Correct, but they should have done so with tact, and in private. Publicly calling your supports sexist because they dont agree with you, when a young Black woman is the current Secretary of State, smacks of desperation and anger. Laura Bush and Ed Gillespe took the low road, and it will cost Bush some of that Conservative loyalty he depends on.
Correct, but they should have done so with tact, and in private. "Tact" and "Coulter" I'm not sure are two words that ever belong in the same sentence. Though technically, I suppose they weren't. Anyway, I think those initial charges by Ingraham and Coulter right off the bat needed a public response to make sure they didn't stick. I understand your point, but frankly, some of the responses have been so frothing at the mouth that not alienating those people seems about impossible at this point.
I'll give Limbaugh credit for seeing the bigger picture and backing off. It is entirely possible to disagree and express disappointment without being destructive, and that distinction apparently has been lost on some.
Well, here's the deal on Laura's comment, which I happened to see this morning. She was responding to Lauer's question on whether the attacks were sexist, and she said it was possible that some were.
Well, when I have time I am going to go through all of the comments from Frum, Kristol, Coulter, et al and put them together. There was a defnite hint of sexism, to my way of thinking, and although I suppose the case could be made that these were flippant comments, it did seem to me that the same type of comments wouldn't have been made about a man.
I was a geologist back when very few women were. I know that men don't always recognize offensive comments until someone points them out. I am pretty thick-skinned about stuff like that. But honestly, PD, gripes on this forum about her marital state and eyeliner were pretty sexist, if you ask me.
I'm going to leave Ed Gillespie aside for the moment and address the Laura Bush angle.
Laura Bush is not a politician. She is a person who gets shoved in front of the train now and again in an effort to help her husband. She has made it VERY clear that she hates to speak in public, she is an introvert...and prefers the life of a quiet, well-read, librarian. She has admitted, on more than one occasion, that she's really not good at the political thing. She has fully assessed her strengths and weaknesses. But she does the required job because she loves George...and she understands honor and duty.
So, it drives me nuts when the press intentionally (and I believe it is intentional on EVERY level) to drive a wedge between her and the President...and then uses it to drive a wedge between the President and his conservative base.
On the personal wedge: It drives the press nuts that this relationship appears to be a LOVE match, not a political match. That is a very rare thing in Washington and highlights for the country to see the innate chinks in the Clinton legacy as well as the Clinton ambitions.
The enemies of the Bushes would love to do nothing more to break that particular angle...paving the way for the next Presidential race. Note that the Globe has started to pick up on this. It used to be an untouchable subject. It's only just started. We are going to hear all kinds of accusations, which will eventually seep into the mainstream press about drinking and fights and disarray. Why? Because it serves the purpose of their enemies.
Secondly, it is a cowards way to essentially use a "your momma" approach to fighting. The press tried to use Laura this morning to further hurt the President with his base. That's a pretty despicable thing to do. Even if Laura didn't help matters by falling for the bait and adding fuel to the fire, to mix my metaphors.
Finally...I don't think President Bush has any politically powerful loyalty in any sector to rely on right now. Not in the Senate, not in the house, not in the press, not in his base. He pretty much stands alone. So, in my opinion Laura's comments neither helped as the WH hoped nor hurt him as his political enemies hoped.
What he does next
will. I honestly believe this situation would destroy most. I am NOT looking forward to what comes next—but I do pray for him regularly. Honestly, I think that is the last refuge the man actually has.
(Sorry for another long post on your thread. I've just had a couple weeks to step back and watch this in an attempt to get a handle on all the angles. Now, I've got a lot of words, not to mention theories, to use.)