Ann's Jedi Mind Trick At CPAC

March 3, 2007 | aas

[an amused spectator]

On Friday, March 1, 2007, Ann Coulter spoke at the 34th annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

Toward the end of her remarks, she touched on the subject of Democrat John Edwards (former US Senator from North Carolina and 2008 presidential hopeful):

"Oh, and - I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, ummm, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word ‘faggot,’ so, I — so - kind of at an impasse, can’t really talk about Edwards, so I think I'll just conclude here and take your questions. Thank you."

Notice the Jedi Mind Trick that Ann uses here. She talks about Edwards, then segues to a newsworthy current event in the world of entertainment, then segues back to John Edwards.

She never calls John Edwards a faggot - she allows the minds of her listeners to do that for themselves. Now, a person who was actually at the event may be forgiven for momentarily falling for the mind trick, but's what's hilarious is the number of weak-minded or sloppy thinkers who are OUTRAGED, OUTRAGED that "Ann Coulter called John Edwards a faggot!!!". There are actual "hard news" websites that actually repeat this blather (UPI, E&P, and The Nation, among others).

I also read an article on a weblog complaining that noted mainstream media outlets are ignoring the story (among these: The Associated Press, Reuters, The Washington Post and The New York Times). Apparently, the AP, Reuters, the WP & the NYT are on to Coulter's Jedi mind tricks, and are willing for others to make buffoons of themselves before piling on.

Coulter's command of the language reminds one of Clemens or Bierce, and the way she can get her critics to do the work of lampooning themselves is simply amazing (and amusing).

[The Worthless Miracle]

I don't see why she has to be so vulgar. She hits as hard as Michelle Malkin, and does a lot of good, but this kind of stuff is unnecessarily inflammatory and tends to push people away... My 2 cents...

[alice_in_bubbaland]

LOL! You have a wonderful way with words! :)

BTW is this going to be another 600+ post thread?

[GOPPachyderm]

It reminds me of the "I come to bury Cesar, not to praise him, for Brutus is an honorable man," speech. The orator didn't say Brutus was dishonorable but his speech but leaves no doubt that was what was meant.

[Moonman62]

She should have known that Breck Girl and Silk Pony are the proper terms for Edwards. Now Kucinich is another matter.

[MHGinTN]

Thank you for one of the funniest posts I've read in weeks! Sometimes Ann is too smart for her own good, because she gets too far ahead of the lamestream media democrap sycophancy. But that's our Annie! I love the paroxysms of spittle she evokes from them. I wonder if that infamous fool, Keith Olberman, will falter over this one?

[Bommer]

I'm no Edwards supporter but I think Ann may be a little over the top on this one. This is basically lib talk, why get into the gutter with them.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1794517/posts?q=1&&page=1#1

We have been there, done that.

[nevergore]

Oh don't be silly...she called him a bundle of sticks....

[alice_in_bubbaland]

I'm sure Overbite can't wait to get on the air Monday to rip Ann to shreds. He lives for that sort of thing, he's a kind and caring Liberal, donchaknow.

[tkathy]

I thought I heard Ann call Edwards a "maggot"

[John Philoponus]

LOL. I <3's me some Ann Coulter. Her columns over at worldnetdaily also crack me up. :D

[Lacey13]

Whats the big deal? She didn't say anything bad about his mother.

[Tex_GOP_Cruz]

It reminds me of the "I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him, for Brutus is an honorable man," speech. The orator didn't say Brutus was dishonorable but his speech but leaves no doubt that was what was meant.

I think a rhetorical term for this is "paralipsis." (see http://humanities.byu.edu/rhetoric/silva.htm The example given on that website is "It would be unseemly for me to dwell on Senator Kennedy's drinking problem, and too many have already sensationalized his womanizing..."

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I'm no Edwards supporter but I think Ann may be a little over the top on this one.

Here we go again. There's a reason why Coulter threads separate the men from the boys on FR.

[ozzymandus]

I wonder if any of the Ann-haters who are so overwrought about Ann NOT calling edwards a fag are even aware of the "Gray's Anatomy" blowup. I'm betting they didn't get it, but will pretend they did when called on it.

[joesbucks]

When someone has to go through the gymnastics that you just went through to explain this, then the error was pretty serious.

[martin_fierro]

"These are not the faggots you're looking for."

[duckman]

Here we go again. There's a reason why Coulter threads separate the men from the boys on FR.
????

[PhiKapMom]

I'm no Edwards supporter but I think Ann may be a little over the top on this one. This is basically lib talk, why get into the gutter with them. IMO

I couldn't agree more! All she did was draw attention to herself from any candidates speaking after her so their message was lost and she became the message of the day.

[Yardstick]

I was going to comment on your post, but since the phrase "poorly reasoned to the point of being harebrained" would probably ruffle some feathers, I've decided to just keep my mouth shut.