Ridiculous "Conservative" Arguments Against Marriage Equality

I put "conservative" in quotes on this intentionally, because I don't believe some of the outlandish statements to particularly fit the definition. It's just that the people saying them happen to be prominent people who self-identify as conservative. Most of them are using a form of the slippery slope argument, which is a logical fallacy. One of the big ones. It's even called that. Forget that in order to enter into a marriage contract, both parties have to be legally consenting adult humans, these folks seem to think that legal same-sex unions will lead to all sorts of implausible pairings.

Image from source, Media Matters

I'd first like to say how nice it is to have my husband (legally married for 5-years to The Other Half) compared to a dog, a donkey, a turtle, a cantaloupe, a minor child and a harem. At least in this batch, he's spared being compared to an inanimate object, usually a couch or a toaster. But oh! The things our marriage is supposedly going to cause! The destruction of marriage. Stock market collapse. Naziism. Legalized child rape. Smiting by God. Legalized underaged incestuous marriage. And my personal favorite, sexual anarchy!

I'd just like to point out a couple of things: first, for a political philosophy that is hemorrhaging  membership, insulting a quickly growing politically popular movement is probably not the best way to go. It isn't just insulting, it's also coming off as utterly batshit crazy. Secondly, my marriage isn't the only one out there, there are thousands of married same-sex couples. Some of us have been married since 2004. That's nearly a decade, and none of this slippery slope nonsense has come to pass. Anti-marriage equality folks like The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) are still arguing as though gay marriage is a hypothetical situation that hasn't happened yet. But guess what: we're here, we're queer, we're BORING.

[Excerpt]

30 Of The Most Offensive, Idiotic, And Bizarre Conservative Arguments Against Marriage Equality

As the Supreme Court hears arguments this week on the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), conservative media figures have responded with their usual vitriol. Rush Limbaugh led the way by telling his listeners that the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment was never intended to have anything to do with "gay marriage or animal marriage." Limbaugh later expanded on a caller's argument against marriage equality by pondering, "at some point who's to say that you cannot have sex with a child. . ."

Read more at: Media Matters

Wonder Woman Lynda Carter: Right Wing "Spreading Hate"

They are, of course. Tune in--even for a moment--to Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity or Michael Savage--and you're likely to hear it for yourself. But you don't have to put yourself through that. Take my word for it, and Lynda Carter's too. She's got super powers, after all.

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‘Wonder Woman’ Lynda Carter Says ‘Right Wing’ Is ‘Spreading Hate’



Actress Lynda Carter, best known for her role as Wonder Woman on television, said that while there always is a loyal opposition to the party in power, the political “right wing” in America is “spreading hate.” Carter, who spoke with CNSNews.com at an event to raise awareness about mental illness, also said “it’s pathetic that we don’t do more” for the homeless in America. . .

Read more at: CNSNews

Right Wing Talk Radio, The Day After

Image from source, The Radio Kitchen

While looking to see if there was any news on the (hopefully) re-emergence of Randi Rhodes on radio, I happened across this gem. A very ambitious blogger has written a post about the state of the right-wing talk radio hosts, the day after Barack Obama won the presidency.

It contains the opening clips of several of the programs from November 5, 2008. And I'll confess, I haven't had time to listen to them yet. But the write ups and summations of these hosts and right-wing talk radio in general, is simply terrific. The sad part about speaking knowledgeably about your subject--in this case right-wing blowholes--is that you have to actually listen to them. I have done this, but not on the same scale. They say you have to suffer for your art, and this guy suffered!

Anyway, if you like a little schadenfreude to start your day, here's a nice place to start. He had me at, "Michael the Savage Weiner."

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Remember The Fifth of November?

It was kind of hard to be in a bad mood that Wednesday morning. At least for many of us. Barack Obama had was won the big election. Fair and square. It almost felt like optimism. Then I wondered about all those right wing propagandists who have taken over the AM dial across America… What the hell would they have to say on a day like the fifth of November? . . .

