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The Arizona Tragedy and the Politics of Blood Libel
The Wall Street Journal ^ | JANUARY 10, 2011. | GLENN HARLAN REYNOLDS

Posted on 01/10/2011 4:21:26 AM PST by Scanian

Shortly after November's electoral defeat for the Democrats, pollster Mark Penn appeared on Chris Matthews's TV show and remarked that what President Obama needed to reconnect with the American people was another Oklahoma City bombing. To judge from the reaction to Saturday's tragic shootings in Arizona, many on the left (and in the press) agree, and for a while hoped that Jared Lee Loughner's killing spree might fill the bill.

With only the barest outline of events available, pundits and reporters seemed to agree that the massacre had to be the fault of the tea party movement in general, and of Sarah Palin in particular. Why? Because they had created, in New York Times columnist Paul Krugman's words, a "climate of hate."

The critics were a bit short on particulars as to what that meant. Mrs. Palin has used some martial metaphors—"lock and load"—and talked about "targeting" opponents. But as media writer Howard Kurtz noted in The Daily Beast, such metaphors are common in politics. Palin critic Markos Moulitsas, on his Daily Kos blog, had even included Rep. Gabrielle Giffords's district on a list of congressional districts "bullseyed" for primary challenges. When Democrats use language like this—or even harsher language like Mr. Obama's famous remark, in Philadelphia during the 2008 campaign, "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun"—it's just evidence of high spirits, apparently. But if Republicans do it, it somehow creates a climate of hate.

There's a climate of hate out there, all right, but it doesn't derive from the innocuous use of political clichés. And former Gov. Palin and the tea party movement are more the targets than the source.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bloodlibel; giffords; krugman; media; oklahomacity; palin; reichstagfire
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I thought this deserved a second post.
1 posted on 01/10/2011 4:21:29 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian

the REAL story behind Oklahoma City
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1786859657119150754


2 posted on 01/10/2011 4:23:24 AM PST by RaceBannon (RON PAUL: THE PARTY OF TRUTHERS, TRAITORS AND UFO CHASERS!!!)
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To: Scanian

.....agree that the massacre had to be the fault of the tea party movement in general, and of Sarah Palin in particular.

What they meant to say is Sarah Louise Palin.. gotta have that middle name in for anyone associated with a killer.


3 posted on 01/10/2011 4:24:41 AM PST by maddog55 (OBAMA, You can't fix stupid...)
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To: RaceBannon

There is no real story.. it’s just another deranged idiot in a random act of violence, anything else is conjecture to make the liberal masses feel better.


4 posted on 01/10/2011 4:27:00 AM PST by maddog55 (OBAMA, You can't fix stupid...)
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To: Scanian

Up until this point the left has used these incidents to make inroads on the Second Amendment. Now they’re going after the First.


5 posted on 01/10/2011 4:27:43 AM PST by Mr Ramsbotham (Laws against sodomy are honored in the breech.)
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To: Scanian

Best piece I have read yet. All true.

This shooter has no ties to the right and everyone knew that right after his name was out.

This is as outrageous as the Wellstone memorial because the media and the left don’t give a rats ass about Giffords or the victims. They just care about twisting the truth for political gain.


6 posted on 01/10/2011 4:29:10 AM PST by dforest
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To: maddog55
What they meant to say is Sarah Louise Palin.. gotta have that middle name in for anyone associated with a killer.

Agreed, but if she created a climate of hate then it is just as if she pulled the trigger herself. So she would essentially be the shooter. But then so many killers have Wayne as a middle name so shouldn't it be Sarah Wayne Palin?

7 posted on 01/10/2011 4:32:58 AM PST by 17th Miss Regt
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To: Scanian

Its Mark Penns fault


8 posted on 01/10/2011 4:33:19 AM PST by TLEIBY308 (Keep yer powder dry and watch yer top Knot.)
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To: Scanian

Bookmark


9 posted on 01/10/2011 4:33:19 AM PST by originalbuckeye
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To: indylindy

They’re screaming that we need to stop the hate and division. And in doing so they create hate and foster more division against their fellow Americans! Hypocrites.


10 posted on 01/10/2011 4:33:22 AM PST by TNCMAXQ
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To: indylindy

When you are a tiny minority that is hell-bent on gaining absolute power, you will do extreme things to accomplish your ends.

They are trying to follow the example of their ancient heroes, the Bolsheviks.

Fortunately for us, this is not Russia, we didn’t just get hammered in WWI, and we have modern communications which enable us to expose lefty lies.

Also, most of America still regards things like the Wellstone funeral and the Tucson smears as very tasteless, rendering them largely ineffective.


11 posted on 01/10/2011 4:34:24 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian
To be clear, if you're using this event to criticize the "rhetoric" of Mrs. Palin or others with whom you disagree, then you're either: (a) asserting a connection between the "rhetoric" and the shooting, which based on evidence to date would be what we call a vicious lie; or (b) you're not, in which case you're just seizing on a tragedy to try to score unrelated political points, which is contemptible. Which is it?
12 posted on 01/10/2011 4:42:33 AM PST by Servant of the Cross (I'm with Jim DeMint ... on the fringe!)
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To: Scanian; Mr Ramsbotham

I just read this piece in the Journal and I’m glad it’s been posted here. It was a rational but unsparing analysis of exactly what the left is doing here, and why they’re doing it: simply put, they lost electorally, and now they’re trying the old trick of “winning” by outlawing their opponents. Fortunately, I don’t think they have enough power to do this right off the bat, but they’re hoping the media will jump in and give them the power through the creation of hysteria among the populace.

As a sort of ironic sidelight, I saw here that Congresswoman Giffords was the Representative who read the 1st Amendment when they read the Constitution at the opening session of the House a few days ago.


13 posted on 01/10/2011 4:43:55 AM PST by livius
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To: Scanian

I agree.Also,I have two words for the communists-Alan Grayson!


14 posted on 01/10/2011 4:45:01 AM PST by Dr. Ursus
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To: livius

Yes, that tape of her has been on Fox News.

We have to argue right back with the smear merchants. We learned from W that being a punching bag does us no good at all.

Just respond to them rationally the way the WSJ article did and let the bass turds choke on the facts.


15 posted on 01/10/2011 4:47:37 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian

All the left are missing here is the grave of a congresswoman to dance on.

Disgusting display from the left.


16 posted on 01/10/2011 4:49:05 AM PST by IamConservative (Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day. - Truman)
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To: Dr. Ursus

Are you from Florida? I am from an adjoining district to the Florida 8th, Grayson’s FORMER district.

He is definitely far left...and, in terms of mental stability, he’s just one step above Jared Loughner, if you ask me.


17 posted on 01/10/2011 4:50:50 AM PST by Scanian
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To: IamConservative

Just revisit the Wellstone memorial if you want to see how that would work.


18 posted on 01/10/2011 4:51:53 AM PST by Scanian
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To: Scanian

No,I’m not from Florida. I reside in Peter King’s district.


19 posted on 01/10/2011 4:56:08 AM PST by Dr. Ursus
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To: Dr. Ursus

Regardless, you’ve got it right about Grayson.

My district is “safe” GOP, sp I concerned myself more with Webster unseating Grayson last fall.

Webster won easily.


20 posted on 01/10/2011 5:00:18 AM PST by Scanian
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