It is now form, RW dogma that Warren got where she is based on affirmative action. The Boston Globe article detailing that she was evaluated based on her work will make no difference to the rwnj. When I speak to the rwnj I know about Hillary, all I would hear is that HRC was a crook. Rarely would anything specific come up that I could try to refute.
So it will be Warren.
I don't know what a successful tactic would be with Trump. Perhaps, constantly refer to the fact that he is living on Daddy's money. Maybe start demanding to see his grades from Wharton? But if a candidate does something like this, it has to be done every day, in every speech and public utterance.
I really hope the Dems carry the House in November.
They're upset that they can't get much mileage any more from claiming that Obama only got somewhere via affirmative action.
I'm about as in favour of affirmative action as the late Rev. King—that is, in favour of it, regardless of how the Right distort his position—but a very real defect in it is the 'out' it gives bigots…as opposed to the boost the anti-Jewish quota gave to those Jews who were able to get past it to become doctors.
I think it's worth remembering that a fundamental strategy of the rightwing from politicians, to hate radio and social media to their followers is the politics of personal destruction and demonization.
Warren's release of her DNA results shines a light on one of the more remarkable (and regrettable) aspects of the modern GOP: A political movement in which its followers AND its leaders have made and announced their affirmative choice to be utterly impervious to facts. As my rightwing brother-in-law put it just last week, "I don't care what the facts are; I know what I know."
A house divided against itself may not long stand, but a house in which one-half of the residents spend all their time eating paint chips and playing with home trepanning kits while marinating in gasoline is not exactly a recipe for success, either.
There's a Twitter troll mad at me because I RT'd a note on how many days Trump has spent at Trump properties during his presidency: "Maybe "well-known" to the #FakeNews mob! Not to the people who are actually paying attention...#MAGA #WWG1WGA #WalkAway #draintheswamp @realDonaldTrump #LiberalismIsAMentalDisorder"
“French ... says that the decent thing for Warren to do would be to "apologize, attribute it to family lore, and move on" “
Dave. My dude. Aside from “apologize” - which, for what? - Warren did attribute her good-faith belief in her Native American heritage to family lore and moved on long ago. You assholes are the ones who keep making with the racist “jokes” and who won’t “move on”, to the point of simply making up out of whole cloth this lie that Warren’s native heritage somehow gave her a leg up educationally or professionally.
And although Warren hasn't apologized, she has said this: "I wish that I had been more mindful of the distinction between heritage and tribal citizenship... Only the tribes can determine tribal citizenship and I respect their right. That’s why now I don’t list myself here in the Senate as Native American." Which seems reasonable to me.
"She made up her heritage, which I think is racist. I think she’s a racist, actually, because what she did was very racist". Wonder what's the word for when the Trump family started telling everybody they were Swedish around World War II times.
Actually, I heard a Prof. Kim Tall Bear on Seattle's KUOW essentially call Warren's initial claim racist, and part of the white history of taking everything from natives. She did call Trump an idiot later.
What's racist about it is the idea that ancestry is identity, and the idea that a white person can just pick up and put down 'ethnic' identities based on their ancestry at will. A Native person with 1/64th English ancestry would probably not be as successful at convincing everyone that she was actually white.
But, I mean, it's racist in the same way that white families moving to the suburbs 'for the better schools' is racist. And she's acknowledged her mistake.
'good faith and reality are to Trump as garlic and crucifixes to a vampire' .
I disagree: one of the most frightening things about D.T. and his core is their usual complete indifference to those*, down to the very real possibility that if he were ever actually impeached and convicted or twenty-fifthed out they would deny that this had happened.
That takes me back. Anyone remember when Jim Treacher spent like two solid weeks -- days, nights, and weekends -- spamming "Obama eats dogs" on any blog, forum, or GeoCities guestbook that hadn't banned him yet?
My initial thought was "Oh, no". I thought she'd made a mistake. I'm still worried about how it will shake out because I like and support Senator Professor Warren; but your essay and the comments are compelling and comforting.
President Scut Farkus and his wing nut toadies operate on the premise that there is no effective response to bullying. Stay passive and you invite more. Hit back and you are causing trouble. Warren's video did a great job of eviserating the accusations that she parlayed her Indian ancestry - or any other ancestry - into a job, but I would have liked it even better if, at the moment she's about to get the DNA tests she faced the camera and said, "Donald, I'll tell you the results when you release your tax returns."
It is now form, RW dogma that Warren got where she is based on affirmative action. The Boston Globe article detailing that she was evaluated based on her work will make no difference to the rwnj. When I speak to the rwnj I know about Hillary, all I would hear is that HRC was a crook. Rarely would anything specific come up that I could try to refute.
So it will be Warren.
I don't know what a successful tactic would be with Trump. Perhaps, constantly refer to the fact that he is living on Daddy's money. Maybe start demanding to see his grades from Wharton? But if a candidate does something like this, it has to be done every day, in every speech and public utterance.
