Abbott is about disabled as a snake with legs. He tells the state of Texas what to do. He tells media what to do. He cruelly sends soldiers after innocent families. His state abides with the hatred of women and people of color. Ms. Crockett is a young black woman with only her voice, the media and a vote.The tattlers and whiners and better-thans give her more power than the remark deserves.
Crockett has more than “only her voice, media, and a vote.” She has a national political platform and a big megaphone. She commands a huge audience. I’m a big fan of hers and love her aggressive style. It’s what we badly need right now. Puts her in the spotlight for sure, for better or worse.
I'm in qualified agreement of what you wrote. I wouldn't do it but I don't think Democrats should go after her for it. We talk about bringing knives to a gun fight. How do we bring the guns? Crockett is a young, Black woman who has likely heard thousands of racial and misogynistic epithets, including the conversation referenced with MTG. It's not just elected Republicans; it's the entire rank and file. And Vance with the not-so veiled racism with Haitians eating dogs and cats. If the Republicans want to go after her for playing their game, that's fine by me. I'm not doing it. And not making Crockett "pay" for being herself.
OK. I'm absolutely certain there is more to her. I don't just think. And it's not all disabled people; it's one particularly cruel person who goes after other disabled people, among everyone he attacks. You want her to find another line of attack, that's fine. I'll allow it for the one person without censuring her. If that makes me a bad person, I have years and years of experience with Trump and his ilk and have been around since long before Newt told Republicans to go after Democrats, Reagan with the "welfare queen", Willie Horton and so on. As I said I wouldn't do it but I'm not adding my distaste here.
A common argument I heard whenever someone would make a racist statement about the Obamas, a sexist remark about Hillary Clinton or both about Kamala Harris is that this was justified because of their politics and didn’t mean the person who made the slur was racist/sexist. That wasn’t true then, either.
Trump calling women “fat pigs” or “nasty” is still sexist even if he doesn’t like the woman’s politics. “Pocahontas” is still offensively racist even if Warren’s a liberal.
I think you're comparing apples and oranges. Abbott is an odious individual; it's not just politics. And I said I wouldn't do it; just wouldn't censure her for the remark. Guess we'll agree to disagree. Like your stuff. I don't have to be 100 percent in agreement with it.
It’s not about giving him, or anyone, any “slack.” He’s a horrible person, and we hate him. Also, he’s disabled. Go after the horrible, not the disability. That seems pretty basic.
Here’s the thing: I absolutely do not care what happens to Greg Abbott. If Greg Abbott got cancer, I would celebrate. If that makes me a bad person in your eyes, guess what? I don’t care about that either.
If someone kicks my son’s wheelchair and dumps him out of it, I’ll still care even if he legitimately pissed someone off. Here’s the shocker: Disabled people aren’t all saints nor should they be to demand respect.
For those expressing the point that Abbott is an evil asshole, Republicans are hypocrites and it’s insane for us to hold our side to civility rules anymore, I’ll point out that yes on all counts, but this isn’t about “holding back” when attacking Republicans. I’m all for fighting hard, using blunt language, and civility just looks inauthentic when you’re talking about those who want us dead.
But this case is not about civility, it’s about unintended targets. For example, Trump is obese—that’s a fact, and he also mindlessly makes fun of other people for being fat. He’s also a piece of shit. So why not mock him for being fat?
Because in doing that, you can be certain even if he heard you, he’s not going to be bothered by it but you know who will be? Any overweight person who hears it and feels awful about it.
We can strike these people hard without taking out unintended targets.
Thanks for this article. I’d nearly given up on fighting this kind of assholery online - I get called all sorts of stuck up for being anti-bullying. I don’t like the “guy liner” shit and I don’t like the criticism of whatever silly outfit MTG or KS wore and I don’t like the fatness taunts towards the president. Because every one of these insults isn’t just read/heard by the target, but by other people who wear eyeliner despite being masculine presenting or people who overdress or who are overweight or who use wheelchairs. And it’s an insult to _them_ no matter the intent of the speaker. It makes them question themselves in really hurtful ways, in ways that apparently the insulters have never had to deal with. It’s fucking mean.
