The Edwards-Marcotte Fiasco

[inmyhumbleopinion]

Bob: Mark, I just commented elsewhere on IMHO's concern about sharing her feelings and thus opinions on this case because it would reveal too much about her personally.

IMHO: More lies.

I've never expressed concerns over "sharing [my] feelings and thus opinions on this case."  I have no concerns over doing so and have given no reasons for posting what I chose to post.

I never said you expressed your concerns. Quite the opposite. Your actions speak. By the way, didn't Peebs get all bent out of shape about me calling Cash "liar by omission"? I guess he's watching the Super Bowl.

You made up the "IMHO's concern about sharing her feelings..." part. That would be the lie.

[Bob In Pacifica]

Is Marcotte still employed by Edwards? I keep seeing the story popping up all over the blog.

[TalkLeft]

As far as I know, yes.  And I think (and hope) it stays that way.  For an alternative point of view ,check out Athenae

http://www.first-draft.com/2007/02/you_know_when_a.html

Just don't quote it here, since these forums don't allow that language. 

[LTC8K9]

She deserves to be ripped to shreds, imo. Deletes what she writes instead of defending it or apologizing. Childish.

[wumhenry]

Well then, HERE is your platform.  WHY do you post one smear after another about the falsely accused here considering you have stated you do not believe the FA? 

I haven't stated that.  Why is that so hard for you to grasp?

Well, IMHO, DO you believe the AV?  And if so, which of her stories is the one you believe in?

[Epublius]

svolich, I don't know if the hiring tells us much of anything about Edwards. He may never have heard of her name before the story broke. Hiring someone to do a blog is something someone farther down in the campaign does. I would hope that Edwards hasn't been spending his time vetting Marcotte. Whenever someone in a political campaign does something stupid to embarrass a candidate I am reminded of that photo of Roslyn Carter with John Wayne Gacy.

What will tell us more about Edwards is how he and his campaign drops Marcotte if she hasn't already done the right thing.

BiP, I would agree with you if it was Feb 2008.  But it's almost 2 years till the election, Edward's campaign staff isn't that large yet - nobody's is, not even Hillary Clinton's.  If a campaign staff was larger than a 2 dozen people, now, the candidates would just be burning cash by the bucket.  

At this stage there's no more than one layer between Edwards and Marcotte.  He might not have hired her directly - but he hired the person that hired her, and it was put past him before it happened.

I do agree that his response will be instructive.  He's in a no-win situation (see: Kobayashi Maru).  He has to minimize the damage, since it can't be avoided completely.  Letting her go on as she is now will damage him in the early states, dumping her damages him in key netroots sectors.  He should give her a raise contingent on her being absolutely quiet, keep her on staff but make her invisible.  

Bessy - I have to really, really stretch but I think I can play devil's advocate on this one.

She's a good writer - lucid, easy to read, funny.  She's popular in the netroots.  She shores him up there, he needs it and he knows it.  He's running as another centrist Democrat - but as such, he's behind Hillary.  Heck, he's behind Biden.  So he somehow has to be BOTH a centrist and a leftist.  

Edwards has three kinds of three kinds of staff personnel;  national staff who run the campaign, state staff who manage each state's campaign, and flying staff which goes from state-to-state, depending on need and sequence in the campaign.

My guess is that Marcotte is in the third layer of national staff in the communications areas, perhaps dealing with "new media". 

I agree that Edwards will have a less-vertical staff for now, but he's already having to see if he can be competitive with Clinton and Obama in about eight states.  (For example, Edwards has already introduced his health care plan which would dramatically raise taxes on those earning more thn $200,000 a year, and would further tax businesses. ) 

Having a radical feminist like Marcotte on his national staff might have seemed like a good idea to counter Hillary, but he can't even begin to imagine the kind of fire she's going to draw from other Democrats and the media - not to mention Republicans.

It's going to be interesting to watch.

[EC]

Well then, HERE is your platform.  WHY do you post one smear after another about the falsely accused here considering you have stated you do not believe the FA? 

I haven't stated that.  Why is that so hard for you to grasp?

Yes you have.  It's in your comment log which I showed you twice already. 

[abb]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/04/AR2007020401280_3.html

John Edwards has hired Amanda Marcotte, of the liberal site Pandagon, to blog for his presidential campaign. But the trouble with bloggers is that they leave a sometimes inflammatory trail.

As noted by OpinionJournal's James Taranto, Marcotte wrote last month of the Duke rape case that she "had to listen to how the poor dear lacrosse players at Duke are being persecuted just because they held someone down and [sexually assaulted] her against her will -- not rape, of course, because the charges have been thrown out. Can't a few white boys sexually assault a black woman anymore without people getting all wound up about it? So unfair."

A misguided attempt at sarcasm? "No comment," Marcotte e-mailed Friday. "But thanks for asking!"

[Epublius]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/04/AR2007020401280_3.html

John Edwards has hired Amanda Marcotte, of the liberal site Pandagon, to blog for his presidential campaign. But the trouble with bloggers is that they leave a sometimes inflammatory trail.

As noted by OpinionJournal's James Taranto, Marcotte wrote last month of the Duke rape case that she "had to listen to how the poor dear lacrosse players at Duke are being persecuted just because they held someone down and [sexually assaulted] her against her will -- not rape, of course, because the charges have been thrown out. Can't a few white boys sexually assault a black woman anymore without people getting all wound up about it? So unfair."

