For the benefit of Nobel prize winning economist and former Enron adviser Paul Krugman, Krauthammer runs down the timeline:
(The) available evidence dates Loughner’s fixation on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords to at least 2007, when he attended a town hall of hers and felt slighted by her response. In 2007, no one had heard of Sarah Palin. Glenn Beck was still toiling on Headline News. There was no Tea Party or health-care reform. The only climate of hate was the pervasive post-Iraq campaign of vilification of George W. Bush, nicely captured by a New Republic editor who had begun an article thus: “I hate President George W. Bush. There, I said it.”
And summarizes with a question:
The origins of Loughner’s delusions are clear: mental illness. What are the origins of Krugman’s?
Projection, I should think.
The Shooter was a whack….a complete nutcase…..now the larger group of “Political Nutcases” are coming out of the woodwork.
The “Memorial Service” last night is a national embarrassment. The people who attended and those who organized this spectacle showed an incredible lack of maturity and proper ettiquette for what is proper at a memorail service. Souvinier T-Shirts ?? From a Memorial Service?? REALLY? Cheering at a memorial service ?? Are you kidding me??
The partisan crap from the LEFT sickens me but they have never been above using tradegy to push their agenda….The Right not so much and the Idiot Sheriff who kicked this off is a true Horse’s Arse.
The shooter is a whack and will get what is coming to him in spades while in prison…rightly so.
Until we straighten out these idiots who used a Memorial Service as a Political Pep Rally, this crap will keep going on…..ugh.
What I posted on my FB about the memorial: “Long day. I just walked in and clicked the teevee on. I’m disgusted. A horrible tragedy occurs and they put on an effing variety show? Entertainment? Really? Are we that shallow? That innured? That disrespectful? Cheers and applause for the performers? What would have been wrong with the heartfelt, genuine speech by the president and leave it at that? Just my feelings.”
Sigh.
About Krugman: Krauthammer is spot on.
Stephen/
Have you given up on your blog? And doesn’t FB take up as much time/effort? (BTW, no FB link on your blog–Same w. email–Post some more–I’m hungry!
)
Virg, Due to time constraints the blog is pretty much moth-balled. I don’t shut it down because at some point I hope to have the time to devote there. Yes, FB has eaten up a chunk of available “social media” time, but it has been a blessing because my FB is mostly family and friends. Many of whom I had lost connection with over the years. Several bloggers you would recognize are on my FB friends list as well. Over there my moniker is the same as here with the addition of Arnold. There isn’t a single commenter from Lex’s blog who I wouldn’t welcome into my group.
I have to wonder, why did it take so long for “someone” to come out with a call to “stand down?”
When a Boston Police officer does his job, “we” rush to a conclusion of “acting stupidly.” When a Muslim incited Muslim Army Officer guns down 13, and an unborn child, we are quickly urged to not be judgmental, right away. When a shooting happens on Saturday, and immediately the accusations are flying, we get a few sentences and a moment of silence, then on Wed, a well sounding speech arrives, from the very man who has publicly stated he will end around the opponents with no apologies.
He told me on the night of his election, he wanted to hear my voice, and it was time to unify. No he tells me we need to unify again. Sorry, the cynical me says it took that long to get polls taken on the take on the dialogue, and focus groups to say how to craft the speech. “Words, just words…”
A real leader: As the words gained momentum Sunday, he would have sent the message out from his own lips, and to be told on all the Sunday news shows, that this was not the time to do what has been done…like he finally said last night.
And some people thought reading a book to a school child for 8 minutes before you acted made you a stupid president. What does 3 days to act make this one?
xformed:
A dumocrat.
Xformed: It’s not “we”, it’s the media. “We” wouldn’t react the way “we” seem to without the purposeful orchestration of the public by the left-wing Big Media, whose purpose is no longer to report, but incite, then “report” on the results. Big Media learned long ago that while they don’t “make” news, they sure can INFLUENCE the making of news, and oh, how well they do it today! Sort of the self-licking ice cream cone syndrome. The more they stir the pot, the more people’s innate curiosity kicks in and they pay attention and form misinformed opinions based on few facts. Of course, this must be “reported’, and on it goes.
“Never let a crisis go to waste”
Empty suited jerk turned a memorial for six souls into a frickin’ pep rally.
Cut the Bamster some slack. He and his speechwriters read the total takedown of Paul Krugman by Messrs. Krauthammer and Taranto (WSJ online edition) yesterday morning. He was smart enough to realize that following the Krugman line would get him in more trouble than he cared to have.
So he gave a pretty good speech. He did not veer into defamation of his political opponents–which was unusual for him. He did not use a teleprompter. He took his speech to the podium and delivered it like a normal speaker. All of this deserves props from us.
Now as for the atmosphere at this “pep rally memorial service”. Who put this together? (As in “what moron” did this?). The President of the U of A was pushing his school The Tucson Symphony’s version of Fanfare for the Common Man had a rattling drum that sounded like a recurring three rifle shots at a funeral. The Yaqui Indian/Mexican medicine man gave us more self referential biography than even Obama would. His contribution filled the bloviating qouta for the rest of the evening. Before he was done, I knew what I wanted to do with that feather.
And finally–when will college students learn that a memorial service is not a big game pep rally?
I’ve got to agree. The speech itself (when read instead of heard) was quite good. The atmospherics in which it was deliver (and for which Obama was not responsible) were awful.
Mr. Myers, why should Nobama get kudos for simply doing his job? I am not going to commend him for not mucking up a relatively simple task. In any event, While he might not have been the orchestrator of turning the whole thing into some sort of pep rally, he could have prevented that from happening, and lots of us have a problem with that. Freaking T SHIRTS, no less? But that was not all him. He speaks well, granted. So did fellow socialists Hitler and Stalin. And most used car dealers at that. Only thing missing was a concession stand or bake sale.
