I’ve already thoroughly deconstructed Rep. Dave Reichert’s childish “joke” about Hillary Clinton falling to her death from an airplane, but I’ve got a couple more observations that I think are worth discussing, the first of which was first raised in a press release from Darcy Burner spokesman Sandeep Kaushik:
“When Congressman Reichert goes before non-partisan audiences he likes to bemoan the loss of civility and lack of bipartisanship in Washington, D.C. Apparently he does not really mean it, because when he gets before his fellow Republicans he takes a very different tone — this is just the latest unfortunate example of that.”
Of course Reichert’s civility campaign is total bullshit, and if editorialists and other opinion makers don’t see this, it is because they choose not to. Remember, this is the same guy who compared Democrats to the Green River Killer:
“And in America how hard is it to put my arm around a Democrat if I can put my arm around Gary Ridgeway.”
That’s civility? That’s bipartisanship? That’s conscience-driven independence?
Like Mike McGavick before him, Reichert’s emphasis on civility and bipartisanship is little more than a strategy to avoid talking about actual issues, an honest debate of which would overwhelmingly favor Burner. It is also implicitly (and hypocritically) a negative attack on his opponent, as one cannot accept Reichert’s civility meme without inferring that Burner is not sufficiently civil herself.
The other observation I’d like to make refers back to my original post, and my assertion that at least part of the humorous impact of the the “joke” comes from playing off of a popular perception of the object of ridicule as stupid:
Deserved or not, this works well with President Bush in the lead role (as it would for Dave Reichert himself), but whatever you think of Hillary Clinton, she certainly doesn’t have a reputation for being dumb, and as such, the joke comes off more mean spirited than funny. It’s just a poor vehicle for ridiculing her.
What is curious is that Reichert should apparently believe that Clinton in any way fits the stereotype on which the punchline is at least partially predicated. It is ironic that a man with a two-year degree from an obscure Christian college, and an undistinguished career in Congress, would impugn the intelligence of an accomplished woman who graduated from one of the top colleges and top law schools in the nation. But it is not without precedent.
This has always been the Reichert camp’s most consistent critique of Darcy Burner—that she is “ditzy” and a “lightweight”—a critique that comprised the main theme of what was perhaps Reichert’s most offensive (and effective) ad of the 2006 season. And as with his characterization of Clinton, it is equally ironic when applied to a woman like Burner, who graduated Harvard University with a B.A. in computer science and economics, and who went on to become a high-level manager at Microsoft. Apparently, Reichert and his most vocal supporters need little more evidence to snidely dismiss the intelligence of a woman than her gender.
I won’t hazard a guess as to how else Reichert objectifies women (though his staunch opposition to reproductive rights is highly suggestive), but clearly, when it comes to the political arena, he views them as objects of ridicule.
Oh pleeeeeese…….That DimWatt Burner would put out a Tesla AC lightning bolt.
Hey Goldy! How about a post on how, uh, many times, uh, B-uh-rack Obam-uh can use the utterance “Uh” during his speech denouncing his uh, membership,uh from uh, Trinity United, uh, Church. This guy, uh, is showing he isn’t ready, uh, for prime time.
On topic- Reichert will beat Burner yet again, despite Goldy’s best efforts. Deal with it.
I wuz jus’ the piano player in the ‘ho house. I had no ider what wuz goin on upstairs. Really no ider at all.
Soon as I figgered it out I quit, ’cause that there is
rong rong rong.
Redneck, you meanin to tell us after 20 yrs in dat HO huse, dat der was no jumpin and hoppin in the balcony like las week whn Father Pfleger was a rantin! I Saw it miself, dat balcony wuz a rockin?
Deh was almos a slammin ech an all uders…….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H11x6bMu4Y
gs – well ‘parently Husseins hissef wuznt inn dem pews, but we no his waf wuz. ’cause all ya gotta do is lisen ta dat woman speak. She was there cause ya can heah the same bile repeated in her speeches.
Ya know wut I’m sayin’?
Speaking of bright lights, how many out of the 59 states did Obama win anyway.
Goldy,
You’ve got the nice little raciest rant by our troll buddies above noted don’t you?
Thanks guys, keep up the good work.
Hey Mikey – Sorry, not us…. it’s you guys. The Smartest Woman In The World thinks you guys are a bunch of woman hating misogynists.
So pick yer poison pal. Dere not a nickels worf of diffrnce between Hussein and TSWITW. The only qweshun for you guys is if you be racist or sexist. Now we know.
ya no wut I’m sayin’?
Yeah Mark, you’re not the slightest bet racist or sexist. Gee sorry, my bad.
9
Actually Mark is right. We repubs would never vote for Obama or Clinton because they are liberal democrats. The democrats….well they will just have to pick their poison. hahaahahaha
When we were laughing at you guys for picking Howard Dean to chair the DNC this is what we were talking about.
