DU stop. Just stop. re: Hannity/McVeigh

http://www.dailykos.com/tv/w/002641 /

HANNITY: See, can I add one thing? I think we won the debate.
DREIER: We did win the debate.
HANNITY: When you think about the vast majorities that they have in Congress and they had to bribe, backroom deals, corruption, that’s all because the tea party movement, the people — all these Tim McVeigh wannabes here.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HANNITY: Guys, thank you for being here.
(CROSSTALK)

There is simply no way Hannity said that as a compliment and no way all those people took it as a compliment. Hannity, and all of the tea partiers, were aware of the "domestic terrorist" label that has been applied to their movement. He was mocking that criticism.

If you think they were all taking that seriously then you have successfully de-humanized your ideological opponents, and IMO, are not a whole lot better than they are.

If you have watched Fox News (any program really) lately then you would know that they have been blathering on and on about how the left is painting the tea party program as the "tea-hadists" and all that. They think it's funny because most of their movement is full of "real Americans", in their biased eyes. So many of you are so quick to think the worst that you missed the "joke" Hannity was trying to make.

Malkin and Goldberg (I'll spare you the link but it was at Townhall.com) have written about this as well. Know thy enemy people, c'mon! You're smarter than this.

they think that's what *we're* calling all of them. It's the same kind of shrugging off the label that I recall from a sort of butt-hurt-sounding "Well I guess that makes me a racist" Youtube video from a couple months back (echoed in a dumb Pat Sajack editorial I read a couple of days ago, too). They aren't *all* militia-creepies, and they aren't *all* racists.

The issue I think many of us take is that; fine, many conservatives and tea partiers aren't these things--but when they apologize for or even defend those people, it's hard to tell the moral difference. And even if the majority of those people clapping are "in on the joke" for that sarcasm, that there is any number that thinks, "Well, he fought against the forces of gov't, didn't he?" makes me more than a little creeped-out.

I think it's obvious, althought some pretend it's not.

It's how they protect themselves from the cognitive dissonance and hypocrisy that would make their heads explode.

Therefore, Hannity was being literal, and the crowd took him that way.

Colbert Study: Conservatives Don't Know He's Joking
http://digg.com/politics/Colbert_Study_Conservatives_Don_t_Know_He_s_Joking

Conservatives just don’t get satire
http://horsesass.org/?p=15565

Right wing groups marching on Washington on date of Oklahoma City bombing. Click here to hide this thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x527698

Timothy McVeigh is a hero to those people.

just because Hannity doesn't "get" sarcasm doesn't mean he can't use it. Think about all of Coulter's "jokes" from years past. It's the same thing.

Conservative "humor" ridicules the powerless.

Liberal Humor speaks truth to power.

Yeah..

but I don't buy it. The crowd was way too, and collectively, into it.

and "got" the "joke".

but, nope, not buying what you're selling. The crowd ain't that sharp - and way too many actually buy that shit. Read facebook, check out Yahoo comments.

Its not all a vast RW conspiracy - well, except it is, but it's not really a conspiracy, well, an open conspiracy :crazy:

I'm not arguing otherwise. But you really think a public figure like Hannity is going to step on stage and say "Hey you Jackoffs, you're all like Timothy McVeigh! You know, the guy who blew up a government building?? YAY!!!!!!!" (pause for cheers and applause).

That's what you and most of DU is telling me?

It's fucking impossible. He did not mean it that way. No one at the event took it that way. If you have read RW websites or Fox News lately you would have understood the context better.

But you seem convinced otherwise, so I'll drop it.

Sorry - not buying what you're trying to sell.

I have too many of these right wing repuke assholes at work - and they - ha ha - spew this crap all the time - and - ha ha - when they realize that they just said WHAT THEY REALLY BELIEVE OUT LOUD and realize THAT YOU ARE NOT "AMUSED" AT ALL as they are at their littly diatribe - ha ha - they "joke" about it and - ha ha - they TRY to act like they are only being SARCASTIC - and it's YOU who now have a problem!

Sorry - hannity and the rest of these right wing repuke NAZIS know EXACTLY what they are doing.

And - we've been on to their little "ACT" for a long time now...

If you have to explain a "joke," it's not funny. You can't make this "joke" funny or even amusingly ironic regardless of the context.

