Am I a great dad, or what? I mean, really… how many dads manage to get a picture of their daughter’s beloved teddy bear into the local paper? Sure, I’m somewhere in the picture too, but well… been there, done that.
Of course, the accompanying story isn’t about my daughter’s teddy bear at all… it’s about how us local bloggers are beginning to impact local politics.
Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner can’t match the public-service record of her Republican opponent, Rep. Dave Reichert, but she can make one claim in their contest that’s hers alone: She used to be a blogger.
That experience, and the Internet savvy that goes along with it, has led Burner to reach out actively to the regional left-leaning blogger network — a connection that may have played a key role in helping her meet a crucial fund-raising target. The Burner-blogger relationship could point the way to the political future, in which Web-based activism exercises a growing influence over regional, statewide and even national elections.
The Seattle P-I‘s Gregory Roberts describes how WA state’s emerging local blogosphere is beginning to inch from advocacy to full blown activism, and I remain convinced that if the “netroots” are going to have a major impact on local politics, it’s going to happen here first.
The Burner fund-raising drive could signal a change in the blogs’ role, Goldstein said.
“We’ve been doing advocacy; now we’re finally going to see some sort of impact in terms of activism,” he said.
“The blogosphere is just maturing to the point where we can get people out there moving, and digging into their pockets.”
Man, that David Goldstein guy really knows what he’s talking about.
No doubt Burner deserves most of the credit for her strong fundraising and growing buzz, but it’s clear we’ve contributed something to her early success. And while I don’t want to over-hype the impact of bloggers in the current election cycle, I do think that some critics are missing the larger picture:
To Clay Shirky, an adjunct professor in the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University, the larger question is whether blogs can change voting patterns.
Their rabid partisanship attracts mostly true believers, and they end up screeching to the choir.
“Blogs are good for motivating the base,” Shirky said. “They’re not good for convincing swing voters.”
Yeah, well… maybe so. But motivating the base is exactly what Burner needed in the early going. Her task was to convince Democrats that she could excite people… that she could raise money… that she could win. And with our help, Burner did exactly that.
Convincing the swing voters, well, that’s Burner’s job. But at least now she’ll have a chance to do it on a more equal footing.
UPDATE:
I just saw a PDF of the P-I‘s front page, and all I can say to Stefan is: mine’s bigger than yours. (Also, both Apple Computer and the fisherman glove industry owe me a promotional fee.)
And what’s so disappointing about this article is what’s not in it…
Nice gloves, baldy. Who are you? Michael Jackson??
Goldystein, Do you have a real job so you can but real furniture and real clothes and gloves without the fingers cut out?? ROTFLMAO!
Goldystein, Do you have a real job so you can buy real furniture and real clothes and gloves without the fingers cut out?? ROTFLMAO!
The Seattle P-I article says that Sound Politics, with 4,700 hits per day, is more than twice as popular as Horse’s Ass, which only has 2,000 hits per day.
Considering that liberals rarely ever visit Sound Politics, while conservatives are always stirring up things on Horse’s Ass, this shows there is well over twice as much local interest by conservative bloggers than by liberal bloggers.
Hey Richard (@5)
Considering that liberals rarely ever visit Sound Politics, while conservatives are always stirring up things on Horse’s Ass, this shows there is well over twice as much local interest by conservative bloggers than by liberal bloggers.
Ummm…no, that does not follow. Not even close.
Richard, part of what the traffic disparity shows is that moderated comment threads are more popular than a rhetorical wild west. How many people have the time to wade through all of the crap you guys post here, particularly when most of it isn’t even all that funny and original?
I respect Goldy’s commitment to the first amendment, but it borders on the fundamentalist — and it is undercutting the growth potential of his blog.
At any rate, why would you want to brag that SP’s numbers show that there are more nutcase, “the earth is still flat” wingers out there than there are us liberal “commies”? Be honest Richard, you’ve chosen to run with some folks whose grasp of reality is very little better than their social skills. Is this the best you can do with your life?
Liberals rarely visit uSP because they are promptly banned for making points against the inane and mindless neo-con twits who post endless and embarassing paens to Steve Sharansky ( “The Shar ). Pope wouldn’t know the truth if it were a painful and constant ache in his head — like mine.
Gee, Goldy, having seen a picture of you for the first time, you look almost …. sane!
Seriously, Richard, how would you know the political leanings of everyone who vists the SP site, unless they posted and the post was allowed to remain on the board? I’ve visited the site quite a few times, I’m not afraid of hearing opinions from lots of sources. When I was in college I even attended Young Republican meetings (yes, I was invited, I didn’t have to slip in the back door with the hired help).
