dagblog - Comments for "Maureen Dowd Gets Paid For This?"

Reich's good. It's a very

Michael Maiello — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:50:10 +0000

In reply to The president should mainly

Reich's good. It's a very hard job to be the liberal on Kudlow or Fox the way he is (I've done both, albeit without Reich's professional stature). Our side needs a FreedomWorks that can identify and train "regular people," who might want to vocalize progressive values in the media, just as the Kochs and FreedomWorks did with the Tea Party.

The president should mainly

Dan Kervick — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:57:14 +0000

In reply to Maybe you're right, DK. But

The president should mainly recruit an army of your own freaks to wade out into those debates. But if it's on a watched major network like Fox, it is worth having at least one person on your staff whose job it is to go on those shows, shake people's hands, look them in the eye and argue with them.

I've noticed that Robert Reich seemed to have no problem venturing cheerfully out into right wing land and doing battle without losing his dignity or caving in his values.

Maybe you're right, DK. But

Michael Maiello — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:15:18 +0000

In reply to Did no editor at The Times

Maybe you're right, DK. But I see a real risk in the POTUS wading into debates with freaks in tricorner hats. There's a lot to lose and maybe not much to gain in an argument with crazies. The president does have to maintain a certain dignity, after all. That said, there were potential surrogates with no such obligations who probably needed to do more.

Did no editor at The Times

Dan Kervick — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:43:17 +0000

In reply to Maureen Dowd Gets Paid For This?

Did no editor at The Times question Dowd's assertion that Obama could have stopped the Tea Party from forming? What was he supposed to do, freeze the bank accounts of the Koch Brothers and Dick Armey's FreedomWorks?

He was supposed to fight back, and launch a communication offensive. 2009 and 2010 were the golden opportunity for progressives. Most of the country believed without further argument that Republican mismanagement had caused an economic collapse, and that greedy crooked banksters were stealing great undeserved hunks of the national pie, and our future with it. Nobody blamed Obama for anything yet - he was the guy who inherited a disaster, and the country was looking for the kind of leadership needed to fix it. That was the time to move in for the kill.

Obama had a communications director at the time who was subsequently sacked. Her view was that the right way to respond to the right wing noise machine was to superciliously "boycott" it. The growth of loud, in your face Tea Party rage was met with too-cool-for-school silence.

Remember Shirley Sherrod? Railroaded out of her job in a sweaty panic by Tom Vilsack because his people were terrified that her comments were going to be on Glenn Beck's show that night. Where is Glenn Beck now? Even the Republicans have exiled him out to Jokesburg. But the Obama administration was terrified of him - as they were terrified of the Chamber of Commerce - as they were terrified of Wall Street - as they were terrified of the budget hawks and government-shrinkers - as they were terrified of the wingnuts who ostentatiously informed the country that they were going out buying guns to fight off the Great Black Presidential Menace - as they were terrified of the oil producers who blew a hole in the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and produced a wildlife holocaust.

Thanks, Mona!

Michael Maiello — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:33:14 +0000

In reply to Thanks for unmasking that

Thanks, Mona!

Thanks for unmasking that

Ramona — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:27:04 +0000

In reply to Maureen Dowd Gets Paid For This?

Thanks for unmasking that load of hogwash. Good analysis. Sharing everywhere I can.

Dowd is getting Dowdy, Even

Richard Day — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:00:08 +0000

In reply to Maureen Dowd Gets Paid For This?

Dowd is getting Dowdy,

Even with her grand dowry,

And a bit pouty,

When she is not snotty,

But then again, so is Andrew Sullivan lately,

All these things.

I'd be happy if Dowd were

Qnonymous — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:21:52 +0000

In reply to Maureen Dowd Gets Paid For This?

I'd be happy if Dowd were even 1/2 Betazoid.

I probably just said something sexist, but I'm not Beta enough to know what.

Dowd's always played fast and

Aunt Sam — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:21:40 +0000

In reply to Maureen Dowd Gets Paid For This?

Dowd's always played fast and loose with facts (remind you of anyone?).

But, with her columns, much like too many other's squibs, her distorted focus is only on stirring the pot to promote herself, as she carelessly puts forth clever quips without care that some assume she possesses knowledge about the person/topic she's assaulting.

She has always played to the frenzied and politically challenged crowd without apology. If only they were astute enough to realize she is not chuckling with them, but at them.