Rightwing Hysteria: "We Can't Respond!!!"

[Sparkly]

Watching Larry King -- David Horowitz the latest rightwinger to whine that he and Ann Coulter "can't respond" to "victims," ergo victims are evil if they speak -- brought home again what they're really upset about.

It's not that they "can't respond" -- they have, and they are. It's that they want to break down the last barriers of basic decency.

That barrier frustrates the Hell out of them -- you can hear it in their voices. The subtext is: "We can't slime them easily!"

Look at the people they mention who make them crazy as "victims" who they "can't respond to." Along with the 9/11 widows, we hear Cindy Sheehan and Max Cleland brought up constantly; Jack Murtha makes them nuts. What do these people have in common? They've had experiences that have redefined their very lives forever. And they're against BushCo.

"We can't respond!!"

Democrats "put them up" to what they're saying, we hear over and over again. These widows and mothers, veterans and politicians, are all hapless "victims," merely stupid puppets manipulated by "the Democratic party." They're hard to demonize, to marginalize, to make into cartoons, to "swiftboat," and thus -- to the rightwing shills -- to "respond to." Because they're so human and so credible, with sacrifices that reach so far beyond rightwing stereotypes, the usual crap doesn't work where they're concerned -- so they frustrate the hell out of the usual operatives.

"We can't respond!!"

They want to knock down this last vestige of decency so they can attack ANYbody over ANYthing that goes against their fictitious, greedy agenda. As long as there's a shred of human empathy in this country, allowing the truth of these Americans' experiences to penetrate people's hearts -- allowing people to see beyond the lies and character attacks of the rightwing -- righwingers' tactics will remain thwarted by these voices, telling their visceral experiences of tragedies rightwingers seek to obscure.

"We can't respond!!"

May it always be so.

[Mikimouse]

1. Very simple response to that...

The people listed (Murtha, Sheehan, et al.) have EARNED a modicum of RESPECT, whether through actions or experience. What meritorious contributions have assholes like Coulter and Horowitz made? Let them whine all they want, maybe they'll even hold their collective breath until they...:nuke:

[Sparkly]

5. That's what they can't respond to...

That's what I'm trying to say.

They are totally frustrated when they can't "respond" with lies, smears and attacks. They HATE it that it's hard to demonize people whose experiences resonate with truth and elicit trust, empathy, and as you say, respect.

This is their effort to surpass even that -- the last remnants of civility, and basic human instincts about credibility, honesty, trust, etc.

It's as if they're saying, "Who ya gonna believe, your lyin' eyes' view of that 'victim' over there, or ME, telling you that 'victim' is a political operative of the Democratic Party who we MUST attack lest we be unable to respond just because they're 'victims,' which is so UNFAIR?"

[Mikimouse]

10. Oh, I agree, and I would go so far as to say that I hope they ...

keep it up, and loudly. All they accomplish by doing so is to demonstrate their abysmal lack of maturity. Sooner or later there will be repercussions for simpletons like them.

[patrice]

2. Can't respond? No one else can hear nor see anyone but Coulter et al.

responding.

Look at Latest posts page here at DU. Every other post is Coulter. This might just as well be the Coulter Underground.

I think the best response is to begin right now to live in a universe that does not register, nor responds to, Coulter. From now on, to me, Coulter does not exist.

Do you know anything about Humboldt Squids?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Here:

Much more attractive than Ann Coulter...

[C_U_L8R]

28. The Geoduck

More Attractive than Coulter

[patrice]

41. Dig those sunglasses!

What a "cool cat"!

[patrice]

40. Kind of puts "us" humans in our place, doesn't it? n/t

[Sparkly]

9. That's the same logic that said Kerry shouldn't respond to the Swiftliars.

"If you ignore them, nobody else will notice them."

I'm saying, I smell a concerted effort to clear a path for mass swiftboating of ANYbody. They "can't respond" to Murtha, Cleland, Sheehan or the Jersey Girls "just because" of the very reasons these people carry weight when they speak. Remove that, and they've got a clear shot.

This is a rhetorical seed, as I see it. It's intended to blow out of the water every Democrat, or other political opponent, who speaks up from a place of power from experience.

Ignoring it, unfortunately, won't make it go away.

