Your president is a cockmonger.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Let's set aside the issue of whether the president is, or is not, a dick.

Should we be allowed to call the president a "dick?" Should we be allowed to call Barack Obama a "dick?" Does it matter that it is on a cable morning show? A radio talk show? talk_politics? Would it have been OK to say he was obnoxious and arrogant?

http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/blogs/2011/tv-news/msnbc-suspends-analyst-for-offensive-remark-about-obama/?cmpid=FCST_tvnews

Edit, because my finger was itchy and I clicked "post" to soon.

To be honest, I am a person who values a certain amount of hypocrisy. Society is served if we are more inclined to hold our tongues and not let every glib piece of snark fly uncensored from our lips. That being said, I find this all very amusing. If we won just one freedom in the long War of Independence it seems to me that the freedom was the ability to call our leaders dicks and not have to apologize for it. What this shows me isn't that Mark Halperin was a courageous speaker of truth to power, now humbled by a runaway anecdote but rather a person of little conviction who says things to shock but then lacks the balls to stand up and say, "Yeah, I called Obama a dick. You know why? HE IS A FUCKING DICK! That is my opinion and if you don't like it you should hear what I think about Michelle."

Comments

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Off to the gallows with you.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Lèse majesté is no joke, yo!

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Bush is Hitler.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

QED

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

It depends. I think MSNBC, if they want to be taken seriously, has an interest in promoting a civil debate, and this is a pretty clear instance of uncivil debate. So I think they're well within their rights, and the overall debate is better served, by the suspension and discouraging these sorts of ad hom attacks, on both sides.

That said, vulgarity has its place, and is a vital and vibrant part of language. Coarseness has a valuable position in political discourse. For instance, take Senator Roy McDonald's now-famous quote: "You might not like that. . . Well, fuck it, I don't care what you think. I'm trying to do the right thing." The use of "fuck" there actually added to his argument's clear expression, demonstrating his frustration, his will to do what he believed right, and his disregard for those who would be offended by either his words or his vote. It was powerfully communicative. I don't think that calling Obama a "dick" was equally communicative. It was just an ad-hom, not related to the arguments at hand, a criticism of the message's delivery and not the message. It didn't add anything, for the same reason that calling Roy McDonald an abrasive vulgar jerk wouldn't add anything, and I think in that context it's perfectly worth of our public condemnation.

So... yes, you should be allowed, if you want to. Yes, it matters that this was a cable news show. Yes, he would've been OK to say he was obnoxious and arrogant (though I think that's unnecessary, it's not quite so uncivil).

[existentme.livejournal.com]

Yes, of course, you should be able to say the president, any president, is a dick, and in any of the places which you've enumerated. Your boss, if you've got one, should be able to fire you for it, too. If the boss would've fired him for saying the president was obnoxious and arrogant I'd be a lot less likely to agree with the decision - but, considering the source, would still totally understand it.

Also, lol.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Do you think that a boss should be able to fire you for saying Barack Obama is made of awesomesauce and farts butterflies?

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

As Dick Cheney said: Go fuck yourself.

Now, as a citizen, he was free to say that anywhere but on the Senate floor or on network tv, they have their little rules.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

I wonder what would have happened if Halperin had called John Boehner a dick, or even Sarah Palin a C-U-next-Tuesday?

[existentme.livejournal.com]

Also, an anecdote, which may or may not provide amusement:

My six year old son was hauled inside for calling his friend a pussy.

His mom: "Son, you can't call Brad a pussy."

Son: "But mom, he IS a pussy."

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

He needs to learn that truth is an absolute defense against the charge of slander.

[new-wave-witch.livejournal.com]

Is this post meant to suggest that the analyst's suspension is aninfringement upon his right to free speech?

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

This post has nothing to do with the government.

[debergerac.livejournal.com]

he might be a dick, but the president is my dick.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

I could have posted that if I had taken the time, but I thought it might be some kind of plagiarism.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

Given how many hosts they have suspended in the past six months, I am thinking that MSNBC really needs its HR department to improve the company orientation for the on air talent.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Given MSNBC's ratings, I wouldn't be so sure that these little contretemps aren't so much bugs as features.

[devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.com]

Well, I think Halperin - as a SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST - is a "poopie-head". And I say that as one who holds a MASTERS DEGREE IN MASS COMMUNICATION! So there!

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

Works for me!

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

In all fairness I think it was more about the vulgarity and the FCC violation that it was about who the target was. At least that's the impression I got from the article.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Would he have been suspended if he had called Mike Barnicle a dick? I wonder.

[mrsilence.livejournal.com]

In general, of course people have the right to call anyone they like a dick. Call Obama a dick if you like with no civil consequences, that's fine, dandy and evidence of living in a politically free society.

However, being the conservatively-minded person that I am (no, seriously) on this kind of issue, I think companies like MSNBC should fire people for breaking whatever rules they think are appropriate. Including a rule they made up 5 seconds ago that says you should not call the president a dick.

These 2 things are not contradictory.

Such overt hostility...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

If your internet connection runs a bit slower than usual, it is probably because of the monitoring layer they just installed. (Just kidding, monitoring has no effect on net performance.)

It was a rather indecorous remark that one would expect from Faux News. I don't blame the broadcasters for running a tighter ship.

Re: Such overt hostility...

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Please produce one clip where a Fox News personality calls the president an expletive.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Could we call Nixon a Dick?

[malakh-abaddon.livejournal.com]

I got no problem with it, she refers to Nixon as Tricky Dick. I always refer to Cheney as Psycho Dick. That whole hunting deal.

[404.livejournal.com]

More like a cock-gobbler, zing!

[mrsilence.livejournal.com]

I thought the proper phrase was Cock-Mongler?

[reflaxion.livejournal.com]

I believe we should have the First Amendment right to not be jailed or fined for calling the president a dick, or anything else.

As for employers, social circles and other non-penal entities, it's up to them what they want to do in response.

[root-fu.livejournal.com]

I don't care for the passive aggressive way he said it.

That was probably the most offensive thing.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Also, reminding what the previous president used to be called on a regular basis. Entire websites were made about it, so it must be a big deal:

http://www.presidentmoron.com/

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

It is a big deal now. Back then it was the highest form of patriotism.

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

I find it ironic that the same network that used the term "teabagger" ad nauseum thinks someone calling the President "a dick" is so offensive or hurtful. Bonus hilarity when you consider that Jay Carney whined to MSNBC about it.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

hey, you guys picked the name, not us.

[http://users.livejournal.com/-wanderer-/]

No, we shouldn't allow it (as in, we should not accept this as a legitimate trend in society). We should seek to reward people that primarily attack and promote ideas, rather than attacking and promoting other people. This seems like a no-brainer to me.

[raichu100.livejournal.com]

Yes, of course it should be allowed. This doesn't mean it should be smiled upon, or that everyone has to like it. And you have to be willing to suffer the consequences.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Struggling to see why this is an issue. If you think he's being a dick, call him a dick, just have your reasons and be willing to defend them. He's an elected official, not a king, you should be MORE willing to call him a dick than you would your neighbour, not less. I will never understand the US obsession with the position of president.