Hey, look, Brad Ellsworth is a fairly standard-issue Blue Dog Dem; the Bradys loathe him and NRA gives him an "A." He looks to be something of a social conservative; he put in 23 years in an Indiana Sheriff's department, finally winning the top job, and he has been a career politician ever since. There are certainly issues on which he and I are far apart and I'd rather see a Libertarian in his Congressional seat, or a Goldwateresque Republican -- but he's not an idiot; he works at his job and we could do worse (Andre Carson, I'm lookin' at you).
On the other hand, John "Cougar" Mellencamp's road nickname was "the little bastard;" he's worked hard at his job, too, but it wasn't exactly law enforcement or politickin' -- it was making music that would get played on the radio and MTV. Cute, but not really a survival skill. And while nobody has ever called him stupid* -- not to his face, at least -- he's not the guy you'd go to for help with your homework.
So, you tell me, you're trapped in a pit with rabid lobbyists and ravenous Grande Dames from the League of Women Voters; you can pick one (1) politician to help you from the two listed above. It's gonna take one speech and two math problems to get out. Which would you pick?
See, that's why you are never gonna be Editor at The Nation. Saved, from a fate far, far worse than death.
Seriously, is there something in the water there? Do they serve paint chips in the snack bar?
Update: Constitutional scholar Mellencamp on that pesky ol' First Amendment and horrawful meanies like you an' me...
“I don’t think people fought and gave their lives so that some guy can sit in his bedroom and be mean. I don’t think that’s what freedom of speech is,” he continued. "Freedom of speech is really about assembly — for us to collectively have an idea. We want to get our point of view out so we can assemble and I can appoint you to be the spokesman. That’s freedom of speech — to be able to collectively speak for a sector of people. But somehow it’s turned into ‘I can be an a****** whenever I feel like, say whatever I like, be disrespectful to people and not be courteous.’ It’s not good for our society. Not being courteous is not really freedom of speech."Unh. I'm feelin' queasy. Well, thanks to Newsbusters anyhow.
___________________________
* Oops! Freepers have done so already. Possibly from their bedrooms, meanly.
14 comments:
I myself have never called John Mellencamp an idiot, to his face.
I did, on one occasion, call him a "Self indulgent talentless drunken hack", and he had to be restrained; I was aching for him to take a swing at me. He was an idiot then, and is an idiot now, and I am nowhere near my bedroom.
Gaah! Did you have to remind me that I left Ellsworth's (formerly Hostettler's) district to be misrepresented by Carson?
Actually, I would be fairly happy with either Hostettler or Ellsworth as Senator, and I hope they both take their respective primaries.
Mellencamp can stay where he is.
I hear Melonhead is pretty good at helping his relatives get farm subsidies...
The Mellancamp rant is as spooky as anything I've heard recently.
Winston Smith was free to sit in his bedroom and write secretly on the creamy journal paper. For him to blog by holding a page up to the Telescreen was to commit painful suicide.
Winston's free speech in publlc was controlled by psychotic thugs working for guy who paid for the microphone, and God Bless Big Brother for that outlet, eh? After all, BB was ensuring that all ideas were collective ideas, just as Mellencamp suggests.
I think it says something about politics that so many talentless hacks seem to have an affinity for it, lately.
When did Mellencamp care about being polite?
Ever listen to Country Gentelman? He said that Ronald Reagan killed women and children.
Polite as defined by the Left: I can say what I want, you Republicans must agree with me.
Shootin' Buddy
I would pay BIG money to watch John Cougar Mellonhead take a swing at og.
I figure I'd make it all back selling Mellencamp his teeth back...
The headline had me thinking (before I saw it was a Nation link) that it was the idiots at the Star who had come through again.
But then "Lib Rag" accurately describes so many publications nowadays...
Oh, and I too would pay to see the Og-Mellencamp smackdown.
Although I'm sure it wouldn't last long enough for me to get through the first bag of popcorn.
Just as soon as some blowhard refers to our rights as COLLECTIVE rights, stick a fork in 'em.
"Conserv. Blogger Pushes Pop Star Over Railing..." Tsk. Heavens forfend.
Well if Minnesota can elect a clown named Al Franken as a senator, I guess a washed up old worthless rocked like Mellencamp can have a go at it...Geessh
As far as politics is concerned, Mellencamp should,"...forget all about that macho shit and learn how to play guitar."
Okay, but I totally draw the line at the President's horse bein' named a Senator....
Post a Comment