Every web page or blog likes lots of hits – it means somebody is at least getting a few seconds of exposure to whatever is posted there. But it doesn’t necessarily translate into acceptance of the message – some of the most popular web pages these days show videos of people making complete fools of themsleves. That is why e-merchants look pretty closely at the CPR (“click-through-rate” and CR (“conversion rate”) to see how many of those clicks actually buy products.
I guess we could have HA and SP both put a place to click through and make a donation to the local political parties, but all that might prove is that Republicans generally have more money than Democrats. I guess we will just have to wait until the next election to know for sure which one had more impact.
Not to pump up Goldy’s ego any further – but the real story of bloggers changing elections was Goldy’s “David Irons Beat his Mom” story – and I’m sure that had some sway with swing voters…
So far darcy’s campaign has made much of how much money was raised in the first quarter. I’m looking forward to seeing if that was a one time phenemenom or a trend. Did you find a new place for contributions, or was this a two day blogathon that exhausted that channel of money?
Once again, all you have to know about the right wing point of view, is gathered by looking at how republiCONS measure things.
Pope pounds his chest and tells us that USP has twice as many hits as Goldy’s site. Like that is some measure of which one represents the correct view how? This is the old, “my football team will cream your football team” mentality of the mental midgets we all knew in high school. They were typically closet gays who had to bully people to feel like men.
And as for conservatives on HA, one person using 27 names does not count for a bunch of conservatives. And Steffy, the log cabin republican running USP won’t let Dems on his site unless they suck his dick first so that doesn’t count either.
As for Janet S, you know, the one who supports the war as long as her kids don’t have to fight it and the one who thinks women’s work is in the home and the one who wants more oil wells as long as they aren’t in her neighborhood, well for her, it’s all about money. That’s SO republican. Got news for you Janet S, the one with the most money doesn’t always win. In fact, every Democratic President elected in modern times has had less money than his republiCON opponent. I know you people are used to buying everything, but you can’t buy MY vote.
Left turn – you sound so angry. You really need to get some treatment.
You also seem to have a homophobic thing going on. Not very enlightened for a progressive.
Maybe you should try actual logic and argument, and less invective.
Commentby LeftTurn @ 12
As for Janet S, you know, the one who supports the war as long as her kids don’t have to fight it
They support the war as long as they do not have to fight it? I am shocked
(Ben)FERGUSON: Randi, I have friends in Iraq, OK?
(Randi)RHODES: Listen, you should be in Iraq. You’re 22. When I was 22, I was in the military. Why aren’t you there?
FERGUSON: I’m 24 years old.
RHODES: Why aren’t you there? Then go.
FERGUSON: And just because I support something doesn’t mean I have to always go fight.
RHODES: You go. You go. Go ahead. You go and then you come back because you know what happens when we come back?
FERGUSON: I support the Yankees doesn’t mean I wear their uniform.
RHODES: Once you’ve served, you come back, and you’re suddenly a liberal. Do you know why, Ben? Because you’re only as good as the weakest. And that’s why you aren’t in the military.
Goldy stumbles ought of the Montlake Ale House shit-faced as usual. A cop sees Goldy stumbling around and asks if he needs any help. Goldy replies, “I can’t find my car!”. The cop asks Goldy where he last saw it. Goldy pulls out his key chain and slurs “The last time I saw my car was right on the enda this KEY”!
The cop then notices Goldy has no pants or undies on.
The cop yells at Goldy, “SIR, DO YOU REALIZE YOU ARE PUBLICLY EXPOSING YOURSELF?!!!”
Goldy looks down and sez “SHIT, I LOST DARCY BURNER TOO!!!!!!!!!”
Should have know you’re a mac guy, keep up the good work
Richard,
No question, (u)SP still kicks HA’s ass in raw traffic. (Though dramatically less so than a year ago.) But I’d wager that the next five WA blogs in terms of raw traffic, are all liberal leaning. (Hell… probably the next 10).
At this point, I think it is fair to say that the local, liberal blogosphere is bigger than that on the right… and certainly more influential. HA, WashBlog, NPI, Hominid Views, BlatherWatch (and please feel free to add those I have overlooked) have all impacted local politics and media coverage over the past half year, but other than (u)SP, I can’t think of another rightie blog that’s had any impact at all. And Stefan’s credibility with journalists has almost totally collapsed.
Indeed Roberts story gives the unfortunate impression that it’s kinda still me vs Stefan. It’s not. Many local bloggers played a big role in Burner’s early success, and as I’ve previously stated, Andrew at NPI has been advising her campaign since day one. This was a group effort, and so I’m not being modest when I keep using the plural.
