Jews, Jesus and Republicans: Playing Ann Coulter's Game

To read Jon Wiener's most recent post, "[Expletive] the Jews. They didn't vote for us anyway": Republicans and Israel, click here.

The following piece was produced by the Huffington Post's OffTheBus.

When Ann Coulter remarked on CNBC that Jews should become Christians, it wasn't "a faux pas," and she wasn't being "an idiot," as many commentators suggested. Instead she was playing her game -- provoking her critics to get her into the media spotlight that helps sell her books. That raises the question: should the Republican candidates be asked whether they agree with Ann Coulter that America would be a better place if we were all Christians? Or is that simply playing Ann Coulter's game?

Many people are playing her game this time around: Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, denounced Coulter for speaking in "the classic language of anti-Semites throughout the millennia." The National Jewish Democratic Council asked broadcast news organizations not to give Coulter airtime. Then right wing talk radio got to yell at liberals for trying to deny Ann Coulter her right to free speech.

So it's happened again: Ann Coulter is controversial. Ann Coulter is important. We all need to take a stand for or against Ann Coulter's right to express her views, no matter how repugnant they may be.

But what if we ignored her latest publicity ploy? What if we didn't play Ann Coulter's game - again?

That would be a mistake, Tim Rutten argued recently in the LA Times. We need to press the issue on the candidates, and others, this time -- because, Rutten writes, "the implications of these latest remarks simply are too threatening to be allowed to stand."

Yes, it's worked for her many times before, propelling her books to the top of the best-seller list. Her readers buy her books precisely because they love the way she provokes liberals to screaming outrage. That's why in the past, when asked about our enemies in the Middle East, she said "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity"; that's why she insulted the 9-11widows.

But this time, Rutten argues, it's different. That's because Coulter's argument - that Christianity "perfects" Judaism, and that Jews need "perfecting" -- is the major theological underpinning of anti-Semitism (along with the notion to that the Jews killed Jesus). The Catholic church, and most Protestant denominations, have explicitly broken with that claim. The Republican candidates ought to do the same thing.

"It's a scandal that in this pluralist nation it falls to the voices of organized Jewry to make this case," Rutten writes, "because it is a case whose outcome is of the greatest consequence to us all. For too long we've pretended that the brutal political rhetoric that now characterizes our partisan politics can be quarantined, that it won't inevitably leach over into every other aspect of our lives."

So it would be good to ask Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and their rivals: Ann Coulter is a best-selling Republican pundit; do you agree with her that the ideal America is a Christian America?

Read more OffTheBus coverage here.

Comments

[barrycourage]

Of course Ann Coulter has the First Amendment right of self expression. So do the millions of people who hear her message.

Asking POTUS candidates about Coulter's comments is a good way to begin the end of her "15 minutes." Then all civil rights groups--not just Judaism-affiliated civil rights groups--should undertake the kind of full-scale campaigns that got Imus booted from MSNBC and killed Dr. Laura Schlesinger's TV show.

Target advertisers sponsoring shows that have Coulter as a guest. Threaten to boycott. Hold protests outside those advertisers' buildings, at the cable networks where Coulter makes appearances, at her publisher, and at her bookstore appearances. The press coverage has started; build on the momentum.

Imus was kicked within a week of making that "nappy-headed hos" remark. But Dr. Laura's TV show suffered a slower, more painful death, which would be a more likely scenario in Coulter's case.

Schlessinger had once been very supportive of gay callers to her radio show, but then began hyping ex-gay "cure" groups. Shortly before her TV show premiere, Schlessinger called homosexuality a "biological error."

In response, GLBT activists held protests in New York and in other U.S. cities. A Web site was launched just to get the show cancelled. Then Dr. Laura appeared on The View. There were protests outside the studio. She was confronted by audience members as well as by Joy Behar and Barbara Walters.

When Dr. Laura's TV show aired, it got a cold response. Within a month, she ran an ad in "Variety" apologizing for her "poorly chosen" words about homosexuality. Then there was a fracas over member of her staff posing as guests on the show.

Within two months of the premiere, advertisers were fleeing and ratings were plungiug. CBS had stations move the show to a late-night slot or replace it. The show was canceled six months after its debut.

Coulter has given Jews THE reason to begin a campaign. Other minorities who have been her targets--gays, for example--are likely itching to form a coalition.

Go for it.

[gearbox]

How I agree with your post! It's seems that the media,blogs and the like, including this one, give that wretch all the free "ad" space she could hope for to promote her agenda and sell her garbage.
A warning to and a boycott of all these "outlets" and their advertisers, including this one, would go a long way in giving them all a bit of a "wake up call".

