Academic

ANALYSIS: Press Largely Ignored Incendiary Rhetoric at Bush Protest. Gee, do you think? When Bu?

By Glenn Reynolds

ANALYSIS: Press Largely Ignored Incendiary Rhetoric at Bush Protest. Gee, do you think?

When Bush visited Portland, Ore., for a fundraiser, protesters stalked his motorcade, assailed his limousine and stoned a car containing his advisers. Chanting “Bush is a terrorist!”, the demonstrators bullied passers-by, including gay softball players and a wheelchair-bound grandfather with multiple sclerosis.

One protester even brandished a sign that seemed to advocate Bush’s assassination. The man held a large photo of Bush that had been doctored to show a gun barrel pressed against his temple. . . . Although reporters from numerous national news organizations were traveling with Bush and witnessed the protest, none reported that protesters were shrieking at Republican donors epithets like “Slut!” “Whore!” and “Fascists!”

Yes, I remember the Bush-assassination chic. But it was different. All in good fun, you know.

Related item here. “It?s interesting though, when discussing responsibility and accountability, that STILL nothing is said about Kenneth Gladney on the left ? oh, aside from the same ol? same ol? racist uncle Tom comments from people who are more eager to defend a liberal black man that an independent one. I guess that independence is what gets them. They excuse the bad behavior for the advancement of liberalism but freak when things exponentially unequal to those offenses occur on the right. Because their silence and ridicule condones that action, their credibility on other issues is compromised. . . . Yes, LET?S have the discussion as to who has been statistically more violent and rabble-rousing at protests. I think what you find may shock you. Or not. Listen ?. crickets.”

Plus, from Victor Davis Hanson:

At one time not so long ago, those on the Left, and mainstream Democrats as well, apparently believed inflammatory language, Hitler parallels, and perverse expressions of real hatred were acceptable means to the noble end of discrediting the Bush presidency.

During the bleak days of Iraq, demonstrators carried swastikas and Hitler portraits of Bush habitually. Nicholson Baker wrote a novel in which characters are contemplating killing Bush. Films were praised imagining the assassination of the president. Michael Moore, courted by the Democratic elite, lamented that bin Laden on 9/11 had hit a blue state ? and once compared the killers of Americans in Iraq to Minutemen.

Al Gore customarily used excessive language like “brown shirts.” Senators Durbin, Kennedy, and others compared our soldiers to Saddamites, Pol Pot?s killers, and Nazis. Ward Churchill compared the victims in the Twin Tower to ?little Eichmanns.? Sen. Robert Byrd likened Pres. George W. Bush?s policies to what transpired in Nazi Germany. Linda Ronstadt, Harold Pinter, Scott Ritter, Ted Rall, and George Soros agreed with Fidel Castro, the Iranians, and North Koreans in comparing Bush to Hitler.

Jonathan Chait wrote in the New Republic on why ?I hate George W. Bush.? Garrison Keillor likened Bush?s Republicans to ?brown shirts in pinstripes.? Even old hero Sen. John Glenn said of the Bush agenda: ?It?s the old Hitler business.?

There’s more.

UPDATE: Reader Julie Carlson thinks the townhalls are tame:

I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere, but it occurred to me with all the media wetting themselves over the tenor of the town hall meetings, haven’t they ever watched Question Time on C-Span? I realize the ones doing the questioning are other politicians, but the whole atmosphere is hardly polite. Lots of jeering, laughing, shouting out, and the Prime Minister has to stand there and take it and dish it out as well. And these are the Brits! I thought we Americans are the ones who were supposed to be so rough around the edges. Our politicians act like a bunch of hot house flowers at these meetings. My son does middle school debate – one of the time-honored traditions during your opponent’s speech is to knock on the desk and shout “shame!”. If a bunch of middle-schoolers can handle it why can’t a seasoned Congressperson?

Our guys aren’t used to being challenged.

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on August 12, 2009 (boomark / email).