Instapundit breathlessly swoons over the fact that Fred Thompson is using online video and blogging, intoning solemnly that “he clearly gets the new media”. Yes, Fred Thompson is using the web… just like every other of the 17 or so people who are running for president right now.
Where would we be without our conservative pundit class?
A lot smarter.
UPDATE: Reynolds responds by saying one can’t be breathless one moment then solemn the next. Really? Really? A law professor and that’s the best non-response (note that like cons always do he never challenges the central premise of what I wrote, that Thompson is doing nothing new here except get Glenn Reynolds all hot and bothered) he could come up with? Sheesh.
“Where would be…?”
That smarts.
Ha! Instapundit’s best response is to point out a linguistic contradiction that’s not a contradiction! Some much easier than responding to the actual point!
Some, so, potato, patato
I Brendon Carr, am a total douchebag with no manners at all. I could just disagree with people, but I prefer ridiculous personal attacks.
Did the Instapundit ever say that the other candidates DIDN’T understand the new media?
The sound you hear is the bar being lowered. Expect more of the same.
“Fred Thompson gets out of bed every day by 9:00 am!”
“Fred Thompson has actually read a book!”
“Fred Thompson knows how to play chess!”
“Fred Thompson knows that it’s Belize, not British Honduras”
“Fred Thompson says ‘nuclear’ instead of ‘nucyaler’”
All of it, of course, transparent cover for the fact that Big Fred just makes something quiver in the servile canine part of the wingnut brain. He makes them slobber quicker than Pavlov’s bell.
“Did the Instapundit ever say that the other candidates DIDN’T understand the new media?”
That’s the implication. Either that or it is a case of, “Damning It With Faint Praise.”
Oliver,
You just don’t take a good picture. Why don’t you do yourself a favor and just leave how you look to people’s imagination.
WG
Those tough cons and their man crushes. I’m beggining to think they are all gay.
“Really? Really?”
Ha! The irony of your ‘non-non-response’ is too rich to be an accident.
Right?
“Really? Really?”
Ha! The irony of your ‘non-non-response’ is too rich to be an accident.
Right?
Has Fred Thomson written a book? I want to see an instapundit plug that contains one of his trademark revenue-generating amazon links.
Yap, yap, yap.
Did the Instapundit ever say that the other candidates DIDN’T understand the new media?
Certainly Hillary & Edwards have a thing or two to learn. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have affected fake accents or gotten $400 haircuts respectively.
I think Instapundit is not used to progressive hyperbole- wherein you are allowed to grossly overstate criticism of anything not leftist and pass it off as semantics or a ‘cultural thing.’
He’s absolutely right and your ‘breathlessly’ is flat wrong.
he never challenges the central premise of what I wrote
Know why? Your “central premise” is idiotic. Reynolds writes, “Fred Thompson is blogging, too” and that fits your criteria for ‘breathlessly swooning’ and ‘hot and bothered?’
If so, you’ve got some issues dude.
Did I miss it when the other candidates did impromptu web smack-downs on Michael Moore?
BIG ISSUES!
Glenn Reynolds:
Oliver Willis:
Actually, Fred Thompson and Dennis Kucinich are the only two 2008 presidential candidates (as listed on WashingtonPost.com) that blog. That’s out of a field of 18. That makes 11% of candidates blogging. So, no, Fred Thompson isn’t blogging “just like every other” candidate. He is one of two of eighteen.
Fred Thompson - Yes
Tommy Thompson - No
Tom Tancredo - No*
Mitt Romney - No
John McCain - No
Ron Paul - No*
Duncan Hunter - No
Mike Huckabee - No*
Sam Brownback - No*
Jim Gilmore - No*
Dennis Kucinich - Yes**
Barack Obama - No*
Bill Richardson - No*
Mike Gravel - No*
John Edwards - No*
Chris Dodd - No*
Hillary Clinton - No*
Joe Biden - No*
And yes, I caught the blatant strawman argument in which Willis engaged. Glenn said, “Thompson is blogging” and Willis changed it to “Thompson is using the web.”
Glenn Reynolds:
Oliver Willis:
No, Oliver, you need to work on reading comprehension. Glenn Reynolds made a wry comment about you calling his post both breathless and solemn–with the insinuation that those are emotions that do not usually occur in close proximity. He did not say that “one can’t be breathless one moment then solemn the next.”
* Has campaign blog, but candidate doesn’t blog
** Doesn’t have his own blog, but blogs on blog.thehill.com, but doesn’t seem to have his own blog
My methodology in composing the above list was to go to each candidate’s website and search for any link to a blog. If there wasn’t one there, I concluded they didn’t have one.
The above comment was posted here.
A correction to the above comment, Jim Gilmore does blog occasionally.
I am totally in awe that a Hollywood actor/lobbyist knows how to pose in front of a camera and create a phony persona.
Hollywood Fred has my vote!
