Slamming folks in Kentucky: Where's the GOP outrage?

[Tiassa]

I noticed nobody's up in arms. A prominent celebrity--an entertainer at that--blasts the whole of a state based on one person, and nobody seems to be upset. I wonder why?

Oh, right. It's because the celebrity is a conservative. See, conservatives can bash the south--in this case, Kentucky--all they want. It's not actually the bashing that upsets Southerners. It's a matter of who's doing the bashing, and the letter in parentheses. After all, Ernie Fletcher is a Republican.

Now, as an American and a Christian I’m very concerned about the upcoming governor’s election. Ernie Fletcher is a typical Kentuckian.

(Slog)

Now, just who is Ernie Fletcher, and what is a typical Kentuckian?

As Peter Slevin notes:

Republicans are making Steve Beshear's life look easy.

Beshear, a Democrat, is expected to sail past the GOP incumbent into the Kentucky governor's mansion Tuesday, and Republicans in the Bluegrass State are already concerned about next year, when the White House is in play and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) faces reelection.

No wonder Beshear bounded into the Cadiz Restaurant on Main Street last week, all smiles and confidence, his tie knotted tightly and his penny loafers gleaming. A new statewide poll showed him with a 23 percentage-point lead over Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R), an ordained minister whose ethical challenges have merged in voters' minds with frustration over Republican leadership in Washington .....

.... Although Fletcher campaigned in 2003 on a promise to end "good ol' boy politics" in the governor's mansion, he soon placed loyalists in state jobs meant to be based on merit. A grand jury called it an "illegal plan" and said "those who got in the way of the plan were fired or moved."

Fletcher declined to testify, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

When Fletcher and 14 aides were indicted, he pardoned the aides and made a deal with the Democratic attorney general, who dropped the charges against him in return for a signed admission that "the evidence strongly indicates wrongdoing by this administration." Fletcher signed but later dismissed the case as a "witch hunt."

(Washington Post)

So apparently, this is a "typical Kentuckian". And what does our conservative celebrity find so objectionable about Democrat Steve Beshear?

And now, he faces a man who wants his job, who has consistently supported every homosexual cause—same-sex marriage, gay adoption, special rights to gay, lesbian, bisexual even transgender individuals. The prominent gay advocacy group CFAIR just enthusiastically endorsed Beshear, knowing he’s their guy. Kentuckians have already voted to amend the state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. Now, do you want a governor who would like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?

(Slog)

Hmm ... at least Fletcher didn't go down for banging little boys.

Apparently, if I have this right, the typical Kentuckian is a lying, corrupt homophobe?

It's a good thing I don't have that right. I would be worried about Kentucky, if I did. At any rate, Kentucky voters elected Beshear by what looks like an 18-point margin.

Oh, yeah ... that celebrity?

​

The moral of the story? Conservatives might feel safe slandering Kentucky just because nobody's throwing an apoplectic fit on FOX News, but it would appear that the voters didn't buy it. As we used to say in high school: "Score-board! Score-board!"

So, who's going to be the first Republican to tell Pat Boone to take his celebrity-elitist crap and shove it? Or are GOP supporters just fine when conservative celebrities open their mouths and make fools of themselves?

Oh, right. It is Pat Boone, after all.

 

[Baron Max]

I noticed nobody's up in arms. A prominent celebrity--an entertainer at that--blasts the whole of a state based on one person, and nobody seems to be upset. I wonder why?

'Cause they're all white people. White people are more tolerant and easy-going about such things.

If there'd been any blacks involved, then the whole thing would have caused mass riots in Los Angeles and Detroit, and Al Sharpie would have been on tv blasting all the white people as racists!

Baron Max

 

[Tiassa]

Interesting twist. I ask where the conservative outrage is, you know, like when people were threatening the Dixie Chicks, or wasting news broadcast time on Brad Pitt or Barbara Streisand, and all you can do is complain about black people?

So are you saying the conduct of Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Joe Scarborough is the fault of black people?

You've fallen farther than I suspected, Max.

 

[phoenix2634]

Why should anyone be outraged? :bugeye:

Over a typical political ad?


<insert your name> is a typical <insert your state>.
The opposition belives in <insert political position>.
He/she would do <insert new public policy>.
Do you want your state to become <insert mundane misreprentation of policy>.


Outrage...blasting an entire state...that's just too funny.

 

[Tiassa]

Outrage...blasting an entire state...that's just too funny

I tend to agree. But since the GOP and its media shills throw a fit every time they perceive a celebrity saying something bad about George W. Bush, the South, Republicans, racism, sexism, or hatemongering, I was wondering why this occasion doesn't meet the standard. If a liberal had accused the average Kentuckian of such fraud and dishonesty, Scarborough, O'Reilly, Hannity, Limbaugh, and dittoheads across the country would be pitching fits.

