I respectfully and wholeheartedly disagree with Jack Dublin's demand that Keith and Rachel apologize for their mocking coverage of Sanford. I have no sympathy for hypocrites or bigots or flat-earthers. They deserve the humiliation and scorn that mocking them can bring.
Update [2009-6-25 14:29:21 by Irishbeermonster]: I will give one thing to Mr. Dublin. He managed to spell the guy's name correctly where I did not. It has been corrected. Thanks to those that pointed that out to me. D'oh!
In fairness, this is the diary I am responding to:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
The reality is that Sanford would have no compunctions about invading your privacy and demanding you live your life according to his particular mores. He wields his faith as a weapon against those who do not share his values. Men and women like Sanford would dictate how you should live your life, and yet I am supposed to feel sorry for his humiliation?
No. I do not and will not. Keith and Rachel did not cause him to cheat on his wife, write embarrassing emails or abandon his duties. Especially in light of his hypocrisy, I am unmoved that he will be publicly humiliated. It is no more than he deserves, and I hope he runs with his tail between his legs, never to blight public discourse again.
In terms of issues, I certainly do want liberals or Democrats to maintain dignity and truth and honor. I do not wish to see a liberal Karl Rove, should such a thing even be possible. But in the "demand" made for an apology, the diary author seems to willingly ignore the fact that people like Mark Sanford are playing an entirely different political game. And, I would argue, are still winning in many ways. I certainly prefer high minded discourse. But politics in this era is a street fight, and plenty of Democrats and liberals seem all too ready to apologize for their values or ideas. Apologies, Mr. Dublin, but you need to get in the game, push back against conservative voices, and refuse to "let them up easy." One of the best ways to do so to to mock them mercilessly for their failures. Perhaps if we mocked Newt Gingrich, John McCain, David Vitter, Rush Limbaugh, et al ad infinitum, for their bloviations, right-leaning thinking would not be nearly as dominant. It also prevents their return to a place of prominence and of policy-making. What we need is more mocking and giddy insults in the vein Countdown Puppet Theater in order to tear down the ridiculous.
There will a day come when the race will detect the funniness of these juvenilities and laugh at them--and by laughing at them destroy them? For your race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon--laughter. Power, Money, Persuasion, Supplication, Persecution--these can lift at a colossal humbug,--push it a little-- crowd it a little--weaken it a little, century by century: but only Laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of Laughter nothing can stand.
Mark Twain
"The Chronicle of Young Satan," Mysterious Stranger Manuscripts
Mark Twain was, as usual, correct. Keith and Rachel are honoring his sagacity. The Republicans as currently exist deserved to be laughed out of existence. I find that something that hardly needs apologizing for.
Update [2009-6-25 16:51:19 by Irishbeermonster]: Thanks for the recommends. I never figured a diary about puppets, an Argentinian tryst and the wisdom of Mark Twain would make it on the list. Go figure. A few things I would just like to comment on after reading, um, the comments.
Some comments(!) indicated that they thought I was attacking or trying to silence the author of the original diary. I don't feel this is true, and I meant it when I said I respectfully disagree with his advocated tactics.
I also have see some comments indicating that my position on tactics makes me the equivalent of conservatives. I maintain that my position of mocking conservatives for their views and their foibles is entirely appropriate. I think this is much different than conservative tactics of jamming phone lines, throwing voters off the rolls, denouncing someone's patriotism, or swift-boating them. When I refer to politics as a street fight, I mean only to indicate that if conservatives want to tear peoples lives apart by demonizng gays, minorities, atheists, whomever...then they can't simply "repent" and call a time out after they are caught being hypocrites. I don't feel that guys like Sanford get to blame gay people for the destruction of western civilization and then get to hide the details of his hypocrisy by claiming that to point it out will hurt his kids. People like him need to be hit hard on those failures, be thereby delegitimized, and not invited back to poison the public discourse or make policy. I know that there are more substantive issues that liberals need to deal with, but one hopes that would be easier if those like Sanford, Vitter and Ensign are shamed into political non-existence.
Once again, thanks to everyone, on any side of this issue, that bothered to read the diary.