I, the Gordito, would be proud to use “actual logic and argument” as opposed to only “logic and argument”. I think it would be more better and more Norteamericano — which is my fervently desired goal.
Give me specific pointers , mi pobrecita gordita, Senora Hanet Esse, as I can not find, try as I might, any examples of its use in your own postings.
Gracias, Cavronita Hanet Esse!
Goldy keeping the temp down to save fuel you look a little cold their in that photo.
Roger and Gang did President Bush do something right with Libya in restoring normal diplomatic relations? Should he offer the same carrot to Iran today if the give up their weapons of mass destruction?
http://www.nytimes.com/aponlin.....Libya.html
U.S. to Renew Diplomatic Ties With Libya
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 15, 2006
Filed at 11:20 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration has decided to restore normal diplomatic relations with Libya for the first time in over a quarter century after taking Moammar Gadhafi’s country off a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, State Department officials said Monday.
”This is not a decision that we arrived at without carefully monitoring and assessing Libya’s behavior,” Assistant Secretary of State David Welch said.
Welch said the United States will soon upgrade its diplomatic office in Tripoli to a full embassy.
The move culminates a process that began three years ago when Tripoli surprised the world by agreeing to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
There have been no normal relations with Libya since 1980. The State Department for several years listed Libya among nations the U.S. government considered as official sponsors of terrorism.
Gordy – I was asking a question about blogs and their ability to raise campaign funds. A two day blitz does not a trend make. I don’t know if darcy can continue to attract donations, I was just curious if anyone here would answer the challenge honestly. I guess not.
re 20: But, Gordita Hanet Esse, you said the Progressivo commenteros did not make use of”actual logic and argument”. So, as a source of examples, they would not have them.
So, I was asking you for examples and explanations of your own words.
Is this too much to ask without you deflecting the question and failing to answer it. Is that what you Norteamericanos call ,”actual logic and argument”?
I am only seeking knowledge of conservative culture. Please stop with the trickery, Senora!
The turning point of Darcy Burner’s campaign came when she hugged a rabbit! Meanwhile, it hasn’t even dawned on Clueless Dave yet that it’s no longer possible to get elected if you don’t hug rabbits. This is a different generation — kissing babies is still important, but if you haven’t hugged a rabbit, you’ve missed the boat.
ROGER RABBIT QUIZ
Q: What’s the difference between sex predators and rightwing bloggers?
A: Sex predators recruit 8-year-old kids for sex; rightwing bloggers recruit 8-year-old kids to read big words like “and” to them.
5
“Considering that liberals rarely ever visit Sound Politics, while conservatives are always stirring up things on Horse’s Ass, this shows there is well over twice as much local interest by conservative bloggers than by liberal bloggers.” Commentby Richard Pope— 5/15/06@ 2:15 am
A more logical explanation is the average read of Sucky Politics has to read Stefan’s posts at least 20 times before they can understand big words like “and” and “to.”
Personally, I think the real explanation of Stefan’s alleged higher hit rate is a very high percentage of wingnuts are unemployable and have nothing else to do all day.
ROGER RABBIT POLL
The most likely explanation of the alleged 4,700 hits a day Stefan’s pathetic little blog gets is:
1. [ ] Stefan is lying
2. [ ] Stefan’s readers have to read his posts multiple times to understand the big words
3. [ ] Stefan installed an autodialer to click on his blog around the clock
4. [ ] The unemployment rate is higher among wingnuts
5. [ ] All of the above
Seems to me Horsesass.org is the hands down winner over Sound Politics in terms of people coming to the two sites by over 4 to 1. Sound Politics lists some 11 “contributors” to its blog. I’m assuming they all make their best effort to draw people to the site or they wouldn’t be listed as contributors. Divide 5000 by 11. That gives a drawing power of 454 per contributor for Sound Politics.
Goldy goes solo. And he’s drawing some 2000 per day. He’s getting 4.4X as many people coming to his site per contributor. Hey rightys, if you want to deflate his numbers, stop posting all your inane garbage and name calling and vile and vulgar posts. But maybe you’re just addicted and can’t help it. Too bad you guys keep cutting funding for addiction programs.
12
“I know you people are used to buying everything, but you can’t buy MY vote.” Commentby LeftTurn— 5/15/06@ 8:10 am
I wish they’d buy MY vote! I could use more money! Especially with the Bush Inflation now kicking in (to be followed soon by the Bush Recession). I’ll sell them my vote for $1 million.
