If I Were Defending The Hire Of Two Feminist Bloggers...

I don't have time to dive deeply into the Amanda Marcotte / Melissa McEwan controversy, but...

The short version is that the John Edwards campaign hired a couple of potty-mouthed feminist bloggers to run their "Nutroots" outreach, and now serious adults are upset.  Let's get John Cole's take:

Amanda Marcotte is mean, nasty, unpleasant, blind to any idea that does not fit her rigid ideology, and she has mistakenly confused fighting back against the right with being an obnoxious and offensive troll. For some reason, she thinks that anyone who disagrees with her opinions is a misogynist.

So what will the Edwards camp do - antagonize the Nutroots by dismissing these two or antagonize humanity by keeping them?

But while we wait to see whether Edwards opts for the quick or slow death, let's admire this defense offered by Nutroots Overlord Chris Bowers of the prestigious MyDD as he rallies to the cause of these two embattled feminists:

The Edwards camp faces a series simple choices right now: Are you with the people who work their asses for you, or are you with right-wing extremists who hate you?

Work it, girls.

Comments

[james]

"potty-mouthed feminist bloggers"

Are there any other kind of feminist bloggers? All of them I've come across need to wear a diaper on their heads.

[clarice]

You've donned your agent provocateur chapeau tonight , haven't you, Tom?

[Dan S]

The legs on this story! (four?) Just yesterday it was news that they were hired, today they're fired. Only at blogospeed!

[Tom Maguire]

Oh, if the Nutroots didn't exist, we would have to... no, we wouldn't.

"potty-mouthed feminist bloggers"

Are there any other kind of feminist bloggers?

Pardon my redundancy. In my secret, heretofore unpublished (yet breakthrough!) analysis, I blame Atrios - all the wanna-bes on the left aspire to be as snarky as he (OK, "Wanker du Jour" is not the height of comedy, but it works for them), and you end up with a lot of foul language. Why Yglesias/Drum/Marshall did not manage to set the tone, I can't say.

On the right, I think the early blogosphere had a real Reynolds-Volokh effect - folks are more likely to keep it clean when the guys at the top are.

Or maybe I should just watch any stand-up comedy on cable... OK, this theory may be nonsense. But it's mine. For now, anyway.

[Chants]

Things change so quickly in the blogoshpere that I am afraid that Sen. Edwards may have trouble keeping abreast of the relevant developments.

[Cecil Turner]

Never heard of either of 'em. After reading a sample of their writings, they seem relatively harmless. And I'm not sure it matters . . . it's not as if Edwards had a chance of getting elected.

On the right, I think the early blogosphere had a real Reynolds-Volokh effect - folks are more likely to keep it clean when the guys at the top are.

I wonder if that's mixing cause and effect. I know that I find casual profanity off-putting, and I suspect that's a common view amongst aging conservatives. So if you're going to cater to that crowd (or if you happen to be one of that crowd) . . .

[centralcal]

Oh, I am disappointed! If Edwards had kept the hate spewing, potty mouthed duo, it might have really made for some interesting campaigning on the Dem's side. I mean, wouldn't Hilary and Obama have to try and "top that" in a defensive posture.

Rats, now he went and fired em!

[topsecretk9]

Ace does have a pretty funny post up making fun of Bower's lined up vicious rant and scary "action alert"

I also wish to make something else clear. While there is no way I will support Edwards with Amanda and Melissa are fired, I will immediately become a staunch Edwards supporter if they are not fired.

I think he'll inflict great pain on Edward's candidacy since the voting masses will be chagrin that he'd fire Amanda whatever her name is from blogging on his blog.

[JM Hanes]

TM:

Well, I thought "potty-mouthed" captured the sophomoric style of your subjects to perfection!

[JM Hanes]

Edwards apparently didn't consult with Ned Lamont before this dumpster dive. On the other hand, considering some of the nasty comments Mrs. Edwards made during Campaign '04, maybe she's repsonsible for this particular hire.

[MayBee]

Mrs. Edwards made during Campaign '04, maybe she's repsonsible for this particular hire.

I so glad someone said it.

[Walter]

Dan,

Shouldn't that be "the gams on this story?

[Terry Gain]

The choice is between civility and derangement.

[Seixon]

Shorter Bowers: you're either with us or against us!

Where have I heard that before? Hmmm.

[lonetown]

I still want to know -

Why Johnny can't read?

[hit and run]

How long before these former Edwards campaign bloggers launch into a scathing attack on the 28,000 sf bungalow Edwards is building?

[BumperStickerist]

Memo to Edwards Campaign:

For a $25,000 retainer and a $25,000 job completion bonus, I will guarantee that all the balloons will release on cue.

.

[hit and run]

I'll do it for $20,000 for each.

[Jane]

The nutroots are gonna take it out on Edwards. Do not cross the loony. You will be sorry.

[maryrose]

Edwards did the right thing. These gals are just deadweight and baggage for him right now. Cutting them loose to spew their venom elsewhere is the smart move. If he wants to be prez he has to make the tough calls. I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed how blunt{that's a nice word} Elizabeth Edwards can be at times.On a recent Hardball college tour program she came across as tougher than Edwards himself. I wouldn't want to mess with her. Shades of Hillary...

[hit and run]

On a recent Hardball college tour program she came across as tougher than Edwards himself.

Elmo comes across as tougher than Edwards.

But I've no doubts Mrs. Edwards is tougher than Elmo.

[Kurmudge]

Um, read the Bowers quote closely. It seems to imply that the women are providing all SORTS of special services-

"Are you with the people who work their asses for you"

I think he probably meant that they worked their [censored] OFF for Edwards, but it came out wrong. As Glenn would say, "Heh".

[Mister Snitch!]

Edwards should have kept them. As they strove to clean up their acts and hide their pasts, the rest of the flatulent left would have inevitably jumped on them for selling out. Food fight!

[Tom Maguire]

"Are you with the people who work their asses for you"

I think he probably meant that they worked their [censored] OFF for Edwards, but it came out wrong. As Glenn would say, "Heh".

Uhh, I didn't provide any special emphasis - should I have?

[clarice]

Edwards is keeping them and thereby cinching the votes of foul mouthed mistresses, I guess.

http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/edwards-wont-fire-his-foul-mouthed-webmistresses#respond>Stick with the gals you brung

[Laika's Last Woof]

Hillary would've turned it into a "Sistah Souljah" moment ... y'know, like she did with Sistah Souljah ...