Comments on: Why Is Jonah Goldberg A Complete Idiot?

By: digitusmedius

digitusmedius — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:59:56 +0000

If you only have to be smarter than DoughBlob to vote, that would enfranchise all the rocks in the country.

By: Zython

Zython — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 22:19:35 +0000

It alternately amuses me and dismays me that Jonah Goldberg is considered an intellectual powerhouse by the right.

Well, by comparison to the other members of the right…

By: Batocchio

Batocchio — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 19:43:36 +0000

Thad’s Leno headline link explains it all. Goldberg wants to eliminate public schools, where students would learn about basic civics, the Voting Rights Act, and why Goldberg is a moron.

(Goldberg has previously shown he doesn’t understand the Constitution, effectively arguing that Freedom of Religion allows someone to violate someone else’s civil rights.)

By: Batocchio

Batocchio — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 19:38:08 +0000

It alternately amuses me and dismays me that Jonah Goldberg is considered an intellectual powerhouse by the right. I’m amused the righties think so. I’m dismayed the MSM treat him as such.

By: r€nato

r€nato — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:31:56 +0000

I love how the wing-nuts think that because poor people of color vote overwhelmingly Democrat, that they must somehow be stupid or not know why they’re voting for a particular person.

yes, and that point of view is being expressed by…. JONAH GOLDBERG, perhaps the 2nd stupidest fucking person on the face of the earth.

By: r€nato

r€nato — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:30:41 +0000

Actually I’m grateful to Jonah for revealing what conservatives are REALLY thinking.

By: someguy

someguy — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:37:04 +0000

Would you need to pass such an exam in order to hold office. Hypothetically, would a vice-presidential candidate be tested on which branch of government he belong to?

By: Thad

Thad — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:55:51 +0000

One of Golberg's headlines put in an appearance on Leno recently: http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/headlines/H_3398/02.shtml#headline

By: g1lgam3sh

g1lgam3sh — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:31:13 +0000

My bad, double post.

Excuse: childish frustration waiting.

By: g1lgam3sh

g1lgam3sh — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:29:46 +0000

Came here from the UK via C & L.

I’m impressed with the way you used a bludgeon and a rapier at the same time.

A bloody touche, I salute you.

He really is a inapt tosser isn’t he? Tee hee.

By: g1lgam3sh

g1lgam3sh — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:28:38 +0000

Came here from the UK via C & L.

I’m impressed with the way you used a bludgeon and a rapier at the same time.

A bloody touche, I salute you.

He really is a inapt tosser isn’t he? Tee hee.

By: PaulyWog

PaulyWog — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:01:56 +0000

I read J. Goldberg’s article. I agree that implementing ANY conditions like this as a prerequisite to register to vote is akin to Jim Crow. But there is no denying that J. Goldberg has a point about the American public’s knowledge of civics. His argument that a test would foster more debate is quite lame and would in fact cause less participation in the political process! People can vote now without a test and they don’t do it!

The real question is what will it take to get more people involved in the political process. Passing a civics test does NOT make you an informed citizen! The other point I would make is that J. Goldberg approaches voting as a type of special privilege like driving. Voting and engaging in the political process was seen by the founding fathers as a duty and part of a shared responsibility of the people. Until we collectively understand that fact we will continue to see an erosion of our Constitutional rights and an imbalance of power among the branches of government….and idiots writing opinion articles like J. Goldberg!

By: cadaverdog

cadaverdog — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:12:16 +0000

Actually, the editorial swing of the Los Angeles Times was due to the sale of the Times to the Tribune organization, which does not support the editorial policy of the previous Times owners, and made that very clear by firing Robert Scheer from the editorial pages to be replaced by the grating Goldberg.
The Times still has a great reportage staff, but the editorial swing to the Right was enough for many long time subscribers, such as myself to say, “Addios,” to the Times. And I have discovered I can get along very nicely without the daily Times, thanks to the numerous news outlets available on the net. And as a bonus, I can get Robert Scheer for free at Truthdig. So thank you to the Tribune group for your right wing bias. You’re saving me a bit of change every week.

By: frameone

frameone — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:38:39 +0000

“The Jim Crow era literacy tests were put in place specifically to keep black people from voting, so please, stop with the histrionics.”