Sick fucks. So, no sale here.

He called them McVeigh wannabes and they cheered. Can't twist that.

sarcastic. His audience wasn't. They liked it. As is said upthread, they don't do sarcasm.

The OP needs to wake the fuck up.

I think Hannity was mocking as well. Focussing on gaffs, or mis speaks, is futile. The intended statements are bad snough.

So no, I won't stop it.

it's like if we mocked the people who compare Obama to Hitler. We're not condoning Hitler if we joke about such an unfair criticism, we're mocking the comparison because it's outrageous. That's all Hannity was trying to do.

I would imagine most of the tea party people are elderly and only some are loud, obnoxious, and even dangerous people.

I don't care what his reason was, what hot marble rolled around in his head to make him think it was appropriate. He's a monster and deserves every bit of heat sent his way for the utterance.

Stupid, stupid thing to say.

Ohhh he was joking... about Timothy McVeigh. Nice try.

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;)

I really don't give a damn about his intentions.

I've been to many anti-war/anti-Bush demonstrations where speakers sarcastically referred to the crowd using a word or phrase that Bush or one of cronies said.

For example, I remember Conyers sarcastically calling protestors at an anti-war rally a "focus group," which Bush had dismissively called anti-war demonstrators, and many of us cheered at the reference.

That's no where near as disgusting as the McVeigh reference, which was definitely in poor taste, but it does seem to me Hannity is doing something similar.

that it is often hard to determine where they really stand. I have not seen the clips, but from the descriptions suspect Hannity was mocking criticism. It would not be at all surprising if many of his disciples took his attempted sarcasm literally.

Just because Hannity and his lily white crowd were trying to deflect the accurate depiction of teabag idiots, you think that we should stop talking about it? Do you understand why the label "domestic terrorist" has been applied to the tea party? They have spat upon elected officials, vandalized property, left threats for elected officials and proposed armed rallies in an attempt to intimidate the government into following their dictates. Idiots like Hannity have been egging them on and providing cover, saying that officials are bringing this idiotic behavior on.

Fuck Hannity's jokes!

i like to do a little opposition research from time to time, especially during elections and things like this health care debate. it's vital to know what the other side thinks and the frames they have set up.

still can't get through a full hour of a glenn beck show though. he's so infuriating, I just can't do it.

It's exactly the same joke as when we adopted the "terrorist fist-bump" and talk about how Marxism has triumphed whenever a mostly-corporatist bill like the health care bill gets passed. It's mockery of the other side for thinking idiotic things like that.

kudos to dem mba

of most Teabaggers.

as thinking everyone of us a Communist or Socialist.

You want to? Fine, go ahead, who's to stop you?

But you'd be just as biased as any one of the people you're demonizing.

I honestly don't think anybody would cheer for being called a terrorist who blew up a bomb right under a day-care. I completely agree.

until this last year. Spitting, using the 'n' word, the 'f' word to Barney Frank, signs showing Obama with bones in his nose, guns at rallies featuring President Obama, T-shirts encouraging 'replenishing the tree of liberty with the blood of patriots', a Soviet Union flag being flown in my state (Virginia), a CNN contributor - Erick Erickson - threatening to pull a gun on census workers, bricks thrown through windows, gas lines severed, death threats...really??? You really don't think these fools are pleased to be compared to Tim McVeigh? From what I can see, they are taking up his mantle. They are angry at the black guy and the 'socialist' government, and think it's their duty to fight for 'their' country, you know, the one they 'don't recognize' anymore.

It is only a matter of time before one of these crazed rednecks kills someone. Frankly, they scare the shit out of me...stupid + guns is not a good combination.

If they had interpreted it sarcastically, they would have largely laughed and there would have been a smattering of applause. Rather, they enthusiastically applauded being compared to a domestic terrorist. They are sick, dangerous people.

I'm not as cynical as some.

what they are doing. After all, it was painful for them (the RW and Fox and friends) in the 90s to know that the tragedy at Waco--which was indeed a tragedy and a black spot on Bubba and Janet Reno--was the major motivation for McVeigh (although I suggest he would have found another motive if Waco would not have happened). Right and wrong has little to do with how they cover any event--it's all about being able to defile democrats and liberals. And when a couple early teabaggers went so far as to respond with a tragedy even more heinous, they had to tread lightly on Waco and Koresh lest they appear to be supporting McVeigh.

