comment #1

drbob says ...

I was thinking the same thing about Bill Maher and all of his anti-vaccination nonsense.

comment #2

Travis Crabtree says ...

This is a serious question.
Of all 535 members of congress, many of whom are, shall we say, less than ideal, was has the Left decided that this one particular congressperson from Minnesota is quite possibly the worst human being who ever lived?

I follow politics and to be honest, the only thing I really know about her is that she's very conservative and liberals hate her with slightly more lust than they hate Palin. I never even heard of this woman until about a year ago.

Is she a randomly selected figurehead of evil Republicans?

I'm not defending her. Really. Again, I don't know enough about her to defend her or hate her.

I just know that at some point over the past year a memo went out among Liberals, er, Progressives that Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota must be DESTROYED.

It's not the dislike for her. I understand that, if in fact she's as conservative as I've heard. But there's plenty of very conservative congressmen. What's the jones with her?

comment #3

Jeffrey Wells says ...

Wells to Travis Crabapple: You're serious? I don't know how to process this. You've never seen her on any of the news shows or on a YouTube clip or read anything about her? Ever?

Try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuMXa1qJW_M

And this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRjo_NUZl3Y&feature=related

Or just search around...it's easy.

comment #4

Travis Crabtree says ...

"Crabapple"? Oh you!

Sorry about the trouble with the processing. Of course I've heard of her. She's a very conservative member of congress representing a district in Minnesota. Thing is, (and this isn't a knock, but you are, in your own words, quite liberal), you are no doubt most familiar with her via outlets such as DailyKos, Huffington Post, Media Matters and the various talking heads on MSNBC. In that world she's a Superstar.

With the exception of some HuffPo content and the occasional comic-relief that is MSNBC I don't generally patronize the above-mentioned outlets. Fine if you do.

Again, though, I ask.... of the more than 500 members of congress, why her?
Frankly it looks like another attempt by the Left to posit someone of their choosing as "The Face of the Republican Party".

And I find your links a little flimsy, too. So, she's oft the butt of Bill Maher jokes and Chris Matthews made her look silly. In my face!

Once more, I'm not defending her, (though I'm sure I'll be accused of that). I don't know enough about her, (i.e. haven't heard enough Maher jokes or watched enough "Worst Person in the World!" rants) to have a really strong opinion one way or another.

I was simply wondering what monumental thing she did to be pedestalled.

A highly partisan, polarizing member of the House? The horror!

I mean, really. Sheila Jackson Lee anyone?

comment #5

Geoff says ...

Crabtree, you seem like a FOX News watcher who doesn't do the proper research. And by research I mean actually clicking on the links that Huffpost, Dailykos, MSNBC, MediaMatters, and all the others provide, instead of outright ignoring them. It might be painful for you, but give them a shot.

Those liberal blogs aren't really lying or spinning anything regarding Michelle Bachman -- she's insane. So stop ignoring them and do some research on her already. And you should watch The Daily Show, or The Colbert Report.

comment #6

Travis Crabtree says ...

I do watch Colbert et Stewart.... I do read HuffPo content, when it's a salient piece and not some goofy rant by a sitcom actor trying to play smart or Andy Borowitz's uber-lame attempt at comedy... And I guaran-fucking-tee that I watch more MSNBC than most people here watch FOX, (including you....though that doesn't stop them or you from screaming about how evil they are..."24/7 Hannity!")

And I'll start reading DailyKos, Media Matters, etc, as soon as you (and I for that matter) start reading World Net Daily, Michelle Malkin's blog and NewsMax. Different sides of the same coin.

(yeah, yeah.... I know... the ones I mention are filled with "lies! and hate!" and the ones you mention are "speaking truth to power!")

Back to the point, though. From what I can gauge, Bachmann's barely a blip on most Republicans' radar... yet ask a liberal about her and their head will nearly explode.

I sense the creation of a bogeyman.

And what's up with "30 Rock" sucking this season? What the hell happened? I need answers.

comment #7

Gordon27 says ...

I get the sense, from all your rambling, that you don't want a genuine answer, but I'm still game to provide one:

Michelle Bachmann publicly says things that make her a perfect symbol for all the ways that the Republican party is out of touch with the country, and dangerous to have in control.

Global warming? "Natural by-product of nature". (check)
Barack Obama? "dangerous anti-American views" (check)
2010 Census? "Don't give them any information" (checK)
Healthcare? Quotes are too long, but check, right down the line.

I doubt she's the single worst example, but you can't go after somebody for thought-crimes. It just happens that everything out of her mouth is party-line stuff phrased in a crazy way.

comment #8

Gordon27 says ...

"start reading World Net Daily, Michelle Malkin's blog and NewsMax. "

What's amusing about this line is the suggestion that you need to go to all three; they all have exactly the same news with exactly the same talking points, so why would you need to go to more than one of them?

comment #9

rayciscon says ...