I really hope the Dems carry the House in November.
Whatever it is, you're right: every day, in every speech and public utterance.
They're upset that they can't get much mileage any more from claiming that Obama only got somewhere via affirmative action.
I'm about as in favour of affirmative action as the late Rev. King—that is, in favour of it, regardless of how the Right distort his position—but a very real defect in it is the 'out' it gives bigots…as opposed to the boost the anti-Jewish quota gave to those Jews who were able to get past it to become doctors.
I think it's worth remembering that a fundamental strategy of the rightwing from politicians, to hate radio and social media to their followers is the politics of personal destruction and demonization.
Warren's release of her DNA results shines a light on one of the more remarkable (and regrettable) aspects of the modern GOP: A political movement in which its followers AND its leaders have made and announced their affirmative choice to be utterly impervious to facts. As my rightwing brother-in-law put it just last week, "I don't care what the facts are; I know what I know."
A house divided against itself may not long stand, but a house in which one-half of the residents spend all their time eating paint chips and playing with home trepanning kits while marinating in gasoline is not exactly a recipe for success, either.
Well, believing that those things are good for you or not is a pretty fundamental division.
There's a Twitter troll mad at me because I RT'd a note on how many days Trump has spent at Trump properties during his presidency: "Maybe "well-known" to the #FakeNews mob! Not to the people who are actually paying attention...#MAGA #WWG1WGA #WalkAway #draintheswamp @realDonaldTrump #LiberalismIsAMentalDisorder"
"Actually paying attention" lol.
Always paying attention to their hashtag construction and agglomeration. It's like they're detailing cars.
I particularly like the @ of Trump in there. Very "senpai notice me" of them.
“French ... says that the decent thing for Warren to do would be to "apologize, attribute it to family lore, and move on" “
Dave. My dude. Aside from “apologize” - which, for what? - Warren did attribute her good-faith belief in her Native American heritage to family lore and moved on long ago. You assholes are the ones who keep making with the racist “jokes” and who won’t “move on”, to the point of simply making up out of whole cloth this lie that Warren’s native heritage somehow gave her a leg up educationally or professionally.
And although Warren hasn't apologized, she has said this: "I wish that I had been more mindful of the distinction between heritage and tribal citizenship... Only the tribes can determine tribal citizenship and I respect their right. That’s why now I don’t list myself here in the Senate as Native American." Which seems reasonable to me.
Yes, conservatives are strongly against people trusting their elders and believing what they say.
"She made up her heritage, which I think is racist. I think she’s a racist, actually, because what she did was very racist". Wonder what's the word for when the Trump family started telling everybody they were Swedish around World War II times.
Actually, I heard a Prof. Kim Tall Bear on Seattle's KUOW essentially call Warren's initial claim racist, and part of the white history of taking everything from natives. She did call Trump an idiot later.
What's racist about it is the idea that ancestry is identity, and the idea that a white person can just pick up and put down 'ethnic' identities based on their ancestry at will. A Native person with 1/64th English ancestry would probably not be as successful at convincing everyone that she was actually white.
But, I mean, it's racist in the same way that white families moving to the suburbs 'for the better schools' is racist. And she's acknowledged her mistake.
The Democratic coalition is too diverse to expect uniformity of it.
"moulting bits of fig leaf"
That's why this place is worth paying for.
Thanks. J'essaie!
…and you're a great essayist.
'good faith and reality are to Trump as garlic and crucifixes to a vampire' .
I disagree: one of the most frightening things about D.T. and his core is their usual complete indifference to those*, down to the very real possibility that if he were ever actually impeached and convicted or twenty-fifthed out they would deny that this had happened.
<p/> .
. .
*'Boy, hev you got the wrong wempire! '
"Woman-Who-Loved-Dog-Eater"
That takes me back. Anyone remember when Jim Treacher spent like two solid weeks -- days, nights, and weekends -- spamming "Obama eats dogs" on any blog, forum, or GeoCities guestbook that hadn't banned him yet?
Oh, God, I remember. He did it on one of my posts. I hope he gets run over again.
My initial thought was "Oh, no". I thought she'd made a mistake. I'm still worried about how it will shake out because I like and support Senator Professor Warren; but your essay and the comments are compelling and comforting.
Thanks, Mona. I hope we're right.
President Scut Farkus and his wing nut toadies operate on the premise that there is no effective response to bullying. Stay passive and you invite more. Hit back and you are causing trouble. Warren's video did a great job of eviserating the accusations that she parlayed her Indian ancestry - or any other ancestry - into a job, but I would have liked it even better if, at the moment she's about to get the DNA tests she faced the camera and said, "Donald, I'll tell you the results when you release your tax returns."
In my dream world, Ms Warren would campaign in 2020 with St. Bernie on her ticket. Wingnuttia would explode.