GOP Candidate Under Fire For Calling Hitler A Strong Leader

[Ichingcarpenter]

Wisconsin Democrats are blasting a Republican state Senate candidate for calling Adolf Hitler a strong leader in a tweet.
Dane Deutsch of Rice Lake posted a message on his campaign Twitter account in March that read, "Hitler and Lincoln were both strong leaders. Lincoln's character made him the greater leader whose legacy and leadership still lives on!"


Deutsch says he meant that while both men influenced many people, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln had a "righteous character" while Hitler did not.

The State Senate Democratic Committee put out a statement Monday questioning whether Deutsch understood the devastation Hitler and thinks voters really need to discuss it in the election.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/26/dane-deutsch-hitler-tweet-controversy_n_773865.html

Any Questions? Hitler and Lincoln in the same breath.

[hobbit709]

1. He left out Stalin, Peter The Great, and Temujin.

I guess if you're ruthless enough, it makes you a strong leader.

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. Ivan the Terrible,Torquemada

Vlad the Impaler,Pol Pot.... I wouldn't put Peter in with this group.

[hobbit709]

6. Peter wasn't all sunshine and happiness.

Ask his own son.

[Mudoria]

9. No he wasn't

He could be extremely violent and was very vindictive. He performed miracles bring a backward country in the modern world but it wasn't without costs to the Russian people (or his family).

[Ichingcarpenter]

11. Never said he was but Ivan was a 'stronger' leader

if we go for the Hitler comparison.

[marmar]

2. The Neo-Nazis are really coming out of the woodwork this year.

nt

[Frustratedlady]

4. Someone please explain. If Hitler was a strong leader...

and they call Obama Hitler, does that make Obama a strong leader, as well?

Why are these people so hung up on name calling? Well, after sexual subjects, that is. I should think even the Republicans would be sick of hearing it.

[iamjoy]

5. Well, He Was

Obviously. Only a strong leader could exploit the fears and prejudices of most of the people in a country (and a good chunk of the continent too) to the point that they would be often willing or at least passive participants in genocide. But why go there? Why bring up in a tweet? There have been strong leaders who were evil and their skill to create misery and suffering (Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot). But if you ask me about "strong" leaders, my first thoughts are of ones who have done good things, like Lincoln, like Ghandi. Or, leaders like Winston Churchill and Golda Meir although I realize those two are not quite so widely admired.

[WinkyDink]

7. This is a theme starting to take hold. High-school students are saying Hitler made good speeches,

e.g. (personal classroom experience).

Just as "fame" and "notoriety" are now synonymous, so, too, are "leader" and "demagogue."

[sofa king]

8. Lincoln's legacy lives in the Democratic Party. Hitler's lives on, too.

Guess where?

[Ian David]

10. It's a little bit too unsubtle to be called a dog whistle. n/t

[Donald Ian Rankin]

12. Um, is there anyone here who would say that Hitler *wasn't* a strong leader?

If you read what he is quoted as having said, it's not nearly as offensive as one might hope - his point appears (as far as I can tell) to be that "strong is not the same as good", rather than "Hitler was not so bad".

If there's any context that might imply otherwise, it's not given in the HuffPo article, at any rate.

[hatrack]

13. His name is "Deutsch" and he's posting this shit in PUBLIC?!?

Absolutely unbelievable.

It could only be better if he liked to wear Waffen SS uniforms on weekends.

[LeftinOH]

14. -and his name is "Deutsch". Priceless. n/t