I honestly think way too many people have forgotten the difference between public speaking on a platform, during a speech, on social media where everyone can hear and private in person conversation where you can tease a friend and a friend can tease you back, or where you can insult a politician without ten thousand witnesses.
Thank you! Yes, every single bit of this. For one thing, ridiculing MTG, or any other woman for that matter, on the basis of her clothes or appearance in general, can too easily slop over into outright misogyny. Criticize what they do, not how they look, ffs. Making fun of anyone on the basis of physical traits that can’t be “fixed” is just outright cruelty and smacks of childishness. We are the “side” who can do better, and we should.
Well, this is the thing. Chuck Schumer wouldn't have said something like this; also Nancy Pelosi wouldn't. But the rank and file are demanding smash-mouth politicking from Democrats, and they want them to have fierce speechifying and "take the fight" to the Republicans. So frankly the people going "Democrats need to be loud and fierce" need to have her back. They had all the smoke for Hakeem Jeffries after all. Same with Schumer and Pelosi.
I'm not a fan of her doing the own-goal with this useless ableism, even if it is something the Online people do. I've seen the "Hot Wheels" thing and it does make me cringe, but what do I know, I'm I guess a 'normie' Democrat.
Nevertheless, EVERY Democratic Internet fave that is touted as someone who should be "Leadership" should at the very least be hip to Murc's Law.
Democrats need to be perfect and disciplined, Republicans only need excuses. They need to understand this and BE CAREFUL. Crockett especially, after she almost got in trouble for the "Bad built butch body" thing against Three Names. And I am certain now that this is going to be the end for any leadership aspirations that Rep. Crockett would have.
"And I am certain now that this is going to be the end for any leadership aspirations that Rep. Crockett would have."
I'm not so sure about that...Dem voters are sick of the ossified leadership and DONE with the fucking DNC....The democratic power brokers have lost SO much credibility I just don't see them as big players in future elections...
I too think the DNC is irrelevant for that, but it does also mean the party is going to be freelancing largely. That does mean that it's even more difficult for people to row in the same direction. THAT is how you get the situation that frequently happens in parliamentary systems where each left-group has their own disagreements, can't ally and then the conservative government wins walking away.
And I still do believe that a lot of the differences among Democrats are tactical, but given that Democrats don't value legislation but spectacle now (glorious speeches), perhaps that calculus will change.
By my estimation the Democratic power brokers are the ones that put Joe Biden on the ice floe by pledging to withhold their money. So we'll see if they continue to have influence.
The deal is though, without money Democrat rank-and-file are going to have to do the work and dig deep as there won't be money to stand up offices or buy earned media. So they need to share the social media of the Internet faves that they believe won't be ossified.
I’m torn on this. I get why wheelchair bound folks may take offense, then I remember the barbed wire in the Rio Grande. I also remember that Abbott was the recipient of an $8,000,000 settlement for the accident that put him in a wheelchair, then supported tort reform that would guarantee no other similarly injured person could be compensated the way he was.
Yes, but this is also true of Clarence Thomas and his own Blackness or Amy Coney Barrett and everything in her career that she owes to feminists. Their craven actions don’t justify anti-Black or anti-woman rhetoric.
Yep, and I recall Thomas saying he got no help getting into college, etc… I rolled my eyes. Apparently he had his eyes closed. Totally unaware.,.much less ungrateful.
The thing I try to remember is that it’s not about whether Abbott deserves decency—he does not—but whether the barb you toss at him might instead hurt someone who doesn’t. Elon Musk claims to be autistic and while he deserves no compassion I’d be opposed to mocking his autism because other autistics don’t deserve it.
And there’s plenty to hit these people with that wouldn’t catch unintended targets.
