Soulless: Ann Coulter and the Right-Wing Church of Hate
By Susan Estrich
From amazon.com:
"Ever since the publication of her Clinton-bashing debut, High Crimes and Misdemeanors, right-wing fire-brand Ann Coulter has made herself one of the most talked-about figures in contemporary American life-;and has done so by issuing a near-continuous barrage of insult and invective, which has been described as "shameless," "cruel," "shrill, bombastic, and mean-spirited," "grossly inappropriate," "hate speech." She has called the 9/11 widows "witches" and "harpies," referred to Muslims as "ragheads," called Al Gore a "total fag," and said that both New York Times editor Bill Keller and antiwar congressman Jack Murtha deserved to die. Yet with each new statement-;and each new book launch-;Coulter somehow manages to co-opt the media as a megaphone for her attacks, while emerging from the backlash miraculously unscathed.
Until now. With Soulless, political commentator Susan Estrich takes on Ann and the "Coulter culture" she has created, exposing how the pundit provocatrice has downgraded our political discourse with her irresponsible rhetoric, personal attacks, and slanderous asides. Trawling through Coulter's history of often-violent public statements, Estrich asks which are more cynical: the pundit and her headline-grabbing drive-by character assassinations, or the networks who happily bring her back for more. Soulless also casts a light on "the Anns," wannabes like Michelle Malkin and Glenn Beck, whose imitation Coulterisms coarsen our culture with every passing news cycle. And, most important, she challenges us-;the readers, the voters-;to remember that behind the huckster's rhetoric lurks a dangerous reactionary whose real agenda is wildly out of step with the American public.
As Estrich says, "She knows exactly what she is doing. And she is scary as hell because of it."
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Comments: 58
"Jackie is full of hate for Bush" "The Democrats have no message" "TheDemocrats are really the pedophiles, they forced Foley iinto predatory behavior" "The Democrats are only ahead 23 points, so we can still rig the voting machines and make them lose" "It's raining outside, but I don't believe you, show me facts" "Democrats are against civil rights" "Clinton did it!"
Change the frickin' channel....you're killing me!
Best regards, Ben
Author "Leading People to be Highly Motivated and Committed"
Shame on all of them.
Does she mention any of them in her book?
Ben, you can do better than that....not even the nit wit fringe would allow you to sneak that one past them.
I here you about the lack of actual statements by A.C., but if her rhetoric is felt to be inflammatory and misleading (even by yourself at times), then why would it be appropriate for a critic to republish her vitriolic comments. Surely anyone that wished to read them could google up a mess o Annie spew without any help from those who find her revolting. Some topics aren't really suited to debate, they're about the way something is perceived.
It's about time. And Ben, you have got to be kidding? Susan E is a highly educated, diplomatic, prescise and well spoken representative of the Democratic party. She is moderate, and gives credit to others when credit is due.
Comparing Susan e to Ann C is the equivalent of: civil discourse (SE) vs vitriloic rhetoric (AC), and the nicest thing I can say about her.
Ann C. is a documented plagarist, is facing voter fraud charges, and tax evasion accusations.
They tell the devout that not wanting prayer in public schools is preventing Christians from worshiping. Don't you all know Democrats are the antichrist.
Yet the Harris Poll of 2003 reveals that 90% of Democrats believe in god.
I am angry that the Democrats allowed the republicans to steal the language of our political debats. Their tatic of course. If you opposse any conservative, pure capitalistic, libertian view of business, you are:
Anti-business
Antichrist
Anti-democracy
Anti-freedom
Devil worshiping
Foley a Republican was caught and resigned immediately.
The Republicans are now using this episode to call Democrats supporters of pedophile homosexuals????
It will probably work.
The Republicans recruited into their voting block people of faith, and promised them a Christian nation.
But forgot to tell them,
We are going to keep wages low, it is for your own good.
We are going to encourage low wage illegal immigrants.
We are going to send every possible job overseas.
We are going to protect you from terrorism, just allow a few of your rights to be taken.
How many participating in this article have read her book? Most likely none!
As far a libel suit pending on A.C....there is no record that I could find. Some would certainly like to, but they haven't thus far.
Many in the blogosphere may think reckless Internet defamation is acceptable "free speech" that should never be squelched, but in the offline world, average Americans serving on a jury have a different view.
USA Today reports:
A Florida woman has been awarded $11.3 million in a defamation lawsuit against a Louisiana woman who posted messages on the Internet accusing her of being a "crook," a "con artist" and a "fraud."
