Challenge them with facts and eventually idiots like Hannity melt. Sadly, its usually temporary.
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Hannity Has A Wingnut Freakout
September 11th, 2008
16 Comments
The robber barons should get more stable puppets
Again, I really wonder if people like Hannity who spout such obviously untrue shit are really so self-deluded as to believe what they say, or actually know they are lying.
I’m all-but-certain it’s the former. And I find that level of willful denial of reality amazing.
Given that Inshannity’s only academic merit is an honorary degree from Liberty University, he couldn’t even buy an out on the grounds of intellectual dishonesty.
A couple of points.
1. The conversation got heated between Kuttner and Hannity. Hannity hardly “freaked out.”
2. Hannity was 100% correct that the economy was in recession when Bush took office. You can look at the chart right here and look at the 2nd quarter of 2000 through the 3rd quarter of 2001 (still under the last Clinton budget) and it’s negative so Think Progress touting overall job growth doesn’t refute what Hannity said.
http://www.bea.gov/briefrm/gdp.htm
Meh, Insanity’s easy to freak out.
Reminds me a lot of Oliver for his tendency to group everybody on the left just so it’ll fit his world view.
Jay’s chart doesn’t show the “two consecutive quarters” we’ve heard so much about.
I didn’t hear Kuttner mention “recession” anyhow, he was speaking of specific signs of weakness.
Hannity broke in with his “spewing this garbage” line. and proceeded to defelct the argument to his own talking points.
Weak.
I really wonder if people like Hannity who spout such obviously untrue shit are really so self-deluded as to believe what they say, or actually know they are lying.
Some of them actually know they are lying. Bill Bennett and Peggy Noonan know it’s their job to read off the contents of the daily RNC talking-points-fax, and they oblige (sometimes couched in, “this is an issue that Obama needs to address because people are talking about it” language). Hannity, however, really is that deluded.
Jay, I doubt you know any working class people, but please feel free to ask them the following: Were you doing better financially in the 90’s or in the naughts?
I’d love to hear McCain make the economic argument for voting for him. Thing is, we ain’t going to hear it. Because it’d be political suicide.
Looking at it again, Think Progress is being misleading when they write:
“As Kuttner offered advice for Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), Hannity interrupted, saying Obama is “hiding” his associations with Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. “Stop it. Stop it. This is — this is garbage you’re spewing,”
The “garbage” that Hannity was referring to was Kuttner’s idiotic claim that Obama is having trouble selling his message because he “…is the guy that tries to be too high-minded. He tries to be the guy who bridges differences. Who’s post-partisan.” Hannity’s comments about Ayers et al came after that when Kuttner attempted to say that Obama was “idealistic.”
I didn’t hear Kuttner mention “recession” anyhow, he was speaking of specific signs of weakness.
Except he didn’t talk about “specific signs of weakness.” All he did was talk about the economy being in “dire straits” and then erected a strawman when he said, “If you can persuade the American people that the average family is doing great then your guy deserves to win.” Who is arguing that?
Jaim,
I’m a lot better off.
And my taxes situation will still be better under Obama’s proposals than McCains.
Because McCain will tax my health insurance. His cuts won’t offset that.
Easily the worst host on any program I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen any other so consistently refuse to let his guests finish a sentence.
If you are doing better, that’s great. Personally, in terms of real income adjusted for things like inflation, but more importantly housing prices and healthcare costs (and I’ve never been sick, just want to maintain my coverage) I’m worse off now than I was in the mid- to late-90’s when I graduated from college. The job market was a lot healthier as well. Oh, and sending a kid to college? Yeah, that hasn’t exactly gotten cheaper either. Real wages are stagnant. Unemployment? Sure, if you can afford to work at Starbucks, you can get a job in the States. But one that will allow you to strive towards a middle-class lifestyle? Fuhgedaboudit.
Not that there aren’t plenty of people doing fine right now, but there are lots of people who are well and truly hurting. I know and have worked alongside some of them. Hell, I left America because job opportunites abroad are much better than they are in my home country right now.
So please, Jay, continue to argue that the economy has been good for people making under 5 million (”small fries” according to seven-mansion owning Johnathan Sidney McCain III) under Bush II. Even _McCain_ isn’t going to go there (hence his attempt to run on a culture wars/abortion platform rather than any actual facts and statistics).
Unemployment is not at the lowest rate in four decades as he claims. Check the BLS web site. It’s not the highest, but it certainly isn’t the lowest. His inflation and interest rate claims are bogus too.
I guess he figures the louder he is the “righter” he is. I’ll betcha a nickel he used to get his ass kicked in high school.
Parthenon: I’ve never seen any other so consistently refuse to let his guests finish a sentence.
Which should always be a big red flag, whether it is a host on a TV talk show or someone having a discussion at the office water cooler, that the interrupter has no case to make.
I’m always very suspicious of the arguments made by someone, liberal or conservative,who is afraid to let their opponent speak.
these people are nothing short of astonishing. i may not be a bill clinton fan, but growth and employment were a lot better during his presidency than under reagan-bush-quayle. watching conservatives explain that this period was really an outgrowth of their policies is fascinating. if mccain is elected and the country does end up in a protracted recession, who’ll the cons blame it on? my guess is bill clinton. dunno how they’ll do it but i bet they will.
Carlos: I guess he figures the louder he is the “righter” he is.
Again, the sign of someone deathly afraid to let anyone else speak. Of someone who knows their argument is weak.