January 11, 2011

Poll: Majority of Americans Reject Democratic Spin on Arizona Atrocity
— Gabriel Malor

But only a meager plurality of Democrats say that political rhetoric is unrelated, which explains why Democratic leaders and the media continue to push it.

Overall, 57 percent of respondents said the harsh political tone had nothing to do with the shooting, compared to 32 percent who felt it did. Republicans were more likely to feel the two were unrelated - 69 percent said rhetoric was not to blame; 19 percent said it played a part. Democrats were more split on the issue - 49 percent saw no connection; 42 percent said there was.

Independents more closely reflected the overall breakdown - 56 percent said rhetoric had nothing to do with the attack; 33 percent felt it did.

So a plurality of Democrats can see through the disgusting political point scoring. That's more than I expected and, honestly, I think that will change if President Obama decides to go with the idea that the "larger context" of this atrocity is about learning tolerance. He can't mean we should be learning to tolerate murderous schizophrenics, so I figure he will be setting his imprimatur on the claim that "for the good of the nation" the political rhetoric will have to be toned down.

Unlike Allah, I'm sure that will please Obama sycophants because they won't understand him to be saying that everyone should tone it down. In the first place, many on the left are still insisting that the left doesn't use "extremist" rhetoric in politics; so, obviously, Obama can't be talking about them. They'll listen to his vague, passive-voiced pronouncements and hear: "they, the racist, out-of-control Tea Party should tone it down."

Exit question: With days to figure out which way the wind is blowing, is Obama stupid enough to turn this into another Wellstone funeral, anyway? Exit answer: With advice like this, it's inevitable.

Later: Just how stupid are Democrats? The DCCC is defending its use of red bullseyes on a political target map by suggesting that that the Democratic map is "not threatening since it used an image that is also associated with Target, the national retail chain."

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 06:57 AM | Comments (107)
Post contains 370 words, total size 3 kb.

1 'Learning tolerance' cures schizophrenia.

That Obama IS a miracle worker.

Posted by: nickless at January 11, 2011 07:00 AM (MMC8r)

2 Obama is helping the Left attack the Right. He could have squashed this crap on Saturday. He is in on it up to his eyeballs.

Posted by: eman at January 11, 2011 07:01 AM (0aJSF)

3 yep, Obama is complicit in this with his silence. No leadership, at all.

Posted by: Soothsayer Re-writes history at January 11, 2011 07:02 AM (XmtX4)

4 Obama could've scored points with Me if he came out and told the Left to shut up. That's saying a lot.

Posted by: Soothsayer Re-writes history at January 11, 2011 07:03 AM (XmtX4)

5 The police acted stupidly.

What?  I got one right? 

Posted by: Blind Obama, found an acorn at January 11, 2011 07:03 AM (Oz4Bj)

6 he does as soros says

Posted by: ethel at January 11, 2011 07:04 AM (0AkWH)

7 I don't think the Right should "tone it down" per se.  What the Right needs to do is increase the volume about how the Left has been using violent imagery for decades while being more circumspect about how they present their position.

Like the Man said "Hit back twice as hard". The American people need to be shown repeatedly things like Michelle Malkins list of Far Left Lunacy and violent rhetoric.

This is a crisis, let's take the opportunity to denounce people like Katie Couric loudly and longly.

Posted by: Quilly Mammoth at January 11, 2011 07:05 AM (/E20J)

8 Here comes 1/11/11 11:11:11

Posted by: Islamic Rage Boy at January 11, 2011 07:06 AM (tvs2p)

9 Anyone seen the internals? CBS polls in the past have oversampled democrats and undersampled republicans. It wouldn't suprise me if the number of people rejecting the media line is somewhat higher then what their poll is showing.

Posted by: a_feral_duck at January 11, 2011 07:06 AM (P7xkj)

10 Posted by: Quilly Mammoth at January 11, 2011 11:05 AM (/E20J)

Shorter:

Tell the left, "FOAD.  You first."

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 07:07 AM (8y9MW)

11 If memory serves, the Dems declared the "War on Poverty".  Hatemongers!

Posted by: pep at January 11, 2011 07:08 AM (GMG6W)

12 Osama Obama always brings a gun to a knife fight.

Like everyone else who has jumped in to exploit the attack on Rep Giffords, the Traitor-in-Chief needs to take a big dose of STFU.

But he can't. It's his nature to divide and destroy.

Posted by: MrScribbler© at January 11, 2011 07:08 AM (Ulu3i)

13 so I figure he will be setting his imprimatur on the claim that "for the good of the nation" the political rhetoric will have to be toned down.

Honestly, I really don't see how this works for Obama. Even if he discounts his own statements as campaign rhetoric he still has explaining to do.

Obama is the one who put Ed Schultz in the front row at of of his pressers.  Bush may have had lunch with Rush, etc but he never made an attempt to cast Rush as a reporter or impartial.

Even that doesn't take into account the people Obama has actually put into his administration.