A couple of words you might remember from the 2004 election? "Liberal elitism"?

Of course the GOP has forgotten those words. After all, this time it's their ticket that might have the Hollywood star power.

Really, if someone on the west coast said, "Vote against dishonest homophobes. Do you really want Washington to become Kentucky?" the spittle would be flying, and conservatives would be outraged.

But you do make a point, Phoenix; we ought not expect any better of them. It would be too "elitist" to expect that Republicans weren't two-penny liars and hypocrites.

 

[Ganymede]

Tiassa, Republicans are much better then Dems at playing the *I GOT YOU* or the *YOUR UNPATRIOTIC* game. You know that.

 

[Tiassa]

Republicans are much better then Dems at playing the *I GOT YOU* or the *YOUR UNPATRIOTIC* game. You know that.

Undoubtedly. This is just an exercise in making sure that peole don't have any excuses. You know, how people who voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004 didn't realize what they were doing? How they tragically didn't know that Bush was corrupt and lying to them? Because, obviously, liberals and Democrats didn't protect the people and warn them about Mr. Bush? I mean, crap ... he'd just barely been inaugurated for his second term when Republicans started complaining that they didn't get what they thought they were voting for in 2004.

 

[countezero]

So you cite one gross example as exemplifying something? The media is extremely partisan, and their partisanship (which is quantifiable) doesn't tilt to the elephants, so I fail to see what the point of this thread is.

Oh, wait. Tiassa started this. No wonder...

 

[Tiassa]

... so I fail to see what the point of this thread is

Nobody's surprised.

 

[countezero]

Is the media partisan or not?

 

[Tiassa]

Is the media partisan or not?

I'd go with greedy.

Why are you making a media issue out of this?

 

[madanthonywayne]

At the Zoo in Kentucky, instead of the name of the animal, there's a sign with a recipe!

 

[Tiassa]

Yes, and pictoral instructions of how best to run it over with your car.

Does this mean conservatives are learning to tell the difference?

 

[countezero]

Oh, please. So this thread is about you calling attention to the fact that a certain group of people (who you are biased against and don't like) aren't angry about a sort of behavior they typically get angry about. Is this really worth the time?

Selective outrage!

What a novel topic.

It comes in all shapes and sizes, and exists on both sides of the aisle. But of course, you spent time tracking down this story. Seriously, how long did it take for you to latch onto this bit of news? It's not something the cursory Internet user would come across. It's something even the most informed person would typically come across. We have this and your obscure Gay GOP story from another similar smalltime race earlier this week. One hopes you get paid to lavish such time and attention on such unimportant minutia.

 

[Tiassa]

But of course, you spent time tracking down this story. Seriously, how long did it take for you to latch onto this bit of news? It's not something the cursory Internet user would come across. It's something even the most informed person would typically come across.

I actually had the Beshear/Fletcher story sitting around for two days. I had mentioned it aside, but didn't do anything substantial with it because it was Kentucky politics. I live across the country. As to the Boone story? It's not like you have to do much investigation in order to find out that the editor of a Seattle newspaper posted it on the paper's blog. So, actually, it was fairly simple to put two and two together, since both stories came across my RSS.

So, you're right, Counte. It took me a long time to track down this story. I mean--gasp!--I actually had to click two whole links to get these stories. Oh, and then I had to follow the link from Slog to ... uh ... wherever it was that I got that picture. You can follow the trail. Just start clicking the links.

 

[countezero]

I have better things to do with my time than dig up two obscure pieces of news and try to tie them together with the sort of bland (and almost impenetrable) esotericism you have perfected on this site.

But again, if you want to run about engaging in this sort of vapid tomfoolery all because it makes you feel better when you beat your little fists on the keyboard and trash the Republicans, go right ahead. Catharsis is healthy, I hear...

 

[Tiassa]

I have better things to do with my time than dig up two obscure pieces of news and try to tie them together with the sort of bland (and almost impenetrable) esotericism you have perfected on this site.

Yes, like reminding everyone that you have better things to do. Keep beating your chest.

 

[countezero]

I do have better things to do than engage in the sort of behavior you have here (finding silly little stories and tying them together to prove your All Republicans are EVIL theory). I never said it wasn't worth my time to engage you when you do this, point out how it's empty-headed provacation and ask why the hell you keep doing it. The latter of the two amuses me.

 

[Tiassa]

I do have better things to do than engage in the sort of behavior you have here (finding silly little stories and tying them together to prove your All Republicans are EVIL theory)

Yes, trolling is an excellent way to waste your time.

 

[countezero]

I'm engaging you, asking you questions. I'm challenging your claims, your motives. I'm calling you on your bullshit. I'm sorry if you have a problem with that, but it's not trolling.