Always something

[lillibet]

J. and I are frequently bemused by people choosing to stick on their cars bumper stickers that become obsolete within a few months. We have a running list of bumper stickers that would never become obsolete, which includes "People for the Separation of Us and Them" and "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention," because there is always

Comments

[plumtreeblossom]

Yes, I've been enraged over what they did to those poor factory workers and their kids. The worst part is their blanket denial that any children have been put in danger.

[xthread]

In other news, Newt Gingrich has admitted that he was having an affair with a congressional aide during the time he was doing his best to pin Clinton to the wall over the Lewinsky thing. But he's decided that he's not really a hypocrite.

I had a very interesting conversation with one of my pet conservatives about that after the Ted Haggard story broke. His response to 'isn't that horribly hypocritical' was to respond 'leader of men succumbs to temptation. Where's the story?' Which was a very interesting view... I don't think that he actually perceived his response as hypocritical.

(I'm not arguing that either Haggard or Gingrich aren't hypocritical, but that there is a large population to whom making the argument 'they're being hypocritical' doesn't make sense)

[marmota]

*nod* To my mind, that's the correct response to the "tu quoque" logical fallacy... it's fine to call Gingrich on being despicable (the article also mentions him discussing divorce terms with his ex-wife while she was in hospital recovering from cancer surgery), and I hope he gets dragged through the mud over it... but it's absurd to cry "hypocrisy" or "pot/kettle/black" over it in the strange assumption that one naked emperor somehow should not be allowed to point out the lack of clothes on another.

[lillibet]

I'm interested to know how you define hypocrisy.

Two wrongs don't make a right, but they can make for great theater

[marmota]

I think the key element is someone crying out for the persecution of someone else for doing something they themselves are _unapologetic_ for also having done.

Gingrich unfortunately is following the right script; when caught out he repented, and he did get divorced. That's what plays well in Peoria, as the saying goes. Clinton lied when caught, and stayed in a broken marriage, at least that's the popular perception of it. If Gingrich doesn't get absolved, he'll probably check into rehab next, or get rebaptized or something like it. That's the standard redemption song and dance routine these days.

Clinton could have played that game too; the "sinning in his heart" speech worked out all right for Carter, although I think Clinton going in the other direction would've been far more entertaining, and probably won even more political capital

[entirelysonja]

I never used to put bumper stickers on my car that were likely to become obsolete, but then I discovered magnetic bumper-sticker backing. Now I can change my bumper stickers every day if I want! :-)