Blogger Flap: Experienced Edwards Team Makes a Rookie Mistake

As a liberal Democrat who writes a faith-oriented progressive blog, and who has been involved in several national campaigns--including being an official (volunteer) blogger for the Graham campaign and (ditto)Kerry Town Hall Organizer--I feel compelled to weigh in on the Edwards blogger flap. I have been dreading it all day, because I know I will be swimming against the tide of group-think that has made Amanda Marcotte a cause célèbre among my fellow liberal bloggers.

Whatever else one feels about the Edwards Blogger flap, it's clear that his team has made a huge mistake in hiring a blogger who doesn't understand that the purpose of a campaign is to attract people to your side--not to stridently and profanely attack those with whom you disagree. (It appears as though John McCain has made a similar error, in hiring a blogger whose serious ethical lapses include not disclosing that he was hired by the candidate! But that doesn't change the situation with respect to the Edwards blogger.) Now Edwards is faced with a difficut choice--cave to bigoted bullies from the right or throw in his lot with the bigots on the left. Neither choice is a good one.

I'm assuming that by now everyone has heard about the flap over Edwards blogger Amanda Marcotte, who writes really gross and offensive things about not just Catholics but all Christians. The issue was raised by professional Catholic Right extremist Catholic League president Bill Donohue, who is a bigot in his own right, but that doesn't let Ms. Marcotte or all of her truly knee-jerk supporters and big-blog bullies threatening the Edwards campaign off the hook. Marcotte should be fired. So should whomever hired her. Why? Because she will cost Edwards votes. It's that simple.

I wrote about this exact situation nearly two years ago: An Open Letter to Liberal Bloggers:

So here's our advice, which I seriously doubt will be followed, but which I hope you will at least consider before you post some anti-religious screed on a blog or snark about people of faith of the left or right. Please remember that there are tens of millions of us black, white and brown Americans whose participation in the political system is largely inspired by our religious and moral values. Please remember that we have been involved in every struggle for justice, peace and civil rights this country has ever had and that many of those battles would not have been won without these efforts. Unlike some on the religious right, moderate and progressive people of faith do not seek to tell you how to live your own life. But we do demand respect, just as we attempt to give it to others who disagree with us.

What did she write that violated this very basic request? Here's one example: Last year, Marcotte blasted the Catholic Church's position on birth control: "Q: What if Mary had taken Plan B after the Lord filled her with his hot, white, sticky Holy Spirit? A: You’d have to justify your misogyny with another ancient mythology." That is not only juvenile and shock-jocky in the most Howard Stern-like mode, it is deeply offensive to millions of Christians. Maybe Edwards should hire Howard Stern, too? It's absurd to keep her on.

I wrote about similar anti-religious hate speech from Rush Limbaugh here. I can't condone it from either Rush or Amanda.

For what it's worth, I haven't seen anything like that from Shakespeare's Sister blogger Melissa McEwan. I don't think it's fair to lump the two together. I would say this though, that the profane response from McEwan's partner Misty won't help things. Misty wrote this: I'm not anti-Catholic. I'm anti-ignorance and bigotry--which are what your ideas on gay people, abortion, and contraception are, Mr. Donahue. Ignorance and bigotry. And you can take them and shove them right up your ass.

Some people just don't get it! Not even Donahue deserves that kind of a rant. It is verbal abuse--one step from making him wear panties on his head while dogs bark at him and tear at his skin. It hurts both Edwards and her partner. Many liberal bloggers still can't seem to realize what it means to be part of a team, a coalition of people with different values and interests. But that's exactly what a campaign is all about.

Terry Moran of ABC News has characterized this flap as being about hate speech:Does John Edwards Condone Hate Speech?

A bit of a tempest is brewing over the strident and profanity-laced writings of John Edwards' official campaign "blogmaster," Amanda Marcotte. She joined the Edwards campaign last week, and she's already gotten a lot of attention.

At issue are Marcotte's comments on her own blog, Pandagon which has staked out a prominent place in the left-wing blogosphere. It's pretty strong stuff; her comments about other people's faiths could well be construed as hate speech.

I know his brother is a rightie, etc--but I agree.