Ann Coulter Takes the Low Road

The American Thinker ^ | October 6, 2005 | Thomas Lifson

[quidnunc]

Ann Coulter is one of many conservative pundits criticizing the SCOTUS nomination of Harriet Miers. I relish the opportunity to debate the matter with those, like Ann, who take a stance different from mine. In fact, because I believe that serious debate is such enlightening fun, I will continue to publish views on this site that differ from mine. Sadly, Ann has taken the low road, rather than debate me on the merits of my argument in favor of Miers.

On her website today (though not in her syndicated column that contains some duplicate verbiage) she dismisses my defense of Harriet Miers on grammatical grounds. It is bad enough that she fails to deal with the substance of my argument. What makes it truly embarrassing is that she is chooses a point which is highly debatable at best. I would much rather discuss subtance rather than the fine points of grammar disputes.

-snip-

Ann would be much better off criticizing my frequent and often embarrassing typos. But best of all would be a straightforward critique of my ideas. That would be the high road. The road not taken.

Maybe I am too involved in the matter to be of sound judgment, but it seems to me that Ann has just provided support for the thesis that at least one conservative pundit trashing Miers is nothing but a pompous elitist.

By the way, Ann, if you are going to put me down as a barely-educated moron, at least click on the "contributors" link on the website whose name you dare not mention and check out my background. I have three Ivy League sheepskins on my wall, and taught at two Ivies. I don't really have to try to "sound Ivy League."

[fish hawk]

It's the Freepers fault. Everyone around here has been idolizing her and telling her how great she is and how beautiful and such, that she now has come to believe it. So what now? Is the honeymoon over? Frankly I don't agree wholeheartedly with Ann on this one but she makes some very good points. Yes I would still date her though.

[Republic]

Yes she did. That is truthful and if Ann has the ability to look at her own responses with intellectual integrity, she will correct her responses and attend to substance.

I love her. Have traveled miles to hear her speak. But, crazy as it sounds, I trust our President's judgement more than I trust Ann's. (Not because I believe he is smarter than Ann, she is brilliant , it is just that I believe he is smarter in different ways.)

[smoothsailing]

Yeah, Ole Chicken Legs Coulter has been overly snarky lately. But I'm keeping her books anyway, they still have a place on my conservative bookshelf.

[DJ Taylor]

"She has gone from an impassioned conservative advocate to a shrieking harpy."

We keep forgetting that Ann Coulter is in show business, and to be successful she must stay in the news as much as possible. If she had simply said, "The Miers appointment is OK with me," how much news do you think she would have made?

[RTINSC]

Is this the best that she can do to defend her point of view? She has morphed into an oddball entertainment figure rather than a serious polical commentator..

[samantha]

You do not know if he is wrong or right,you and ann are both prejudging. She sounds like a hysterical screaming meemie lately, and I used to be an Ann Coulter fan. I have met her in person and she was quite different then. Two years ago she was Charming,sweet,friendly, accommodating,funny,brilliant and a profound thinker. She is now an off the wall bitcher and bellyacher harridan- like that has been put on a pedestal much too high. She is also very high and mighty and acting like she is better than anyone that did not go to Ivy league Cornell or HARVARD. Get over yourself Ann you sound like you are losing your mind. Gee Ann are you upset that GWB did not consult you in his pick?

[Boazo]

[laney]

I for one never idolized Ann Coulter, she was okay and has some good points, HOWEVER she is not a conservative goddess, just a woman in the news who has some good things to say and sometimes not so good, definetly not on a pedestal IMO.

[sinkspur]

She earned her place. Once you've "made it", you can make a few mistakes and still fall back on your achievements.

What "achievements"? Coulter's lost all her syndicators because of her bile and is reduced to posting her columns on Frontpage.com. She lost her stint at National Review and rarely appears anywhere on cable but Hannity and Colmes.

Coulter's career has been in reverse for a couple of years, and that reversal will accelerate like a French tank after her shameful columns on Roberts and Miers.

[toddp]

I am conservative and pro-life. I lost respect for Ann. I think she is a comic book type of commentator. I do not take her seriously.

[toddp]

I am conservative and pro-life. I lost respect for Ann. I think she is a comic book type of commentator. I do not take her seriously.

[traderrob6]

"What is truly pathetic is witnessing so-called conservatives blindly waive the pom-poms over every single Bush/Republican move."

You mean like you are doing with ACs pom poms

[tfecw]

Good post.

The "it's a genius political move" rhetoric is getting old. I suppose not securing the borders is another genius political move on Bush's part to some how deal with terrorism. I'm just not smart enough to think on his and Rove's level.

[isthisnickcool]

Coulter does have a point. I'm not going to take a Porsche Carrera GT down to the local kid at the oil change place and let him work on it. Nor would I allow a general practitioner to do brain surgery on me.

I want the best of the best. I'm not sure that's what I'm getting with this latest pick. It will be interesting to see how she does in the Senate hearings.

[traderrob6]

Agreed....she is become nothing more than a caricature of herself.

[RTINSC]

Coulters comments are not the type of comments one would expect from a well educated, intelligent individual..

[america-rules]

So now trailer trash is qualified to lecture the rest of us on a SCOTUS nominee ?

[samantha]

She writes plenty of articles and you rarely see them anymore. She has lost her edge and something else. She is not the same Ann, she is entirely too full of herself, and she has changed a lot, not for the better. I have her Autographed book that I will not throw away but the temptation is there. She needs to start taking hormones asap.

[laney]

That's taken with herself and her prose..

[vetvetdoug]

Ann may be right about Miers but her attack on her educational background riles me greatly and a snobbery unbecoming of her. Attacking Miers law background because she didn't come from an upper crust law school smacks of arrogance and prejudice. Ann needs to use better arguments than educational background with respect to schools or she will completely make her statements irrelevant.