[patrice]

39. Oh, I don't suggest that it should be ignored.

Exactly the opposite, it should be focused on, but *with* proactive counter-rhetorical strategies, and **without** their names.

[MADem]

3. What? They got duct tape on their mouths? That'll be the day!

They can't respond because there are these things called CAMERAS, and we have the capability to RECORD their hateful comments....that's why they can't respond, the fuckers.

[C_U_L8R]

4. Truth is.. they are not responding

they are name-calling and drooling vile hate venom..
but they are not responding... at least not with any
intelligible argument or debate.... it's just bullshit
loads and loads of whiny Republican bullshit.
the really stinky kind.
YUCK

[tridim]

11. So "not responding" is to their own benefit

Because they don't have to respond (and look like more of a fool), yet the original attack stands. I'm sure at least some of the 29%'ers will be fooled.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Ya know .... its really funny, in an odd way .... or not so odd .....

.... The first window out there, as I recall, was one Lisa "Let's Roll(pat pending)" Beamer.

Next up were the one's being excoriated by Ms. Coulter.

Now compare and contrast.

Ms Beamer did her schtick, sold a shitload of terjerk books, sued Toby Keith(?) for using "Let's Roll" in a song and generally made fame and fortune from her husband's loss.

Okayfine ..... no one criticized her. Some on our side may have snickered or made a snide remark (I know I did), but it was about what she **did** with what she had. Personal gain and personal fame.

The Jersey Girls did ..... what? Asked for the truth. Used the same thing Beamer did for the good of **others**.

I am simply sickened at this whole mess that Coulter dragged up. I really this could be a shark jump to rival all shark jumps. Coulter's actions and words are simply prima facia evil.

[Sparkly]

13. There were also several 9/11 widows at the RNC convention

in the most disgusting exploitation of 9/11 EVER, imo. Didn't hear a peep then.

They've surely weighed where the widows and veterans stand, and are innoculating the GOP against the outrage they sense coming.

[SoFlaJet]

16. You know everyone seems to forget

that 3 picture set the GOP sold for $150 of Bush scared shit looking out the window of AF 1-where is the outrage to THAT?Why is THAT so conveniently forgotten?

[WildClarySage]

8. Certainly one can respond to anything one disagrees with

if one does so in a courteous and respectful way. Responding with nastiness and invective is one way to respond, however you will not be regarded with much credibility if you choose to.

A respectful disagreement with the widows would have been fine. This slime though says everything about Coulter and her right-wing opinions and nothing at all about the statements or character of the widows.

[Sparkly]

15. And where does she actually disagree?

None of the outrage I've heard had to do with establishing the 9/11 Commission, seeking answers or advocating stronger security measures. It's ALL about the widows' speaking up and "not letting me respond."

[ruggerson]

12. Here's what's missing from Democrats responses

I have yet to see someone call her and Republicans UNPATRIOTIC.

On Larry King they were indignant and called her indecent, stupid, morally reprehensible, etc. All the things we know and agree she is.

But to win this battle for the hearts and minds of the voters, we have to play this like any smart Republican strategist would if the shoe were on the other foot.

Dems should come out in droves, WRAP THEMSELVES IN THE FLAG AND 9/11 and shout from the rooftops that the woman and her Republican defenders are TRAITOROUSLY UNPATRIOTIC.

You win elections by taking these situations and exploiting them. Not by professing shock and indignance. (however well justified).

[Sparkly]

17. Good point.

That's what she/they are trying to innoculate themselves against -- they want to create a playing-field where they can't be criticized for hurling invective at troops, veterans, widows, or other "victims," provided those "victims" are political opponents of the GOP.

They want to keep "Patriotism" and the flag itself as Republican icons.

[ruggerson]

19. Exactly

which is why that is where we should be hitting them.

Attacking her for being "cruel" and "unkind" and "irresponsible" just plays right into the whole "Mommy party" psychology. Awww. We got our feelings hurt by Ann Coulter.

That's the entirely wrong response.

We need to be standing up with great outrage, defending the honor of our COUNTRY, and calling her a traitor. She wants to harm the same women Al Queda wants to harm. She is an UNPATRIOTIC, TREASONOUS, AMERICA HATER.