[Levittown]

Bush and Cheney love the Colters and Limbaughs. Why else would they allow Rushs' radio broadcasts be carried on the Armed Forces Radio network. This can be stopped by Congress if they had the backbone but there is too much talk and not enough spine. This administraion and their lackeys will be the legacy of the 21st century beginning. It could also be the beginning of the end if people don't wake up come Nov.2008.

[areacode631]

You are a communist.­..wait till you cannot say what you want and don't think for a second that it cannot happen!

[Nancylad]

Oh, come on now people. Don't you realize, that with your ranting here about Coulter, you've bought into her game? Your vitriolic diatribes are nothing more than another scoop of ice cream on her sundae. The woman is cold, calculating, and manipulative. Don't you think she's got her people reading these blogs, looking for more bits of information she can use in her next foray?

Do you really think she cares one whit about what she's saying? No, she doesn't. She doesn't care about you or me. She doesn't care about Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. She only cares about her own sacred trinity, Money, Fame, and Ego.

Hers is indeed, a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,(and in the end) signifying nothing.

Give the woman what she deserves..­.unending silence.

[Bwana]

This is comical - the writer wonders whether she should be ignored and cites Rutten who says no ... because it's REALLY important.

I agree with Nancylad's post, but here we are, both writing about AC.

My comment is more directed at Rutten's alleged words about his angst. Did he really say that stuff? AC can inspire the core of anti-Semitism with something as vapid as what she said?

She is a great marketing genius if she can get someone like Rutten to take her that seriously!

Me, I'll take my chances that in 1, 2, 3, or 4 years, she'll be less than a little toe in a footnote somewhere.

[Nancylad]

Yes, Bwana, I agree that we both have better things to do than feed into Coulter's money making machine, but after reading all these expressions of reactionary outrage, I felt that I should inject a calm note of reason. Everyone's been reacting to what she's said and not looked at the person saying it.

The woman is a User (note the capital), and the best thing we all can do is to stop buying into her game, stop being used, stop reacting to her rantings..­.just plain STOP!

[lisasolodwarren]

Absolutely. Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain... she does not really exist. She is all smoke and mirrors, a giant head with nothing inside.

[Asim]

Three points:
1// As a society we should first define what Freedom of Expression is,where does it end and whether insulting and intimdating others falls within the boundries of free expression:Is Coulter's racist and insulting remarks about "perfecting" Jews and "invading, killing and converting Muslims" due Islamophopia,falls within the same boundries??
2// We should as a civilized society give Coulter a "civilized bloody nose" and confront her and demand an apology from her;
3// And/or simply boycott her completely by depriving her of the forums she abuses and from which she insults others and boycott her books altogther to deprive her from reaping the benefits of insulting others to generate infamy and publicity.

[avergejoe]

Asim,
what should done about this "freedom of expression"?

cnn 7/8/97:Proposed Israeli law would ban Christian missionaries
(the law was passed on Christmas day)
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9707/08/israel.missionaries/index.html

Most alarming to Christians is a newly proposed law that would let authorities jail anyone who shares Christian literature.

"It could even include the New Testament because, after all, that is certainly a document Jesus would say, 'go out into the world and make disciples,'" Pastor Ray Lockhart of Christ's Church in Jerusalem says.

The proposed legislation is aimed at those who possess, print, reproduce, distribute, import, track or publicize information meant as an inducement to religious conversion.

"We are a Jewish state," explains Israeli Knesset member and bill co-sponsor Niffim Zilli. "We want to remain a Jewish state."

Rabbi David Rosen of the Anti-Defamation League opposes the bill, but admits that democracy does not have deep roots in Israel.

What is being waged is a cultural clash that opens centuries of old wounds between Jews and Christians. It is a struggle for souls, and the Christians do not have the upper hand.

[Asim]

avergejoe,
israel is in fact a racist militaristic apartheid jewish THEOCRACY-it is any thing but a secular democracy;over ten million suffered untold agony and oppression inflicted by the racist jewish state for the past sixty years since its dubious creation:four million Palestinians live in israeli concentration camps-west bank and gaza-as well as third class citizens in their own homeland now called"israel;" over seven million palestinians live in refugee camps outside Palestine for the past sixty years-those were ethnically cleansed by jewish terrorist gangs such as Haganah,Ar­agun,Stern and Palmach in 1947/8.
So no wonder the racist jewish state revents Christians from speaking up.
For sholarly and comprehensive info on the Palestine issue,see WWW.PLANDS­.ORG

[RLMcKee]

"Bestselling authors" such as Coulter only appear on the lists because rightwing organizations order huge blocks of books to put them there. (Perhaps that's why these books appear in such tremendous numbers in flea market bins?)

