Mike Hawk's Journal: Karl Rove is too smart for anything!

So this whole Shiavo thing. So that happened.

I didn't get why anyone cared. I sure wasn't paying attention. Like so many other things, none of my business. My wishes are well known to the people that matter so it has nothing to do with me. Then I tried to turn on the Clipper game this evening. I figured it might be pre-game coverage already.

Nope. Still Air America.

The Shiavo Incident was the focus of the broadcast. The woman was pretty much just reading some judge's decision. Boring stuff. But man was she mad.

That's when it hits me. Thanks to this, Karl Rove gets to paint certain democrats as people who are both impossibly obstructive AND wanted this woman to die. A vote against the bill meant that you were taking action that would lead to this woman's death. And some 50 odd people and at least one radio host took the bait.

A vote on the bill presented two choices. A yes vote meant there would be at least one more conversation about her fate. It didn't save her. It didn't even put the tube back in. There would just be one more conversation while she starved. A no vote was a vote for no more discussion and for her to die immediately.

Of course in the grand scheme of things this was politically motivated. But it worked. Sides were chosen. Excuses were made. And now its over. I love things that force people to take sides. Cut the jibber-jabber. When the chips are down, where do you stand congressman?

Do you want to run for reelection when the challenger can honestly claim that you knowingly voted for a woman to die? That would fly in the most blue areas. Hey its just a 168th term abortion right? But in a moderate area? Over a whole state if you are a senator? Good luck with that.

nothing to gain, but a lot to lose

[Bill Dog]

There are a number of reasons why people cared -- they might be boilable down to idea of defending those among us who cannot defend themselves.

But I don't think this'll win anyone brownie points per se. I think the moderates have been convinced it's a "keep govt. out of my bedroom" issue by the Left. And it won't win any extra votes for the Republican party -- it's that they surely would have lost a bundle of votes had they chosen to ignore it.

Definitely plenty to lose

[Mike Hawk]

At first blush I agreed with you. But then I thought about the timing. We are at least 6 months if not a year before solid campaigning begins for 2006. By then for most of the congress critters there will have been dozens of other issues.

But when it begins again with the shouting and negative campaigning, will people remember? Or will the republicans be able to spin this into a pro-life case and/or a democrats as obstructionists case? I think they will. Not now, but soon.

In Other Words You Think Americans Are Idiots

[the_mad_poster]

I think it's kind of amusing that people like you seem to revel in the fact that so much of america is effectively stupider than its dogs and can be endlessly dragged about by press packets and spin. That they're so blindingly idiotic and uneducated, so fearful of research, knowledge, and internalized critical thinking, that they will happily except the brazenly ridiculous idea that people arguing from the side of Michael Schiavo "wanted that woman to die".

Oh, yes. I'm so proud to call myself an ame.... wa

One possible interpretation

[Mike Hawk]

But its much more subtle than that. I think most people would agree that if congress were actually voting to restore the tube and completely overrule the local court that would be far outside of their intended constitutional powers. But the clever republicans only held a vote that really boiled down to talking about this particular case one more time. What's the harm in talking about it one more time? Its a much more difficult case to make that its bad for the country to talk about it one more time. Th

Re:One possible interpretation

[the_mad_poster]

No, there's no nuance. It's just another example of politicians - politicians that happen to be controlled by your "side" of the political spectrum at the moment - wasting everyone's time and ignoring their actual jobs, then simply (rightly) expecting a majority of the country to be so amazingly ignorant of what's really going on that the stupid populace will accept any idiotic spin that can get shoved down a begging media's throat for the purpose of brainless regurgitation.

In fact, it's ironic you brought

Re:One possible interpretation

[Mike Hawk]

In fact, it's ironic you brought up Kerry. The very reason Kerry lost is that 51% of the country was either too stupid, uninformed, or lazy to come to an intelligent conclusion and simply accepted the entirely meaningless talking points that fueled Bush's entire campaign.

I hope you believe that is true. Howard Dean does, and it will only ensure continued losses for the DNC. You and he don't get it.

It's nice to know that stupid children like you (what are you, 13 or something?) are so happy with a p

You might have more to worry about than you think

[L-Train8]

My wishes are well known to the people that matter so it has nothing to do with me.

Maybe if your wishes are known in writing and notarized. Here's what Tom DeLay has to say [msn.com]:
"I don't know what transpired between Terri and her husband. All I know is Terri is alive. ... Unless she has specifically written instructions in her hand, with her signature, I don't care what her husband says."