Palin ‘Target’ Graphic in Perspective
James Joyner · Sunday, January 9, 2011 · 80 Comments
Steven Taylor has already posted on the now-infamous Palin “Target” Graphic, in which the Gabriel Gifford’s congressional district was depicted in crosshairs of “20 House Democrats from districts we carried in 2008 voted for the health care bill” and proclaiming with “IT’S TIME TO TAKE A STAND.”
As horrendous as this looks in hindsight, with Giffords fighting for her life and six others, including a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl, dead, the fact of the matter, as Alex Massie points out, “Palin’s poster was only a souped-up version of a campaign trope that both parties have been happy to employ in the past.” He points us to a posting from John Sexton from last March showing similar graphics employed by the moderate Democratic Leadership Council and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The DLC one appeared in the December 13, 2004 edition of Blueprint Magazine:
The article by Will Marshall is perfectly benign campaign strategizing. But it has targets on Republican-held states that Bush won by less than 10 points in 2004. It’s called “Targeting Strategy.” It says, in all caps, “BEHIND ENEMY LINES.” (And, incidentally, it turned out to be rather prescient, as Barack Obama indeed won several of these states in 2008.)
The DCCC one is from February 23, 2010:
Clicking on the targets reveals this:
So far as I know, neither of the above Democratic graphics led to any shooting sprees. Then again, there’s no current evidence that yesterday’s shooter was inspired by the Palin graphic, either. Neither Alex nor I are Palin fans, by any stretch of the imagination. But she’s simply not culpable in yesterday’s outrage.
RM,
Note that they do not know the difference between buses and busses. Buses is the plural of bus and busses is the plural of buss. They are quite different things.
RM,
Note that they do not know the difference between buses and busses. Buses is the plural of bus and busses is the plural of buss. They are quite different things.
Unbelievable: Democrat group using Gifford shooting for fundraiser!
by Warner Todd Huston
An extreme, left-wing Democrat group calling itself 21st Century Democrats has had the gall to send out an email blast using as a fundraising tool Saturday’s criminal shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona. Judge John Roll and four others were killed in the incident, one of them a 9-year-old girl, but these Democrats are ignorant enough to be using this incident to try and squeeze donations from its supporters. Some might think the action of 21st Century Democrats is itself a crime — a crime against decency.
The email blast sent out Sunday morning to its supporters tells members that “we don’t know yet” why Jared Loughner shot Gabrielle Giffords but goes on to lay the blame on Sarah Palin and Gifford’s opponent in the past election for using “violent imagery” in his campaign.
The email goes on to ask members to “join us in sharing your thoughts and prayers to the Congresswoman and her family by visiting our website where we have set up a page for you to do so.” Naturally once you click on the link you are taken to a page that prominently displays the group’s DONATE NOW button. It is not in the slightest way discreetly designed. As soon as you go to this so-called prayers page you see a large button asking for donations and another one underneath it urging visitors to “sign up” for email blasts and information.
Disgustingly, 21st Century Democrats is using this crime in a fundraising effort.
Gauche is hardly a strong enough word to describe this action.
21st Century Democrats is no unheard of fringe group, either. Styling itself as one that is “building a progressive majority from the grassroots up,” it is interesting to note that some major top-down players in the Democrat Party founded the group. The group was created in 1986 by Senator Tom Harkin, a powerful Democrat from Iowa, and was co-founded by left-wing pundit Jim Hightower and former Illinois Congressman Lane Evans. These folks are hardly “grassroots” sort of folks.
Worse, even as this email blast accuses Sarah Palin and former candidate Jesse Kelly for using “violent imagery” and for “targeting” Giffords, this group is associated directly with The Daily Kos run by Markos Moulitsas who used precisely that same sort of “targeting” rhetoric last year during the campaign for the midterm elections.
In 2009 21st Century Democrats joined the Service Employees International Union, The Daily Kos and others in a new political action committee (PAC) called Accountability Now PAC.
Will 21st Century Democrats quit this PAC now that it has become aware that Markos Moulitsas used the same “violent imagery” and “targeting” rhetoric against Gabrielle Giffords? Will this purported “grassroots” groups founded by powerful members of Congress avoid charges of hypocrisy and stand on its supposed principle?
I’ll bet you’ll know the answer to that already.
yeah, but if he's got a shot gun with quail shot, he'll just maim yaBiden? Bah! Oh, for the good ol' days!!
Opportunist Democrat: Let's Ban Crosshair Images
There certainly is no shortage of stupidity coming from Democrats in the wake of the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and the murders in Arizona Saturday.
Here's the latest inane nonsense.
Representative Bob Brady of Pennsylvania told The Caucus he plans to introduce a bill that would ban symbols like that now-infamous campaign crosshair map.
"You can't threaten the president with a bullseye or a crosshair," Mr. Brady, a Democrat, said, and his measure would make it a crime to do so to a member of Congress or federal employee, as well.
Asked if he believed the map incited the gunman in Tucson, he replied, "I don't know what's in that nut's head. I would rather be safe than sorry."
He continued, "This is not a wakeup call. This is a major alarm going off. We need to be more civil with each other. We need to tone down this rhetoric."
Sure, it would be nice of the left to tone down the rhetoric. In the hourse since the incident Saturday I've seen a media gang-rape of Sarah Palin coming from that side while the right offers prayers and condolences. It's been a one-sided feeding frenzy and orgy of hatred for Palin. Try taking your own advice, Congressman.
As reported by a liberally minded individual who hates GW Bush, just like you. Confirmed for friend, school mate, college mate and even had a band together with the shooter
I guess inner city liberals don't know how to cartography.
On maps it not uncommon to use a "principal point" to mark something specific. Check the USGS legend, page #2
Stupid liberals can't read maps.
"principal points" takes up to many letter in a character limited tweet. Why did she spell "two" as 2?Wow, that was easy to prove wrong.
So you're assu...ing that he had a complete life changing transition in 3 years with zero evidence of to support your delusion.If you were more observant you'd have noticed right in this "friends" postings they said they haven't seen him in 3 years. Then again you would also have noticed his decidedly not liberal YouTube videos that he had made quite recently.
Oh well, I'll just have to help you out with stuff like this.