Erick Erickson = Meathead
If there is a more misused conservative site on the web than Redstate I don't what it is. Its "editor" is a goofball named Erick Erickson who is famous for calling out people he disagrees with and then having to eat his words later.
He has a post up today that is a tremendous waste of time to read so I'd suggest you not bother, but in case you are curious here it is.
In this piece, that he indicates he has spent much time on, Erickson frets about nouns and adjectives. No, really! For instance:
"Let’s review our grammar for one moment. A noun is a word that defines what an object is, i.e. a dog. An adjective is a word that describes one attribute of the noun, i.e. the dog is brown. The noun is the dog because that defines the object in question and the adjective is the color of the dog, describing one attribute of the dog.
Christians, for example, typically say “I am a Christian” as opposed to saying “I am Christian.” The former sets the Christian into a defined group that believes in Jesus Christ. The latter describes one attribute of the person. Because Christianity typically defines who the person is, it is typically used as a noun, not an adjective.
I, for example, am a Christian before I am anything else. If you want an adjective describing me the Christian, I’d say I am Presbyterian.
I hope you are following me, because there are rough waters ahead."
Well...not really. Erickson's BIG POINT is that many Republicans are Adjective Conservatives instead of Noun Conservatives. (And we wonder why conservatives (no matter your grammarian niche) are easy to make fun of?).
You see, a Noun Conservative is like, well, CONSERVATIVE!!!!!! While an Adjective Conservative is sort of......just conservative.
Erickson thrashes around for over one thousand words (!) making the excruciatingly stupid non point that Noun Conservatives put being Conservative first, while Adjective Conservatives put being a good Republican first. Erickson whines:
"Conservatives fight for freedom. Republicans fight for Republicanism, but I have no freaking clue what that actually means any more."
Well let me give you a "freaking" clue Erick:
Republicans by and large fight for Conservative Values. They come in many different levels and flavors, but primarily they are conservative. There are a few moderates, and maybe a stray liberal or two in the north-east , whose parents were Dewey Republicans, but the overwhelming numbers of Republican elected officials are conservative.
So Erick, when a Republican fights for Republicanism, he is fighting for Conservatism. Its a classic Chicken and Egg riddle. Republicans fight for conservatism so it makes sense for conservatives to fight for the Republican party.
Where we stop holding to party loyalty out of a sense of conservative principle is a difficult decision. Each conservative must make that decision for them self. It has nothing to do with adjectives and nouns and only a jerk like Erick Erickson would come up with such a stupid and ill-considered "test".
Saturday, June 13, 2009
David Letterman's Shame
This story pains me because 30 years or so ago David Letterman was a fresh young comedian who I and other guys my age gravitated toward. He was edgy, off-beat, and most importantly, funny.
He was not a Carson-clone by any stretch but he was like Carson in one vital respect: He was A-Political. He made fun of conservatives and liberals alike and his overall demeanor and commentary gave no (or at least very little) clue to his personal ideological leanings.
When Johnny Carson left the Tonight Show in 1992 I was a firm Letterman supporter who thought he should have been the next host. Jay Leno was and is a comedian who has limited interview ability. For all of his hilarity Johnny Carson could be an incisive interviewer and Letterman owns some of those same skills.
As the years ran into decades Letterman, bitter at having lost out to Leno, seemed to become increasingly angry in his attempts at humor until what had been funny in a smart-mouth nephew sort of way started feeling mean and hostile like a cranky uncle who you suspect might occasionally smack your aunt around.
Throughout the presidency of George W. Bush, Letterman steadily moved left-ward in his commentary until finally turning his show into a late night hate fest of all things Republican. Now he has gone totally berserk by making sick jokes at the expense of a 14 year-old girl.
Ask yourself a simple question: Would Letterman have made that joke about the young daughter of any person in the world other than Sarah Palin?
This is a sick little episode that demonstrates how far the political left in this country has degraded our public discourse. People of good intention can either speak out and condemn these perverted antics or stand silent and watch as our society moves farther along the way to anything goes chaos.
This story pains me because 30 years or so ago David Letterman was a fresh young comedian who I and other guys my age gravitated toward. He was edgy, off-beat, and most importantly, funny.
He was not a Carson-clone by any stretch but he was like Carson in one vital respect: He was A-Political. He made fun of conservatives and liberals alike and his overall demeanor and commentary gave no (or at least very little) clue to his personal ideological leanings.
When Johnny Carson left the Tonight Show in 1992 I was a firm Letterman supporter who thought he should have been the next host. Jay Leno was and is a comedian who has limited interview ability. For all of his hilarity Johnny Carson could be an incisive interviewer and Letterman owns some of those same skills.
As the years ran into decades Letterman, bitter at having lost out to Leno, seemed to become increasingly angry in his attempts at humor until what had been funny in a smart-mouth nephew sort of way started feeling mean and hostile like a cranky uncle who you suspect might occasionally smack your aunt around.
Throughout the presidency of George W. Bush, Letterman steadily moved left-ward in his commentary until finally turning his show into a late night hate fest of all things Republican. Now he has gone totally berserk by making sick jokes at the expense of a 14 year-old girl.
Ask yourself a simple question: Would Letterman have made that joke about the young daughter of any person in the world other than Sarah Palin?