Read more at: The Radio Kitchen

Sean Hannity, Misinformer of the Year

Image from source, Media Matters

Sean Hannity is one of the primary sources of ire for this blog. Though I've pretty much banished him from my TV since the debut of The Rachel Maddow Show (which airs at the same time as Hannity & Colmes), I've seen and heard enough of him the last few months to remind myself how awful he is.

Hannity is different from many of the other arch-right-wing blowhards. Rush Limbaugh seems smart enough to know that the crap he shovels is just that. He knows exactly what he's doing. Michael Weiner Savage is certifiably insane, and may not be responsible for what he spews. But Hannity seems just dumb enough to actually be sincere when lying. He's rather a conservative savant, with the singular talent to rattle off the same statistics on his fingers, over and over. The talking points don't have to be true, Hannity believes they are, and that's enough.

If liberal talker Randi Rhodes is to be believed (and I do believe her), Hannity is fed his points by Mark Levin, "the great one" as Hannity has dubbed him, a somewhat less famous right-wing talker. Levin is definitely smart enough to know he's making stuff up--and almost as nuts as Weiner--but I'm pretty sure Hannity believes every word he says. And he's making a great living doing it.

Now that Alan Colmes is leaving the show, and Hannity will just be Hannity, I wonder if his luster will fade. Repetition works on radio, but "Just Hannity" is going to very quickly become tedious.

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Sean Hannity: Media Matters' 2008 Misinformer of the Year

As Media Matters for America has demonstrated time and again, Fox News' Sean Hannity has been a prolific and influential purveyor of conservative misinformation. But never has he so enthusiastically applied his talents for spreading misinformation as he did to the 2008 presidential race, focusing his energies primarily on President-elect Barack Obama. Day after day, Hannity devoted his two Fox News shows and his three-hour ABC Radio Networks program to "demonizing" the Democratic presidential candidates, starkly explaining in August: "That's my job. ... I led the 'Stop Hillary Express.' By the way, now it's the 'Stop Obama Express. . .'"

Read more at: MediaMatters

The Young Turks: A History of Michael Savage

I hope I'm not over-using The Young Turks clips here on the blog. Every time I'm about to give them (him) a rest, I stumble across another one that seems blog-worthy.

Recently, The Savage Wiener (™The Thom Hartmann Show), Michael Savage went on a rant against same-sex marriage. There is a Young Turks clip directly addressing that subject, but the clip of the Savage radio show was too long and too much. Then I found a better clip, one explaining where Savage's insanity comes from. Take a look.

Gay Marriage Drives Michael Savage Insane

Image from source, Media Matters

Wait, there's something wrong with that headline.

Gay Marriage Issue Reveals Just How Insane Michael Savage Has Always Been

There. That's not perfect but it's better. The Savage Wiener (­­™The Thom Hartmann Show) is quite simply an out of this world lunatic. Anything remotely associated with gay people sets him off on horrific rants. I don't understand how this man rates third in talk radio (making him literally third rate). Obviously, since he is a right-wing talker, I'm prone to disagree with him. But I'm at a loss how any sane person--Democrat or Republican--could listen to this guy and like him.

Sadly, I've been informed that my Step-Dad is a regular listener. Maybe I'll call him up and ask what he thinks this means. . .

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Savage: "The children's minds are being raped by the homosexual mafia"

Responding to a caller who said, "I had to explain to my young son why these two men were holding hands the other day," Michael Savage stated, "You've got to explain to the children ... why God told people this was wrong." He went on to say, "You have to explain this to them in this time of mental rape that's going on. The children's minds are being raped by the homosexual mafia, that's my position. They're raping our children's minds. . ."

Read more (with video) at: Media Matters

Michael Savage: Nasty, Bile-spewing Bigot

I got into something of a tiff with some conservatives over on a right-wing site called Olbermannwatch yesterday and today. I commented that I thought their nightly dissection of Countdown with Keith Olbermann rang a bit hollow, at least the way they were doing it. My opinion is that they focus far more on style than substance.

They criticise the choice of guests, the phraseology of the host, and the minutiae of how the show is presented, and give short shrift to the actual content of the stories they're criticising. Right or wrong, my comments were attacked and reviled. I was called the dumbest guy that ever came by, basically. Trust me, I wasn't crushed or anything.

