It's popcorn time again. Usually, there's nothing like a good blog war on the left to get those mouse clicks spiking. Back in my day (when I used to have to climb uphill, barefoot, in THE SNOW to log on and post a snarky comment or two here) we had Armando and The One Who Shall Not Be Named to fight over. Now Jane at FDL is most often the one who is the internal enemy screwing it up for the rest of us.
But once in a while all the infighting is put aside as we see someone important in the real world say something that may or may not be directed at us. While typing furiously away at the keyboard over why our former blogging buddy has really lost leave of his senses this time, we look up and say "Hey, that SOB was talking to ME!" And presto - we have somebody new to be mad at. Somebody important!
So we put aside our petty differences, grab our poor tired virtual pitchforks, and prepare to battle our next foe. Robert Gibbs has really done it now...
But we're misreading who Gibbs was talking to with his comments. He wasn't talking to anyone here, but those in the 'professional left' certainly see what he was getting at. And they are hopping mad and not gonna take it anymore.
Over at Balloon Juice, John says it better...
I maintain that the remarks from Gibbs were pretty damned stupid and unhelpful, but after a day of reading my twitter feed, I’ve had it up to here with the wailing and gnashing of teeth from, well, the professional left. Is there anything more pathetic than a group of people who so desperately need validation that any remark from the WH that seems to diss them will start a multi-day pity party? Even crazier, most of these people are bloggers- OH NOES! SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING MEAN ON THE INTERNET! Grow up.
John of course is an ex-R who finally couldn't take how nutso crazy 'jump the shark over every little thing' the GOP became over the past 10 years to join our team. So he knows over-reaction when he sees it.
He goes on to say:
...as I sit here waiting for special Ed to douse himself with gasoline and set himself on fire in a teary farewell to his MSNBC audience to protest the remarks by Gibbs, I’m wondering what exactly would have made the very vocal few happy.
Heh.
Gibbs is playing a bit with fire somewhat when he attacks the likes of Ed Schultz and others who complain A LOT about the administration. These folks have their own shows and they can go on for days and weeks and years if they want to.
But to me the key word from Gibbs was 'professional'. He's going after those who make a living stoking the passions of those of us in the real world. Many folks who post here are taking it personally. But Gibbs isn't talking to you. He's challenging the pundits who get paid to be on our side to be more on the administration's side.
He did it poorly. Realy, truly poorly. And it's not going to work. He's obviously poked the hornet's nest after hearing what KO had to say tonight. I figure Gibbs will be paying for his comments for a very long time.
But he wasn't talking to you.
And he certainly wasn't talking to me. But in the mean time, pass the popcorn.