What the hell, my vote doesn’t matter that much anyway, what with all the Republican cheaters, felons, and dead voters canceling it out anyway.
27
“Seems to me Horsesass.org is the hands down winner over Sound Politics in terms of people coming to the two sites by over 4 to 1. Sound Politics lists some 11 “contributors” to its blog. I’m assuming they all make their best effort to draw people to the site or they wouldn’t be listed as contributors. Divide 5000 by 11. That gives a drawing power of 454 per contributor for Sound Politics.”
Stefan might get more contributors if he stopped screwing the people who support him financially like Timmy does. With this righties, it’s all about lining their own fucking pockets! Just ask the suckers who donated to Stefan’s “legal action fund” how much they’ve gotten back. Fools! They should’ve known how that lawsuit works — they get the legal bills, and Stefan gets the profits. It’s the Republican Way — make their money with OPM* and fight their wars with OPC.**
* Other People’s Money
** Other People’s Children
Sorry, I just re-checked the article and Sound Politics claims only some 4700 hits/day. Divide that by 11 contributing bloggers yields some 427 hits per contributing blogger.
So Goldy , who blogs solo, draws some 4.7X as many people visiting his site, per person blogging when comparing the two sites.
Now if we add some 10 other individual lefty type bloggers on the left of the Horsesass blog to even out the number of contributors on Sound Politics blog, the fair comparison number would be many times higher.
Just pick out any 10 listed on the sidebar of Goldy’s blog.
Of course, one of HA’s biggest attractions — besides its original journalism, scintillating prose, and daring exposes — is the colorful cast of characters populating its comment threads, of whom the most popular and colorful of all unquestionably is yours truly, the buck-toothed bunny!!!
ROGER RABBIT POLL
Who is the most popular poster on HorsesAss?
[ ] 1. Roger Rabbit
[ ] 2. Roger Rabbit
[ ] 3. Roger Rabbit
[ ] 4. Roger Rabbit
[ ] 5. Roger Rabbit
A more logical explanation is the average read of Sucky Politics has to read Stefan’s posts at least 20 times before they can understand big words like “and” and “to.”
Commentby Roger Rabbit— 5/15/06@ 9:44 am
Roger; like the word “is” President Bill Clinton! You should be the last person to make comments about spelling and grammar. Folks express themselves in many different ways and they are a product of their environment and education. They were not wired to be a lawyer, doctor, or a politician so give them a break. You were blessed with a great education and a job to match, but lack the ability to id you’re self in public. Maybe you can not deal with your personal fears, because everyone loves each other in Seattle. Hell they do not understand why nobody else likes them on this planet. Like your friend who went to Greece to visit, and everyone wouldn’t show him any affection. Roger why don’t you step up to the plate and show us all how much wisdom and intellect you really are able to display?
I can see it already — Richard Poop will post some garbage about my putting up a CROOKED poll that’s RIGGED in favor of one poster. So fucking what? Republicans cheat all the time, so why can’t I rig the Roger Rabbit Poll? After all, it’s my fucking poll — as Jim Robinson says, it’s “private property,” so why should I give trollfucks a platform to vote for themselves? Fuck them! If Stefan can use an autodialer, I can rig my Roger Rabbit poll! Republicans want a monopoly on every fucking thing.
I was just curious if anyone here would answer the challenge honestly.
An honest question will get an honest response.
RESULTS OF ROGER RABBIT POLL
Well the results are in, and just as I suspected, Roger Rabbit is by far the most popular poster on HorsesAss, as these figures show:
Roger Rabbit: 137,826
Mr. Cynical: 1 write-in
klake: 0
Richard Poop: 0
Kevin Carns: 0
Stefan Sharkansky: 0*
Low Tax Looper: – 6
* Kevin received 4.372 billion votes, but these votes were officially disqualified because they all were traced to a robocalling machine.
34
“Roger … you should be the last person to make comments about spelling and grammar.” Commentby klake— 5/15/06@ 10:16 am
Is that so, klake? While I occasionally make a typo, spelling is NOT one of my weak points, so you’d better find some other dart to toss at me, lest you make a public fool of yourself.
Of course, your own spelling is so bad that you couldn’t possibly know what a correctly spelled word looks like, even if one knocked on your door.
34 (continued)
“Folks express themselves in many different ways and they are a product of their environment and education.” Commentby klake— 5/15/06@ 10:16 am
Geez — no kidding! Your trailer park origins and home schooling are patently evident. How could anybody get through 9 grades (or even 2 grades) of public school education — and not be able to spell the word “to”?
