Laura Ingraham’s rant on the O’Reilly Factor about Meghan McCain
- Posted by Beth on March 19th, 2009 filed in General, Politics, Stupid ann coulter · conservatives · Fox News · laura ingraham · meghan mccain · Republicans
Pardon my furious swearing here, but I’ve had enough of this crap.
So, Laura Ingraham was on the O’Reilly Factor last night.
Laura Ingraham can kiss my skinny ass. I would normally change the channel because I can’t stand her, but I wanted to see what the cupid stunt had to say for herself. I was screaming at the teevee last night when she was ranting about how she was “channeling” Meghan McCain talking about her weight. BULLSHIT. She’s a flat-out liar. I can’t believe she’s trying to bullshit her way out of that one, and I can’t believe anyone thinks it’s defensible. She says it’s because Meghan isn’t qualified to talk about the future of the GOP? What the HELL does that have to do with the girl’s weight? And why is Meghan less “qualified” to talk about the public faces of the GOP than any of us? What, because she doesn’t have a radio show or nationally syndicated opinion column? Because she’s 24 years old? What about the kid at CPAC (Jonathan Krohn), then? Shouldn’t he shut up too, then? He can’t even vote! But no, she likes what he says (as do I), so he’s okay, right? Nevermind the fact he isn’t even a registered Republican and Meghan McCain is! (Oh yeah, she’s a newly-registered Republican, so she doesn’t count. I’m sure ex-Democrat Ronald Reagan would have agreed. Not.)
If it was about Meghan talking about Coulter and her abrasive, off-putting style, then criticize what she said. Mocking her with that “plus-sized” (which she isn’t anyway) shit and the Barbie crap was pure ad hominem, and totally proved Meghan’s point!
I hope she puts on a bunch of weight. Maybe when the miserable Left starts mocking her appearance rather than her arguments, she’ll fucking get it. I’ll bet “Man” Coulter (as the Left likes to say, rather than discussing her arguments) understands it, although she’s not likely honest enough to admit it. (To her credit, she hasn’t piled on.) I’ll bet Rush Limbaugh knows that fat jokes don’t do anything to challenge what he says. I’ll bet Sarah Palin knows that cruel, mean-spirited personal attacks don’t diminish her arguments or opinions.
As far as I’m concerned, anyone defending Laura Ingraham’s vapid bullshit is being intellectually dishonest at best. I was shocked when Tammy Bruce defended that shit, but I guess radio people have to stick together, right or wrong. (rolls eyes) She was particularly surprising because she’s definitely not a “true conservative” and as far as I know, not even registered Republican, so why the hell should she have anything to say about the GOP either, by Ingraham’s flimsy standards? Maybe she was afraid Ingraham would make some totally irrelevant, juvenile insult about her as well. She would, you know. (For the record, I welcome her voice in the discussion of the future of the GOP - but she’s wrong in this one.)
It’s like I always say: politics is about ADDITION, not subtraction. Meghan McCain may be only 24 and not a lifelong Republican, but even she understands that. She’s right - these nasty, ad hominem-slinging loudmouths drive away far more potential converts than they have ever brought in. All they do is preach to the choir, entertain their followers. In the process, they’re destroying the chances of progress in everything they stand for. I don’t see how they do any good when they couldn’t even manage to get their pick for Presidential nominee on the ticket! Whom exactly did they convince? Not enough to get what conservatives want! As a lifelong conservative, I resent Ingraham and Coulter and all those like them, and the damage they do. I’m no part of the left-wing attack machine that Ingraham says is complaining about her nastiness; her so-called “satire” disgusts me. I’m done with her. If she makes me tune her out, imagine how many moderates will refuse to listen to what she has to say as a conservative. Imagine how many already did long ago. (Ditto that with Coulter, et al.) Is it any wonder they can’t get moderates and independents (much less liberals) to see that conservatism is the right solution to America’s problems?
Laura Ingraham needs to shut up and…just shut up.
/rant
Now that that’s out of my system, I think I’ll go read Barack Obama’s Teleprompter blog. 
UPDATE: Now here’s an Ann Coulter column that you definitely need to read (yes, even you lefties). Nothing about Meghan McCain in it at all.
UPDATE again: AMEN!!! Jenn Q. Public nails it!
Hardcore "Anti-RINO" Conservative says:
I agree with Laura Ingraham
Lord Bitememan says:
I got you writing. :P
Chris says:
Holy Crap! Beth! You wrote on politics! Way cool!
SJ Reidhead says:
Excellent. I finally had time to get around to reading what Meghan wrote - and she is right.
I also agree with your take on Ingraham.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
Martin says:
And to top it off, Allah has suspended me from Hot Air for daring to use the dreaded F word in comments.
Wanker.
Beth - I’m scared of Obama! Seriously.
Jenn Q. Public says:
I totally agree. Laura Ingraham is making a mockery of the debate over the future of the GOP with her lame ad hominem attacks on Meghan. Laura’s juvenile antics were just a blatant attempt to silence an opinion she dislikes. Classy, huh?
