The Glade 4.0

http://m.cnn.com/primary/_5PIqhH-iE8jbUT9Cze

For the video impaired. Apparently Karl Rove dug up some video (from way back in 99) of Republican nominee Christine O'Donnel admitting that she experimented in witchcraft. She by her own admission never joined a Wiccan organization, but he's demanding an explanation.

Who freaking cares? So she experimented in high school. What did you experiment with in high school Mr Rove? If this is the best dirt the great Architect could find (and since he's running with it I can only assume it is), the I would feel much better about her if I were in Delaware.

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

I'm having a really hard time figuring out how this could be used as political capitol anytime in the last 50 years, or so. Probably more.

I mean, even if you assume a solidly devout Christian electorate, you just come out and say "God has forgiven me for my sin and welcomed me back into the arms of the Church after I strayed." and you're home free -- even the most devout of your opponents have to accept that, or make a mockery of the core of their own beliefs.

I mean, this probably wouldn't fly in Salem back in the day, but short of that...

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Big damn heroes.

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

The only question I have about this is whether or not she has been weighed against a duck.

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Really I think it is straw grasping. Rove is upset that his pet RINO didn't win, and the "unelectable" woman has been gaining ground since Tuesday, despite (because of?) his condemnation of her.

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

Irrelevant as Rove and the Establishment want to "Burn her Anyway"

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

Well until I know the facts I can't say that I am against that.

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I think you underestimate how much the Christian right's power over the GOP. And how many people still actually believe that Witchcraft is real. On both sides of that equation.

As for why it's on the news desk, it's because of the infighting within the GOP. That is newsworthy. The fact that it was Witchcraft that the GOP is trying to use against her is irrelevant. They just found whatever they could that they thought would get some leverage and used it.

Karl Rove attacked her like she was a liberal, for whatever reason.

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

So if she was a liberal, it would be ok to attack her this way?

And I'm pointing out that it doesn't matter if the Christian right has power over the GOP -- it's a religiously unwinnable attack. Unless you find somebody out there preaching Old Testament law in lieu of New Testament forgiveness, "she strayed to witchcraft for a while" isn't something you can really smear a Christian with. God forgives, so should people towards whom the attack intends to play. Thus making it a really lousy attack.

It's the same reason the most powerful speakers who talk about their journey to Christ are people who turned their back on Him for a time and did lots of awful stuff, and then found forgiveness when they hit rock bottom again. Nobody attacks them, because there's nothing to attack. They've been forgiven and redeemed by God's grace and infinite understanding.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

Yes! Derr.

That's what Rove and those like him do for a living. Dig up anything and see what sticks. I mean, let's not be naive here!

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

While that is true, it also requires that you be VERY fervent in your beliefs and make them a prominent part of your message. If you don't, then it becomes a weak point for you and many will believe your conversion is not sincere. I have no idea what her current religious status is, so I'm not sure where she falls.

You're assuming it's a religious attack and not a political one. Based on religion, yes, what you say is true. Based on politics, the attack has a chance of sticking. Different rules, prejudices, etc.

/tongue in cheek

That explains why no one listens to Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh!

Seriously, people will follow anyone who is saying what they want to hear and will rationalize away past sins when it is convenient.

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And I'm saying that the political attack relies on religious conviction to hold any water. And to anybody with that degree of religious conviction, it's an empty attack because the message for which they have conviction teaches them not to hold that kind of a grudge.

Do I think that, politically, it's still a rough environment for a practicing Wiccan looking to get elected? Yes. Do I think that an atheist who experimented with witchcraft in their youth is looking at a harder time than just an atheist? Yes. Do I think that a Christian with witchcraft in their past has a tougher time than a Christian without one? Not really, unless the electorate already doesn't like them to a great enough extent that it can blind them to the hypocrisy inherent in the attack, in which case the attack is already superfluous.

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"Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee
"... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades

This is going to sound cynical, but I really don't think you're looking to the devout and the introspective to be influenced by this kind of attack. You're looking at that (already very large) number of people for whom their faith is based on what the preacher says on Sundays.

And it's a tool to influence those on the line, or to give more ammunition to those who already oppose the candidate. Those already in support of a candidate will simply rationalize away the claim. This is true of any attack like this, religious-based or not.

It makes a lot more sense when you realize that the Republican party views Christians as puppets the same way the Democratic party looks at black people as puppets.

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Buckle your pants or they might fall down.

Link's broken.
New one: http://m.cnn.com/primary/_pb22ii-iS6jbSIIC3R

I don't know why Rove's got a bug up his *** about her, I suspect Rorinthas has the right of it.



Part of the problem with the Tea Party for the religious right is that they don't have social issues as their core platform. I wouldn't be surprised at all by how many people "still actually believe that Witchcraft is real", especially on the other side of that "equation" - one would assume that practitioners of witchcraft believe in it.



The whole hubbub about her is that she's got "fervent" religious views. It's the reason she was on Maher's show in the first place.



Well, how about if Bill Maher re-aired a clip from his own show a decade ago, on his new show? I wonder why he did that?

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

This +


For all the emphasis that the original Protestant movement placed on the concept of individual's finding their own salvation through religion rather than needing a middleman in the form of priests and preachers most people aren't willing to invest the time, energy and reading required to reach spiritual enlightenment for themselves. This makes them easy to manipulate since you only need to capture the hearts, minds or financial interests of their leaders.

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Shiny.

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Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
█ ♣ █

No it doesn't. Most people will believe you are sincere unless you're continually engaging in behavior that really indicates you just don't give a ****.

There's a vocal element that demands extreme fervence, but they are neither as common or powerful as you are claiming.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

I agree for normal folks. But we're talking about someone who's entering the political arena, and the requirements for them are different in my experience.

Yes. The requirements of that vocal minority that I mentioned.

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"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

Couldn't agree more!

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"Said I never had much use for one, never said I didn't know how to use one!"~ Matthew Quigley

"nothing like a little meow in bed at night" ~ Bruskey

"I gotta float my stick same as you" Hondo Lane

"Fill your hand you son of a *****!"