Monday, December 8, 2008

Breitbart on double standards

The case of the cardboard-cutout Clinton:
If the photo had exposed a Republican offender, there'd already be a full-bore media scandal and cascading resignations. MSNBC would be rearranging its schedules for a wall-to-wall 24/7 bonanza. Rachel Maddow would finally have her big story. Barbara Boxer, Patricia Schroeder and other righteous feminists would walk up the Capitol steps, reprising the time they tried to destroy Clarence Thomas - for nothing.
Yet so far there is no groundswell of feminist rage in the District of Columbia. The unnamed co-conspirator thrusting the beer bottle into the mouth of the designated secretary of state isn't yet a household slur.
Instead, with the accused being a member of the protected Democratic class, we only have a quick peripheral debate. The mainstream media headlines soften the story's implications: "Obama speechwriter Favreau learns the perils of Facebook" (CNN).
The double standard is truly obnoxious, but I'm not really offended by the photo -- and I don't think Hillary was, either. I think she was actually flattered by the attention. As a matter of fact, that photo probably depicts Hillary's fantasy of a wild weekend: "Grab me! Grope me! Make me drink Heineken!"

Oh, wait . . . that's my fantasy weekend. Never mind.

UPDATE: Linked by VodkaPundit. Thanks.

UPDATE II: Moe Lane: "Besides, that cardboard cutout was totally asking for it." Cardboard cutout consent.

6 comments:

  1. What double standard?

    Breitbart's article was pure nonsense. If a Repub were photographed doing this the response would have been the same. The same whining from the same few quarters, and a big yawn from everyone else.

    Funny how Breitbart just asserts that there would be a double standard, and pretends that he thereby proves his point. Its a lot of BS.

    He even writes "Fraternities have been closed for less". Thats so ridiculous its beyond belief.

    Why dont you ever stand up to the nonsense on your side of ailse Mc, instead of just nodding along like a fool?

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  2. Anonymous,

    You're joking, right?

    You really think this wouldn't have been wall-to-wall coverage if the cardboard groper had been a speechwriter for an incoming Republican president? That the press would have passed up the opportunity to turn frat boy juvenile behavior into a dangerously sexist pathology on the part of Republicans generally?

    All I can say is "wow."

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  3. Of course the cardboard cutout was asking for it; that's what they do. As I said over on Althouse's thread, if you want to honor someone, you put up his portrait. If you want to goof on someone, you get a life-size cardboard cutout. I don't understand the people who are acting as if Favreau groped a real, live woman. There are two kinds of people in the world: those who ignore cardboard cutouts, and those who act like goofs around them.

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  4. Deuce...really now.
    First, let me mention that this is my favorite Republican canard: "the double standard against Republicans" routine.
    Why don't we stop speaking in generalities and get more specific.
    If it was a Republican frat-boy speechwriter groping Clinton there might have been some uproar. But what if it was a cardboard cutout of Palin being groped?
    In other words, the reason this is not a big deal is because it's between Democrats.
    If it was between Republicans it would still be a non-issue.
    Now go home and stop trying to make a big something out of nothing you whining sissies....

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  5. I agree that the coverage would have been totally different. It would have been headlined in every major daily and led the evening news. Stories about how sexism is just rampant in the Republican party and it was just symptomatic of a deeper rot within the party.

    But for a group of people who yawned when Obama made perhaps the most crass move in a presidential election ever when he gave Hillary the finger during a speech, should we be surprised that they would hold such a double-standard for his flunkies?

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  6. IMHO the really scary part is looking at the uncropped snap with the rest of the adolescents who are about to begin "running the country."

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