Autism shows up in a myriad of ways. It is not a cause for sociopathic behavior. There are high functioning people with autism. I recognize them, because I have a few in my family. Elon definitely demonstrates autistic characteristics. My daughter, a teacher of 20 years, told me recently, “I realize that often when I think someone is an asshole, they are actually neurodivergent”.
Its his ability to lie that makes me think he's lying...The inability to lie, much less be a PATHOLOGICAL liar is one of the key traits for people on the spectrum
right on...that still doesn't make it OK...I'm just saying he's lying. And its an EXTRA insult to people with autism for him to 'blame' autism for his sociopathic behavior...
I agree. I'm torn about it, but Abbott is a loathsome person whose accident should have made him sympathetic to others, but it seems to have made him mean. Or meaner, if he was mean to begin with.
If you haven't lived in Texas under Republican destruction that has been ongoing since 1991, I don't expect you to understand the levels of disgust we have for this fool who has exploited his disability for political gain over and over again, all while making life harder for every other disabled person in Texas. Hot Wheels is a very common expression in Texas for this guy and one of the kinder ones.
"Hot Wheels is a very common expression in Texas for this guy and one of the kinder ones."
And Crockett being from Texas as well would know that and use it when speaking to fellow Texans...I'm not saying is was a GOOD idea for her to use that term, but in THIS context I understand WHY...She was speaking the language of her constituency....
Unfortunately I think in the age of Trump everyone is adopting his rules—get provocative for attention (we wouldn’t have even heard about this if she’d just called him “Governor Clown”), never apologize (that’s Romney-level weakness!) and defend it with a ridiculous explanation that satisfies no one while also blaming the other side for similar offenses.
Meanwhile, who is hurt here? Probably not Abbott, he’s loving the sight of Republicans coming to his defense. But disabled people in wheelchairs likely aren’t loving this.
We can hit these people without collateral damage to unintended targets—I recommend just calling him “Governor Asshole” which goes just as viral and only bothers the Asshole Community.
Here's the other thing I am screaming about. Modern online-savvy Democrats aren't understanding WHY President Klan Robe gets to do what he does. It's all about WHO he represents. If this clown had remained a Democrat (I am certain he was a Democrat because the cool people in the society he wanted to be a Cool Guy in were also Democrats) he would've never made it down the escalator. The bus thing with Billy Bush would've ended him.
President Klan Robe is the representative of those who have always had rights in America. He is the champion of the unreconstructed and that bestows massive deference legally and politically, not to mention the shield of Murc's Law.
This is one of the reasons why successful Democratic leaders choose their words VERY CAREFULLY. There are consequences if a Democrat fucks up.
Now again this is the first test for the people touting Jasmine Crockett as who should be leadership in the House as opposed to Hakeem Jeffries. Let's see who actually comes to her aid after she's 'taken the fight to Republicans' in the dunk manner like the people online love.
What I find so baffling about Murc's law is how it has so much TRACTION in our culture...I mean its SUCH a glaringly obvious double standard and yet it persists. Its so strange. Obviously it's a "social psychology" thing but the dynamics are so strange. Its like BOTH sides have accepted these roles and are acting like there's nothing that can be done to change them.
This is because Democrats, by and large, don't cosign people's various and sundry bigotries (framed as "common sense.") So you can blame them for making things less "fun," or at least getting in the way of 'freedom.' It's a useful meme for media ownership, who want to have the tax cuts Republicans give them, so they are happy to help that along. Democrats buy in because it's the only way to survive; knowing that Democrats will have dire consequences if they fuck up means they have to thoroughly vet their candidates. Scandals that are just Monday for a Republican will end the career of a Democrat. (Say hi, Cal Cunningham!)
Note that this is similar to what has to happen for Black politicians. Black Democrats generally have to be EXTREMELY overqualified and have like a 99th percentile kind of resume. Barack Obama couldn't have happened if he had, say, Byron Donalds' history.