Posted by: Rocks at January 11, 2011 07:09 AM (Q1lie)

14

Can't we turn this into a discussion of the need to properly care for paranoid schizophrenics? This man and others like him are given personal freedom that they are unable to handle. A significant percentage of them use it to hurt themselves and others.

Rather than escalating the angry left versus right rhetoric, can we change the topic to realistic ways of helping (including institutionalization if necessary) the mentally ill who walk among us? 

Posted by: Avogadra at January 11, 2011 07:10 AM (dtIOD)

15 I think this deserves some attention:

He also played saxophone in the school band. He loved the bands Rancid and the Misfits and the philosophers Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant. He went to parties and was a fan of University of Arizona football.

I don't know about you, but I've yet to meet a right-wing teabagger who was a big fan of Immanuel Kant. If his favorite philosopher was Ayn Rand I'm pretty sure that's all we'd be hearing about from the Chicken Fuckers.

Posted by: ol_dirty_/b/tard at January 11, 2011 07:11 AM (IoUF1)

16 We're gonna need a bigger chicken.

Posted by: the media at January 11, 2011 07:12 AM (OCvXk)

17 Posted by: Rocks at January 11, 2011 11:09 AM (Q1lie)

It works for Obama because those quotes will go down the MFM's collective memory hole, and Fox will be "racist" any time they try to bring it up.  Also further inciting hate, natch.  So Fox will drop it, too, and Obama gets to pretend, once again, that he's above the fray instead of one of the worst offenders (if judged by his own standard).

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 07:12 AM (8y9MW)

18 Reports have it that the sheriff had gotten multiple warnings about this guy but ignored them because his parents have some connection to the local power structure.The real lesson is .. don't protect yourself with political rhetoric or a political hack.

Only remaining question, is Obama stupid enough to turn this into another Wellstone funeral ?

I say .. yes, he can !

Posted by: Islamic Rage Boy at January 11, 2011 07:12 AM (tvs2p)

19 Posted by: ol_dirty_/b/tard at January 11, 2011 11:11 AM (IoUF1)

Oops, forgot linky, here it is.

Posted by: ol_dirty_/b/tard at January 11, 2011 07:13 AM (IoUF1)

20 This is a pretty surprising result given that the left and the MFM (BIRM) has been pushing the narrative since the first minute the news broke.

Posted by: Andy at January 11, 2011 07:13 AM (5Rurq)

21

the Democratic map is "not threatening since it used an image that is also associated with Target, the national retail chain

George Orwell, white courtesy phone, please.  George Orwell, white courtesy phone, please.

Posted by: Circa (Insert Year Here) at January 11, 2011 07:13 AM (B+qrE)

22 No, Avogadra. First and most importantly, this is a political blog, not a mental health blog. And as conservatives, we concentrate more on individual responsibility than 'root causes.'

Posted by: Soothsayer Re-writes history at January 11, 2011 07:14 AM (XmtX4)

23 I would love for someone to ask Obama what he thinks  about the rhetoric coming from the likes of Bill Ayers.

Posted by: 18-1 at January 11, 2011 07:14 AM (7BU4a)

24 Connecting the Arizona shooter with rhetoric of any sort, or with conservatives and conservative ideology, is the craziest and most depressing thing to come out of America in a long time. It shows a lack of maturity and gross stupidity on the part of those promulgate this view. It makes me tired of living. I'm going to stop reading the news for at least a week, maybe that'll help.

Posted by: Steve (aka Ed Snate) at January 11, 2011 07:14 AM (LEMIN)

25 Should we open wider?

Posted by: GOP Leadership Sans Col. West at January 11, 2011 07:14 AM (EL+OC)

26 This is a pretty surprising result given that the left and the MFM (BIRM) has been pushing the narrative since the first minute the news broke.

Posted by: Andy at January 11, 2011 11:13 AM (5Rurq)

Well, at some point time we have to reach a tipping point where State Media antics like this won't work on anyone other then the Left.

Looking at how they've handled this, I would say this could be the final straw that breaks the State Media's power over independents.

The shooter has *no* connections with conservativism, Sarah Palin, or the tea party movement - so for anyone not ideologically committed to hating the above, this should be eye opening.

Posted by: 18-1 at January 11, 2011 07:16 AM (7BU4a)

27 Posted by: Avogadra at January 11, 2011 11:10 AM (dtIOD)

Sure.  As soon as you find a way to a) pay for it and b) make people immune from defamation lawsuits (or, at least, "wrongful harm" or whatever they're calling it now) when they try to have someone admitted in good faith.  Oh, yeah, and prove "good faith" so that people who are merely inconvenient aren't slandered as "schizophrenic" or "psychotic."

The problem here is not that Jared Loughner did not have treatment available.  At least one of his college profs noticed danger signs (if the blogs yesterday were correct) and tried to get him to seek help- he refused.

