Enough With the Hobbs Piling On
There is nothing I can’t stand more than a self-righteous piling on in the blogosphere. I have had it happen to myself and I have seen it happen to others. It really doesn’t take a lot of courage to engage in that type of thing. What takes courage is going against the conventional wisdom. Now, according to Braisted, Hobbs may be out of his position with the TNGOP. Aunt B says it is wrong for Hobbs to take the fall for this.
Now her post isn’t exactly supportive of Mr. Hobbs. In fact she reminds everybody of this little artwork that got Hobbs fired from Belmont. Yes I remember that, and I remember all of the self-righteous outrage that ensued. Of course you haven’t heard an ounce of outrage about this photoshop. Insulting the religion of Islam and Mohammad is unacceptable, but insulting the religion of Christianity and Jesus, well that’s okay, obviously.
I am not saying Hobbs hasn’t done some bad things. He has, but come on people. Do you really have the right to cast so many stones? Unless you are consistent in your outrage, and almost nobody is, then you need to just shut your damn mouth. The dude messed up, now let it go. Or better yet, take a look at yourself, you know the person those other fingers are pointing back at.
If anyone needs a blanket party, it’s that potato-headed Tim Russert, who tried the same “guilt-by-association-once-removed” bullshit smear tactic with Obama to his face in Tuesday’s debate.
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Okay Russert Bad.
Matthews Bad.
Glen Dean Good?
[…] Glen Dean has seen blogswarms like this before and he thinks the one surrounding Bill Hobbs‘ ill-fated press release should stop now: I am not saying Hobbs hasn’t done some bad things. He has, but come on people. Do you really have the right to cast so many stones? Unless you are consistent in your outrage, and almost nobody is, then you need to just shut your damn mouth. The dude messed up, now let it go. Or better yet, take a look at yourself, you know the person those other fingers are pointing back at. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. […]
Glen Dean Good?
Perhaps, but definitely misguided.
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Pilers on over the past 24 hours: Republican Senator Bob Corker, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn, the former TN GOP chair, the Republican National Committee, this blog, etc. etc. Nevermind the past 48-72 hours. Reporters and bloggers are doing the jobs we often demand they do: report the facts.
Sometimes the facts aren’t pretty and expose deep party divisions. It happens in both parties and is always worth discussing when party leaders issue statement after statement to focus voters on a particular issue. Those statements aren’t meant for the trash can. They are part of the collective national dialogue on issues that shape our nation.
Of course you haven’t heard an ounce of outrage about this photoshop.
If you’re outraged, then be outraged. Personally, I’m not “outraged” over either. I don’t know how to interpret the linked image as “insulting the religion of Christianity and Jesus.” It’s not even addressing christianity or jesus, just using christian imagery to address Hobbs. Surely you can see the difference.
Dolphin I don’t care. I was just comparing it to the Mohammed Blows cartoon that Hobbs was burned at the stake for.
Christian, whoever is doing it has already made their point. Good grief, lets talk about something else.
Glen:
I’m sympathetic to what you’re trying to argue here, but Hobbs is a curious choice of victim to defend that particular argument. With him, it’s not the oddball one-off poor decision, in and of itself, that gets him into trouble. It’s part of a larger pattern of behavior with him.
If Hobbs loses this gig, it will be because the TNGOP views him (rightly, I’d suggest) as a political liability; no more, no less. Politics is a messy game. If you can’t stand the heat…
Glen, the Republican National Committee, Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Sen. Bob Corker made their points a few hours ago. Are you asking them and other prominent Republicans to shut up, or are you asking the media to stop reporting what they have to say? The media and bloggers aren’t making this stuff up.
Christian, yes I think they should shut up. Marsha Blackburn, Bob Corker, all of them. This thing has ran its course. All they are doing is engaging in opportunism.
Tgirsch, like I said, I am not defending the man, but just pointing out how little courage it takes to pile on somebody. It’s like a blogosphere full of parrots.
