WP: Digital Lynch Mob (By Richard Cohen)

[Pirate Smile]

Digital Lynch Mob

By Richard Cohen
Tuesday, May 9, 2006; Page A23

Two weeks ago I wrote about Al Gore's new movie on global warming. I liked the film. In response, I instantly got more than 1,000 e-mails, most of them praising Gore, some calling him the usual names and some concluding there was no such thing as global warming, if only because Gore said there was. I put the messages aside for a slow day, when I would answer them. Then I wrote about Stephen Colbert and his unfunny performance at the White House correspondents' dinner.

Kapow! Within a day, I got more than 2,000 e-mails. A day later, I got 1,000 more. By the fourth day, the number had reached 3,499 -- a figure that does not include the usual offers of nubile Russian women or loot from African dictators. The Colbert messages began with Patrick Manley ("You wouldn't know funny if it slapped you in the face") and ended with Ron ("Colbert ROCKS, you MURDER") who was so proud of his thought that he copied countless others. Ron, you're a genius.

-snip-
But the message in this case truly is the medium. The e-mails pulse in my queue, emanating raw hatred. This spells trouble -- not for Bush or, in 2008, the next GOP presidential candidate, but for Democrats. The anger festering on the Democratic left will be taken out on the Democratic middle. (Watch out, Hillary!) I have seen this anger before -- back in the Vietnam War era. That's when the antiwar wing of the Democratic Party helped elect Richard Nixon. In this way, they managed to prolong the very war they so hated.

The hatred is back. I know it's only words now appearing on my computer screen, but the words are so angry, so roiled with rage, that they are the functional equivalent of rocks once so furiously hurled during antiwar demonstrations. I can appreciate some of it. Institution after institution failed America -- the presidency, Congress and the press. They all endorsed a war to rid Iraq of what it did not have. Now, though, that gullibility is being matched by war critics who are so hyped on their own sanctimony that they will obliterate distinctions, punishing their friends for apostasy and, by so doing, aiding their enemies. If that's going to be the case, then Iraq is a war its critics will lose twice -- once because they couldn't stop it and once more at the polls.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/08/AR2006050801323.html

[Kutjara]

1. More twaddle from the House of Twaddle.

So the fact that Coren gets some hate mail after his critique of Colbert means that the Democrats are in big trouble? Sure it does.

I suppose the fact that he never sees that much invective from right wingers can only mean that he's normally expressing opinions of which they approve. Believe me, if he angered the Freepers, he'd need to screen his mail for explosives.

Every political persuasion has its fringe elements, who are looking for an excuse to rant and rave. Extrapolating this into a view that the whole party is in danger tells us all we need to know about Coren's reasoning abilities, and his political affiliations.

[norml]

2. Fire this fraud!

He has no idea what's going on.

"(Watch out, Hillary!)"

Does he really buy into that right wing crap about her running and being our nominee in 08?

Maybe this clown is a real comedian after all.

[Jane Austin]

3. Cohen is such a loser.

n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. What's that old saying about people who can dish it out but can't take it?

Cry me a freaking river, Richard Cohen. You called Stephen Colbert a rude bully, and now you're whining because you got some critical e-mails? Well, boo-fucking-hoo. Some e-mailers were so rude as to criticize a lukewarm "liberal" pundit (whose feelings were hurt because they didn't accept that he really is a liberal), and this is a warning that the Democrats will lose again -- because they're *rude*?

Oh, please...

[cally]

5. I do agree that our anger may backfire on us

I need to take a deep breath and remember that most just don't know what's going on before I approach voters. If we seem angry, we will not get voters to the polls or be taken seriously.

Several media types have written dispargingly about the lefts response to various columns (Dana Millbank and others.) What amazes me is that the right has done this for quite some time but I don't remember a similar response. Instead, they changed their tone to accomodate their complaints. I think the MSM are running scared right now. They are being challenged and they don't like it.