34 (continued)
“You … lack the ability to id you’re self in public. Maybe you can not deal with your personal fears, because everyone loves each other in Seattle.” Commentby klake— 5/15/06@ 10:16 am
First of all, it’s “yourself,” not “you’re self,” you fucking idiot! Maybe you sign up for remedial reading. I’m sure there’s a program for disadvantaged adults in your neighborhood — because there’s probably more illiterate hillbillies like you in the trailer park you came from.
As for ID’ing myself, klake, it’s not a matter of “ability.” I certainly have the “ability” to type my own name, should I choose to do so — and unlike most wingnuts, I can even spell my own fucking name correctly! I CHOOSE not to do so.
Why? Because I don’t rocks thrown at my burrow! I don’t want my rabbit feet slashed. I don’t want my fur spray painted. I don’t want such jerk picking me up by my cute pink ears! Think wingnuts don’t do such things? Think again:
Car Vandalized Because of Political Bumper Sticker
“August 7, 2004
“By KOMO Staff
“RENTON – A local woman claims someone vandalized her car because of a Kerry-Edwards campaign sticker in her back window.
“Joni Job told KOMO 4 News someone put a confederate flag alongside her sticker. They also used red paint to write ‘Bush in 2004’ on her passenger side door.
“Job says the vandals also dented her car, causing hundreds of dollars in damage.”
http://www.komotv.com/news/story.asp?ID=32534
So much for the Right’s respect for private property rights, eh. I’m not afraid of wingnuts — the mere suggestion is laughable. 99.9% of wingnuts are cowardly blowhards who’d shit in their pants long before they’d ever show up at Drinking Liberally to keep an “appointment” with Roger Rabbit, as prr (“I’ll be there”) so eloquently demonstrated with his conspicuous absence in a notable episode last year. But who wants the hassle? These pricks don’t fight, they work in the dark, like rats in a sewer, trying to hurt you in some underhanded way like putting you on terrorist watch lists, tapping your phone, setting traps outside your burrow, and shit like that because they DON’T HAVE THE GUTS TO FIGHT YOU MAN TO MAN. Like cockroaches, they’re a goddamn nuisance. Why have cockroaches in your kitchen if you don’t have to?
It’s easier to keep the location of my burrow a secret.
If you don’t like it, klake — FUCK YOU!!!
One more thing … klake is a nazi.
One can only hope, for your health’s sake, that the photo was totally staged. If you blog like that you are a fool, which i do not think you are. You will never get any sympathy and compassion from future health insurance providers with a photo like that. “Ergonomically challenged blogger fails to get disability coverage for lower back damage;” will read the headline.
Roger why don’t you step up to the plate and show us all how much wisdom and intellect you really are able to display?
Commentby klake— 5/15/06@ 10:16 am
It’s easier to keep the location of my burrow a secret.
Commentby Roger Rabbit— 5/15/06@ 10:43 am
Fear, fear, Rabbit step up to the plate and do a better job than that last rant.
43
Glad to see the Right is finally awakening to the health care needs of others. Can we discuss 45 million uninsured Americans now?
Let’s. Here’s the deal. They get health care by going to ERs. Because they can’t pay, the bad debt represented by their bills are a cost of business that’s added to your insurance premiums and copays. So YOU are paying for their health care. And at each step of the process, another markup and profit margin is added. The net result is the U.S. has by far the highest per capita health care costs in the world, while ranking in the lower half in quality of care.
A taxpayer-financed single-payer health program that covers everyone (with the government as the payer) would lower everyone’s health care costs, including the paying customers. Why? Because the savings from eliminating duplication, paperwork, and the huge administrative costs and profit margins of the failed U.S. private health insurance system would cover all of the uninsured with plenty of money left over, enabling a reduction in insurance premiums.
But no, the idiotic Republicans would rather keep overcharging those who have health insurance, while ignoring the ever-growing percentage of the population being denied health care coverage, because of their stupid unworkable ideology that says any system unde which a privileged few don’t make obscene profits for delivering a lousy service is “SO-SHU-LISM.”
Fucking idiots.
44
“Roger why don’t you step up to the plate and show us all how much wisdom and intellect you really are able to display?” Commentby klake— 5/15/06@ 10:16 am
Your wish is my command. (Not really; but just this once, I’ll humor you.) See #45 below.
I, myself, sometimes find my temper rising when I’m behind a car with an idiotic statement plastered to the bumber, and have passing fantasies of obliterating the bumber sticker with the nose of my car. But I control the impulses, intead turning it into a game where my wife and I try to come up with the best design for an imaginary gun from which we could fire rotten eggs at other cars which annoy us.