Should we have institutions for those who are so mentally ill they cannot be safely integrated with society?  Probably.  Society has decided that was cruel (and, too often, it was) so we got rid of that.  Failing that, there's not much else one can do.  Even making sure he gets to a psychiatrist and gets medication won't guarantee he'd take it.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 07:17 AM (8y9MW)

28 While this whole episode in Arizona has truly saddened me, it has only increased my resolve in supporting Sarah Palin. She is good. They are not. Deep down, they know it. The amount of hatred spewed at her is without precedent. She is getting 10X the hate and lies that Reagan and Bush did and they were actual Presidents! It culminated this weekend when the media smeared her and linked her to mass murder because she used the phrase "targeted districts" which is common political language used by every politician for 100 years. There was an "Art exhibit" where people pose with a gun aimed at Sarah's head with her daughter right next to her in the picture. She has been hung by a noose. Countless violent images of rape and murder with her face bruised and bloodied. She has been called c**t, b***h, whore, racist, homophobe, and now MURDERER. And they lecture us on "Rhetoric?" No, the left will not decide who is acceptable and electable. I am not playing that game anymore. I learned my lesson and I learned it well. Dan Chakonas

Posted by: Dan at January 11, 2011 07:17 AM (mXBxH)

29 There's only one person responsible for the mass murders committed in Tuscon. And that's the shooter.

All the rest  blaming anything else are fucking retards.

Posted by: Unclefacts, Confuse A Cat, Ltd. at January 11, 2011 07:18 AM (eCAn3)

30 the philosophers Jean-Jacques Rousseau

I'd actually focus more on Rousseau then Kant. The former is one of the architects of the modern left.

Posted by: 18-1 at January 11, 2011 07:18 AM (7BU4a)

31 I have no trouble discussing how the liberals have made it virtually impossible to institutionalize paranoid schizophrentics. But while we are researching how that fact occured, we have to push back against the "vitriol" of the left or we lose. If we lose the last best hope of the world is gone.

Posted by: dagny at January 11, 2011 07:19 AM (+Z6ve)

32 How stupid is Zero and his merry band of pubic lice? Pretty stupid, the degree of which shall be demonstrated during his next "the police acted stupidly" moment.

Posted by: maddogg at January 11, 2011 07:20 AM (OlN4e)

33 Can't we turn this into a discussion of the need to properly care for paranoid schizophrenics? This man and others like him are given personal freedom that they are unable to handle. A significant percentage of them use it to hurt themselves and others.

Why do we need more legislation in light of this tragedy?  This guy was making death threats left and right (which went ignored).  This is a failure of competence on behalf of local law enforcement, namely the Sheriff. 

The solution is not to give the government greater power to declare people insane and take away their freedoms.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at January 11, 2011 07:20 AM (TpXEI)

34 Soothsayer. With respect, yer wrong. This is not JUST a political blog, but we'll leave that aside. Relevant to politics, the mentally disabled have limited individual responsibility. The state really does have to intervene eventually when these guys bring others into their dreamland. There's a good case that the state should do it earlier.

Posted by: Zimriel at January 11, 2011 07:21 AM (OCvXk)

35 And as conservatives, we concentrate more on individual responsibility than 'root causes.'

But that simply avoids the issue of whether or not this man was capable of individual responsibility.  His mental state is germane to intent, unless you are saying we should simply ignore mental state.  That is neither realistic nor compatible with our sense of justice and system of laws.  Concentrate more on does not mean ignore altogether, and in any case, I am not inclined to give a free pass to the fools who emptied out our mental institutions.  Hold them responsible.

Posted by: pep at January 11, 2011 07:21 AM (GMG6W)

36 No, the left will not decide who is acceptable and electable. I am not playing that game anymore. I learned my lesson and I learned it well.

Dan Chakonas

Posted by: Dan at January 11, 2011 11:17 AM (mXBxH)

Well said.

Posted by: grognard at January 11, 2011 07:21 AM (NS2Mo)

37 Posted by: Dan at January 11, 2011 11:17 AM (mXBxH)

Yeah.  You posted that yesterday.  Copy the wrong block of text?

Really- this isn't about Sarah Palin.  I haven't heard her say anything specific (that everyone else isn't saying), so she's not even trying to make it about her.  Just let that one go.

To attempt to turn Sarah Palin into one of the victims of this monstrous act is callous towards the actual victims and demeaning to Mrs. Palin.

I say this with great respect (and a primary vote), but you can stop with the copy/paste talking points.  Please.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 07:22 AM (8y9MW)

38 WRT the politicization of tragedy...

The Left: "The Right acted stupidly."

Obama Speech: "J. Loughner acted stupidly."

Now let's see if this plays out or if Obama will actually act stupidly and blame the Right, too.

