Is Bill Maher a bigot?

[ProBonoShill]

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-15/...her-savior-s-alliance-election?_s=PM:POLITICS

Bill Maher: O'Donnell's win is good for the Democrats

Comedian Bill Maher says he's happy Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell won Delaware's GOP primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night.

First, because he knows and likes her. Second, because he thinks her nomination has ensured that Democrats will keep the Senate seat in the general election....

...."And the other part of me is rooting for her because she's going to get her Christian ass kicked in the general election."

_____________

I wonder if we changed the quoted phrase to:

I hope Keith Ellison gets his Muslim ass kicked in the upcoming election

or

I hope Barbara Boxer gets her Jewish ass kicked in 2010,

would everyone still think it's perfectly fine.

 

[dudalb]

I think Maher has made his contempt for Religion in general quite clear.

If you want to criticise him, go after him for his support and pushing of Crackpot Medicine on his show.

 

[mhaze]

I think Maher has made his contempt for Religion in general quite clear.....

Umm, no actually you've sidetracked the OP, which makes a good point.

I've always believed in equal rights for comedy on all subjects. Maher doesn't.

But then he stopped being funny long ago.

 

[Ziggurat]

But then he stopped being funny long ago.

When was he ever funny? It must have been before Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death.

 

[Dunstan]

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-15/...her-savior-s-alliance-election?_s=PM:POLITICS

Bill Maher: O'Donnell's win is good for the Democrats

Comedian Bill Maher says he's happy Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell won Delaware's GOP primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night.

First, because he knows and likes her. Second, because he thinks her nomination has ensured that Democrats will keep the Senate seat in the general election....

_____________

I wonder if we changed the quoted phrase to:

I hope Keith Ellison gets his Muslim ass kicked in the upcoming election

or

I hope Barbara Boxer gets her Jewish ass kicked in 2010,

would everyone still think it's perfectly fine.

If Ellison and Boxer were campaigning on the premise that "vote for me because I'm a good [Muslim/Jew]," then yes, it would be perfectly fine. I can't speak to Ellison, but I live in California and don't recall Boxer ever campaigning on her religion. A visit to her website doesn't give any indication of her beliefs.

I don't know if O'Donnell's been trumpeting her religion in her campaign. According to Wiki, she's been a spokesperson and founder of Christian political lobbying groups, and is a creationist, and I've heard about her bizarre anti-sex beliefs. I don't know whether that's all in the past and her campaign has been about the libertarian, small-government stuff, or if she's pushing her Christianity as well. (Her campaign website seems to consist of nothing more than a donation page right now.)

So if Maher is bringing her religion up gratuitously, then I'd agree that's inappropriate. If she's made it a political issue herself, then it's fair game.

 

[fuelair]

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-15/...her-savior-s-alliance-election?_s=PM:POLITICS

Bill Maher: O'Donnell's win is good for the Democrats

Comedian Bill Maher says he's happy Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell won Delaware's GOP primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night.

First, because he knows and likes her. Second, because he thinks her nomination has ensured that Democrats will keep the Senate seat in the general election....

_____________

I wonder if we changed the quoted phrase to:

I hope Keith Ellison gets his Muslim ass kicked in the upcoming election

or

I hope Barbara Boxer gets her Jewish ass kicked in 2010,

would everyone still think it's perfectly fine.

The problem is that most of the POS's that want to rule us and are living in the US are christian and republicker. That's why those two terms are appropriate for use in the context. If enough muslims come in and enough of them start trying to switch us to sharia "law" then "muslim ass" will be appropriate - though I bet the christian right will be there supporting them all the way - since for fundies only the names are changed.

 

[casebro]

Christine O'Donnell, or Rosie O'Donnell?

 

[dudalb]

Christine O'Donnell, or Rosie O'Donnell?

No matter who wins, we lose.......

 

[seewhatflows]

Bill Maher regularly expresses his contempt for anyone who isn't a thin, upper-class, educated, urban, liberal atheist. The guy is a completely smug, arrogant, dick-faced snob.

He also looks to Ashton Kutcher for deep political analysis.

 

[mhaze]

If Ellison and Boxer were campaigning on the premise that "vote for me because I'm a good [Muslim/Jew]," then yes, it would be perfectly fine. I can't speak to Ellison, but I live in California and don't recall Boxer ever campaigning on her religion. A visit to her website doesn't give any indication of her beliefs.

I don't know if O'Donnell's been trumpeting her religion in her campaign. According to Wiki, she's been a spokesperson and founder of Christian political lobbying groups, and is a creationist, and I've heard about her bizarre anti-sex beliefs. I don't know whether that's all in the past and her campaign has been about the libertarian, small-government stuff, or if she's pushing her Christianity as well. (Her campaign website seems to consist of nothing more than a donation page right now.)