One of the other reasons for its widespread adoption is that Murc's Law is easymode punditry. You can just get a lot of clicks and clout by shitting on or just blaming Democrats. And when you have umpteen million rightwing podcasters doing the same thing it's Easy Street. Everyone's doing it. It's one reason I always say Murc's Law is Cruise Control for Cool (and Clicks) - but also that it's good for clout too.
Even then, because Democrats also have standards they are expected to uphold them. This is why Al Franken rightly had to go because Democrats were championing women in the fight against institutionalized sexual harassment.
Note too that no good deed goes unpunished; Democrats by and large do not receive any political benefit for this or even for punishing sex pests that are Democrats. Indeed, Kathy Hochul suffers to this day for succeeding Andrew Cuomo as governor of New York because of his sex pestery.
I really appreciated this. Unfortunately, we’re living in an uncivil era, and that’s one of the deeper tragedies of what Trumpism, and the forces that enabled it, have inflicted on our nation. It’s heartening to see writers like you urging a return to shared humanity, though I know it will be difficult for many who’ve internalized the personal slights, bigotry, and grievances this era has rewarded. Sadly, because this is America, marginalized groups who engage in this behavior often face far harsher consequences than the minimal—or nonexistent—punishments given to those from dominant communities. The true strength of the leaders who have fought for these communities lies in their ability to navigate that double standard, even when it’s personally demeaning and leaves them carrying emotional burdens that require a lifetime of therapy. But that’s the country—and the world—we live in.
Yep—as recently as the Romney era, if you mocked someone’s disability you’d get called out by your own side, you’d apologize and that’d be the media cycle.
When Trump mocked a man’s cerebral palsy and didn’t miss a beat, the country became a shittier place.
I was sad and shocked to hear Rep. Crockett use the pejorative, obviously aimed at Gov. Abbott's use of a mobility aid. I also cringed at her use of the term "butch" directed at Greene. Crockett is such an excellent communicator, and has generally displayed empathy and strength. When MAGAs attack DEI, they are using it to broadly attack minorities, POC, women, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. Responding to racist, misogynist, bigoted attacks doesn't require responding in kind. Abbott and Greene both have plenty of glaring character flaws and long public histories of being vile. All of that is fair game.
Well said, Stephen. As tempting as it may be to use their own tactics against them, it doesn't work, and it just becomes an excuse for them to say, "See, the Dems do it too!".
Attack the hell out of them for the implications and consequences of their actions, but leave the personal insults and mockery out of the mix.
I applaud her for using the nickname. Stop cringing. The other side doesn't when they mock the physically or mentally challenged. Abbott is a piece of shit. Just because he uses a wheelchair, doesn't mean that he gets a pass. He is a rat bastard son of a whore and pimp, fascist, misogynist, sexist, Islamophobic, homophobic, transphobic dickhead. You would think that his accident would have taught him humanity--it didn't. He deserves greater punishment from the universe now, so we all can witness it.
We’re not “the other side.” Stop imitating what they do. Doesn’t anything in your set of core values tell you this? No one’s giving Abbott a “pass.” Everyone understands that he’s a colossal POS. We will prevail, but it won’t be because we turned into the thoughtless, juvenile monsters that they have become.
Eh. I just don't want to be like that. As Douglass wrote, the system of slavery is bad for both the enslaved for the conditions it imposes on them, and for the enslaver, who imposes the conditions.
I think it's better to show that he's a piece of shit instead of a piece of shit in a wheelchair.
You have a problem with Crockett straining credulity when Republicans just make stuff up? This is the way the game is played now like it or not.
Abbott is about disabled as a snake with legs. He tells the state of Texas what to do. He tells media what to do. He cruelly sends soldiers after innocent families. His state abides with the hatred of women and people of color. Ms. Crockett is a young black woman with only her voice, the media and a vote.The tattlers and whiners and better-thans give her more power than the remark deserves.
Crockett has more than “only her voice, media, and a vote.” She has a national political platform and a big megaphone. She commands a huge audience. I’m a big fan of hers and love her aggressive style. It’s what we badly need right now. Puts her in the spotlight for sure, for better or worse.
