack her on her appearance, as if that has anything to do with her insanity.

[Crunchy Frog]

11. She helps foster a general climate of RW extremism.

She helps make other RW extemists look "moderate" just because they're not actually frothing at the mouth and biting people. She helps make that kind of extremism look "normal".

[SmokingJacket]

12. She makes everyone else look sane and reasonable

including people who AREN'T.

That's her true purpose, IMHO: to push the nasty right SO FAR to the nasty right that your average strong conservative looks perfectly middle of the road.

[3waygeek]

13. Well, she gave Robin Williams

a lot of material for his appearance on today's Fresh Air.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. She's using up valuable oxygen (n/t)

[guinivere]

15. None to me.

I think she does provide some comic relief. Until someone finally drives a stake through her heart.

[izzybeans]

16. The same difference Hitler made when he was just a foot soldier.

It's better to crush her now than have to have her mysteriously disappear in a bunker later before it is too late.