But since others aren’t so restrained (or imaginative), I don’t put bumber sticker on my car. It’s probably not wise to antagonize any random idiot who’s (a) already irritated by bad traffic because he won’t vote for taxes to improve the transportation system, and (b) is already driving a two-ton hunk of metal down the road.
Goldy stumbles ought of the Montlake Ale House shit-faced as usual. A cop sees Goldy stumbling around and asks if he needs any help. Goldy replies, “I can’t find my car!”. The cop asks Goldy where he last saw it. Goldy pulls out his key chain and slurs “The last time I saw my car was right on the enda this KEY”!
The cop then notices Goldy has no pants or undies on.
The cop yells at Goldy, “SIR, DO YOU REALIZE YOU ARE PUBLICLY EXPOSING YOURSELF?!!!”
Goldy looks down and sez “SHIT, I LOST DARCY BURNER TOO!!!!!!!!!”
They came to learn how to be leaders and advocates. More than 100 college students from throughout Oregon and Idaho are in Salem this weekend to also learn how to organize marches, launch voter-registration drives and build alliances to push for legalizing immigrants who are living illegally in the United States./snip/ It’s sponsored by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Change, a nonprofit advocacy group, and the Fair Immigration Reform Movement… [……………………………………………………………………………………..Right on schedule!! Young junior communist Democrats out signing up the illegal aliens to vote. These brat “progressives” are traitors and should be shot!]
Seattle May 15, 2006 (AP)— A man who spent years recounting his time in a prisoner of war camp in Vietnam has been revealed as a fraud, according to a newspaper report.
Roger Rabbit, , 57, told his wife, friends, fellow communist “progressive”, real veterans like JCH, and others that he spent more than three years in captivity after his helicopter was shot down, even sharing his story in articles and videos.
But when he tried to get a fishing boat last month under the guise of being a former POW, veterans investigated and discovered Powell never served in Vietnam. They looked into his past after he posted his story and plea for the boat on a Web site.
His national service records show he served less than a year in the Army in Alaska before being less than honorably discharged in 1968.
“For every real veteran out there, I am sorry, I am sorry,” Rabbit told The Seattle Morning News. “JCH, Rufus, and MTR, It will never happen again. Never.”
Rabbit said he was recently found to have bipolar disorder and plans to seek treatment. He also said he has other ailments, including stroke-induced neurological damage.
Rabbit said he wasn’t quite sure what prompted his lie, which began as early as the 1970s.
“I have a lot of respect for anybody that wears the uniform,” he said. “It’s just that, like Goldy, maybe I wish I could have done more. Maybe I wish I was a better person.”
For those of you who may by gullible or unifomred… let me explain the context of Wabbit’s post at 45.
Wabbit fucked up his life through a series of bad choices. The cost of those choices is now coming home to roost. And boy oh boy… he doesn’t like it. Because of HIS bad choices, he now spends 1/3 of his income on medical. Instead of being a man and living with his choices, he now seeks to externalize those costs to others… namely the taxpaying Producers.
Wabbit would have us believe that he gave up the normal $200/hour that real lawyers get, and instead chose to serve humanity by being a civil service parasite. So instead of making $400k/year, he made about 1/10th that much. Based on his selfless service, he now feels justified in demanding that others pick up the tab for his medical expenses. That’s why he did the big rant at 45. But it’s bullshit of course… like most things he says. It’s just the usual self serving librul whining.
Tough shit Wabbit. You made the choices. Live with the consequences.
But since others aren’t so restrained (or imaginative), I don’t put bumper sticker on my car. It’s probably not wise to antagonize any random idiot who’s (a) already irritated by bad traffic because he won’t vote for taxes to improve the transportation system, and (b) is already driving a two-ton hunk of metal down the road.
Comment by rhp6033 — 5/15/06 @ 11:12 am
Great post rhp but the transportation problem should been fixed many years ago if the local governments did not committee it to death. Now this mass transit to no ware and those HOV lanes are a joke and raises the tempers up to the Ozone. You advice is the best in dealing with the idiots, but the taxes has already been spent with no results. The best solution would be to ban all private autos in the Seattle limits and the owners can pick the up in North Bend out of storage. To make all those folks feel safe limit the weight of the car less than 1300 lbs and no bumpers allowed for stickers. That would remove the urged to play bumper car with each other, otherwise it would remove all the idiots from the gene pool.
45, Why should I pay for your health care? Pay your own way, parasite!!!
Old goldy is in narcissist heaven again singing his favorite tune…
I wanna talk about me, I wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about number 1 oh my, me, my,
What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see.