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at January 11, 2011 07:22 AM (swuwV)

39 Dem targets and not target- targets. Instead, they are Target (TM) targets. Republicans= vitriol Democrats= trademark infringement

Posted by: Damiano at January 11, 2011 07:22 AM (3nrx7)

40 The State, Zimriel? What about his parents, don't they have any responsibility?

Posted by: Soothsayer Re-writes history at January 11, 2011 07:23 AM (XmtX4)

41 36 No, the left will not decide who is acceptable and electable. I am not playing that game anymore. I learned my lesson and I learned it well.

I completely agree with you. Would you mind sending the GOP leadership a memo? Thanks.

Posted by: Barbarian at January 11, 2011 07:23 AM (EL+OC)

42 The new Dem logo looks like a target too.  Are the Dems promoting violence in the name of politics?  I'd say yes.

Posted by: Cicero at January 11, 2011 07:23 AM (Ys0KI)

43 The DCCC is defending the red bullseyes because they are associated with Target?  They seem to be very comfortable with admitting copyright infringement.

Posted by: huerfano at January 11, 2011 07:23 AM (QgmBR)

44 These teabaggin' som'bitches couldn't close an umbrella!

Posted by: Sheriff Buford T. Dupnik at January 11, 2011 07:23 AM (GwPRU)

45

? The DCCC is defending its use of red bullseyes on a political target map by suggesting that that the Democratic map is "not threatening since it used an image that is also associated with Target, the national retail chain."

just can't make this stuff up. They've gone mad.

rabid jerks, now i'm asking for the 100th time, where are our  leaders to defend it's citizens from this assault from the top?

Posted by: willow at January 11, 2011 07:23 AM (h+qn8)

46 I'm not a vilent person, but i swear they need a spanking.

Posted by: willow at January 11, 2011 07:25 AM (h+qn8)

47 I always had my doubts about Sarah Palin, but thanks to our national media, I now feel I'm ready to vote for her .. just to drive the national media and my Democratic Friends to wits end. They deserve Sarah Palin .. as a cure to their prejudice about Republicans and the Right.

Posted by: Neo at January 11, 2011 07:25 AM (tvs2p)

48 Come on, the guy is as functional and mentally competent as most people. He was a weirdo. But he wasn't a stuttering drooling ranting nut. The crap he writes and posts on yootoob is not that uncommon.

Posted by: Soothsayer Re-writes history at January 11, 2011 07:25 AM (XmtX4)

49

o

Posted by: willow at January 11, 2011 07:25 AM (h+qn8)

50 Republicans= vitriol
Democrats= trademark infringement Posted by: Damiano at January 11, 2011 11:22 AM

Posted by: huerfano at January 11, 2011 11:23 AM

Stupid slow fingers.

Posted by: huerfano at January 11, 2011 07:25 AM (QgmBR)

51 Posted by: pep at January 11, 2011 11:21 AM (GMG6W)

"Plenty enough blame to go around" as it were.

And, for the record, I don't care about his mental state.  Someone who has proven that he's willing to kill defenseless women and children must be absolutely removed from society and prevented from ever interacting with it again.  There's only one way to be sure of that.

His mental state is not germane to the fact that he is, and will always be, a danger to the Civil Society.  With not an ounce of rancor, nor any quest for revenge, I believe that the only just outcome for Jared Laughner is the death-penalty.

Mental health should only come into play when the offense is such that a perfectly mentally healthy person could also be allowed to re-integrate with society.  And then the question should only be prison or a mental hospital.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 07:26 AM (8y9MW)

52 There ain't a born and bred chicken in this world that's got enough orifices for these possum peckers.

Posted by: Sheriff Buford T. Dupnik at January 11, 2011 07:26 AM (GwPRU)

53 Glass half full perspective:  CNN is continuing to be caught lying to its audience and its ratings will continue to decline.  This will rebound on the proglodytes (unless some genuine teabagger actually takes a shot a Obama or some such).

Posted by: WalrusRex at January 11, 2011 07:27 AM (xxgag)

54 To attempt to turn Sarah Palin into one of the victims of this monstrous act is callous towards the actual victims and demeaning to Mrs. Palin.


Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 11:22 AM (8y9MW)


I gotta disagree with you somewhat bro, I think there have been quite a few prominent people victimized by the opportunist bastards that have slandered the de facto leadership on the right side of the aisle. Not victims in the same sense the people the asshole shot and killed, but where do they go to get their good names back sort.

Posted by: Unclefacts, Confuse A Cat, Ltd. at January 11, 2011 07:27 AM (eCAn3)

55

Symbols of hate and violence that are validated by a major retail chain may be used without restriction.

Posted by: The Democrat Manual of Protocol at January 11, 2011 07:27 AM (Ys0KI)

56 For instance: Vlad the Impaler. He's a weirdo, for sure, but should we, that is: the State, commit him to a mental ward?

Posted by: Soothsayer Re-writes history at January 11, 2011 07:27 AM (XmtX4)

57 37, It was important that is why I posted it again. Not everyone lives on this board 24/7 and sees every comment. And yes actually she is victim. That is a fact. She is being blamed for murder by virtually every news outlet in America and many overseas. That is not a small matter.