Regarding Meghan, I wrote last week that I find her viewpoint instructive since she’s hardly alone in her political views. I’m not suggesting the GOP change its platform for Meghan, but why would conservatives work so hard to alienate someone who not only identifies as Republican, but has expressed her support for conservative darling Bobby Jindal? It’s ridiculously self-defeating.
That said, if Meghan wants to establish herself as a serious political writer, she ought to devote her next column to explaining why she’s a Republican. And if she’s not interested in political punditry, she should say so and tell all her critics to STFU.
Sorry for the long comment - this crap gets to me.
Robert says:
Thanks for the link to the Ann Coulter piece on Ron Silver. It’s going into my own blog, and I’ll h/t you.
wxwzrd says:
I agree that her weight is not an issue and shouldn’t be a point of discussion. The problem with Meghan McCain is that it appears she registered as a Republican because dad was running for Prez. She is a typical RINO who publicly bashes conservatives–and instanty becomes a media darling as a tool for the left.
Beth says:
wxwzrd -
Actually, Meghan McCain addressed that “just for Dad” thing a while back, but I can’t remember where. Maybe I can find it. Anyway, she said basically that she was “independent” because she was young (she still is, if you ask me) and thought it wasn’t “cool” to say you’re a Republican, so she said she was an independent. Let’s remember she IS only 24, so she’s not been a registered voter for very long anyway. She’s quite outspoken about being a Republican now and actually, she doesn’t publicly bash conservatives. She criticizes the tenor of some - well, Coulter, anyway - and only fought back when Laura Ingraham publicly bashed her. Should she just sit down and take that crap? I sure wouldn’t. Laura Ingraham is a typical loudmouth who publicly bashes other Republicans ALL THE TIME - as does Coulter. Why is it okay for them, but not anyone else? It’s one thing to criticize policy views, but those two drag out every irrelevant ad hominem they can dream up.
There’s really no difference between what they do and what the nasty Left does when they attack “Man” Coulter or “fat drug addict” Rush Limbaugh or “ignorant fundie hick” Sarah Palin - none of that shit says anything about their actual beliefs; it’s just stupid, childish name-calling. And I’m not saying “we should be better than them” - I’m saying conservatism isn’t being sold to anyone when the people talking are just ranting and attacking. They aren’t making anyone eager to actually LISTEN and THINK about what they have to say.
It’s basic communication - and why these people who are professionals in a communications field (and in some cases, former lawyers!) don’t understand the basics of persuasion is a mystery to me. Certainly they do know, but they choose to sacrifice the cause of converting others to conservatism in favor of book sales, radio listener numbers, whatever. Money talks. In the end, their masters are the almighty dollar, NOT conservatism. If they REALLY cared about the issues, they’d make an effort to reach out to those outside the echo chamber and bring them in, give convincing arguments for conservatism, and win converts. Meghan McCain, despite being a “RINO” (whatever), has done more in that regard than any of the loudmouths have. She makes the Republican party less “scary” (for lack of a better word) to the uninitiated - she brings us potential converts, but Coulter, Ingraham, et al, fail at teaching those potential converts a thing about why conservatism is the right answer.
Media darling for the Left - maybe so, for now anyway. But so what? At least there’s a Republican getting a voice in the mainstream public arena. I cringed when she went on the View too, but it wasn’t just Joy Behar who cheered when she said “kiss my fat ass” - Elisabeth Hasselbeck did too. So did I (well, when I saw it on Youtube - I don’t watch that shit on tv). She was a Republican who was treated WELL by the media (as was her dad, before the election). Aren’t we always bitching about how conservatives and Republicans are treated like shit?
See, I’m not about kicking people out from our side. We can all be an exclusive circle of perfect conservatives FOR THE PRINCIPLE! and lose elections because the message is “you suck if you aren’t one of us!” - or we can say, “hey, we don’t hate you, come talk to us.” Which way do you think makes people more amenable to listening? And isn’t it better to have MORE on our side than less?
Lord Bitememan says:
Could somebody kindly set a quantitative standard for what a RINO is? So far the only standard I’ve seen for it is somebody who ever, at any point, expresses any thought ever that is mildly independent of some arbitrary conservative dogma. If the same standards applied to todays “RINOs” had been applied in 1986 we would have called Ronald McAmnesty Trillion Dollars of Deficit Spending Reagan a RINO. Today he’s some mythological hero who surely would have railed against all these horrible things RINOs are doing today, including, you know, the ones he himself did. Do we want a party of free thinkers? If so, we need to be more tolerant of those who disagree or even have some helpful criticism for us. If not, well, might as well invest in human cloning because it’s the only way to have a large number of “true conservatives.”
Beth says:
Martin, WTF! You got suspended from Hot Air? hahahahahaha Sorry, that’s just funny. I can’t stand commenting there. I’m surprised I haven’t burst out with the F-bomb on a few occasions there in the past myself!
And Martin - I’m scared of Obama too! Seriously!!!
Beth says:
^^^ THIS. Also, he’d be reviled because he had Democrat friends and wasn’t into name-calling.
