I checked out Fox Nation, the interactive website of Fox News, to see about the article they posted about Obama sending out a 75,000-word e-mail, without citing that the source was The Onion.
I went there to check out the comments, and they were, mostly, delightfully delusional.
While there, I scrolled around, and clicked on "Op-Ed: 'Obama Has Engaged in Numerous High Crimes and Misdemeanors'"
Though it was posted a week ago, and the op-ed was written four months ago, it remains one of the five Editor's Picks on the site.
In his Washington Times column from July, Jeff Kuhner makes the usual tea partyish "arguments" about "socialist dictatorship," "corrupt, gangster regime," "thug state," etc. -- typical Moonie/Bircher/Fox stuff.
The comments were dittohead delusional, but not so delightful.
Assassination and civil war wet dreams, below.
Fox Nation fancies itself a 21st-century vox populi, indeed it has trademarked "America's Talking" as a two-word slogan that self-describes the site.
Comments are moderated, presumably guided by this unintentionally hilarious sentence from Fox Nation's "Our Purpose" statement:
We believe we should enjoy the company and support of each other, delighting in the creativity, ingenuity, and work ethic of one and all, while observing the rules of civility and mutual respect and, most importantly, strengthening our diverse society by striving for unity.
Right near the top (most recent) of the comments under Kuhner's column were two startling comments by gmawt.
First, chronologically, was this one:
Impeachment is not going to get rid of this slug. The answer is to pour salt on him.
FYI, pouring salt on slugs kills them. Fourteen Fox nation patriots liked that comment.
Second, a little more detail, sans gardening metaphor:
For how long have we been watching Obama destroy our country? He destroys even while he's on vacation. We sit here and blog. He knows that there's nothing we can do about him. You want to wait out another two years? We cannot afford another two years - but what do we do? No one can get close enough. Only our special ops could do what needs to be done. I pray that there is someone out there that has the way and mean to do what's right. I honestly would if I could.
Eight Fox Nation patriots liked that comment.
Commenter noonien soong goes for a literary allusion in this hoping-for-assassination comment:
Come late April to early May, a surprising event could happen on the scale of the "Ides of March" that Rome's Caesar experienced. Keep your eyes and ears open.
Only three Fox Nation patriots got it and liked it.
toughluck also wants Obama dead, but wants it done all legal:
He is a corrupt, anti-American, terrorist sympathizer, he should be impeached..prosecuted..executed..what he has done, and is trying to do...deserves death. TRAITOR
That fantasy was more popular with Fox Nation patriots; 24 liked it.
bigctex, another legal eagle, contributed this (liked by 18 Fox Nation patriots):
Isn't treason in the time of war a death sentence let's get on with the trial
Impeaching Obama won't go far enough for some violent fantasists, like hippiegrand:
I agree impeach obama, then I hope Nancy and Harry are on the second floor in the capital and someone throws them out the window to the payment below.
Twelve Fox Nation patriots liked that.
Civil war is a favored fantasy of some Fox Nation commenters, like the aptly pseuodonymed rebelfan:
No, we are not doomed. When you stand for Christ and all that is good, true, and honest in His sight and live those virtues day by day, we can only be made stronger. Yes, a civil war is coming and it will be one fought between good and evil. God will not be mocked.
Five Fox Nation patriot fans were thumbs-up on that one.
Another guy with a telling pseudonym, kenyanhunter, responded to one of the few sane commenters with this threat:
Yep, we bought lots of guns. We are probably gonna have to use them to get rid of that commie infestation. Have you got your hiding place picked out yet ?
Three Fox Nation patriots liked that his fantasy of shooting Democrats.
Five more liked kenyanhunter's longer response to another sane commenter, featuring the same kill-the-Democrats theme, here:
Mr. "fuked_up_nation" thinks we are but a few nutcases. I guess he doesn't read the news or the polls. We are the vast majority. YOU and your ilk are the puny little minority of Marxists who have tried to take over. The jig is up for you and your buddies. You will rue the day iif ever the majority is forced to take it to the streets to clean house. You and your Marxist pals need to back down and be quiet because the heretofore silent majority is not going to take your schitt anymore j@ck@ss !
There were about 400 comments under Kuhner's op-ed; and, to be fair, most of them cheered for impeachment without violent fantasies.
A few sane commenters did note that impeachment is neither warranted nor likely -- they were generally shouted down and called names, but not threatened.
But, as you can see, fantasies of assassination and civil war are freely expressed, and allowed by the moderators, in Fox Nation comments.
Which is a weird way of "observing the rules of civility and mutual respect and, most importantly, strengthening our diverse society by striving for unity."