Posted by: Dan at January 11, 2011 07:28 AM (mXBxH)

58 AllenG i believe they have psych wards in Prisons.

Posted by: willow at January 11, 2011 07:28 AM (h+qn8)

59 To attempt to turn Sarah Palin into one of the victims of this monstrous act is callous towards the actual victims and demeaning to Mrs. Palin.

She's not a victim of the shooter.  She's a victim of the media and the left, and has been for two years running.  I don't think anyone is trying to equate her with the shooting victims.  What happened to them is horrible and tragic.  That doesn't change the fact that the left and the media are dancing on the bodies of these people before they were even cold in order to score political points.  Sure, it's not equivalent, but that doesn't make it meaningless.

Their actions and the fact that she's a victim of them cannot be ignored or forgotten.

Posted by: grognard at January 11, 2011 07:28 AM (NS2Mo)

60 @48
You don't have to be incoherent to be insane.  I don't know whether he is or he isn't insane, so unlike the media, I withhold judgment until I know the facts. 

Posted by: pep at January 11, 2011 07:29 AM (GMG6W)

61 Even *most* of the crazies in mental hospitals understand the basic difference between right & wrong and know killing is wrong.

Posted by: Soothsayer Re-writes history at January 11, 2011 07:29 AM (XmtX4)

62 In future maps, we will be highlighting areas of interest with Wal-Marts and JC Penneys.

Posted by: The DNC at January 11, 2011 07:30 AM (dKDE+)

63 Obviously I would rather be attacked by the media than a deranged gunman, but that does not lessen the impact of being wrongfully blamed for mass murder.

Posted by: Dan at January 11, 2011 07:31 AM (mXBxH)

64 Posted by: Soothsayer Re-writes history at January 11, 2011 11:23 AM (XmtX4)

As I understand it, not so much in this particular case.  By the time he showed indications of schizophrenia, he was already legally an adult- they could not force him into treatment or anything like that.

I believe that Arizona would let them ask a Judge to have him tested, and they probably should have, but that also assumes they realized that his issues were related to a mental illness.  Many people don't.  How much of them not noticing is denial and wish-casting is certainly a question, but it doesn't change the facts on the ground.

In an ideal world I would completely agree with you, but we don't live in that world, we live in this one.

My preferred solution would be private owned and run institutions (so they're more accountable to people than government run institutions) to replace the state-run institutions people did away with in the 60's and 70's.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 07:31 AM (8y9MW)

65 Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said Tuesday he wouldn't have used crosshair images to refer to candidates for Congress, as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) PAC had done.

Now there's a big fucking surprise.

Posted by: Barbarian at January 11, 2011 07:31 AM (EL+OC)

66 62 More likely Starbucks and Weed stores

Posted by: dagny at January 11, 2011 07:31 AM (+Z6ve)

67 The crap he writes and posts on yootoob is not that uncommon. Posted by: Soothsayer Re-writes history at January 11, 2011 11:25 AM (XmtX4) Personally I've always used this as the Gold Standard for internet insanity, and from what I've seen of Loughner's "writings" he comes dangerously close. He's probably more wiseass than psycho, but he was psycho enough to do what he did and that cancels the wiseass out IMHO.

Posted by: Nighthawk at January 11, 2011 07:31 AM (02uN6)

68 28 While this whole episode in Arizona has truly saddened me, it has only increased my resolve in supporting Sarah Palin. MMMM MMMM MMMM Sarah Louise Palin She hunts and fishes and prays to God Americans don't find that odd MMMM MMMM MMMM Sarah Louise Palin If Sarah were the president She'll tell you where the money went MMMM MMMM MMMM Sarah Louise Palin She would drill for oil and gas and ram a missile up mahmouds ass MMMM MMMM MMMM Sarah Louise Palin Harm a hair on her precious head And the perps will find themselves inconvenienced MMMM MMMM MMMM Sarah Louise Palin

Posted by: Oldsailor at January 11, 2011 07:32 AM (AovJ3)

69

56
For instance: Vlad the Impaler.

He's a weirdo, for sure, but should we, that is: the State, commit him to a mental ward?

Not really appropriate comparison. Vlad was brutal, but his contemporaries were just as brutal. I don't think he was insane. Brutal times breed brutal men.

Posted by: maddogg at January 11, 2011 07:32 AM (OlN4e)

70 As a good example, see the twitter montage in the top headlines.

Posted by: Guy Fawkes at January 11, 2011 07:32 AM (xQAv5)

71 "The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is the official campaign arm of the Democrats in the House."


And SarahPAC is the official campaign arm of?


Stupid democrats.

Posted by: Rite Whing Venn Shui Diagram at January 11, 2011 07:32 AM (kb0wl)

72 @51
I do care about his mental state, for the reasons I gave earlier.  That isn't the same as advocating letting him serve some time in a mental hospital, and then letting him out. 

IMO, there should be life "imprisonment" in a mental health facility for the truly insane. 