So go write a rant about Michael Morre or Al Franken,
We promise to run by and drop a few points off for you, just for the fun of argumet and ranting.
Can you guys not read the original posts, or do you just live to antagonize other commenters? This post was announcing a new book written by Susan E., a friend, colleague, and trendsetter in Democratic political circles.
Her book addresses the contemptuous rhetoric that is written and promoted by Ann C., in a more professional, analytical way, discussing the draw, and "lowest common denominator" factor that Ms. Coulter appeals to. Whether you read either book or not; I really couldn't care less. If this is not a subject that interests you, why on earth would you read or visit?
And Thomas, you wrote: "As far a libel suit pending on A.C....there is no record that I could find." Who mentioned a libel suit pending on AC? It wasn't me, and as I briefly reread the thread, I didn't see any others make that statement either.
The palm Beach post reported: "Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections records show Coulter voted last week in Palm Beach's council election. Problem is: She cast her ballot in a precinct 4 miles north of the precinct where she owns a home -- and that could be a big no-no....
She wrote down an Indian Road address instead of [her correct address] on her voter's registration application. And she signed to certify the information as true.... Florida statutes make it a third-degree felony to vote knowingly in the wrong precinct. Lying on a voter's registration can cost up to $5,000 and five years behind bars."
The Palm Beach Post story also quotes the woman who sold Ms. Counter her house (it was the Realtor's address that Ms. Counter used to register), and the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections has the registration and voting records.
I have a copy of her signed falsified address voter reg. card, but I can't upload it, since it's a gif. I'll be happy to email it to anyone else interested in it.
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As for the plagiarism claims, there are numbers examples on many websites, and due to these claims, and her abhorrent attack on the 9/11 widows, Ann can now only be found on the Fox network. They apparently adhere to now moral or ethical standards, so she has no bar to uphold! Once again, Thomas et al., you ask for examples, here are a very few...I'm really tired of doing this work for you. Learn how to do research, and turn off Fox!
First, the definition:
"Plagiarism is representing someone else's ideas, words, statements or other works as one's own without proper acknowledgment or citation. Examples of plagiarism are: Copying word for word or lifting phrases or a special term from a source or reference without proper attribution. Paraphrasing: using another person's written words or ideas, albeit in one's own words, as if they were one's own thought. Borrowing facts, statistics, or other illustrative material without proper reference, unless the information is common knowledge, in common public use."
Pages 66 & 67 of Godless --- Are From an October 27, 1988 press conference with Republican Senate candidate Alan Keyes and Cliff Barnes.
On page 71 she quotes a source without citation, implying she received quote from source; when in fact she took it from a Press Release (Nexis/google search)
Chapter 7 of Godless uses information and nearly identical language to a longer list compiled by an Illinois Right To Life website (with no citation or credit).
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/For_new_book_Coulter_cribs_adult_0613.html
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The subject of the latest plagiarism scandal is right-wing bitch-goddess Ann Coulter. The New York Post has reported that John Barrie, who operates the ithenticate plagiarism-detection service, claims to have found... instances of "textbook plagiarism" in Coulter's book Godless: the Church of Liberalism and additional instances in Coulter's syndicated weekly column. For example, he (finds)... six passages, ranging from 10 to 48 words each, that appeared 15 years earlier in the same order in a Los Angeles Times article entitled "Liberals Leery as New Clues Surface on Souter's Views." If true, that can hardly be attributed to chance.
http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003335.html
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Media outlets raise questions about right-wing pundit's columns
NEW YORK - The syndicator of Ann Coulter's newspaper column is looking into allegations that the right-wing pundit has lifted material from other sources.
Coulter's latest controversy includes a high-tech twist. The New York Post enlisted the Berkeley, Calif.-based iParadigms to run the author's material through its iThenticate software program, a web-based plagiarism detection system.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13803982/
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Wikipedia covers both sides --
Plagiarism and factual accuracy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Coulter#Plagiarism_and_factual_accuracy
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Ann Coulter Writes Like Jeff Gannon
A few weeks ago, the Rude Pundit accused conservative columnist Ann Coulter of filching for a syndicated column (I should mention that I'm not at all crazy about the title of The Rude Pundit's post but, after all, he is rude: link) from a 1993 source, but the plagiarized material goes further back then that..."
http://whyareweback.blogspot.com/2005/07/ann-coulter-writes-like-jeff-gannon.html