Travis, your question is a good one, but I have to ask YOU a question?

Why ask why?

She's the Emmanuel Goldstein of the week.

Palin's resigned, the GOP is out of power, and the left desperately NEEDS someone to hate with every fiber of their being, and Bachman's their "IT Girl".

Bachman's no mental giant, but she's a genius in comparison to Sheila Jackson Lee, who actually took a cell phone call while being questioned by a constituent at a Town Hall meeting.

To rephrase a famous Letterman line, "Asking lefties why vehemently hating figures on the right makes any sense is only a wasting your time and theirs".

Remember, leftists are supposed to be the tolerant ones, so don't even question their motives.

She's conservative! It's not enough to state that you disagree with her, she's evil, and she MUST BE DESTROYED!

comment #10

Colin says ...

And what's up with "30 Rock" sucking this season? What the hell happened? I need answers.

Crabtree: You think this season's been bad?

comment #11

ZayTonday says ...

The sky is blue, water is wet, etc etc.

I can't believe there are posters in here who think Maher was wrong for what he said. Also, you don't need to read Daily Kos or any other liberal blog to know that Bachmann is batshit insane, you just have to listen to her own words.

comment #12

ZayTonday says ...

Also Travis, you obviously have never heard Bachmann speak about anything, and if you follow politics at all I find that quite disturbing and you probably do limit yourself to Drudge, WorldNet Daily, Fox News, Heritage Foundation, Malkin etc etc etc. Of course I'm sure you feel that any media outlet that is not one of the aforementioned is part of the Librul Media Conspiracy.

Do you feel that if you watch any videos of Michele Bachmann that if they include her speaking that they are inherently liberally biased too?

comment #13

ZayTonday says ...

"Remember, leftists are supposed to be the tolerant ones, so don't even question their motives."

Well, they tend to be intolerant towards intolerance.

comment #14

rayciscon says ...

@11, 12 & 13 ZayTonday:

I'm not claiming that Michelle Bachmann is the best thing since sliced bread... if she were my Representative, I'd be working to get her replaced.

I'm objecting to the level and amount of pure, venal, hatred directed at her.

Have you ever watched video of Barbara Boxer, Cynthia McKinney, Patricia Schroeder, or Sheila Jackson Lee and not think they were batshit crazy?

comment #15

Travis Crabtree says ...

"..you probably limit yourself to..."
Yeah, Zay... that's it... you've got me ALL figured out.... I'll just go make out with my Ann Coulter doll now.

What rayciscon said in #14... agreed.

In other news....

Holy fucking hell! Did you SEE what Lois Capps said?! Come on, people! You know Lois Capps. Where've ya been? Lois Capps?! Democratic Representative of California's 23rd district?
Don't you people follow politics?
For a serious, non-partisan, down the middle analysis of her most recent comments, check out GGordonLiddy.com

comment #16

Travis Crabtree says ...

I'm not alone in my "30 Rock" opinion. Three "C+"'s in a row from the Onion AV Club.

comment #17

Colin says ...

That's bull.

The halloween episode was prime. If anything it's better than the second half of last season. Fey, Baldwin, and Morgan are all still performing at top-level.

Tell me you didn't laugh about the "chuckles".

comment #18

Colin says ...

Maybe it was the realization that "folksy" people are no better than anyone else that perturbed you?

comment #19

Travis Crabtree says ...

Okay..... I'll admit.... I missed the Halloween episode....

Don't understand your second comment re: "folksy". I live in Los Angeles, not Stone Mountain. In fact, I didn't even realize the ventriloquist was an actual guy. He's got a show on Comedy Central. I did think the dummy was funny looking.

Can't explain. On paper it was funny, I guess. I just found myself wanting to laugh and...... nothin'.

Doesn't help that I just re-watched Season One.

comment #20

televisiontears says ...

"Yeah, Zay... that's it... you've got me ALL figured out.... I'll just go make out with my Ann Coulter doll now."

To be fair, Travis, you've repeatedly assumed that most liberals here only take in media that supports their viewpoint. I'm almost positive you've specifically accused me of it.

Sadly, building a sympathetic media bubble around yourself is often the case, regardless of how you vote. We now have access to "news" (I feel scare quotes are appropriate) that's filtered through every possible bias, and most people would rather have the false confidence that comes with being told they're right than be *gasp* challenged.

comment #21

televisiontears says ...

I was really disappointed with 30 Rock giving Jeff Dunham any more exposure. The guy's act consists of spewing hate speech against anyone but Middle-American white Christians, and since it's his fucking puppets that "say" it, it's somehow okay?! He doesn't even try to tell his puppets that what they say is ridiculously racist. He just kinda shrugs and says, "Yes, puppet whose words I am actually saying, the gays are scary and gross and those black people can't hold jobs because they drink too much malt liquor." It's despicable. The guy should be tied to a pole and be punched repeatedly by a flamboyantly gay liberal black man from New York

comment #22

Colin says ...