It's much more significant that independent sales of books place true bestsellers such as the Harry Potter series at the top of the lists.

Ms. Coulter's "bestselling" reputation is a lie. But that is not surprising, is it?

[richardgordon]

We love to hate. Its in all of us. Arabs hate Jews. Republicans hate Liberals. The Religious Right hates the Secular Left. And people like Ann Coulter are such juicy targets. For one thing, she is such an imbecile. Its easy to dislike and loath her. But it is well to remember that the emotion of hatred does not stir up anything useful in us as human beings. And it is so easy to manipulate us when we are in this condition. How else do people like Hitler get power and maintain power?

So why do we even wast our time listening to people like Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly? They bring nothing useful to the table. No intelligence or insights, just raw hatred.

We are at the precipice of a catastrophic crisis with Global Warming. Gore's Nobel prize was awarded to him to let the world know that the scientific community endorsed his position and set the record straight. We need to put aside our petty differences and work together to solve this problem, otherwise there is not going to be a world for our decedents. If we fail in our responsibility to leave the planet in as good a condition as we received it, we will be labeled [after history's greatest generation (the generation that sacrificed their lives and fought the two great wars)] as history's worst generation. (The generation that was too lazy, too greedy, too smug and too indifferent to do something to save our beautiful blue Planet Earth. We will be loathed and hated by our decedents for the rest of time. They will point to us and say, here was a generation that turned the real Garden of Eden (Mother Earth) into a trash heap. They raped the Earth in pursuit of only one goal. To make as much money as possible.

We have to recognize that our way of life, is completely unsustainable. We have to recognize that each one of the creatures and is going extinct and eco-systems that we are rampantly destroying are Gods creation.

[Buddhamonkeydevil]

Watching the video of her as she was making these stupid remarks I couldn't help but notice the little smirk on her face as if she was thinking to herself, "Here I go again with another clever, witty, yet controversial remark which will catapult me into the spotlight and boost sales of my latest book." I'm not convinced she actually believes most of what she's saying--its all a script she follows to the letter...

[jackstraw005]

Who takes ann coulter seriously? shes the marylin manson, the gwar, the wwe of the right. shock entertainment, thats her niche, and she fills it well. she makes those who oppose her look like an inept amateur whos landed in the ring with floyd mayweather because she knows what she wants to do and does it. ignore her and she will dry up and blow away, since she thrives on the attention paid her every insane comment. ignore her i say, ignore her.

[CSE]

If you visit a book store, you will see Annie Coulter books just inside the door on the best seller shelves.

To find Naomi Klein's new book, "The Shock Doctrine", you'll have to wade into the social sciences/politics section.

According to the nice folks in the book store, Annie Coulter is always well displayed as it flies off shelves. The people buying the tripe are not "liberals" but are the same people who elected George Bush for a second term. They are emotionally charged individuals who do not use reasoned arguments and who will not listen to anything they do not want to believe.

And so goes America, where we pay millions of dollars a year for athletes to carry a ball while we pay those who teach our children a pittance.

[sigh]...d­oes anyone remember Rome?
.

[deminmo]

Yea, Rome got to a point of political and moral decay and blessedly died.

[wmholt]

I call it the "Madonna Syndrome", the need to be ever more shocking to be in the media spotlight.

Personally, I would like to see Ann Coulter try one of Britney Spear's publicity-garnering techniques and shave her head.

As others have said, the thing Ann fears most is to be ignored, which is what we should all do.

[deminmo]

One BIG difference in Coulter and Madonna is the
latter was a very shrewed business woman, who
re-invented herself and remained popular and wealthy. Ms. Coulter has nothing new to offer.

[Sociallyconscious]

I, personally, turn the channel when I see Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, etc. We all need to do this in addition to not buying any of their books. They would then disappear. I believe that it is that simple. Their babble breeds so much negatively and hate, I actually can not be around it.

[FrustratedDemInNH]

I feel the same way. From time to time I turn to FNC or one of the others to see what these people are saying...I watched the "Hardball" exchange with Coulter...­CM lost any remaining credibility with me that day...talk about a bunch of softballs.­..and find for the most part I can only stomach a couple minutes of their diatribe. There appears to be no desire to address the issues of the day...just spew hatred and intolerance and dis the dems.