That's a very powerful message to use against the party that tries to co opt that line for itself.

[Sparkly]

21. Yup, I've read Lakoff, too...

I hadn't thought of it that way, but you're right -- it does play right into shutting down "Mommy" in Lakoff's terms. "Pay no attention to the tug in your HEART hearing these people speak -- they're lying!! Are you a wimp who believes them, or an ass-kicker who doesn't?!?"

I don't want to drown the "mommy" heart out with "daddy" bathwater, though... I think this should be brought home to people at the grassroots as being part of their own experiences. It's not about being weak "victims" -- all the people being attacked are actually strong survivors, and despite GOP-voters' fantasies of themselves as future wealthy people, I dare say they're all in touch with people who need help (veterans and others), and see themselves that way as well. They just think the government isn't helping them because it's helping "lazy people."

I want them to relate in such a way that they hear this as an attack on themselves.

AND, I agree that we should take the focus of the attackees and back to the argument of: What exactly is it that the rightwingers want to "respond to" that they claim they "can't?" The 9/11 Commission? Port security? The Iraq fiasco? WHAT?

As you alluded to, I heard a clip where Coulter said she "can't respond" without being called "mean." Fits right in with what you're saying.

[jean]

34. UnAmerican is a powerful word.

[Kutjara]

14. They're right, they can't respond.

The victims they find it so impossible to respond to are victims that the Repugs have themselves created, through their ignorant, heedless manipulations of political realities they can't begin to understand and their unfettered greed.

Of course they can't respond, any more than someone can respond to someone who's child they'd abused, house they'd robbed or husband they'd killed. Well, that's not quite true. They can respond if they really want to with the only appropriate response: an abject apology for all lives they've ruined and the misery they've caused, together with a solemn promise to make whatever restitution they can, in the full knowledge that nothing they can do can ever be enough to fully repair the damage. That, at least, would be a response.

What filth like Coulter and the rest really want to do, of course, is not 'respond', it's 'attack', and they're all squirrily about how unfair it is that they aren't allowed to spit on the victims their GOP paymasters have raped, robbed and murdered. I mean, what's the point of being the Big Dog if you can't piss on all the little dogs? Where's the fun? A victim isn't a victim until you've made them lick your boots and tell you they deserved it. You only get really wet, get a real hardon, when you look into your victim's eyes and see that they know in their deepest souls that you own them. That's the response the Repugs are after, the only 'feeling' they truly comprehend: the raw sexual thrill that most powerfully comes from the utter domination of another human being.

Can't respond, my ass. Can't jack off on the graves of the dead, while wrapped in the flag, in front of the victims' families, more like.

[Sparkly]

18. Exactly. nt

[Auntie Bush]

20. Rethugs and Ann the Man are such hypocrites. Remember when

every time a Dem said something negative about the war we were accused of aiding the enemy and were unpatriotic. Remember when we couldn't criticize the President after 9/11 because he was the "War President"!
They used the war and 9/11 to silence us. NOW they (who used the same tactics) are crying because it's not polite to criticize the 9/11 widows.
Tough sh*t! Those tactics are OK for them but not for us.

[Sparkly]

24. Yup -- You need a "License to Criticize..."

I read somewhere recently -- probably from Coulter -- that being a 9/11 widow doesn't give them "license to criticize the Commander in Chief." Hello? Being a free citizen of the United States gives us "license to criticize the Commander in Chief!"

But according to this new rhetoric, NObody has that "license." (Certainly not without being villified.)

Up is down, wrong is right, war is peace.

Veterans are sissies, chickenhawks are heroes.

Ann Coulter and David Horowitz are brave Patriotic Americans; John Murtha and Cindy Sheehan are not.

And now, it's "mean" to call somebody "mean." It's good to call an amputee veteran a "lucky duck" though, or a widow a "harpy" for trying to do what's right.

[Skittles]

22. the Jersey Girls are bright, articulate gals

not only CAN you respond to them, they give every indication they ENCOURAGE response

[Sparkly]

26. But they can't respond to them in the only way they know how to "respond"

Some people just sweep their lies, stereotypes, and memes right off the table -- without even saying a word.

Then they "can't respond," and that pisses them off.

