A few weeks ago, Sue Lowden made a comment about how people used to barter with their local doctors (the infamous "chickens for health care" statement). Many bloggers and pundits whom I respect have taken this snippet and run with it.
Hilarious? Yes. Substantive? Not so much.
Weeks later, I'm still seeing references made to it on Twitter, blogs, MSNBC, etc. I'm here to say, stop it. There's such a vast array of horrible *actual* policy suggestions being made on the right that there's no reason to twist a relatively innocuous statement "Al Gore invented the Internet"-style and make hay out of it endlessly. That's Fox News territory and I'd like to stay out of it.
11 comments:
I don't know, it's pretty damn funny to make fun of her for this. Exhibit A: Colbert's clip.
And to think she might be a SENATOR...
Terrifying.
And actually, it's pretty important to show everyone how stupid most of the GOP really is in order to get the wingnut parts to be taken less seriously, as they should be. That's why Michelle Bachman shows up so often too.
The problem is, the left loses its moral authority if it stoops to mischaracterizing the right's statements and talking endlessly about them. It's like "death panels," "Al Gore invented the internet," etc. I think it's a really bad idea.
There are right-wing luminaries who actually *are* making "terrifying" statements. For example, there are elected officials calling for putting microchips in suspected illegal immigrants and "de-citizening" natural born citizens because their souls aren't American enough. Now that's terrifying stuff. Make a viral video about that.
Given actual unvarnished statements like those, why in the world should we waste time and credibility with Sue Lowden mentioning that people used to barter with country doctors. It's a waste. I don't want to see left-leaning media be able to count Glenn Beck as an intellectual peer.
Andrew, Michelle Bachmann actually does make terrifying statements, not just stupid ones. To me, harping on a gaffe for more than a day is mostly a waste of time; pointing out real, but idiotic substantive statements is where the value is.
I think it's dangerous business to get into taking quotes out of context and then making constant reference to the mischaracterization, given our (the left's) constant and well-founded critique of Fox and friends for that very thing.
you're probably right, though one last rebuttal:
i'm not sure it qualifies as a gaffe if you insist on it as she seems to have done. initially, it wasn't a slip of the tongue then she defended herself afterwards. "death panels" and "al gore invented the internet" were just straight up lies.
Yeah, Pius, I don't think anyone's mischaracterizing anything or taking it out of context. People originally made fun of her, and then as Jake points out, she repeated it. I mean, I'm sure there are more important things to focus on, but this is not debasing Dems in the way Fox News edits footage and debases themselves.
I've definitely heard Keith Olbermann and Markos each make reference to Sue Lowden suggesting that we solve national healthcare by bringing chickens to doctors. That's just not true, unless I've missed something.
Sadly, that's even accurate:
"Lowden spokesperson Chrystal Feldman told The Plum Line's Greg Sargent that "Americans are struggling to pay for their health care, and in order to afford coverage we must explore all options available to drive costs down."
"Bartering with your doctor is not a new concept," said Feldman. "There have been numerous reports as to how negotiating with your doctor is an option and doctors have gone on the record verifying this."
The Lowden campaign also pointed Sargent to a letter to a Nevada newspaper from a rural doctor who said "I can state from personal experience that bartering works."
"I have bartered with patients -- for alfalfa hay, a bath tub, yard work and horse shoeing in exchange for my care," said Dr. Robin L. Titus, a former Republican candidate for Senate who ended her campaign three months ago."
She's speaking about bartering specifically as a solution to health care costs.
On a slightly different note: I'd put the odds this advice leads to a sexual harassment suit at slightly over 100%.
@Jacob: Almost certainly. :)
@Andrew: At this point, I'll likely sound like I'm splitting hairs, but suggesting bartering as an option is different from literally suggesting people pay their doctors in chickens, specifically. All of this is without prejudice to the viability of bartering as a health care policy option.
Yes, but it's the extra level of absurdity that makes it a joke. But I suppose if Olbermann and Kos have said that as a quote and/or truth, then you're right.
Post a Comment