To me, a RINO is anyone who says they’re a Republican or a conservative and doesn’t vote for the Republican party or along party lines. After all, a conservative who doesn’t vote (R) IS a Republican in name only, if he or she calls himself a Republican. That includes those who say “conservative first, Republican second.”
Obviously, that also goes for wankers like Arlen Specter and Lincoln Chafee, who regularly vote (or voted, in the case of Chafee) with the Democrats.
But yeah, it seems that anyone who doesn’t march in lockstep with Coulter/Ingraham/Limbaugh these days is labeled a RINO. Whatever. I’ve been called a RINO as well. I don’t care, because I know the truth - those who think that just don’t know who or what they’re talking about. I’ll bet this “RINO” has found a lot more liberals willing to listen and find points where they agree with me than the bomb-throwers have, and I sure haven’t had to become “less conservative” in the process either.
“Conservative” is not equal to “angry and insular.” But hey, don’t tell that to some people - you might get called a RINO or a lib. LOL
Conservative Belle says:
Well said, Beth. I love your rants. I’ve turned off Fox News for the most part because it just annoys me now. I’d rather watch Top Chef anyway. :P
I loved Coulter’s piece too. It made me choke up. Wow.
YAY for former bloggers who come out for a bit to play!!!
Jenn Q. Public says:
Beth - thanks for the link. :)
Much as I enjoy a spirited debate, sometimes it’s even nicer to find people who are on the same page as I am.
Lord Bitememan - I love your observation that Reagan would be considered a RINO today.
wxwzrd says:
Glad I could generate some spirited debate. To me, a RINO is someone who claims to be conservative but espouses more of a liberal viewpoint and/or agenda. Seems the overall trend among the pundits on both sides is name-calling–instead of clearly making a reasoned case for their particular viewpoint. When the debate degenerates to school yard antics–as has happened between Ingraham and McCain–the message becomes lost and the focus is on the antics.
Ronald Reagan stuck to his core values and clearly spelled them out. If a politician’s core values are constantly shifting, it becomes like a rudderless ship, which happens to be the case with too many politicians today.
I voted for McCain. I didn’t necessarily agree with all his positions but I believed he was the best candidate at the time.
Let’s not lose focus on the message.
Lord Bitememan says:
wxwzrd: The problem with your standard is that it uses conservative and Republican as interchangeable terms, and therefore precludes non-conservatives from the Republican party. This is exactly the sort of thing Meghan McCain was complaining about. Republican success can’t be predicated on being a party solely of conservatives. You NEED moderates and yes, centrists. The Republican party will not win elections without these groups, and increasingly conservatives are doing everything they can to drive these groups away from the party. Even I’ve started to feel more under assault from the loudest mouths in the conservative movement these days, and I’ve been a loyal Republican since 1996. It’s as if because I’m not a lock-step Coulterite this party has no room for me. Lately I’ve been wondering if I should start voting Libertarian instead, going along with the Dems, going through the ultimate in protest and forming my own party, or dropping out altogether. Is this the strategy for success for the right? Drive out those who aren’t in 100% agreement? If it is don’t expect a political comeback in the wings, the party is slated for the dustbin of history.
buffload says:
What makes you all think that playing nice is the way to go?”Moderates” will do nothing for the republican party but destroy it.Moving to whichever way the wind blows is no virtue or value.Stop with the courtship of spineless voters Beth.Yes Lord Bitterman those who aren’t willing to stick to principle are rinos, worthless to the conservative movement and despised by the lefties they seek to cozy up to.
Beth says:
Buffload: Fuck off. I don’t “court spineless voters,” and I don’t “play nice.” The difference between you and me is, I’m an adult. I don’t stomp out when I don’t get my way - I try to make others see and understand my way. Only a child has these idiotic tantrums with name-calling and kicking people out of their parties if they aren’t exactly the same. Use your fucking brain - do you like being insulted? Are you listening to me now? I’ll bet you aren’t, since I told you to fuck off, right?
Do the rest of us conservatives a favor - stop calling yourself a conservative. You’re an embarrassment. Probably a RINO, too. Reagan rolls in his grave when people like you bleat your parroted nonsense.
Beth says:
…since 1977 (I was 10 years old). Voted that way in every election in which I’ve been eligible to vote, too. Case in point: the Buffload clowns, who probably haven’t given 1/10th the time, money, effort, and votes I have to the GOP *AND* conservative causes. Frankly, I’m sick and tired of these Johnny-come-lately “conservatives” who think that just because they listen to talk radio and parrot everything they hear, they’re “true conservatives.” They embarrass me, and they’re precisely the reason why people aren’t voting for Republicans or conservatives these days. I resent it - as much money and time as I’ve given, it’s all gone to waste because these “True Conservatives™” have sabotaged the entire conservative movement for the last several years. (And in fact, it’s those jackasses that made me lose interest in blogging and reading blogs altogether! REAL conservatives in the REAL world are nothing like these fucking idiots!)
Lord Bitememan says:
And this is why I do my darnedest not to piss Beth off.