Although Ann Coulter's brand of political rhetoric is well known, especially on Fox News, Fox & Friends nonetheless trotted her out yesterday morning as a serious analyst to discuss the presidential debate the night before. Sure enough, Coulter had a special "witticism" at the ready: "You could see at the end of that debate, (Obama) knew that, anniversary or not, Michelle wanted to go home with Mitt." As I noted in my post on the same subject at Crooks and Liars (where I post three times a week now), this is a perfect example of how inflammatory invective gets passed off as mainstream analysis on Fox.
As I wrote yesterday:
I don’t ordinarily like to give Coulter the kind of attention she hounds after with these kinds of remarks. But I think it’s important to recognize and highlight that this is the kind of discourse that is routinely offered on Fox News. Even if it’s not fully appreciated by the hosts, it gets a friendly platform and without challenge.
Me: Ann Coulter wanted to go home with Ann Romney
{and, for all we know, probably did}
.
Bringing the hate spouters on your pathetic hate show is a sign of grosse desperation.
The likes of Ann Coulter thrive on the anger and outrage they enjoy fostering, knowing that they will never have to take responsibility for what may be done by the people they rile up by ratcheting up the hatred. I consider Bill O’Reilly to have abetted the assassination of a physician by feeding the fires of outrage that resulted in the killing a physician. If we refrain from saying anything about the likes of him and Ann Coulter, they will continue to stoke the fires of hatred and we may actually see yet another assassination attempt being made on a high-ranking official of the USA.
That’s one example of “American exceptionalism” that I’m not particularly proud of. IMHO, the first amendment was never intended to protect hate speech by specialists in same. I’m not talking about the occasional outburst; that’s only human. No, I’m talking about the likes of so many on Fox and FoxNation.
BUt I agree- when that’s not the case, forget her. And even then, it’s just winding down to “she found a new way to cross the same line.”
Fox Nation likes to imply that MO is an adultering whore. Almost every Fox News host has made at least one joke about how she’s shopping for other men. The accusation is a Fox Radio meme. Opinion writers on foxnews.com like to make the implication.
If it wasn’t career suicide for someone in high office to sue the press for this kind of talk, Fox News is one call to a lawyer away from destitution. Their campaign is that far out of control.