Posted by: pep at January 11, 2011 07:33 AM (GMG6W)

73 Let me get this through your heads. Uh, I mean let me splain this to you.  Don't go shootin' off at the mouth when you got some points to be made or I will send a murder of crows to your house.

Posted by: Sheriff Dupedick at January 11, 2011 07:34 AM (RSfE/)

74 "If his favorite philosopher was Ayn Rand I'm pretty sure that's all we'd be hearing about from the Chicken Fuckers." Actually, he did have "We The Living" by Ayn Rand on his list of favorite books.

Posted by: Lilikoi at January 11, 2011 07:34 AM (qQU5j)

75

Actually, he did have "We The Living" by Ayn Rand on his list of favorite books.

That figures. I thought it sucked.

Posted by: maddogg at January 11, 2011 07:36 AM (OlN4e)

76 So, do you think any democrats will schedule town meetings at the local Target?

Maybe they should introduce a bill to require Target to change it's name.  The name obviously inflames people into buying shit they don't need.

Sort of targets them at a Target.  That's scary shit, I am telling ya.

Does the NY Times know about this?

Posted by: Kemp at January 11, 2011 07:36 AM (JpFM9)

77 The plus sign with a circle around it is a well known mathematical function. It's called exclusive-or, or XOR.

By the Left's own standards, Sarah is now cleared from all wrongdoing!!!

Posted by: The Mega Independent at January 11, 2011 07:37 AM (dKDE+)

78 Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said Tuesday he wouldn't have used crosshair images to refer to candidates for Congress, as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) PAC had done.

Now there's a big fucking surprise.

Posted by: Barbarian at January 11, 2011 11:31 AM (EL+OC)

How fucking convenient for him AFTER THE FACT.

This cockweasel just disqualified himself for President.

Posted by: grognard at January 11, 2011 07:38 AM (NS2Mo)

79 I think he was driven to this because he couldn't find a job.  I blame Obama.

And I have more justification for that than they do for the Palin angle.

Posted by: nickless at January 11, 2011 07:38 AM (MMC8r)

80 Posted by: Unclefacts, Confuse A Cat, Ltd. at January 11, 2011 11:27 AM (eCAn3)

Except that this same poll shows that most people believe the current meme is hooey, so I'm not seeing a whole lot of damage done.

She's a big girl, if she thought she needed to fight back, I'm sure she would.

The issue, to me, is that trying to make even the coverage about Sarah Palin (or Rush, or Senator Kyl -as one doofus did this morning-) removes the focus from where it needs to be: the victims, and the perpetrator.

Not that they shouldn't be defended when they are attacked on this matter, but to take a thread about a poll that pretty specifically says, "Hey, MFM, people don't believe you" and try to show Sarah Palin as a victim is... misguided.

Posted by: willow at January 11, 2011 11:28 AM (h+qn

And?

If you mean that someone convicted of a "lesser" (non-capital) crime and shown to be mentally incapacitated could be hospitalized in a prison- it would depend.

For me, it's not a case of "guilty," even for Jared Laughner if he's really schizophrenic.  It's a case of society protecting itself, and dealing with crimes in a just fashion.  Throwing someone who only needs treatment into a normal jail- even with a psych ward- does nothing to protect society, and can have deleterious effects on the recovery of a very sick person.  So, I'm good with a mental hospital (even one run by the Dept. of Corrections is fine with me- it just needs to be dedicated to treating the mentally ill instead of incarcerating criminals).

Where Mr. Laughner's case is different (assuming he's really mentally ill- and he may not be) is that there is no complete treatment for any mental illness.  Even people with relatively benign Depression have to stay on their medications for the rest of their lives.  The famous problem with the truly mentally ill is that they don't understand that.  So even if he were "cured" at some point, that cure would only last as long as he remembered to take his meds.  As soon as he forgets or decides he doesn't need them, the time-bomb in his head starts ticking again, an its another count-down to tragedy.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 07:41 AM (8y9MW)

81 the Democratic map is "not threatening since it used an image that is also associated with Target, the national retail chain."

-----------------------

And Sarah Palin's map is not threatening because it uses printer registration marks.

Really, how the fuck did this blow up into this constant "Sarah Palin's map" shit? We shouldn't even be talking about it except to ask, "Where's your evidence that map was even SEEN by the maniac, much less drove him?"

Posted by: schizuki at January 11, 2011 07:42 AM (M+lbD)

82 Posted by: Nighthawk at January 11, 2011 11:31 AM (02uN6)

Wow, that's some grade-A batshit insanity.

Posted by: ol_dirty_/b/tard at January 11, 2011 07:43 AM (IoUF1)

83

"But only a meager plurality of Democrats "

2 points.

1) this is a See-BS poll, which oversamples dems, the percentage who don't believe the lame politically-motivated liberal spin is higher than what See-BS poll is showing.