Yeah, and the people who advocated it and supported went around telling everyone just that … please jay, literacy tests in the jim crow era were defended on the same grounds that Goldberg is arguing for his version of the same thing: the lofty goal of raising the “quality” of the electorate. I’m not saying Goldberg wants to keep blacks from voting … he wants to keep a whole host of different people from voting.

The immigration test issue is simply bullshit. We don’t test immigrants on American history to judge them worthy of voting. We test them to judge their most basic commitment to becoming citizens and that they understand the basic principles of our government.

American citizens are taught this shit in elementary and high school. If they fail civics, do we strip them of their citizenship? No.

One thing overlooked in Jonah’s brilliant plan is that voting is run by the states. Is each state going to have to come up with their own, individual test? What a fucking nightmare that would be. Or would the typically states rights conservatives argue that the federal government should hand down a uniform test for all states to follow?

Voting is a right and every adult should be allowed to vote and it should be made as easy as possible for them to do so.

Jay is an idiot but he should still be allowed to vote.

By: FattKidd

FattKidd — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:22:06 +0000

I love how the wing-nuts think that because poor people of color vote overwhelmingly Democrat, that they must somehow be stupid or not know why they’re voting for a particular person. Guess what Goldberg, those people know more about why and whom their voting than the poor white southerners who consistently vote AGAINST their economic interests in the name of some idiotic ideology! They’re still voting their racist tendencies instead of their self interest. To me that is just plain dumb.

By: lou

lou — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:14:54 +0000

Here’s a way this could work: everyone who fails the literacy test and cannot vote is not obligated to follow the laws of the land or pay any taxes.
After all, they’re not citizens anymore, are they?

By: Bugboy

Bugboy — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:03:16 +0000

I would be happy to say that a civics test would be a good idea, but such good ideas are sheep in wolve’s clothing when it comes from people like Jonah Goldberg.

Just like the reduced violence against blacks was used to justify Jim Crow laws, this is a similar meme. History is chock full of examples of this kind, and we progressive wring our hands over the merits of such ideas. There are no merits, because the intent is not what he says it is, and it never was.

Rationalize all you want, but GOP fears the unwashed masses, and that is what they erect walls against, with help from corporate MSM, which is only progressive as long as there’s money to be had in it.

After all the obvious cases of our government being institutionalised toward one party rule by the GOP, using caging and all sorts of other means of voter disenfranchisement, how can ANYONE take this putz seriously?

By: SquarePeg

SquarePeg — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:55:37 +0000

Thanks for the new phrase, “Bush-Dumb”.

Example: “You’re not an idiot, your Bush-dumb.”

Damn!!

By: SquarePeg

SquarePeg — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 13:50:48 +0000

I’m beginning to get the feeling that “Conservatives” are nothing more than racist in Conservative clothing. Tell me its not true? I mean, to equate conservatism with racism and bigotry is wrong even though everything that has to do with improving the lives of the least of us is always blocked by this morally and religiously superior people who are concerned about family values.
As an African-American are they concerned about my family values? Are they concerned about working class poor people who get up every day and go to jobs they are earnestly and honestly performing without benefit of health insurance, day care and those “liberal” programs that would improve their quality of life. I mean why would a conservative want to help someone when they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps as all conservatives do and forget about any handouts – right?
Conservatism is nothing more than a refined way of saying, I am a selfish prick who cares about nobody but people who look and act like me, who through connections get jobs they are not entitled to, yet look down on others with greater skills, who use their version of affirmative action to get to the same place they already are, who disdain anyone who doesn’t have what they have, and try their best to keep them from getting it, as only the entitled should be privvy to those goodies.
Conservatism is mean, cold-hearted and vicious and I would not want to be associated with anyone who now calls him/herself one.

By: buma

buma — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:58:20 +0000

The pantload’s piece also ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer. I don’t know why these wingnut pundits get so much air-time and so many inches on the opinion page after years of being dead wrong on the major issues. The Inquirer devotes about 70 percent of its editorial pages spreading GOP talking points as the Tierney ownership flies it into the ground. I would normally hate to see my town’s newspaper fail, but these people deserve it.