I'm in qualified agreement of what you wrote. I wouldn't do it but I don't think Democrats should go after her for it. We talk about bringing knives to a gun fight. How do we bring the guns? Crockett is a young, Black woman who has likely heard thousands of racial and misogynistic epithets, including the conversation referenced with MTG. It's not just elected Republicans; it's the entire rank and file. And Vance with the not-so veiled racism with Haitians eating dogs and cats. If the Republicans want to go after her for playing their game, that's fine by me. I'm not doing it. And not making Crockett "pay" for being herself.
I assume being “herself” doesn’t mean mocking people with disabilities. I’d like to think there’s more to her than that.
OK. I'm absolutely certain there is more to her. I don't just think. And it's not all disabled people; it's one particularly cruel person who goes after other disabled people, among everyone he attacks. You want her to find another line of attack, that's fine. I'll allow it for the one person without censuring her. If that makes me a bad person, I have years and years of experience with Trump and his ilk and have been around since long before Newt told Republicans to go after Democrats, Reagan with the "welfare queen", Willie Horton and so on. As I said I wouldn't do it but I'm not adding my distaste here.
A common argument I heard whenever someone would make a racist statement about the Obamas, a sexist remark about Hillary Clinton or both about Kamala Harris is that this was justified because of their politics and didn’t mean the person who made the slur was racist/sexist. That wasn’t true then, either.
Trump calling women “fat pigs” or “nasty” is still sexist even if he doesn’t like the woman’s politics. “Pocahontas” is still offensively racist even if Warren’s a liberal.
I think you're comparing apples and oranges. Abbott is an odious individual; it's not just politics. And I said I wouldn't do it; just wouldn't censure her for the remark. Guess we'll agree to disagree. Like your stuff. I don't have to be 100 percent in agreement with it.
Someone could kick Abbott’s wheelchair over and dump him out of it and I still wouldn’t care.
He gets zero slack for being disabled.
It’s not about giving him, or anyone, any “slack.” He’s a horrible person, and we hate him. Also, he’s disabled. Go after the horrible, not the disability. That seems pretty basic.
Here’s the thing: I absolutely do not care what happens to Greg Abbott. If Greg Abbott got cancer, I would celebrate. If that makes me a bad person in your eyes, guess what? I don’t care about that either.
If someone kicks my son’s wheelchair and dumps him out of it, I’ll still care even if he legitimately pissed someone off. Here’s the shocker: Disabled people aren’t all saints nor should they be to demand respect.
If you’re looking for respect for Greg Abbott, look elsewhere. I would let Greg Abbott die without lifting a finger to help him.
For those expressing the point that Abbott is an evil asshole, Republicans are hypocrites and it’s insane for us to hold our side to civility rules anymore, I’ll point out that yes on all counts, but this isn’t about “holding back” when attacking Republicans. I’m all for fighting hard, using blunt language, and civility just looks inauthentic when you’re talking about those who want us dead.
But this case is not about civility, it’s about unintended targets. For example, Trump is obese—that’s a fact, and he also mindlessly makes fun of other people for being fat. He’s also a piece of shit. So why not mock him for being fat?
Because in doing that, you can be certain even if he heard you, he’s not going to be bothered by it but you know who will be? Any overweight person who hears it and feels awful about it.
We can strike these people hard without taking out unintended targets.
well said
Thanks for this article. I’d nearly given up on fighting this kind of assholery online - I get called all sorts of stuck up for being anti-bullying. I don’t like the “guy liner” shit and I don’t like the criticism of whatever silly outfit MTG or KS wore and I don’t like the fatness taunts towards the president. Because every one of these insults isn’t just read/heard by the target, but by other people who wear eyeliner despite being masculine presenting or people who overdress or who are overweight or who use wheelchairs. And it’s an insult to _them_ no matter the intent of the speaker. It makes them question themselves in really hurtful ways, in ways that apparently the insulters have never had to deal with. It’s fucking mean.
