Thursday, March 12, 2009

Laura Ingraham, asshole extraordinaire

By Michael J.W. Stickings

A couple of days ago, Meghan McCain, daughter of John, dared to criticize wingnut sexpot Ann Coulter -- well, she's a sexpot to them, if not to me. Appearing on Rachel Maddow's show last night, she repeated her criticism, arguing as well that there is "there’s an extreme on both parties and I hate extreme."

In response, Laura Ingraham, who is hardly known for her moderation, called McCain "just another Valley Girl gone awry," essentially dismissing her as an airhead. As well, just to drive home the ad hominem nature of her attack, she called McCain "plus-sized."

Now, whether or not McCain is "plus-sized" is beside the point. (Although she certainly isn't.) But why even go there? I expect an extremist like Ingraham, a sort of Limbaugh lite, to stand up for wingnut orthodoxy, like Rush, and to lash out at opponents, including Republican opponents, with venomous glee. And perhaps I expect her to get personal in her attacks. But to make fun of McCain's appearance -- although, again, there isn't exactly much to make fun of, and so what if she were plus-sized? -- and to suggest that she's a moron? Well, sure, I guess we should expect such nastiness from the likes of Ingraham, too. These are ugly, nasty people, after all, and Coulter and Ingraham are two of the far right's worst offenders.

This time, it was the daughter of the Republican nominee for president who was the target of their viciousness. It will be someone else next time. Indeed, it doesn't really matter who it is. Whether it's Ann or Laura, Michelle or Rush, Sean or [fill in the blank], this is what they do, this is how they try to take down anyone and everyone who challenges them. In this sense, Laura was just being Laura, an asshole extraordinaire.

Labels: , , , , ,

Bookmark and Share

4 Comments:

  • I'd say M. McCain is definitely plus sized:

    http://i.usatoday.net/news/_photos/2008/06/13/meghan-mccainx.jpg

    http://blogs.abcnews.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/02/ap_meghan_mccain_02_080327_main.jpg

    Not that this makes any difference to the value (or, more precisely, the lack therefore of) Ingraham's argument, of course....

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:37 PM  

  • The ad hom argument about her size only works because, well, she's a woman. Look at all the fat men in Congress who we take seriously...at least enough to engage in their ideas and to not insult their appearance.

    Case in point is Limbaugh, who said that Clinton is not electable because no one wants to watch a woman age as rapidly as the Presidency makes a person age. Coming from an overweight, bald man.

    And anon saying she is plus-sized, even with those links (only the 2nd one worked) means that s/he has no clue about women's actual clothing sizes. "Plus-sized"--a completely arbitrary and constructed designation to begin with--technically starts at size 16. She is likely on the border of 14 and 16, which means her size status is nothing along the lines of "clear."

    The a woman is only "credible when modelesque" standard and an ignorant idea(l) of what women with actual jobs and lives who actually eat look like, are 2 very fucked up results of gender inequality.

    By Blogger lindabeth, at 11:13 AM  

  • I wouldn't compare Laura to an asshole. An anus has a useful purpose.

    By Blogger Capt. Fogg, at 12:32 PM  

  • Laura Ingrahm is an idiot clinging to bigotry and cruelty against women. She should be ashamed of herself...she should apologize to Ms. Mcain and stop pretending that she did not make the comment.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:00 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home