The standard for stupidity is “W”. The fucking moron absolutely destroys the English language each and every time he opens his mouth to lie. Why would we expect anything more from Big Hair Davie?
Oh yes, Laura Bush killed a guy!
George W. does cootchie dances with little blond cadets.
One of his guiding principles? Only Jeff Gannon Guckert knows for sure.
I wonder what you WingNutz will think when it dawns on you that all you elected to the white house was a little rough trade?
Heh Redneck, I tink a haaf a vot is too mch fo a libral, cause der brain is les dan haf a full.
I tink a qtarter vot is mo den deh daserve
Affer aall dey Dumoncraps
” … (though his staunch opposition to reproductive rights is highly suggestive) …”
Yeah, I could see Reichert, or any other Republican, telling his wife he wants reproduction, wants it now, and if she doesn’t give it to him he’s gonna take it from her!
Of course, I’m not calling Reichert a wife-raper. I’m merely indulging in a bit of wild speculation. You know … like they do.
HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR
@1 She has more smarts in her little toenail than your entire political party has.
@3 Shut up and pay your gambling debt, freeloader!
@2 I’d rather be Darcy than Dave on Nov. 4. Sucks to be you.
Wow. What a concerted effort by the trolls to knock this thread off topic. Guess I hit a sore point, didn’t I?
Uh, and this would make practically every other thread here different how?
Of course, I’m not calling Reichert a wife-raper. I’m merely indulging in a bit of wild speculation. You know … like they do.
Wild speculation??? No no no. We just listen to the victims… just ask Juanita Brodrick.
I wonder what you WingNutz will think when it dawns on you that all you elected to the white house was a little rough trade?
05/31/2008 at 10:57 pm
I will take a rough trade over a dem anyday. roof roof
The standard for stupidity is “W”. The fucking moron absolutely destroys the English language each and every time he opens his mouth to lie.
Versus an intellectual democrat whos policies are failures from the get go.. Give me the slow talking Texan.
@2 I’d rather be Darcy than Dave on Nov. 4. Sucks to be you.
05/31/2008 at 11:21 pm
I know I will be looking forward to Nov 4, it is so precious seeing Darcy cry in defeat. It is better than the 4th of July… and just as patriotic. roof roof
@22 “Juanita Brodrick”
Top 5 in GOP Liar’s Club, discredited by every news organization that matters.
@24 “Versus an intellectual democrat whos policies …”
HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR … learn English or get deported, dog!!
The dog AGAIN shows us the best the GOP has to offer. Confederate flag-waving, inbred idiots who can’t even BEGIN to read or write the English language. No wonder the stupid cum-drunk assholes voted Bush!
I’m still shaking my head at Patrick being the WSRP spokesperson. A lot of people must have not wanted that job.
Burner’s a National Merit Scholar and graduated from Harvard. That would equal not ditsy in my book.
@22
That was passed it’s sell by date ten years ago, you might want to find something a bit fresher.
Always with the Clinton stuff. Take a deep breath and let it go.
Goldy,
Is this guy Reichert your Congressman or something? ‘Cause if he ain’t, you’re raisin’ a lot of shit about him all the time, considering he ain’t your elected official. Do you live in Reichert’s district?
re 23: Yes. I know you would.
“Rough Trade, a slang term for a masculine working class man who has sex with men (sometimes as a male prostitute)”
re 23: Does the name Jeff Gannon Guckert ring a bell? It should — because he’s the rough trade with all that white house access.
Think about it, Bozo.
re 23: Jane Ballough’s Dog: Every time you post a comment here, you will be reminded of your preference for rough trade. We will be able to cite day, time, and comment. Heh…
White, Wingnut, And Protestant
WSRP adopted the following platform plank:
“We welcome those who wish to build a new and better life in America and Washington state and to recognize that the only price of such opportunity is their willingness to embrace our language, culture and legal system, beginning at our national borders.”
This means if you’re not just like them — or don’t think, vote, and pray like they do — you get deported to your choice of:
[ ] 1. Vatican City
[ ] 2. Africa
[ ] 3. Mexico
[ ] 4. China
[ ] 5. Prosser
[ ] 6. Seattle’s 37th Leg. District
Letters To The Editor Dep’t
Ron Dickson of Seattle wrote this little gem to the fishwrapper:
“How is it that someone was able to smuggle a camera into Saddam Hussein’s execution, but … John McCain was able to prevent any photos being taken of him together with President Bush? … What’s worse to see: a man’s … hanging, or Bush and McCain chumming it up?”
(Quoted under fair use)
Well, I dunno, Rog. I don’t have any problem with English being the official language of the country.
Hey Roger,
You’ve only got about 200 more days of Bush. What will you be complaining about once Bush and Company are back down on the ranch in Texas?
Bitch, bitch, bitch! You’d complain if they hung ya with a new rope!