I honestly think way too many people have forgotten the difference between public speaking on a platform, during a speech, on social media where everyone can hear and private in person conversation where you can tease a friend and a friend can tease you back, or where you can insult a politician without ten thousand witnesses.
Thank you! Yes, every single bit of this. For one thing, ridiculing MTG, or any other woman for that matter, on the basis of her clothes or appearance in general, can too easily slop over into outright misogyny. Criticize what they do, not how they look, ffs. Making fun of anyone on the basis of physical traits that can’t be “fixed” is just outright cruelty and smacks of childishness. We are the “side” who can do better, and we should.
Also wow SER looks like you got Seth Meyers'd with everything going completely batshit while you went on vacation!
Well, this is the thing. Chuck Schumer wouldn't have said something like this; also Nancy Pelosi wouldn't. But the rank and file are demanding smash-mouth politicking from Democrats, and they want them to have fierce speechifying and "take the fight" to the Republicans. So frankly the people going "Democrats need to be loud and fierce" need to have her back. They had all the smoke for Hakeem Jeffries after all. Same with Schumer and Pelosi.
I'm not a fan of her doing the own-goal with this useless ableism, even if it is something the Online people do. I've seen the "Hot Wheels" thing and it does make me cringe, but what do I know, I'm I guess a 'normie' Democrat.
Nevertheless, EVERY Democratic Internet fave that is touted as someone who should be "Leadership" should at the very least be hip to Murc's Law.
Democrats need to be perfect and disciplined, Republicans only need excuses. They need to understand this and BE CAREFUL. Crockett especially, after she almost got in trouble for the "Bad built butch body" thing against Three Names. And I am certain now that this is going to be the end for any leadership aspirations that Rep. Crockett would have.
"And I am certain now that this is going to be the end for any leadership aspirations that Rep. Crockett would have."
I'm not so sure about that...Dem voters are sick of the ossified leadership and DONE with the fucking DNC....The democratic power brokers have lost SO much credibility I just don't see them as big players in future elections...
I too think the DNC is irrelevant for that, but it does also mean the party is going to be freelancing largely. That does mean that it's even more difficult for people to row in the same direction. THAT is how you get the situation that frequently happens in parliamentary systems where each left-group has their own disagreements, can't ally and then the conservative government wins walking away.
And I still do believe that a lot of the differences among Democrats are tactical, but given that Democrats don't value legislation but spectacle now (glorious speeches), perhaps that calculus will change.
By my estimation the Democratic power brokers are the ones that put Joe Biden on the ice floe by pledging to withhold their money. So we'll see if they continue to have influence.
The deal is though, without money Democrat rank-and-file are going to have to do the work and dig deep as there won't be money to stand up offices or buy earned media. So they need to share the social media of the Internet faves that they believe won't be ossified.
I’m torn on this. I get why wheelchair bound folks may take offense, then I remember the barbed wire in the Rio Grande. I also remember that Abbott was the recipient of an $8,000,000 settlement for the accident that put him in a wheelchair, then supported tort reform that would guarantee no other similarly injured person could be compensated the way he was.
As I say, torn.
Yes, but this is also true of Clarence Thomas and his own Blackness or Amy Coney Barrett and everything in her career that she owes to feminists. Their craven actions don’t justify anti-Black or anti-woman rhetoric.
Yep, and I recall Thomas saying he got no help getting into college, etc… I rolled my eyes. Apparently he had his eyes closed. Totally unaware.,.much less ungrateful.
The thing I try to remember is that it’s not about whether Abbott deserves decency—he does not—but whether the barb you toss at him might instead hurt someone who doesn’t. Elon Musk claims to be autistic and while he deserves no compassion I’d be opposed to mocking his autism because other autistics don’t deserve it.
And there’s plenty to hit these people with that wouldn’t catch unintended targets.