Good to know, Glen, and thanks for being clear about that. I think you’re right about Republicans engaging in opportunism. The opportunity they are exploiting is an opportunity to look much better than those running their own state party. I’m not sure how many more opportunities like that Republicans can handle before November.
There is nothing I can’t stand more than a self-righteous piling on in the blogosphere.
Since when?
Insulting the religion of Islam and Mohammad is unacceptable…
Only if you’re a pussy.
True Sarcastro. Now go and hook us up with a good ole Islamic insulting p-shop.
Shit, if I knew how. I had to dig through the archives to find the old B-Ho pic. That was emailed to me at the height of the Belmont Brouha-ha.
Besides, Islam is insulting enough on its face, it doesn’t require photoshop to satirize it.
True. But why are so many non-Muslims so sensitive about offending Muslims? I’m not talking about you of course, but the bed wetters.
We need more GOP spokesmen like Hobbs to affirm the bigotry, shallowness, ethic and tactics of the party. Don’t leave Bill !!!
William, you always seem to go one toke over the line. Why exactly is this an indictment of the entire Republican party? I’m not going to play the “you guys do that stuff too” card. Suffice to say if both parties are willing to stoop to such lows, is there any real difference between them?
Glen, probably because the Muslims tend to blow people up who offend their religious sensibilities. The Episcopalians, not so much.
Not yet.
William, you always seem to go one toke over the line.
Pithy, yet accurate. And a double entendre. Nice.
Calling for restraint from liberals?
Why don’t you just jump in a shark tank when you’re on your period.
Glen, probably because the Muslims tend to blow people up who offend their religious sensibilities. The Episcopalians, not so much.
Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, on the other hand…
Oh yeah, I forgot about Northern Ireland. Damn drunken Irishmen.
Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, on the other hand…
My bad. I thought we were talking about current events, not 20th Century History.
[…] Because teh Blowfish said I could… […]
But I think it is more than just fear though. Some libs actually seem sympathetic to Muslims, as if they are off limits to make fun of.
But I think it is more than just fear though. Some libs actually seem sympathetic to Muslims, as if they are off limits to make fun of.
No; it’s just that the right wing and humor are like oil and water. The only shit wingers think is funny is either immature, or it’s like “Bumfights.” So, no matter the object of t3h funnay, if a winger came up with it, you have to pay people to watch the guy and his diapered monkey before the host gets canned a few weeks later.
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Some libs actually seem sympathetic to Muslims, as if they are off limits to make fun of.
I can speak only for myself, but often when Muslims are being “made fun of,” it’s in a condescending, holier-than-thou sort of way. As SayUncle likes to put it, my invisible-man-in-the-sky can beat up your invisible-man-in-the-sky, and all that.
Frankly, I find many of the teachings of Islam to be repulsive. But at the same time, I find many of the teachings of Christianity to be just as repulsive. The only real difference between Christian extremists and Muslim extremists (and any other religious extremists) in practice is that the Christian extremists have more to lose, and are thus less willing to lose it. Eric Rudolph and Tim McVeigh weren’t Muslims, and that didn’t stop them from doing things every bit as bad as what the “Islamofascists” do.
I’m not talking about guys like you, but the student groups at places like Cornell and Columbia. The kids at Berkeley. The Lynn Stewarts. The ones that seem pro-Arab and anti Israel.
I don’t think McVeigh and Rudolph wore the Christian livery, tgrish. They were teh crazee.
While Muslims, when they fundamentalize together, have this ‘Sharia Law‘ thing, a “system of divine law; way of belief and practice” that overwhelmingly shadows anything Christianity has left in the world. There is separation of Christianity and State for the most part. Not enough separation of Mohammedism and State, which is why there is so much uneasiness (and terrorism) today.
Oh, and that hope that Turkey was somehow introducing ‘reform’ to Mohammedism?
Look again…
From the comments at the link above…
Religious Reformations in History:
The Protestant Reformation 1517-1648
The English (Anglican) Reformation c.1520-1566
The Islamic Reformation Feb 27th-Feb 29th 2008 (both dates inclusive)
HeH!