2) the number of dems is shrinking and rapidly, more and more are now independents, when the conservative and moderate dems are fleeing the party, the loony far left are mostly left in the demonRat party, so the "meager plurality of Democrats " is actually number (not percentage) wise much smaller of people compared to indies and repubs who don't buy into this nonsense.

Posted by: johnc_recent_EX-dem at January 11, 2011 07:44 AM (ACkhT)

84 Posted by: pep at January 11, 2011 11:33 AM (GMG6W)

Tell me.  Morally, what is the difference between life imprisonment (that "without possibility of parole," type, I mean- not just the "40+ years" type) and the death penalty?

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 07:44 AM (8y9MW)

85 To attempt to turn Sarah Palin into one of the victims of this monstrous act is callous towards the actual victims and demeaning to Mrs. Palin. Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 11:22 AM

Frankly, it was a close race to see who would start the Palin talk first after the shooting: the lefty wackos crossed the line almost in a dead heat with the Palin fanbois.

No sooner had the first "Palin is responsible!!!11!!!" messages come out than her supporters were pushing the "Palin's will be a victim" line. Her supporters fed the frenzy they claim to decry.

They would be as unhappy as the Kos maniacs if this meme hadn't been picked up.

Sorry, but that's what it is.

I give Palin a great deal of credit for her restraint. Too bad neither detractors nor acolytes could do likewise.

Posted by: MrScribbler© at January 11, 2011 07:47 AM (Ulu3i)

86 Isn't it funny how one opinionated conservative woman can make the leftards simultaneously puke, fart, vomit, and shit themselves with a single tweet?

Posted by: maddogg at January 11, 2011 07:50 AM (OlN4e)

87 T-Paw is really disappointing with that response. That's a campaign response, not a crisis response. Sarah is doing the right thing by maintaining silence but what she says -- and she'll have to say something soon -- will have to be conciliatory and thoughtful. That's the only way to tone down the attacks. Then, after a little while, she can go on the attack against her slanderers.

Posted by: joncelli at January 11, 2011 07:50 AM (RD7QR)

88 "Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said Tuesday he wouldn't have used crosshair images to refer to candidates for Congress, as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) PAC had done. Now there's a big fucking surprise." PAWLENTY 2012--He's got the 20/20 hindsight that America needs!

Posted by: tsj017 at January 11, 2011 07:51 AM (4YUWF)

89

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 11:41 AM (8y9MW)

and?

I was stating that He would likely get some sort of meds and treatment in a Prison.  and be contained for the safety of the population.

that's all.

Posted by: willow at January 11, 2011 07:52 AM (h+qn8)

90 Her supporters fed the frenzy they claim to decry.

And regular conservatives, currently taking it up the ass all over the media, also made things worse for themselves, I presume? The SarahRoolz crew has done plenty to roll your eyes at, but what's going on now is all on the people with the stage and the mic (the Left). Come on, Scribsy. Pick another hill.

Posted by: The Mega Independent at January 11, 2011 07:54 AM (dKDE+)

91 Sorry, I bungled my vulgar imagery. I mean Sarah can make leftards puke, fart, blow snot, piss and shit themselves with  a single tweet. How sweet. I think she might potentially be able to make them vapor lock under the right circumstances.

Posted by: maddogg at January 11, 2011 07:54 AM (OlN4e)

92 85, So I should sit back and watch an innocent woman get blamed for mass murder? I should show "restraint?" Makes no sense.

Posted by: Dan at January 11, 2011 07:56 AM (mXBxH)

93 "I think she might potentially be able to make them vapor lock under the right circumstances." Potentially? She does it on a regular basis!

Posted by: tsj017 at January 11, 2011 07:56 AM (4YUWF)

94 Mark Halperin wants to know why republicans pushed back against the bullshit. 

Posted by: huerfano at January 11, 2011 07:56 AM (QgmBR)

95 Wow, that's some grade-A batshit insanity. Posted by: ol_dirty_/b/tard at January 11, 2011 11:43 AM (IoUF1) I thought y'all would appreciate it!

Posted by: Nighthawk at January 11, 2011 07:57 AM (02uN6)

96 Posted by: willow at January 11, 2011 11:52 AM (h+qn

Okay.  Fair enough.

I disagree that that is the point of prisons, however.  Basically people fall into three categories (as I see it): criminals who can be re-admitted to society, the mentally ill who, if they go off their meds, won't do too much harm before they're back on them, and people who need to be removed from Society forever.

Incarcerate the first.  Hospitalize (and hopefully "cure") the second.  Execute the third.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 07:58 AM (8y9MW)

97 Tell me.  Morally, what is the difference between life imprisonment (that "without possibility of parole," type, I mean- not just the "40+ years" type) and the death penalty?

I'm not sure I understand the question, but I'll give it a shot.  Perhaps you are suggesting that life imprisonment is worse that the death penalty.  This is a line often used by death penalty opponents.  Interestingly, most criminals facing a death penalty seem to disagree.  They fight hard to get LI. 