"Elon Musk claims to be autistic "
I don't believe that claim
Autism shows up in a myriad of ways. It is not a cause for sociopathic behavior. There are high functioning people with autism. I recognize them, because I have a few in my family. Elon definitely demonstrates autistic characteristics. My daughter, a teacher of 20 years, told me recently, “I realize that often when I think someone is an asshole, they are actually neurodivergent”.
"It is not a cause for sociopathic behavior."
That's what I'm sayin'
Its his ability to lie that makes me think he's lying...The inability to lie, much less be a PATHOLOGICAL liar is one of the key traits for people on the spectrum
I don’t think he’s lying. He’s delusional and truly believes what he says.
It may be bullshit, but all the more reason I won’t make a crack about autistics.
right on...that still doesn't make it OK...I'm just saying he's lying. And its an EXTRA insult to people with autism for him to 'blame' autism for his sociopathic behavior...
I agree. I'm torn about it, but Abbott is a loathsome person whose accident should have made him sympathetic to others, but it seems to have made him mean. Or meaner, if he was mean to begin with.
If you haven't lived in Texas under Republican destruction that has been ongoing since 1991, I don't expect you to understand the levels of disgust we have for this fool who has exploited his disability for political gain over and over again, all while making life harder for every other disabled person in Texas. Hot Wheels is a very common expression in Texas for this guy and one of the kinder ones.
"Hot Wheels is a very common expression in Texas for this guy and one of the kinder ones."
And Crockett being from Texas as well would know that and use it when speaking to fellow Texans...I'm not saying is was a GOOD idea for her to use that term, but in THIS context I understand WHY...She was speaking the language of her constituency....
^^^^^
Yes, good point. I think "Governor Human Trafficking" is a lot more appropriate. Even "Governor Loathsome Human."
Governor Abottoir could be a good one!
I prefer “fucking asshole” but that applies to just every GOP leader right now.
Unfortunately I think in the age of Trump everyone is adopting his rules—get provocative for attention (we wouldn’t have even heard about this if she’d just called him “Governor Clown”), never apologize (that’s Romney-level weakness!) and defend it with a ridiculous explanation that satisfies no one while also blaming the other side for similar offenses.
Meanwhile, who is hurt here? Probably not Abbott, he’s loving the sight of Republicans coming to his defense. But disabled people in wheelchairs likely aren’t loving this.
We can hit these people without collateral damage to unintended targets—I recommend just calling him “Governor Asshole” which goes just as viral and only bothers the Asshole Community.
Here's the other thing I am screaming about. Modern online-savvy Democrats aren't understanding WHY President Klan Robe gets to do what he does. It's all about WHO he represents. If this clown had remained a Democrat (I am certain he was a Democrat because the cool people in the society he wanted to be a Cool Guy in were also Democrats) he would've never made it down the escalator. The bus thing with Billy Bush would've ended him.
President Klan Robe is the representative of those who have always had rights in America. He is the champion of the unreconstructed and that bestows massive deference legally and politically, not to mention the shield of Murc's Law.
This is one of the reasons why successful Democratic leaders choose their words VERY CAREFULLY. There are consequences if a Democrat fucks up.
Now again this is the first test for the people touting Jasmine Crockett as who should be leadership in the House as opposed to Hakeem Jeffries. Let's see who actually comes to her aid after she's 'taken the fight to Republicans' in the dunk manner like the people online love.
What I find so baffling about Murc's law is how it has so much TRACTION in our culture...I mean its SUCH a glaringly obvious double standard and yet it persists. Its so strange. Obviously it's a "social psychology" thing but the dynamics are so strange. Its like BOTH sides have accepted these roles and are acting like there's nothing that can be done to change them.
This is because Democrats, by and large, don't cosign people's various and sundry bigotries (framed as "common sense.") So you can blame them for making things less "fun," or at least getting in the way of 'freedom.' It's a useful meme for media ownership, who want to have the tax cuts Republicans give them, so they are happy to help that along. Democrats buy in because it's the only way to survive; knowing that Democrats will have dire consequences if they fuck up means they have to thoroughly vet their candidates. Scandals that are just Monday for a Republican will end the career of a Democrat. (Say hi, Cal Cunningham!)