Make no mistake, Hannity and Fox are just fine when the kool-aid drinking, militia-thinking dumbshits don't get Hannity's sarcasm and interpret it in an entirely different way.

After all, an outbreak of domestic terror would only serve to help them with two of their primary goals: To re-energize the campaign of fear that keeps the masses in line, and; to portray democrats and liberals in general--and President Obama in particular--as wimps, ill-equipped to "protect the homeland and keep amurika safe."

an apology. He should also apologize to all people of OK and this nation. This does not have a semblance of funny associated with it. People died.

If he meant what he said - it was wrong. If he claims it was a joke - it was wrong.

Either way - he should apologize.

they do a swell job themselves.

DUers sound like idiots on this point.

Off of RW talking heads after the fact.

Good of you to be so helpful on DU.

That's where the OP has missed the boat entirely. The tea baggers really are that stupid and clueless.

but his devoted followers, having been Hannitized (must be something like having your brain filled with melted wax) thought he was giving them a compliment
A 'normal' reaction would have been to booo, and by extension booing whoever made the original remark

How well would it go over if someone speaking to a crowd of liberals referred to them as "Hitler wannabes" (since that is the way the far right portrays them)? Sarcasm? Applause? I don't think so.

No, for this crown McVeigh is a hero and they don't mind the comparison.

so it would be like Jon Stewart saying, "Oh yea, Obama and his liberal followers, what a bunch of Hitler-wannabes" :sarcasm:

Hannity just isn't that funny; hence all the confusion.

Smells like bullshit, but you seem to be familiar with what tea baggers and their biggest supporters really think.

and operate. Thanks for the advice Sun Tzu.

nt

Then explain why the Tea Baggers plan on Marching on Washington on the Anniversary of the Oklahoma bombing?

Coincidence??? I don't think so.

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/30/gun-march-oklahoma-city/

are they related? sure. but they are not the same.

*We* have not de-humanized anyone. *They* have done that TO themselves, and all by themselves. These teabaggers (I notice you use the amended term - tea partiers), have stirred up hate and fear in this country with the financial support of Faux, and other right-wing hatemongers. They go to marches with racist, hateful signs. They have threatened, spit upon, and hurled disgusting words at government officials, or at the very least, stood silently by while it happened. THEN, they deny that it's even happened at all - that it's all fury coming from the 'lame stream media', and that this is happening 'on both sides'.

Nope. Fuck that. When they start acting like human beings, then I will treat them as such.

There's way too much of this particular troll-like behavior turning up on DU these days. Hope the moderators are paying close attention.......

the fact that 90% of DU hates the teabaggers with such a fiery passion and will believe anything, no matter how fucking ridiculous, as long as it paints them as psychos or lunatics, is a sad indictment on the state of our political discourse and our own commitment to truth.

I am NOT admiring the teabag party people. I am simply trying to correct everyone's misinterpretation of that event. Although, I guess at some level I still recognize that most (not all) of these teabag people are decent, but misguided people. I suppose that puts me at odd with most of DU.

It's only natural that the loud, obnoxious morons in their movement show up on the news and in the blogs. That's how these things work.

...... McVeigh wannabes. Why you would deny that fact?

It is a reality view of who their heroes are. Shock and awe was a wonderful idea for them.

won't associate with them). I'm curious as to how they feel about embracing McVeigh. He did kill 162 Oklahoma citizens.:shrug:

It's a sarcastic joke for those who don't like McVeigh and a coded acceptance for those who do.

But maybe that's just my paranoid interpretation. I jokingly use terms like "liberal elites" all the time.

dem mba makes some good points. Anyone who can stomach that crap ought to listen now and then, it's only smart. Besides what gets filtered back through Jon Stewart et al, I give them 10 minutes every month or so myself. As for how many Tea Bag Badgers are misguided vs how many just hateful jerks , meh , I think half and half.

And yeah most of em only think of McVeigh as "some sort of anti Government guy." More than half that crowd probably didn't even know he was the OK Cy bomber or even remember it.