Except he’s not really blogging. There are a total of 2 posts by Thomspson in the entire available archive. One is a two paragraph “welcome” from Fred that promises he will be “discussing important issues directly with you.” Another is an even briefer note announcing his appearance on the Tonight Show. Everything else that is attributed to Thompson is a reprinted except of comments he made in other media outlets. All of the real blogposts were written by someone with the moniker “Michael in Commentaries.” Blogging means actually contributing original material online on a regular basis - that hardly fits the description of what Thomspson has done so far on his site.
It kills me that the same people who continually crack on Fred Thompson because he’s an actor are the same people hoping Al Franken becomes a United States Senator.
The same man who brought us all the classic film, ‘Stuart Saves His Family.’ And brilliant performances as a drunk baggage handler in ‘Trading Places’ and ‘Mayor McCheese’ in the cartoon version of ‘Clerks.’
Whoa.
“Those tough cons and their man crushes. I’m beggining to think they are all gay.”
Wow, the left can now get to the homophobic comments on totally unrelated topics in under 10 posts.
I guess Progressives DO make progress.
WG
Fred Thompson can chew a Cuban cigar and spit out banalities.
Fred Thompson can blog, and not blog at the same time.
Instaputz can make whatever stupid comments he wants on his blog, and yet never be held to account or attribution.
Is there any LIMIT to the power of the “New Media” and its darlings?
I think not.
In related hypocracy news, Franken supporters also “crack” on Bush & Limbaugh for being drug addicts.
To be accurate, Steve, those folks don’t “‘crack’ on Bush and Limbaugh” for using drugs, but for doing so while roundly and publicly condemning others who also use drugs. While Limbaugh was doping himself up on illegally-obtained OxyContin he was busy railing against “dope fiends” as if he wasn’t among them. THAT is hypocrisy.
Does anybody else hear the voice of Dwight Schrute when reading Oliver’s blog?
The same people who tell celebrities to “shut up and sing” are swooning over Fred Thompson.
Stuart Saves his Family was a good film. And LateLine was a good show.
And sweet Jesus you people actually believe Thompson is blogging. You’re the same ones who still think WWE wrestling is real, right?
Stuart Saves his Family was a good film.
I sincerely hope you’re joking.
And again with the ’swooning’ from Oliver.
Well, I wouldn’t pay to see it, but it was fun.
>The same people who tell celebrities to “shut up and sing” are swooning over Fred Thompson.
Fred Thompson was also a United States senator. When the Dixie Chicks are elected to something, then I’ll value their opinion on anything besides making shit music.
PS: Do you get physically aroused when Instapundit links back to you? It seems like you link to damn near every other thing he posts in a desperate bid for attention.
Well, I wouldn’t pay to see it, but it was fun.
Well, at least you didn’t pay to see it. But it sucked. But that’s pretty much par for the course for almost all SNL skits they attempt to turn into feature length movies.
In my view, only the ‘Blues Brothers’ and ‘Wayne’s World’ managed to be good.
PS: Do you get physically aroused when Instapundit links back to you?
Aha! That’s why Oliver keeps going on with the ’swooning’ and ‘hot and bothered’ talk.
Frankly I’d rather Reynolds not link because all I get is a hit and run from a lot of misinformed cons.
I remember when there used to be other kinds.
Dixie Chicks won five Grammys jast year, had an album which came in among the top 40 Country Albums of the Year last year on Billboard, despite continuing vicious attacks on country radio and by the Nashville elite.
Fred Thompson? A less-than-mediocre US Senator who was mostly MIA during his term.
I’d take Natalie Maines’ opinion over his anytime.
Fred Thompson? A less-than-mediocre US Senator who was mostly MIA during his term.
And how exactly is the success of a US Senator measured exactly. Apparently you must know to call him less-than-mediocre.
So lets hear it.
I’d take Natalie Maines’ opinion over his anytime.
Most people with pea-sized brain would.
“Stuart Saves his Family was a good film.”
That’s it. You get a 2-minute penalty for bad taste in movies.
“I’d take Natalie Maines’ opinion over his anytime.”
“Most people with pea-sized brain would.”
So you are calling more than half the nation pea-brained. Nice.
“In my view, only the ‘Blues Brothers’ and ‘Wayne’s World’ managed to be good.”
At least you are right about that. Although I have a soft spot for Coneheads.
Reynolds’ crush on Thompson is nothing compared to teh bigg manz luv shown by Fred-groupie Chris Matthews, who can’t get enough of that Jurassic stuff. I don’t have a link but it’s all over the ’sphere.
Mind you, no problem with the manz luv, just wish Chris would save it until he’s Massachusetts married, you know, to uphold morality.
You still haven’t responded to substance of my post that shows:
1. You were totally wrong in saying that every other candidate blogs.
2. You used a blatant strawman argument.
I’ve got the hit, you’ve got the run.
“I’ve got the hit, you’ve got the run.”
Game, set, match. Thanks for playing, Oliver!
“1. You were totally wrong in saying that every other candidate blogs.”
Fred Thompson doesn’t blog. He has a website that merely collects items from elsewhere.
Blogging implies original content.
This point has been made before. YOU ingored it.