It seems ironic to me that "Christian" values seem to be proclaimed the loudest by people who have sold their souls. What a victory for Satan these people are!

[deminmo]

Its almost a secret society to be Conservative and
Republican. Get and maintain wealth and fame and
escape unscathed from anything immoral or at least
lacking integrity, you do seem to sell your soul
and good judgement. But brainwashing seems to be
a more apt discription.

[loopyloo350]

You cant' not respond to Ann Coulter, but the way you respond makes all the difference. If instead of all the indignation of what she says, what would the result be if we simply treated her with the pity she deserves. Not over react.Woul­d you beat your child if they were mentally disabled or would you sit them down and explain what they had done wrong.Perh­aps if she were treated like the hateful child instead that nobody takes seriously, then people would find it hard to take her seriously and if there was no reward for her behavior, she wouldn't bother to try and profit from it.

[Bozwellian]

mmmm, agree to some of this premise however, Coulter is a master/mistress of the drivelings she sells to the segment that is grateful in all sorts of ways for her to "articulate" what they truly believe as well..She KNOWS her audience and feeds them and they in turn feed her. What IS rather curious is WHY "others" bother to give her semi-serious stages/spotlight as IF she is actually credible to ALL or has something pertinent other than her mongerings meant to fill her coffers/boost her ego centric self validational worth...(t­hink MOST simply turn the dial when her likes come on air or in print and have laughed at her best seller status for her publisher/contract buys BACK her publications for handouts to assist the "numbers")

[MLGale]

I agree - but how do you make her keep quiet and listen? Elizabeth Edwards gave it a good try. But Coulter is so well versed at screaming over people (all those Fox appearances) that any rational person would be frustrated before any good could be done. I say dismiss her and her views for the crap they are and she'll go away.

[gwpriester]

I wonder if we liberals stopped reacting to the likes of Ms. Coulter, and Mr. O'Reilly and Mr. Limbaugh if they would not be newsworthy anymore?

[dadw5boys]

WE DON'T REACT TO THEM, WE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THEM AS BEING HUMAN JUST FREELOADERS WHO PRODUCE NITHING OF VALUE BUT COMSUME MORE THAN THEY ARE WORTH.
MONEY IS THIER GOD.

[VivaZapata]

nasty and stupid and bigoted. dadw5boys, that's three strikes. you're out.

[dadw5boys]

Ann Colter needs to read PUBLIC BILL 102-14 PASSED BY CONGRESS AND SIGNED INTO LAW BY G.H.W. BUSH IN MARCH OF 1991.
Here is the Libary of Congress Link:
http://thomas.loc.gov/beta/billView.jsp?&k2dockey=/prd/k2/bills/xml/102/hj104.enr.xml@billmerge&numHits=1&currDoc=1¤tPage=1&102%3Cin%3Econgress%29&congress=102

REPUBLICANS ESTABLISHED THE BASES OF CHRISTIANITY UNDER THE SEVEN NOAHIDE LAWS THAT IS THE BASE OF THE JEWISH RELIGION.
Apparently ANN COLTER does not know her own party declared her to be Jewish and didn't tell her.

[yogendra2]

Ann Coulter is, unfortunately, severely character disordered. People with her narcissistic, borderline personality disorder traits absolutely are terrified of being abandoned. Fear of abandonment creates in people like her the need to act much like a drowning person to prevent terrifyingly empty and hollow feelings inside. Drowning people will fight savagely to prevent dying, even to the extent of drowning a swimmer trying to save them; similar feelings are what Ann Coulter feels frequently. She needs to be in therapy for a long, long time with a brilliant psychiatri­st/therapi­st. Therapy with these very disturbed people is long and treacherous because of their inability to trust and their incessant fear of being abandoned. Though she is very exasperating, my heart goes out to her. I know the pain and suffering she goes through daily. I have had numerous very disturbed patients like her; the psychologi­cal/emotio­nal pain is most often seering. My best to her. May she be happy. yogi, tucson

[VivaZapata]

How Upper West Side (though you promote Tucson) of you to analyze her this way! Now I almost feel sorry for her. Sorry but I don't believe even she buys her own bull completely. The comments about stirring up controversy are the main motivation for the crap she espouses. Proof? The timing coincides with the release dates of her foul fumes.

[Petesdaddy]

Baloney. Her therapy is the laugh she gets on her way to the bank.