Well be sure to share that sentiment with Comedy Central, who gave him his own regular show.

comment #23

televisiontears says ...

I know, Colin (sad face). I tuned in for a bit to see if the hate speech was toned down, and literally the first joke was one of the puppets saying "You know, this country sucks now that a black guy is President." I'm not joking. I wish I was. Then him and the puppet went to a psychiatrist and they both got freaked out when they found out he was gay.

This was on the most-watched debut in Comedy Central's history. In 2009. We are fucked, people. Fucked.

comment #24

Travis Crabtree says ...

Ever feel totally out of it? I swear I'd never heard of this guy, now his name's popping up all over. I reckon it was actually funnier for me seeing him on 30 Rock not knowing he was a real guy. I thought it was clever writing having this discovery by Jack be a hayseed ventriloquist. Then I read the Onion AV comments and everyone was complaining about how sucky he is and how he has a show on Comedy Central.

It's like when everyone was talking about the John and Kate and eight people and I honest-to-God had no idea what they were referring to.

I swear I don't live in a cave.

comment #25

Jesse Perry says ...

"I have no idea who Michele Bachmann, Jeff Dunham, and Jon & Kate are. I also enjoy discussing politics and the minutiae of pop culture."

comment #26

Travis Crabtree says ...

Ooh, you nailed me there, Perry!

a) I had no idea who Bachmann was until a little over a year ago... I don't live in Minnesota... can you give me the name and tell me all about all 435 members of congress? (and not just the evil ones named as "Worst Person in the World")

b) I enjoy discussing the munutiae of pop culture? I do?

Nice try, jackass.
So I guess I have no business being on Hollywood Elsewhere since I don't follow the career of some hillbilly "comedian" and a crap, trashy reality show about awful people with too many kids. Oh, and because I don't have a Michelle Bachmann voodoo doll to stick needles in.

comment #27

ZayTonday says ...

Yeah most of us didn't know who Bachmann was until her batshit insanity was laid out on the national stage during the Republcan Convention a little over a year ago. Since then she has continually out-crazied every single elected official out there and if you follow politics and honestly haven't seen her go off the deep end then it MUST be either because you agree with her nuttery or because you limit yourself to the outlets I previously listed, because they probably won't show or draw attention to any of her interviews.

comment #28

Josh Massey says ...

As a rare conservative on this site, I feel there is one thing I must agree with.

"30 Rock" has SUCKED this season.

Seriously, I'm a lifelong Atlanta resident - and for the record, Stone Mountain is about the least country place in this state. A comedy club in St. Mountain would look a lot more like the Apollo than a Dunham hoedown. Sloppy research, atop the sloppy comedy so far.

comment #29

TheGK says ...

I can't say I'd heard of Michelle Bachmann until some point earlier this year when various media outlets were running reports of Bachmann saying 'Don't Palinise me!'.
After she got that brief bit of exposure, she really ran with it, claiming Obama holds anti-American views and couldn't be trusted with the White House. The kicker here was that she also implored the major newspapers to investigate Conress to see who held pro- and anti-American views.

For more examples of her batshit craziness, I would recommend reading her Wikiquote page.
This is my personal favourite:
'[Pelosi] is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she's just trying to save the planet. We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet -- we didn't need Nancy Pelosi to do that.'

I think Travis raises a good point though. There are plenty of crazy people in Congress, why is Bachmann getting special treatment? I think it's because she's become a kind of totem for the conservative/tea party movement. No one bothers to try to tear down people who no one is listening to.

comment #30

Rich S. says ...

I thought the whole point of that 30 Rock episode was that Jack and Liz were looking for a hayseed comedian whose shtick isn't funny to coastal sophisticates, but who's huge in the red states. Dunham fits that description to a "t."

And Josh, I agree that Stone Mountain was a poor choice of a southern town. They should have stuck with Sexcriminalboat.

comment #31

TheGK says ...

I love it how threads on this site can start with a quote about Michele Bachmann from Bill Maher and veer into a discussion about the quality of season 3 of 30 Rock.

comment #32

Colin says ...

If the worst thing Josh can say is that they didn't research Stone Mt. then you're just cherry picking.

Does anyone else think Dunham plays his audience? I don't think he would have cameoed unless he was in on the joke.

comment #33

Gordon27 says ...

"Does anyone else think Dunham plays his audience? I don't think he would have cameoed unless he was in on the joke."

Larry the Cable Guy plays his audience, but that doesn't make him funny. And I think it could be argued that if they don't believe the things they're saying, that's actually worse.

comment #34

Colin says ...

I don't think that makes Dunham funny, but I'll give him credit for making his audience think he's a certain way and making them the butt of the joke.