So if Maher is bringing her religion up gratuitously, then I'd agree that's inappropriate. If she's made it a political issue herself, then it's fair game.

From your wiki source:

On September 16, 2010, O'Donnell said she does not believe in regulating private sexual behavior, and if elected "it'll be the Constitution on which I base all of my decisions, not my personal beliefs."[69]

Which doesn't address the whole of the religion issue, but a part of it.

 

[johnny karate]

On September 16, 2010, O'Donnell said she does not believe in regulating private sexual behavior, and if elected "it'll be the Constitution on which I base all of my decisions, not my personal beliefs."

I look forward to her proposal for a Constitutional amendment to outlaw masturbation.

 

[MattusMaximus]

From your wiki source:

On September 16, 2010, O'Donnell said she does not believe in regulating private sexual behavior, and if elected "it'll be the Constitution on which I base all of my decisions, not my personal beliefs."[69]

Which doesn't address the whole of the religion issue, but a part of it.

So she wouldn't have a problem with gay marriage? Awesome!

 

[Thunder]

hmmm..

I doubt Bill Maher would say something about Joe Lieberman's "Jewish" ass.

this indeed may be a case of bigotry.

 

[Praktik]

I will say this, his "New Rules" segments last season were occasionally BRILLIANT pieces of hilarity.

Best part of the show for sure.

 

[Dunstan]

From your wiki source:

On September 16, 2010, O'Donnell said she does not believe in regulating private sexual behavior, and if elected "it'll be the Constitution on which I base all of my decisions, not my personal beliefs."[69]

Which doesn't address the whole of the religion issue, but a part of it.

If I believed her, yes.

Unfortunately, a lot of people -- both conservatives and liberals -- have a funny way of interpreting the Constitution to correspond to their political beliefs. So saying that you'll legislate according to the Constitution is pretty meaningless, unless you've given a very clear explanation of how you interpret the Constitution.

Also, I don't think you can pull religion off the table that way. If -- and I stress that I'm not claiming O'Donnell has done this -- you go on conservative talk radio and tell people to vote for you because you're a good Christian and will promote good Christian values, then the fact that you tell the mainstream press that you're all about the Constitution and good government doesn't negate that you've made religion an issue.

 

[Skeptic]

I think Maher has made his contempt for Religion in general quite clear.

You're quite correct, but he would never say anything about someone's "Jewish ass" or "Muslim ass" being whipped in the general elections. Christians, however, are fair game.

I've noticed the same attitude in this forum. There's a sliding scale: Christianity can be mocked with impunity, the silly "ultra-orthodox" or the "zionists" can be smeared with impunity buy one must make clear one isn't attacking Jews in general (though how wanting the only Jewish state wiped off the face of the earth isn't antisemitism is never explained), and anything bad said about Islam is "Islamophobia".

But I agree it isn't so much bigotry as it is snobism. Maher clearly cannot imagine why anybody would ever have any opinions that do not 100% agree with what the "right-thinking progressives" from the big liberal coastal cities -- the only people who really matter -- happen to accept at the moment.

He's constantly amazed how many Americans are so stupid, bigoted, and ignorant as to dare to disagree with one or another points of the laundry list of progressive opinions he clearly considers gospel truth.

Christopher Hitchens told him what's what. It's not that Maher disagrees with Hitchens -- Hitchens disagrees with, well, everybody -- but that he clearly is full of sheer disbelief that anybody could possibly think differently than he, Maher, does.

 

[Sword_Of_Truth]

I hope Harry Reid gets his Mormon ass kicked in the election.

 

[Ladewig]

Bill Maher regularly expresses his contempt for anyone who isn't a thin, upper-class, educated, urban, liberal atheist.

While he has his faults, his politics are not as one-dimensional as you suggest. He respects Ann Coulter, supports the partial privatization of Social Security, and has some libertarian beliefs.

The other stuff on your list is pretty accurate.

 

[seewhatflows]

I've noticed the same attitude in this forum. There's a sliding scale: Christianity can be mocked with impunity, the silly "ultra-orthodox" or the "zionists" can be smeared with impunity buy one must make clear one isn't attacking Jews in general (though how wanting the only Jewish state wiped off the face of the earth isn't antisemitism is never explained), and anything bad said about Islam is "Islamophobia".

It is always acceptable to make fun of religious fundamentalists. How is Israel relevant to this conversation?

 

[Dorian Gray]

While he has his faults, his politics are not as one-dimensional as you suggest. He respects Ann Coulter, supports the partial privatization of Social Security, and has some libertarian beliefs.

The other stuff on your list is pretty accurate.

His libertarian beliefs extend to "legalize pot".