A misguided attempt at sarcasm? "No comment," Marcotte e-mailed Friday. "But thanks for asking!"

That she is "misguided" seems to be in evidence at the level of a Moon Mission landing on Pluto. 

My question is whether Edwards is misguided for hiring someone with such a strident, shrill, septic, and profanity-laced style of blogging.

[MarkRougemont]

Believe me, I understand about being judged by the "company" you keep. J here at TL also considers her a friend-are you going to judge her based on that? It seems that if you are a feminist you are immediately labled a man-hater or lesbian. Why is that? I looked in on this same topic at LS and thought I had hit on the Stepford blog by mistake.  Why are women with a "foul mouth" looked at differently than men? I don't agree with her views on this case but I do think some of her causes are good and her opinions need to be expressed. Maybe the worst I could say is her use of this case to back up her cause was a bad choice. Other than that, I would still invite her to participate in this discussion.

Mark, I think you are missing the key point here...Marcotte is objectionable because she is a radical propagandist who utterly rejects reasoned discourse (condemned out of her own mouth, I might add).  Her anger, her profanity, and her lack of logic, though tiresome, are side issues.

In hiring Marcotte (or in not correcting his staff's mistake), Edwards puts his imprimatur on Marcotte's blogging style.  If he's willing to do that, then I for one will have strong reservations about voting for him.

 Had to work last night and missed all the fun (and the game-I switched with a football fan so I could watch the Duke/Carolina basketball game Wed). Will try to respond to all the posts directed my way. I don't agree that she is a "radical propagandist". She is a feminist and picked a poor case for an example to promote her cause and I believe she realizes that. Other than her stated comments on this case I agree with many of her stated political views which I will not get into on this board. Much of the critism I have seen directed her way does have to do with her "blogging style" which I can relate to after having my posts referenced as "trollish behavior" or in the "lingo of enablers". She has strong opinions and strong expression of her opinions, not all of which I agree with. Many of her comments and views about things not related to this case have been taken out of context and over-simplified to the point of misrepresentation in my opinion.

Bob, I do apologize for the prediction remark-an old joke that needs to be put to rest. I do disagree on imho however. I think imho puts her feelings and emotions in every post and does not post just to aggravate you or anyone else. I still think imho is attacked more that any poster I have ever seen, and is still insulted on a board that imho is no longer a member of on an almost daily basis. I believe imho wants to see justice done in this case and all parties treated fairly. I don't think it would be "nice" if everybody agrees on everything all the time or if different opinions and style of posting are the subject of insults because they are outside the norm. My reference to Stepford in the above comment is appropriate I believe, given the reactions shown on this board and elsewhere.

[Duke 84]

My reference to Stepford in the above comment is appropriate I believe, given the reactions shown on this board and elsewhere.

Why is that?  Consistency in this case, that disagrees with your beliefs, makes one a "Stepford wife"? 

[MarkRougemont]

My reference to Stepford in the above comment is appropriate I believe, given the reactions shown on this board and elsewhere.

Why is that?  Consistency in this case, that disagrees with your beliefs, makes one a "Stepford wife"? 

You have it backwards-Marcotte is the opposite of what is considered "ladylike". Much of the critisism is directed at her unladylike blogging style and use of profanity and is labeled a man-hater or lesbian because of that. It is obvious that she is not the Stepford wife that many wish her to be.

 "Joanna Eberhart: Bobbie! Bobbie... this isn't you...
Bobbie Markowitz: That's right, Joanna! This isn't me, it's a whole new me. I'm happy, and I'm healthy, because I understand what's important in life.
Joanna Eberhart: Yes, your new book!
Bobbie Markowitz: [starts advancing on Joanna] That's right! That's what's important, my new cookbook. And my husband, and my family, and making a perfect home. It's a lesson every gal needs to learn, especially you. I'm your friend, Joanna, I'm going to help you. You need me.
Joanna Eberhart: You stay away from me!
Bobbie Markowitz: You are driven.
Joanna Eberhart: Well, sometimes...
Bobbie Markowitz: And you're selfish! You wanna rule the world! I can fix you. I can change you."

[LTC8K9]

Hey! It's not like we are pulling a James Byrd on her! Lighten up.

[LTC8K9]

But I'll bet dollars to donuts that ImHO's James Byrd reference is allowed to stand.

So far, you're a winner.

Jeralyn has had plenty of time and chances to react. Nothing yet.

If she lets that revolting post stand, it will show what her priorities are.

I am now making references to Immy's post in places to see if they are deleted.

I'm posting this over there.

[OM]

But I'll bet dollars to donuts that ImHO's James Byrd reference is allowed to stand.

So far, you're a winner.

Jeralyn has had plenty of time and chances to react. Nothing yet.

If she lets that revolting post stand, it will show what her priorities are.

I am now making references to Immy's post in places to see if they are deleted.

I'm posting this over there.

I don't think imho's generic reference to dragging Ms. Marcotte behind a truck needs to necessarily be read in teh context of a crime in Texas, but I'll grant you that it can be.  Do you also favor removing all posts that liken the prosecution of the Duke boys to the German holocaust?  I haven't seen you employing a similar protest if you do.