Tuesday, November 13, 2007

You've Lost The Debate When...

Laura Ingraham was on The View yesterday. For those of you that don't know her, she's essentially a right-wing pundit who eats at the trough of Dick Cheney.

She was part of the panel discussing the hot topics of the day. And she pulled the same debating tactic as others of her ilk when they are losing the debate on ideas. They resort to:

"Why don't you support our troops?

or

"Why don't you want America to win?"
Newsflash: I haven't met a liberal yet that wants to see more Americans killed or "America lose" — however you choose to define that. Being against the war and/or the Bush Administration doesn't equate to that. (Newsflash #2 to the same group: Being Pro-Choice is not the same as Pro-Abortion...I haven't met a liberal yet who thinks that abortion is a splendid idea.)

I try to listen to all sides of the debate. Really, I do. But when one essentially resorts to veiled name calling, I tune them out. Shutting down the debate doesn't mean you've won...it only means that your ideas must not be strong enough if they can't stand on their own.

So there!
*

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

EXACTLY!!! They can't think, only spout the same tired propagandist party line, and lame debate tactics. Liberal = unpatriotic, Against the war = hating our troops. I tune it out as well, after I get a really bad headache from screaming.

John said...

What makes you think anything on The View is a debate (as opposed to a carnival)?

Anonymous said...

I haven't watched The View since Rosie's departure as Elisabeth's yapping has always sounded like a constipated pekingese to me and quite frankly it gives me a headache.

By your description, little has changed aside from who has the blonde hair.

And as John said, The View is looking for ratings, not attention worthy debate.

michael sean morris said...

This has bugged me from way back. It's why I don't say "Pro-Life" anymore, but "Anti-Choice". I am Pro-Choice but no one would call me Anti-Life.

Wanting our troops back home and out of harm's way is supporting them.

The problem is really one of the inability of some people (mainly on the right, but not always) to make such fine distinctions as opposing an action by an elected government versus a belief in your own system of government.

Anonymous said...

And isn't it funny how the "pro life" people are often the pro death penalty advocates as well?

I've started calling them the forced pregnancy advocates, as that term is exactingly descriptive of what their ultimate goal is.

evilganome said...

This is right in line with the selected audiences that are allowed in to Bush's speeches. There is to be no descent! I don't have much faith at this point that things will get any better under a new administration either, regardless of who wins.

michael sean morris said...

Pro-death penalty and against any kind of gun control and even opposed to the social assistance that comes from Big Government that might make someone's life a bit easier. They will cling to your life until the minute you're born; after that you're on your own.

I realize this is generalizing, but the right-wing agenda is deeply contradictory in the way the left-wing one is.