This is a sick little episode that demonstrates how far the political left in this country has degraded our public discourse. People of good intention can either speak out and condemn these perverted antics or stand silent and watch as our society moves farther along the way to anything goes chaos.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
More Lies & Deception From Barack Obama
There is a great post on Powerline today totally undressing The One. In part it reads:
"If you look at the flooding that's going on right now in North Dakota and you say to yourself, 'If you see an increase of 2 degrees, what does that do, in terms of the situation there?'" the president told the reporters. "That indicates the degree to which we have to take this seriously."
Obama began by saying that "the science around climate change is real; it is potentially devastating."
Obama to the contrary notwithstanding, there is no reason to think that the flooding has anyhing to do with global warming. The Red River is unfortunately prone to Spring flooding. It is a regularly recurring phenomenon. As Wikipedia explains:
The Red River in Manitoba and the U.S. States of Minnesota and North Dakota has flooded repeatedly through the centuries, endangering lives and property. The river is highly prone to flooding because of its northward flow. As spring approaches, the snow is melted from south to north alongside the riverflow. There is also the possibility that the surplus water can hit unmelted ice on the river and back up. The flatness of the terrain and small slope of the river is a significant factor.
To the extent that Obama's comments mean anything, they represent what he has elsewhere termed the triumph of ideology over science, or another crisis presenting an opportunity that should not be wasted."
Well stated.
There is a great post on Powerline today totally undressing The One. In part it reads:
"If you look at the flooding that's going on right now in North Dakota and you say to yourself, 'If you see an increase of 2 degrees, what does that do, in terms of the situation there?'" the president told the reporters. "That indicates the degree to which we have to take this seriously."
Obama began by saying that "the science around climate change is real; it is potentially devastating."
Obama to the contrary notwithstanding, there is no reason to think that the flooding has anyhing to do with global warming. The Red River is unfortunately prone to Spring flooding. It is a regularly recurring phenomenon. As Wikipedia explains:
The Red River in Manitoba and the U.S. States of Minnesota and North Dakota has flooded repeatedly through the centuries, endangering lives and property. The river is highly prone to flooding because of its northward flow. As spring approaches, the snow is melted from south to north alongside the riverflow. There is also the possibility that the surplus water can hit unmelted ice on the river and back up. The flatness of the terrain and small slope of the river is a significant factor.
To the extent that Obama's comments mean anything, they represent what he has elsewhere termed the triumph of ideology over science, or another crisis presenting an opportunity that should not be wasted."
Well stated.
Monday, March 23, 2009
What's Missing?
Read the AP story reproduced in full below as it appeared on Yahoo and then see if you can spot what very important tidbit of information is missing:
NY state senator indicted, accused of assault
By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK – A freshman state senator sworn in to office despite allegations he slashed his girlfriend's face with broken glass in a jealous rage has been indicted on domestic assault charges, prosecutors said Monday.
A grand jury in Queens indicted Hiram Monserrate on three counts of second-degree felony assault and three counts of third-degree misdemeanor assault. Arraignment is expected later this week. He faces seven years in prison if convicted on the most serious charges.
The 41-year-old former police officer was arrested after Karla Giraldo's face was slashed Dec. 19 at his New York City home. The gash over her eye required 25 stitches. Both said it was an accident.
Monserrate, who was in Albany on Monday for a legislative session, issued a statement saying he did not commit a crime.
"I've said all along this was accident. Karla has said all along this was accident. The district attorney's politically motivated decision to pursue this case doesn't change the fact that this was an accident," he said.
Monserrate told police he tripped while holding a glass of water and that the glass accidentally hit Giraldo.
But authorities say evidence, including surveillance videos, painted a picture of a heated argument and a frightened, bleeding woman in distress.
According to the police report, Giraldo, 29, initially said she was assaulted, then changed her account after learning officers planned to arrest Monserrate. She later told police she did not wish to press charges.
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Read the AP story reproduced in full below as it appeared on Yahoo and then see if you can spot what very important tidbit of information is missing:
NY state senator indicted, accused of assault
By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK – A freshman state senator sworn in to office despite allegations he slashed his girlfriend's face with broken glass in a jealous rage has been indicted on domestic assault charges, prosecutors said Monday.
A grand jury in Queens indicted Hiram Monserrate on three counts of second-degree felony assault and three counts of third-degree misdemeanor assault. Arraignment is expected later this week. He faces seven years in prison if convicted on the most serious charges.
The 41-year-old former police officer was arrested after Karla Giraldo's face was slashed Dec. 19 at his New York City home. The gash over her eye required 25 stitches. Both said it was an accident.
Monserrate, who was in Albany on Monday for a legislative session, issued a statement saying he did not commit a crime.
"I've said all along this was accident. Karla has said all along this was accident. The district attorney's politically motivated decision to pursue this case doesn't change the fact that this was an accident," he said.
Monserrate told police he tripped while holding a glass of water and that the glass accidentally hit Giraldo.
But authorities say evidence, including surveillance videos, painted a picture of a heated argument and a frightened, bleeding woman in distress.
According to the police report, Giraldo, 29, initially said she was assaulted, then changed her account after learning officers planned to arrest Monserrate. She later told police she did not wish to press charges.
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