UPDATE
I promised free publicity to the first person who identified the source of the "trained seals" quote, and that honor goes to Stephen Macklin of Hold the Mayo. The quote was indeed from The Simpsons. Specifically, Mayor Quimby.
You may now continue to the original post.
How many times does this have to happen before people realize that maybe, just maybe, dissent isn't being stifled in this country? Look at this:
Actor Richard Dreyfus slams Bush
Nice headline, first of all. It's got a spelling error and what could be interpreted as innuendo without the proper context.
BOSTON - The Kerry campaign has been adamant that this Democratic convention not turn into an occasion to bash President Bush.
Well, there goes one of their two tactics. The other one is "Kerry served in Vietnam."
But the message has not gotten to Richard Dreyfuss, the actor who addressed the California delegation at its Tuesday breakfast.
Why are actors being treated like politicians? Is this the best they could do? Don't they have ACTUAL POLITICAL FIGURES who can give a speech? This is just sad.
In a speech that went on so long that California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres began to hover nervously at his side...
Sounds about average.
Dreyfuss called Bush ``arrogant and incompetent'' and said ``his appeal to patriotism is simplistic and thuggish.''
And here come the myths again! What "appeal to patriotism" are you talking about, moron? I challenge you brainwashed neolibs to provide one example of Bush making patriotism an issue. Just one. No more, no less. One. Example.
Dreyfuss added, ``He is the enemy of thoughtfulness.''
Oooh, clever. Not only is he an enemy of thoughtfulness, he's the enemy of thoughtfulness. You know, while you're at it, why don't you just claim that Bush is a witch and he turned you into a newt? That would be about as truthful as the rest of your bloviations.
``I wasn't raised in George Bush's America, and I wouldn't be comfortable in it,'' Dreyfuss said.
I wasn't aware that George Bush owned part of America.
``In this America, you point toward a sin and you are pointed at.
Here's another staple of leftist debate: Make a generalization that's too vague for specific examples, but is universal enough that people can remember a time when it happened to them. Then, tell those people that it happened because of the eeeeeeevil Republicans.
Although, to be fair, I am "pointing at" Dreyfuss in a way. But I don't get to do it in front of a Democratic delegation. Help, help, I'm being repressed (I think that's enough Monty Python allusions for one post).
You are the irritant not the gatekeeper.
Something tells me this guy didn't do too well on the analogy portion of the SATs.
You smell funny -- sinister funny.
"You smell funny." Wow, what an intelligent thing to say. The fact that he thinks others are saying it to him because of his political views is even funnier. This kind of thing is what inspired the lyrics to "Growing Down."
Terrorist-friendly.
You're thinking of Michael Moore.
You mention due process and the silence is not respectful, it is ominous.''
Maybe they're just having a moment of silence to mourn the death of rational discourse.
The delegates gave him a standing ovation...
"They're like trained seals. Toss 'em a fish and watch 'em slap their fins together."
Free publicity for anyone who can tell me where that quote is from.
...which led Dreyfuss to give a few last remarks, urging them to counter the Republicans' every attack and ``be consistent and in their face.''
I like how there are no quotation marks around "counter the Republicans' every attack." Way to go, unbiased media. *spit*
There's more of the article, but I covered the relevant part. Now, let's review: Richard Dreyfuss just gave a speech for the California Democratic delegation in which he accused Bush of being "the enemy" (how's that for Dowdification?) and claimed that when you criticize the right, you're ostracized by society. A point which is effectively refuted by the fact that he said it IN FRONT OF THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC DELEGATION.
It must be nice to be able to live in a fantasy world every minute of your life.
Posted by CD on July 27, 2004 05:05 PMYeah: nice that he plays such smart guys in the movies. Best role was in Moon Over Parador when he acted out being an actor being a dictator: the closest anyone in Hollywood has come to being in the know in a long time.
Posted by: Paulie at The Commons at July 30, 2004 01:18 PM