Posting three or four comments in a row is a way to call attention to yourself. See how well it’s working here?
Rog, is that why you say things in three or four posts? Just say what you’re gonna say and get the fuck off the blog!
@20: I think you’re right. Over the last year, with Burner’s leadership around the Iraq issue, for example, and Reichert further cementing his record as feeble party instrument and halfwit, her campaign doesn’t have to focus as much on Reichert’s entanglements with Bush, as in 06. The contrast in competence and intelligence is pretty striking and compelling at this point by itself. A bit of poetic justice.
I look forward to the debate(s).
@40 Wow, you go girl…calling the little Bunny out.
B-UH-rack Obam-UH….he’s uh, the best uh, thing going to-uh-day.
Goldy in his short shorts carrying his pom poms for Darcy Burnout aren’t going to be enough. Look for Dave to pull it out yet again and send Darcy back to her computer where she can have all the time in the world to fabricate her resume.
@37 Tell that to Sitting Bull. He was here before you were.
@38 The Democrats, of course. Complaining about the people in power is the American way. And, believe me, the GOP’s time has come and gone. It’s so over for you guys.
@42 You call that calling me out? You are gonna look so, so, so silly on Nov. 5 …
I predict we won’t see Rickie Dickie’s face around here after Wingnuttia sinks beneath the waves on Nov. 4, 2008. Like the lost city of Atlantis, it will never be seen again, except by divers …
The republic party-low class, as always.
It’s going to be so nice to see Reichert with his tail between his legs on Nov. 4th. Go, Darcy!
hey the bunny speaks.
What did you think of uh, B-uh-rack Obam-uh’s speech uh, yesterday, uh bunny? Did all those Uh’s sound like an intelligent uh, person to uh, you?
Hey Rick – sorry, but you need to go back to the hole you crawled out of. You simply bring nothing to the table, except a knack for partisan insults that make no sense. Really, any objective observer can easily tell that Obama makes the republican nominee look like the stuttering fool he is.
You have nothing but partisan name calling inyour bag of tricks – Obama can outspeak Bush, McCain and Cheney without even raising his voice. Your petty partisan crap is really worthless, as are your poorly thought out “commentaries”. If you think you are making a piont on here – you are! The point is that rabid right wing republicans are ignorant and agressively stupid and obnoxious. Thanks for making the point so well!
One thing I’ve never understood about you moonbats is how the fuck you can call Bush stupid, and then go out and vote for Patty Murray. She’s a good little librul, but even the most partisan among you has to agree that she’s certainly “No Rocket Scientist”.
re50: Smart enough to defeat a Republican.
50, 51
Defeat them, hell she’s crushed them many times!
I bought the “Not so bright” garbage until I met Murray. She’s quite smart.
high level manager, ahem…we all know she was nothing of the sort….manager is a 50,000 person type title and that’s all she was
Hillary’s toenail clipping have more intelligence than Reichert.
I can’t wait till Darcy sends Sheriff con artist into a new profession. Security guard at taco bell…..
Mark the idiot calling someone out as “not intelligent”:
Pot meet kettle.
Mark voted for the dumbest President ever – George W. Bush – the man can not even speak in complete sentences.
Of course Reichert is also intelligent – that is why he is afraid to debate – because he comes off as a complete idiot.
Mark is good at calling people names – but not real swift at actually analyzing information. Mark – go back to your WWF – you still think it is real. You are still intellectually vacant and a wimp to boot.
Reformed Republican @ 49 ~ Reread your post and see if you aren’t describing yourself to a tee. Tool!
11 MTR
Howard Dean and the 50-state strategy severely wounded the Republican Party and took back BOTH houses of Congress in 2006, and will greatly increase our majorities in 2008 while electing a Democratic president. Yeah, it must seem real funny to y’all.
56 RD
That may be true, but he’s also right. You DO seem to “have nothing but partisan name calling in your bag of tricks.” You see, it’s really the log in your own eye that you cannot see.
HA, noted your comments on the retrograde immigration Republican platform. Wanted to alert you that our good friend Reichert is the only member of the Washington State Congressional delegation to have signed on to the draconian SAVE legislation being pushed by Republican nativists. Republican Nativists have come up with a new way to harass immigrants and their advocates and families without addressing the root causes of immigration or the larger issues relating to immigration. Thelma Drake (R-Va), the SAVE Act sponsor, (Secure America with Verification Enforcement; H.R. 4088) on March 11, 2008, filed this reprehensible piece of legislation. The goal of the Republicans is to force this malicious legislation to the floor where the Republicans will uniformly back it and beat their chests about how “tough” they are on immigration.
The Act is the product of the same Nativist mindset which gave us the 2005 Real ID Act. For more info on the act see http://eristic-ragemail.blogsp.....grant.html. So much for Reichert’s moderate credentials. This guy is a Bushie from A to Z.
Keep the good stuff coming HA!