Although I’m sure he is studiously ignoring it (probably the best policy) I’m sure, Mr. Kaus, you are aware you’ve really pissed off the left with the one paragraph about John Edwards and the National Enquirer story insinuating he has had an affair and cheated on his terminally ill wife (a fer shure campaign ender if ever there was one.
Plus she’ll probably Lorena Bobbitt his ass, that Lizzy Edwards is a pretty salty dog). I’m a righty blogger but I read Kaus because although he seems liberal, he is really tough on lefties and I find it entertaining.
Anyway, I’m daily reading the enemy blogs and on every blog, Ameriblog, Kos, Wonkette, SadlyNo Tbogg (I’m not linking that crap, google it if you wanna read that tripe) etc. they are all slamming Kaus in the most childish, mean-spirited and vicious manner with this juvenile goat thing. Making Yourself Look Stupid Childish And Whiny 101. Like, what nerve did Kaus hit that caused all of Pavlov’s dogs to start talking about bestiality, I’m wondering, and what is this all about? Then it strikes me, it ties in with another thing I’ve noticed:
The lefty blogs are VERY light-handed and loathe to criticize any Democrat presidential candidate much at all for anything they may do. And they are even quicker to jump to their defense if the teensiest negative story comes up, even to the point of defending Hillary! whom they seem to despise. They don’t make much of a stink about things like Mark Penn or O’Hanlon joining Hilary!’s team either. They are treading very very lightly, and its not like them.
My theory is, the theory which I have, here is my theory which is mine (Monty Python Ann Elk bit)
They suppose that Kerry may have lost because A. they didn’t give him enough hugs (didn’t support him and make the case FOR him enough, just hated Bush with all their might) and 2. they didn’t defend Kerry vociferously enough. Now, the left is clumsy and loutish puppyish when it comes to trying to apply their blogginess to real world stuff other than acting the fool at Lieberman events with their big puppets and or their Macaca man or whatever. Acting childish is their forte, and their main defense and attack mechanism.
The righty position would be, should a rumor of Fred Thompson or McCain (I don’t think Guiliani is vulnerable on this at this point) being unfaithful, to suss it out completely and see if there was anything to it. The left’s defense to any negative story is to starve it for oxygen while attacking the messenger and changing the subject.
The right has delved deep into Mark Foley and Larry Craig, the left ignores William Jefferson and Alan Mollohan. And, in response to an attack, the right investigates, re: Dan Rather or Scott Beauchamp or even Mark Foley. The left’s version of this is to attack the messenger with both feet, including vandalizing his wiki page and trying to game google with phrases saying he has sex with undulates.
Something tells me that the rough and tumble of getting the truth out and standing up to criticism ripens a candidate better than hysterically attacking anyone who dares breathe a negative word about them and ignoring any and all bad news hoping it goes away (like Kos’ directive to ignore the astrologer stock adviser story). And refuting the facts of a story is a better defense than simply making up outrageous satires about anyone who reports such stories. I didn’t see anyone saying Mary Mapes had sex with invertebrates, they went after the facts of the story.
I’m guessing the entire goat thing is a shot across Kaus’ bow, and the entire media’s bow, that the left will attack personally any reporter who, as they call it “carry the Republican’s water”, that is, don’t follow the traditional leftist media trope and attack the Republican and give 15% bonus vote to the Democrat, without which no Democrat can hope to win. They are still making cracks about Judy Miller. And they are desperate to win this time.
Just sayin’, it all fits. The left is determined not to get swiftboated or monica’ed again I guess, and this is the best way they can figure out to fight back (vs. the right getting real military men to vet Beauchamp’s stories, font innovators and computer printing experts to debunk CBS, Photoshop experts to check out the Reuters fauxtography, etc. etc.)
I can’t help but think I’m on the winning side as far as strategy and tactics go. Just wait until the real campaign begins. The left constantly accuses the right of being violent and extreme: I believe its the left that is more likely to cross over from mean-spiritedness and hate speech to actual violence (and I mean beyond pies at Coulter or Mike Stark threatening George Allen). These guys are on the edge, and if a Democrat gets some really bad press and their numbers go South, I don’t expect the left to rest at google and wiki games.
I enjoy Kaus’ column and he’s one of my daily reads. Hey Mickey! they locked your wiki so your web rep is safe (for now!)
cheers
-d
PS, if you try to post in the forum on Slate, type in suggested tags starting with Mickey Kaus and guess what comes up? Try it. It won’t let you NOT put it in. And they keep popping up when you try to put in other tags, along with phrases including sex with other animals, Ann Coulter, etc. etc.
And Atrios wonders why the “serious” Democrat politicians think Kos, Escaton et al are a bunch of dirty hippies. You wouldn’t find this kind of junior high taunting and scatological humor going on at Instapundit or Powerline. Here at dw or Ace of Spades HQ, sure, but not the leading righty blogs.
So, since I’ve roundly criticized the practice, let me be the first to say that Kos has never denied blowing goats either, so the statement Kos blows goats is unproven, so far, but also un DIS-proven. Since I’ve already disclaimed any association with the serious blogs, I can post Kos blows goats and still be true to my school. So, Kos blows goats.