[Skittles]

27. you are correct there, Sparkly

those gals are onto conservative bullshit which is the real reason behind Ms. Couler's outrage

[beaconess]

23. This all reminds me of an "I Love Lucy" episode . . .

Lucy, Ethel and Carolyn Ramsey are fit to be tied because their husbands, who had to be dragged to the country club dance kicking and screaming, are now falling all over themselves flirting and dancing with a pretty young woman.

When confronted by Lucy about their behavior, Ricky says earnestly, "I was just trying not to be rude. Fred's on the dance floor right now trying not to be rude. And Ralph is waiting his turn not to be rude, too."

These nutcases screaming about not being able to respond sound just like Ricky Ricardo. "We can't respond, we can't respond. I'm so unable to respond that I'm appearing on 12 tv shows a day not responding. And Horowitz is on 15 more shows not responding. And the other conservative whack jobs are on the other 25 shows not responding!"

[Sparkly]

25. LOL!!!

I remember that one!! :rofl:

[Mr_Spock]

29. Poor ASS HOLE Republicans. I feel bad for them, don't you?

NOT! :mad:

[w4rma]

30. This is why the Democratic Party always looks for soldiers and buisnessmen

to run in politics. Their backgrounds help to tear down stereotypes. However, they can't just be all background, which is what alot of these strategists forget. They see part of the picture, but miss the whole picture.

[Sparkly]

31. We do?

Seems our party has selected legislators and governors, thinking they're electable and can't be attacked, because they've gone to "President School."

LATEly, we've got lots of veterans running, and it looks like that's got the GOP nervous. They totally annihilate the spin the rightwing has developed over three decades, and it's hard to "swift" all of them without showing the tactic for what it is!! ("We love our veterans, all but THIS one. Oh and THIS one. And THAT one. And THAT one. Also this OTHER one. Not to mention the one over THERE...")

So this looks to me like an attempt to blow their service out of the water in one fell swoop.

Same goes for the voices of gold-star mothers, widows, 9/11 survivors, etc...

[proud patriot]

32. yeah! so shut up already

[glitch]

33. I think you are correct - coulter is a player in this particular orchestra

everything she does is scripted, she's the Leni Reisenstal for the new american century, only without the talent.
They will keep playing this same song no matter how much they fail at it, it is literally all they have. They admit to attacking their opponents' strengths, genuine decency is a strength, hence it's "fair game" for them.

Good call.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mhatrw]

36. 9/11, anyone? Terry Schiavo, anyone? Giving our troops' deaths meaning?

Neocons constantly exploit other peoples' personal tragedies for their political gain.

And when the poor victims they exploit stand up for themselves, neocons have NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER publicly hammering the exact same victims whose tragedies they've been exploiting!

What if we applied the same principles to Lisa Beamer (the "Let's Roll" Bible thumper)? What if we pointed out that she's using her personal tragedy to make a stupid political and moronic religious points because she loves publicity?

We don't. And the reason we don't is because she lost her husband in a huge personal tragedy. She deserves a free ride, just like Terry Schiavo's parents. And husband. And Nick Berg's dad. And Wellstone's sons. It's a little thing called having a shred of HUMANITY. Maybe Repugnicons should introduce themselves to this concept.

If any 9/11 widows want some real answers about what happened to their husbands on 9/11, who the FUCK do these slimebuckets think they are to question them? Who the FUCK do they think they are to tell the real victims the "true meaning" of what happened on 9/11?

[ProSense]

37. More...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2674443&mesg_id=2675498


Visit the entire thread! Yes a Swift Liar on the Greatest page!

[displacedtexan]

38. Psst. Add this post to your journal.

Thanks!

Delilah

[bobbieinok]

42. heard this over + over on talk radio last Thursday

'Those evil democrats have as spokespeople crying women who lost sons or husbands; we can't counter or question them.'

Boortz added Kerry and Murtha who 'can't be attacked b/c they're veterans.' TALK ABOUT CONVENIENT SHORT-TERM MEMORIES.

It was pretty clear Thursday that this was a big RW talking point to try to counter the disgust Coulter got when she attacked the 'Jersey girls.' Coulter was on a great many RW talk shows Thursday, and every host was praising her 'courage and intelligence.'

[bobbieinok]

43. see responses to DU thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1405152#top