This story broke yesterday and just about everybody weighed on it from both sides of the aisle.
Here was Rachel Maddow's take.
I actually managed to watch a little of Sean Hannity hyperventilating about it last night but for the life of me could not see what the fuss was all about. In fact it appeared that Hannity was having some kind of nervous breakdown pointing out magical aliens that ONLY he could see.
Here is how one Atlanta columnist summed it up:
In the early evening hours yesterday, Sean Hannity, Matt Drudge and Tucker Carlson started promoting what they claimed to be a “devastating” and previously unknown video of Barack Obama that would completely remake the 2012 presidential race. It would be a bombshell, a game-changer, an “October surprise” that would prove Obama to be an anti-white racist, just as they knew all along. It would do to the incumbent what the “47 percent” tape had done to Mitt Romney, if not worse.
And just to build the suspense, the world was told that for maximum impact, the bombshell tape would be released by Hannity and Carlson simultaneously at 9 p.m., Hannity on his Fox News program and Carlson at his Daily Caller site. Over the next few hours, giddy conservatives practiced their victory dance and whipped each other into an anticipatory frenzy over the video that would finally bring down their hated bête noire.
Nine o’clock came, the tape was released and … ppfffffffffft. Nothing. As in, literally nothing.
I don’t know Hannity personally. Never met the man. So I would have a hard time saying with certainty that he’s a racist fool. But after the way he behaved last night, I have no problem saying that he plays a racist fool on television. The same is true of Drudge and Carlson. In their “big reveal” on Fox, Hannity and Carlson tried vainly to pretend the tape was something it clearly is not, and they made themselves and their followers appear ridiculous in the process.
In fact this blogger was NOT the only person to pick up on the obvious racial overtones that Hannity, and others, were using while describing the importance of this seven year old, already covered extensively by the media, "bombshell." Others, not part of the rabid Right Wing, responded much the same.
In fact even Fox' own Juan Williams had THIS to say about Hannity's freakout:
“You guys are playing a race card now against Obama. You tried the ‘redistribution’ video, it fell flat.”
Of course, Hannity called that “spin.”
But Williams was not deterred. “I would condemn it in a second if I saw it in the way that you are describing it. I just don’t see it that way, Sean… When I see that you guys throw dirt and see what will stick. All you do is hope that something’s going to stick this time.”
Okay well that was a ridiculous distraction, now let's get back to preparing for tonight's debate. Because THAT should be worth getting excited about!.
They are desperate because they know Willard is going to lose and there is absolutely nothing they can do to change that. Expect more racist teabagger freak outs as election day gets closer. And yes hannity is a racist. I've known this for awhile. He hates Obama because he's black. Simple.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same imaginary Obama that was at Republican convention.
ReplyDeleteThe President just haunts them, doesn't he? So calm, intelligent, with a killer smile.
ReplyDeleteI found it hilarious that Rachel pointed out the SHE showed that video back in 2007, and Tucker Carlsen was right beside her commenting. So for him to call this 'new' makes it even more desperate. Poor far right. They can't turn us all into them and they are beside themselves in desperation. Bullies and losers. Sean? Maybe you should have gotten that college degree and done something positive with your life.
i have a theory about all this obama hatred. i am basing this on watching my dad; almost 80, urban northeasterner now retired in florida, 4th grade education, hard working blue collar union guy all his life who always pulled the straight dem ticket. and my boyfriend; 60ish (i am much younger than him) very very well educated, urban northeasterner now in florida, from a family of dems, grew up poor but a self made man and an almost 1%er, almost ready to retire. they both have such profound hatred for obama and buy into every racist notion that comes across fox news, which they both now watch obsessively. i am at my wits end in coping with both of them and their constant racist screeds against obama. i really think in some way obama threatens whats left of their dwindling sense of manhood, which evidently was always somehow tied to their sense of white privilege. i never heard anything racist from either of them till this past 2 years. they both have seen their respective financial situation go downhill to a degree. although the boyfriend is a millionaire and a millionaire who only has one million as opposed to 2 million in the bank seems still to be rich to me and shouldnt be complaining. and my parents have multiple great pensions besides their SS etc and got all that from their unions so you would think they would be grateful. costs have gone up so they worry but they are fine really. none of them have anything to complain about and i have pointed out many times they both have prospered more under dems than republicans over the last 50 years. to no avail. my mom doesnt have the obama hatred i see in my dad and boyfriend. these guys hang on every word hannity, carlson, and limbaugh utter. i honestly think obama makes them feel like their dicks shrink. its big black penis envy.
ReplyDeleteA million ain't what it used to be.
DeleteAnd I suspect that there is a part of our world that holds those same feelings against women, although on the surface they are perfect gentlemen. Most of the time.
Anon 3:31: thank you for your insight, which rings true for me too. I wonder if you can tell us what your response in daily life is to these two men. It's a cheap shot to say "lose the boyfriend," because I bet he also has many good qualities. And of course you can't want to distance yourself from your father, esp now that he is older. Does your mother have any insights?
DeleteThank you for telling us your story. Reminds me of Aaaahnold: undoubtedly many good qualities, but his total blindness to Maria's position is staggering.
My dad is closing in on 80, and has only gotten more progressive with age. I feel so lucky to have him and my equally progressive mother as parents.
DeleteI do agree with your assessment of many of these white pensioners, though.
Funny comment, Anon 2:39.
ReplyDeleteI only saw the portion of the tape in which Obama said their incompetency (Katrina) was colorblind.
The right wing is pushing a boulder that all blacks take welfare, are lazy, they do not want to work and Obama is out to make sure they get free stuff because he is black. They are beating the angry black person, lazy shiftless nigger on welfare drum.
My instant first impression is that Hannity, Gingrich, et al., have some advance knowledge that there IS a dirty-trick disparaging video coming down the pike at us. Something that will indeed terrify and confuse with its slime intended to hurt Obama. It won't be true, but it will make people wonder and find their Southern Strategy gland is itching, those who have that gland.
ReplyDeleteClearly, this video was not it. But I too suspect something monstrous and hard to put aside, the game-changer Dirty Trick. I've suspected for months that it's coming, esp now that voter fraud has gotten a hitch in its git-a-long. I think it's a little early, though. The right moment would be closer to the election. IMO.
So the Hannity/Gingrich guys are like the over-hyped athlete at the start line, waiting for the sign to start. And they just jumped the gun. Premature -- um -- hyper hissy fit. "Get back into READY position, guys, and wait for the REAL whistle."
I remain sure it's still coming.
Real crack team of investigators the Hannity/Drudge cabal have got working for them!
ReplyDeleteHow exactly is a speech done FIVE years ago, recorded by the second largest newspaper in Hampton Roads, Va. that has been freely available since its recording 'explosive'?
What exactly are they trying to accomplish by rehashing this video, besides the same old tired, racist dog whistles? Do they really think this in some way equates to Romney's little 'real talk' at his $50,000/plate fund-raiser?
And these clowns W-2 how much each year?
Guess who is touting this video on her Twitter feed.
ReplyDeleteRemember how bad Bush was at the debates with Kerry and he was reelected. Romney is heads above Bush so don't take him lightly
ReplyDelete