I like talkin’ about you, you, you, you occasionally, but usually
I wanna talk about me! (me, me, me,) I wanna talk about me-e-e. (me, me, me).
“Folks express themselves in many different ways and they are a product of their environment and education.”
– Klake
And Klake likes to express his belief that more Blacks and Indians owned slaves than white people did — by using Nazi propoganda from the Barnes Review!!!
One can only assume that Klake was raised in Nazi Germany and educated by KKK members!
55
“One can only assume that Klake was raised in Nazi Germany and educated by KKK members!” Commentby Donnageddon— 5/15/06@ 1:08 pm
klake certainly appears to be a product of HIS education and environment!
51
Big talk for a schmuck who doesn’t have $100 to pay a gambling debt.
Six months since Redneck lost that bet and still can’t come up with a measly $100. And he calls himself a “producer.” Produces what??? Besides hot air?!!!
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Mark the Producer married a crack whore and paid her FIVE HUNDRED GRAND for vagimony!!! One thing’s for sure, MTP produces a LOT of stupidity!!!
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Betcha anything Mark is one of the FREELOADERS whose ER bills I pay when I send in my health insurance check every month! A blowhard who welshes a $100 gambling debt is exactly the kind of bloodsucker who lives on other people’s paychecks.
Redneck Econ 101
It’s TAXES that keep us from getting rich!!! and evil UNIONS!!! If we all made $1 a day instead of union wages and paid NO TAXES we’d be millionaires in no time! All we have to do is buy CHEAP REAL ESTATE for NO MONEY DOWN from people who gladly sell it for a third of what its worth! I saw it on a TV INFOMERCIAL!!! It’s those DAMNED TAXES that keep me from making $1 billion by flipping JUNK HOUSES!!!
Hey Mark —
what does a real estate flipper produce?
what does a commodities speculator produce?
what does a basketball player produce?
what do YOU produce? (besides hot air, angry ex-wives, and bad debts)
Roger, you forgot this one.
MTR produces kids that he doesn’t raise.
As usual, the “wingnuts” cannot understand the point of the post, or refuse to see the point of any argument that they don’t agree with.
We are ALREADY paying for the uninsured in this country. We are just doing it in the most INEFFICIENT MANNER POSSIBLE.
Uninsured people cannot get an appointment at a regular doctor’s office, so when they have a bad cold turning into a sinus infection, they either (a) go to the hospital emergency room, which cannot turn them away, or (b) stay home and hope it gets better without treatment, and then when it turns into pneumonia, they go to the emergency room and then get admitted to the hospital. Who pays? Either the government does, or it gets passed along and divided up among the rest of us in higher hospital or insurance bills. The same effect happens under PPO systems, which bargain for reduced rates from the medical providers. The medical providers then just pass on the extra costs to the uninsured or the government.
The worst possible situation for people to be in is to be a middle-class uninsured person. If you were rich, you would just buy private insurance, or set up a dummy corporation for the purpose of insuring yourself and your family as “employees”. If you are poor, then the cost is picked up by the government. If you are middle-class and not yet old enough for Medicare, then you can’t afford private insurance, but have too many assets (your home equity) to qualify for government or charity assistance. But that problem solves itself pretty quickly – you just transorm from “middle class” to “poor” as soon as you start paying the bills.
People who think that people are uninsured by choice are just trying to justify their own prejudices that “they” are better, more hard-working, more rational, more deserving of the benefits of insurance, wheras those without insurance “obviously” desearve whatever condition they find themselves in. They don’t want a national insurance program because they don’t think the problem will ever effect them, and as long as they aren’t effected, well, then, the hell with them! They refuse to recognize the role luck has paid in their success to date. They usually sing quite a different tune when bad luck happens to them (“Well, of COURSE the government should provide health care to me! I’m an AMERICAN! I’m not some illegal immigrant….”)
(I had a condo neighbor like that once. The roof was leaking, but he didn’t want HOA funds spent to repair the roof. After all, it wasn’t leaking into HIS condo, just the other ones).
The number of employers providing any form of health insurance for employees is rapidly decreasing. If current trends continue, soon we will all be “temp” workers in some form or another, with no health benefits at all. Have any of these “wingnuts” tried to buy private health insurance at age 55+, after their employer left them in the lurch? I seriously doubt it. Be prepared to pay in excess of $1000 per month if you have ever been treated for anything which most 55+ people have experienced. Now double that for a couple. But then check out the clauses which exclude coverage “pre-existing conditions”, which pretty much covers anything you are likely to need the insurance to cover over the next year or two.