Note that this is similar to what has to happen for Black politicians. Black Democrats generally have to be EXTREMELY overqualified and have like a 99th percentile kind of resume. Barack Obama couldn't have happened if he had, say, Byron Donalds' history.
One of the other reasons for its widespread adoption is that Murc's Law is easymode punditry. You can just get a lot of clicks and clout by shitting on or just blaming Democrats. And when you have umpteen million rightwing podcasters doing the same thing it's Easy Street. Everyone's doing it. It's one reason I always say Murc's Law is Cruise Control for Cool (and Clicks) - but also that it's good for clout too.
Even then, because Democrats also have standards they are expected to uphold them. This is why Al Franken rightly had to go because Democrats were championing women in the fight against institutionalized sexual harassment.
Note too that no good deed goes unpunished; Democrats by and large do not receive any political benefit for this or even for punishing sex pests that are Democrats. Indeed, Kathy Hochul suffers to this day for succeeding Andrew Cuomo as governor of New York because of his sex pestery.
I really appreciated this. Unfortunately, we’re living in an uncivil era, and that’s one of the deeper tragedies of what Trumpism, and the forces that enabled it, have inflicted on our nation. It’s heartening to see writers like you urging a return to shared humanity, though I know it will be difficult for many who’ve internalized the personal slights, bigotry, and grievances this era has rewarded. Sadly, because this is America, marginalized groups who engage in this behavior often face far harsher consequences than the minimal—or nonexistent—punishments given to those from dominant communities. The true strength of the leaders who have fought for these communities lies in their ability to navigate that double standard, even when it’s personally demeaning and leaves them carrying emotional burdens that require a lifetime of therapy. But that’s the country—and the world—we live in.
Yep—as recently as the Romney era, if you mocked someone’s disability you’d get called out by your own side, you’d apologize and that’d be the media cycle.
When Trump mocked a man’s cerebral palsy and didn’t miss a beat, the country became a shittier place.
Great job, voters.
I was sad and shocked to hear Rep. Crockett use the pejorative, obviously aimed at Gov. Abbott's use of a mobility aid. I also cringed at her use of the term "butch" directed at Greene. Crockett is such an excellent communicator, and has generally displayed empathy and strength. When MAGAs attack DEI, they are using it to broadly attack minorities, POC, women, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities. Responding to racist, misogynist, bigoted attacks doesn't require responding in kind. Abbott and Greene both have plenty of glaring character flaws and long public histories of being vile. All of that is fair game.
Well said, Stephen. As tempting as it may be to use their own tactics against them, it doesn't work, and it just becomes an excuse for them to say, "See, the Dems do it too!".
Attack the hell out of them for the implications and consequences of their actions, but leave the personal insults and mockery out of the mix.
This is Murc's Law writ large!
I applaud her for using the nickname. Stop cringing. The other side doesn't when they mock the physically or mentally challenged. Abbott is a piece of shit. Just because he uses a wheelchair, doesn't mean that he gets a pass. He is a rat bastard son of a whore and pimp, fascist, misogynist, sexist, Islamophobic, homophobic, transphobic dickhead. You would think that his accident would have taught him humanity--it didn't. He deserves greater punishment from the universe now, so we all can witness it.
We’re not “the other side.” Stop imitating what they do. Doesn’t anything in your set of core values tell you this? No one’s giving Abbott a “pass.” Everyone understands that he’s a colossal POS. We will prevail, but it won’t be because we turned into the thoughtless, juvenile monsters that they have become.
Eh. I just don't want to be like that. As Douglass wrote, the system of slavery is bad for both the enslaved for the conditions it imposes on them, and for the enslaver, who imposes the conditions.
I think it's better to show that he's a piece of shit instead of a piece of shit in a wheelchair.