[ShortnFiery]

17. If you back down - they will figuratively slash your throat ...

Especially in Politics - Stay Strong!

[CBHagman]

19. But stay united, too. Gain allies.

As low as my opinion of Richard Cohen is, he does have a valid point that the lessons of history must be applied.

We simply cannot afford to divide the Democratic Party and its natural allies in various communities (environmentalists, et al). In addition, we must work at gaining allies and creating converts. Make the movement grow!

If we expend our energy on fighting each other, we, the country, and indeed the world will pay a horrible price.

[ShortnFiery]

20. We are not dealing with your average opponents

But well entrenched cronies of Capitalism.

No! We must fire up the electorate to figuratively get out their pitch-forks and torches ... to vote them out by such a massive margin that even DieBold trickery can't counter it.

The time to play nice nice has past. These a**holes are arrogant and will stop at nothing to retain power. Nope, we must unify the masses. That's the only way out - Massive turnout at the polls by disenfranchised Democrats and Republicans.

[bluerum]

6. He was just pee'in his pants at all the email - you know he loves it

when his AOL browser says "You've got mail!"

[katty]

21. ha! he's a snotty brat and he loves the attention for being one

[monarch]

7. His reaction is all the more interesting

when you consider his statement that he "peeked into only a few" of those scary messages.

[Ms. Clio]

8. He just can't stop snivelling

jesus Cohen let it go

[orwell]

9. Let's See...

...the right, fueled by the blind hatred of all things "left", now control every lever of power in this country.

I guess his theory holds up as well as his laugh lines.

BuhBye...

[LiviaOlivia]

10. Cohen is a Bush

ass licker

[struggle4progress]

11. Some nice MediaMatters links on Richard:

http://mediamatters.org/issues_topics/people/richardcohen

[struggle4progress]

12. While America Slept (E&P re: Richard)

.. This is the man who, on Feb. 6, 2003, after Secretary of State Colin Powell’s deeply-flawed testimony in New York, wrote: “The evidence he presented to the United Nations -- some of it circumstantial, some of it absolutely bone-chilling in its detail -- had to prove to anyone that Iraq not only hasn't accounted for its weapons of mass destruction but without a doubt still retains them. Only a fool -- or possibly a Frenchman -- could conclude otherwise” ..

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002275180

[ShortnFiery]

16. Why are we NOT surprised?

:puke:

[Demeter]

13. Cohen Isn't Deserving of Hatred

The most he can generate is contempt. He's just trying to puff himself up.

[applegrove]

14. Seems not to have noticed Bush WH has attacked everything people

hold dear in the world. And Bush WH & GOP have used hate to do it. And all the liberals are just suppossed to sit there like blobs and not change or feel anger?

Ridiculous. Like I've said before - psychopaths will provoke changes in your lives (in this case anger at lapdog WH press & insiders - I wonder why?) and then get people to judge you on the "new you" (angry americans who don't want to be infantalized) or "your behaviour in reaction" (Colbert's satire). As if somehow there was not link in time or place or reality from one to another.

Old sociopathic trick. To protect themselves a psychopath will psychicly traumatize a victim and then point to them in their reaction to such trauma... and try and paint them as crazy, angry, unbalanced... etc.

Does Cohen have any idea the role he plays in this little dance where the aggressors and mentally unbalance cult of personality tries to make themselves out to be the victim?

Pathetic.

[ShortnFiery]

15. Cry Baby? Thou Protest too much,,, eom

[n2doc]

18. Whiiiiiiiiiiiine!

Poor lil' Dick got some bad e-mails! Aww, I guess he got his feelings hurt.

Hey, dude, I got news for you- it ain't hatred, it is PASSION. It is LOVE FOR OUR COUNTRY and DISGUST WITH THOSE WHO ARE DESTROYING IT. Something you wouldn't understand even though it has hit you in the face.

[genieroze]

22. Opinions are like a-holes, everyone has one and many are ones.

My opinion, Colbert was funny.