The real difference is not the threat to society, it is the reason for depriving someone of freedom.  If I was unclear, I favor making the use of the insanity defense dependent on acceptance of life in a mental institution.   You don't have to take it, but if you do, your literal get out of jail card does not entitle you to go back into society at the whim of a social scientist with a Jesus complex.   

Prison should be a mean, nasty place, while a mental hospital shouldn't, for the simple reason that society values, and wants to see proportionate justice for the truly criminal.  The mentally ill are completely different category, because the assumption is that they didn't have the intent to be criminal.

Posted by: pep at January 11, 2011 07:58 AM (GMG6W)

98 94, exactly. Halperin wants conservatives to just take all the lies and not respond. Gee, I wonder why he wants that? I am sure he has the best intentions for us lol.

Posted by: Dan at January 11, 2011 07:59 AM (mXBxH)

99 94, exactly. Halperin wants conservatives to just take all the lies and not respond. Gee, I wonder why he wants that? I am sure he has the best intentions for us lol. Posted by: Dan at January 11, 2011 11:59 AM

Because silence is acquiescence.

Posted by: huerfano at January 11, 2011 08:00 AM (QgmBR)

100

"Mark Halperin wants to know why republicans pushed back against the bullshit.  "

This is why the Tea party in their minds must be stopped, these are not repubs in the Tp only, there are many indies in the TP or at least agree with the principles of limited smaller govt, and most of us are moderates, or conservatives on fiscal and constitutional issues.

The far left has never been pushed back, it is now, and they don't know what to do about it, their storyline is no longer being believed. The LSM is ineffective at carrying their lies, and the internet cannot be controlled. 

Posted by: johnc_recent_EX-dem at January 11, 2011 08:04 AM (ACkhT)

101 I think O'Reilly actually made a good point last night when he said the media is acting this way because the far left agenda has failed. They had their chance with congress and the White House and America rejected it. Now that the GOP controls the House, the vast left wing dream will not happen and the left is pissed off and is clawing at anything they can to get their power back.

Posted by: Dan at January 11, 2011 08:06 AM (mXBxH)

102 Posted by: pep at January 11, 2011 11:58 AM (GMG6W)

Actually, I'm going exactly the opposite way.

If you're so much a threat to society that society has completely rejected you (life in prison w/ no parole) then societies moral duty is to see to it that you are never allowed to endanger it again.  There's only one way to do that (if there's ever been an escape-proof prison or mental hospital, I've never heard of it), that's execution.

If you are so mentally ill that you must be hospitalized for the rest of your life for the protection of society, society's actual duty to its own citizenry is to execute you.  Not because you're "evil" necessarily, or out of any sense of revenge, or (how I hate the word) because of "closure."  Society's first duty is to protect its own members.  By definition, anyone who must be removed from society for the rest of their lives is no longer a part of society.  Since there exists the possibility you would escape and once more pose a danger to society, the only reasonable recourse is execution.

This, of course, ignores questions of being as absolutely sure as possible that someone is guilty, any mitigating circumstances (the guy who kills his wife and neighbor when he finds them in bed together is not actually that much of a threat to society- the likelihood of that situation ever recurring is fairly slim).  Not that those questions are unimportant, but they're things that (I believe) should be considered only after this first part has been established.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at January 11, 2011 08:13 AM (8y9MW)

103 Sheriff Dimwit had multiple reportings of this loonÂ’s mental state.  Although there have been some reports that the sheriff ignored these due to some sort of political pull by the parents, we still donÂ’t really know why.
Ultimately, the cause of this outburst of gunfire outside Tucson seems to be a local problem that the local authorities handled badly.

Posted by: Islamic Rage Boy at January 11, 2011 08:15 AM (tvs2p)

104 "Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) said Tuesday he wouldn't have used crosshair images to refer to candidates for Congress, as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's (R) PAC had done.

Now there's a big fucking surprise."

PAWLENTY 2012--He's got the 20/20 hindsight that America needs!

Posted by: tsj017 at January 11, 2011 11:51 AM (4YUWF)

Nice to see Tim sticking the shiv in along with his true fellows. Any Republican who plays along with this kind of shit is no member of the party worth having.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 11, 2011 09:31 AM (z1N6a)

105 I give Palin a great deal of credit for her restraint. Too bad neither detractors nor acolytes could do likewise.

Posted by: MrScribbler© at January 11, 2011 11:47 AM (Ulu3i)

Too bad you didn't do the same. Instead you use this tragedy to make political points just like the leftists. Have fun with your bedfellows.

Posted by: Oldcat at January 11, 2011 09:33 AM (z1N6a)

106

This is good news??

If 32% of Americans believe this shit that's about 100 million people. I don't care how much the media has been pushing this narrative you have to be a complete moron to believe it...  I take no comfort in the fact that there are only 100 million morons in this country.     

Posted by: ADK46er at January 11, 2011 10:25 AM (IvFJd)

Posted by: Tibia at January 11, 2011 12:11 PM (R/42U)

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