But the volleying of comments devolved into other areas (which is often what happens in such forums), and somehow we got around to arguing about who had more bile, the left or the right. As a person who too regularly checks in on right-wing world, have personally sampled the vitriol and nastiness coming from the right, particularly radio host Michael Savage. I haven't seen it equaled on the left. They said I only had opinion, and no proof.

So, Olbywatchers, here is a little proof. 'K? And when you're through, try this clip from Air America's Rachel Maddow for comparison. And while I'm sure you'll all want to take me to task for the headline, tell me how it doesn't apply to THIS:

For My Dad: Michael Savage is a FREAK

Photo from source, Media Matters

I got a little disturbing news from my sister, while on my trip back home. Now, I already knew that my step-dad and mother are Republicans. This is made abundantly clear any time even a whiff of politics drifts through the air. But, this goes beyond mere political disagreement.

Dad listens to--and likes--The Savage Nation with Michael Savage. I know that Savage (real name "Weiner," no joke) has the third-rated talk radio program, after Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Which would make him literally third-rate, but I digress. . .

In my view, Limbaugh is an entertainer, who deliberately misleads his audience, guiding them to the conservative side of any issue, regardless of the facts. Hannity is (again in my view) seemingly a true believer of the prattle he's spewing. Michael Weiner Savage is--in any sane, intelligent person's view--a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot. Not to mention homophobic, xenophobic and insane. And Dad listens to him.

So Dad, in the unlikely event that you're reading my blog (or Mom, if you haven't scrolled on past), here's a bright and shiny example of why nobody should listen to Michael Savage.

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Savage: "Loving, kind lesbian" is "the type that stuffed ovens in Hitler's concentration camps"

On the November 8 edition of Talk Radio Network's The Savage Nation, a caller told host Michael Savage that while waiting at a stoplight in Midtown Manhattan, "I'm listening to you with the window open. This mean-faced, clipped-hair, liberal type -- you know, the type you always talk about. . .She comes up to my window and she goes, 'You're listening to hate speech. Why are you listening to that?' " Savage replied to the caller's anecdote by saying, "Well, what does that tell you about the loving, kind lesbian who just assaulted you in your car?" He continued: "She's a -- the type that stuffed ovens in [Adolf] Hitler's concentration camps. Whenever I hear anyone preaching to me about how compassionate they are, I reach for my Glock. That's all I can tell you. They can all drop dead."

Read more, including a transcript and audio at: Media Matters

Michael Savage Has a Mental Disorder

Photo from dKosopedia.com

I haven't yet said (at least I don't think I have) anything about Michael Savage on my blog to date. But it must be said that out of all of the far-right-wing crazies out there (now masquerading as mainstream), he's the wing-nuttiest. Michael Weiner (his legal name) is hands down the craziest, possibly most dangerous of the right-wing talkers on radio. He's second or third in the overall ratings for talk radio, and he's absolutely certifiable. Don't believe me? Read on. . .

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Savage: "You're telling me there's no possibility of a conspiracy by the Democrats" to cause Roberts' seizure?

On the July 30 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Michael Savage reacted to news that Chief Justice John Roberts had suffered a seizure that day by raising the possibility that "his health was in some way tampered with by the Democrats." Savage said, "Something's wrong with this picture," after noting that Roberts' seizure occurred just three days after Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) said he would seek in general to reject any future Supreme Court nomination made by President Bush. Schumer told the American Constitution Society (ACS) in a July 27 speech: "I will recommend to my colleagues that we should not confirm any Bush nominee to the Supreme Court except in extraordinary circumstances." Schumer said that, since the confirmation of Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, the court had come to represent "what a diminishing clique of conservative ideologues wish for.

Savage asked, "Am I to believe there's no connection between Charles Schumer on Friday saying he would never appoint, or never, excuse me, approve another Bush appointment to the court, to any court? And then the chief justice suffers a so-called seizure two days later? You're telling me there's no possibility of a conspiracy by the Democrats to have caused this seizure in some manner?" He added: "Tell me it's not possible, and I'll tell you you're a liar.""

To read more (and listen to audio, if you have the stomach for it), go to: MediaMatters.org