Geez Wabbit, WTF wrong wif you today? Izzit sumfin I said?
rhp – try this…. get some marketable skills. Be able to do something of value. Produce something. Employers will come running to you and they’ll pay you a shitload of money AND pay all your medical. Try it…
Mark The Retard @ 66:
Your comment only serves to publically demonstrate your complete lack of knowledge on the subject of health care in this nation. Specifically, the skyrocketing number of working, middle-class Americans who can no longer afford health care premiums.
To say that the recent 10’s of millions of Americans who have had to let health insurance lapse is don’t produce something of value is purely ingnorance on your part.
For now, I don’t want to convince you that your party’s ideals are wrong for America. I want you and your party to continue on that same politcal platform. Run on it. Tout your party’s mantra high on the mountain top. Only 31% of America believes you and your party’s talking points.
The last thing I’d want the repulcians in congress to do is introduce legislation that might actually help middle income America. Hell, if you guys did that you might convince enough swing voters to keep their sorry asses in power.
Keep doing what you’re doing, that’s the best thing you can do for the Democrats right now.
Thanks, MTR, you truly are a retarded republican.
GBS, Another bad day?
CHRIST IVE SEEN BETTER HEADS ON BEER.
What is the latest news on the Karl Rove indictment?
What is the latest news on the Karl Rove indictment? -Commentby Richard Pope— 5/15/06@ 6:40 pm
{snicker} Kinda reminds you of those Kerry exit polls, doesn’t it?
@67 the piss ant GBS.what medical do you have at mcdonalds.visting nurse.find that dd214 yet losssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssser.
ROGER RABBIT HAS A BAD BACK BECAUSE HE SPENT MOST OF HIS GOVERMENT SERVICE ON HIS KNEES.
Yo, have you received any treatment for your sociopathic tendencies? If not, you are a danger to yourself and others. I strongly recommend that you take action immediately.
ProudASS @ 54
“Old goldy is in narcissist heaven again singing his favorite tune…I wanna talk about me, I wanna talk about I”
Of course Goldy discusses his life, his feelings, his opinion, and himself here.
IT’S HIS BLOG!!!!! Ya fucking idiot!!!!
Of course Goldy discusses his life, his feelings, his opinion, and himself here- Commentby dj— 5/15/06@ 9:12 pm
So, of course, you can explain why he pretends to to be… oh let me quote here… “the straight poop on WA politics & the press”
POOP is the operative word, because gosh, nowhere in that tag line do we see the ‘straight poop on goldsteins life, goldteins feelings, goldstein himself, WA politics & the press’.
Nah, typical liberal POOP: the world revolves around him and feelings
“I wanna talk about me, I wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about number 1 oh my, me, my,
What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see.
I like talkin’ about you, you, you, you occasionally, but usually
I wanna talk about me! (me, me, me,) I wanna talk about me-e-e. (me, me, me). ” Love to me,me, me, goldy
GBS – Apparently you have no marketable skills. Otherwise you wouldn’t be complaining and wanting ME and the rest of The Producers to pick up the tab for you.
Sorry. The bank is closed. Yer on your own. If you lack the moral character to make your own life, tough shit.
wingnut Dictionary:
free market = publicly supported corporations
taking personal responsibility = corporate welfare
fair elections = suppressing the Democratic vote and cheating
ProudASS @ 76
“So, of course, you can explain why he pretends to to be… oh let me quote here… “the straight poop on WA politics & the press””
Did you get shot in the head by a pneumatic roofing gun or something, ProudASSS? Goldy does not claim to be “the straight poop….” That is a description of the kinds of topics he discusses on HIS OWN PERSONAL BLOG. I mean, are you seriously suggesting that most of Goldy’s posts are not about Washington politics and the press? (If that is your claim, ASS, be specific—try using actual quantitative measures).
But, what I find most amusing about this is that dipshits like you just cannot stay away from Goldy’s web log.
I have a theory about wingnuts like you. You come here and read Goldy, and it evokes strong emotions: anger, laughter, awe, ridicule, sadness, guilt, shame. This is what good writers do, and, frankly, Goldy is a talented writer. But, then you go away, and you forget what emotion it was, exactly, that Goldy invoked. All you can remember is that it was a STRONG emotion. And, in your empty shell-of-a-life, any strong emotional response is better than slogging through another hollow wingnut day.
So you have to come back for more.
Mark The Thieving Redneck @ 77,
What are you doing here? Have you paid off you debt to Goldy yet?
If not, get the fuck out of here until you can show just a tiny bit of honor by making good on your bet. Comprende, asshole?