He
He should get kudos for not mucking up a simple part of his job simply because it happens so infrequently. When you have a maladroit child (or even man-child) you make sure to praise him when he gets something right.
“The only climate of hate was the pervasive post-Iraq campaign of vilification of George W. Bush”
ah, that explains it all. Bush did it! And thus the left comes full circle.
No, no. Bush is so passe. Palin has now assumed the mantle of power. It’s aaaaaall Palin’s fault that we aren’t unified, are attempting murder of Congresscritters, of Fed Judges, of Snail Darters, and opposing the Obamanation, that she’s using “Surveyor’s marks” on her map of targeted Congresscritters.
I am glad Sara drives them nuts. Yep, they are scared to death of her.
“What are the origins of Krugman’s [delusions]?”
The origins are clear. Unlike practitioners of every licensed profession, U.S. states accord journalists the right to express opinions for which they usually posses no formal and very little practical expertise, other than laws of plagiarism, libel and slander. Not only may journalist express opinions with no disclaimers of their inexpertise, but their editors rarely require that they even mention the existence of substantial dissenting opinions by people with actual expertise.
But Krugman’s delusion does not stop there. As a Nobel laureate (economics – 2008), and Centenary Professor at the London School of Economics, Krugman feels compelled to continually justify his status by promoting socialism.
If anything, Krugman proves continually that a star in a dismal field can be tarnished.
And that in Economics a PhD has little meaning. There are other fields where worthless PhDs reside as well.
A nobel in Economics means little too.
Vernon Smith’s PhD in economics is well earned, as is his Nobel Prize. He and his buddies were the first-ever economists to do actual experiments, you know, all science-like, to find out how people actually behave in economic situations. He’s an Aspie, too! I think I recall seeing a pic of him, wearing white tie, lighting up a cigar with the King of Sweden. (who is also the King of the Goths and the Wends, and don’t you forget that, you emo Goth kids)
Based upon what I have read of Krugman’s liberal tripe, I would conclude, reasonably so I think, that he is also mentally ill.
He certainly has no relation with reality at any serious level.
Like FbL said, when read the speech is good.
My problem is that the speech was given at all. This memorial wasn’t about civil discourse or even the subtle mention of politics of any kind. It was about the horrific deaths of 6 innocent people and the grievous injuries to 14 others.
If anything, Obama should have given that speech over the weekend, from the Oval Office. Then have a respectful focus on the victims thru another speech from, yes again, the Oval Office (or some other room with nice wallpaper).
P.BO loves to play the crowds and that’s what he did. He may not have had a hand in planning it yet – he is POTUS. If he had a shred of decency he’d have declined the whole circus and honored those people with reverence, not another campaign speech.
“If he had a shred of decency..” Or shame..
Fat Chance..
USMC Steve—I defer to no man in the depth of my discontent with our New Messiah. He was an inexperienced, not particularly bright, rookie with zero zip and nada executive experience. Actually of the four “geniuses” on display in the 2008 campaign, Palin was the best qualified candidate of the four for the Executive job. She was the only one who had actually run a government entity
But while I’m no fan of the Bamster–and would never vote for him (unless Pelosi were the only alternative choice) you have to give the guy props when he “doesn’t muck up a relatively simple task”. All too often in the past, when he’s been faced with such a task, he’s screwed the pooch.
I come from a management theory school which says you encourage positive behavior when you see it. It’s the only way to get more of it. And if the Bamster sees his poll numbers rise as a result of the speech, like all politicians (and Pavlov’s dog) he’ll respond to positive rewards. Will I trust him? Nope–but I’ll encourage good behavior.
We had a big discussion about this at work today. Last night, my husband had it on in the other room and I listened. I thought Obama did a good job. I think its what the people there wanted and needed. I don’t live in Tuscon and cannot imagine the horrors of knowing such a tragedy happened in their city/town. I think the error was in labeling it a Memorial Service. I think we all needed to hear incredibly wonderful things about the people who had died, which was done and done well.
I’m not a fan of Obama. He irritates me so much I pride myself in never having watched any of his speeches and this was the first one in his two years of office that I overheard. However, I can’t detract. He did what the people needed for him to do and he did it well.
As for the bizarre audience behavior, the cheering and what not, once again, I think it was labeled wrong and I think you have people who don’t always know how to behave, if in fact it was supposed to truly be a Memorial Service. Case in point, when President Reagan was lying in state, people showed up in shorts and flip flops, as if it were just another tourist attraction. At times, we seem to have lost any modicum of civility in our society.
And what I found REALLY odd: the principle target was Jewish, at least two of the dead were, by all accounts, devout Catholics, so the religious element they included was a Native American blessing!
Makes a lot of sense. If you’re a Libtard. Otherwise it’s just another oppo to diss the real world.
I have to align with Kris and Fbl on this strange display in Tucson. In my long life I have listened several times to similar memorials — to Reagan for the Challenger loss, to Clinton on the Oklahoma bombing, and some other somber memorials for courageous lives well lived. But I have never, ever seen a memorial service turned into a Presidential campaign stop — with T-shirts, *T-shirts* for God’s sake, passed out to the mourners. Here you are, folks, a free T-shirt! That’ll make you feel better about your loss. What’s next? Bumperstickers? A memorial service is supposed to be held to offer condolences to bereaved families for their losses. It is a somber, sober moment of reflection and consolation, not a chance to campaign for re-election.
If one reads the text of Obama’s speech it is not bad, and sounds sincere. But if one is present in the carnival atmosphere that prevailed in the actual situation … well, it sounds truly strange.
Marianne
What Marianne Matthews said.
Best regards, Peter Warner.
I concur with Peter. Memorials are Serious Business.