Discussion: P.C. Policeman Jonathan Chait Can Dish It Out, But He Can't Take It

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Discussion for article #232555

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My favorite part of these kinds of discussions is how some white person will reply to me about how what I’m saying is making them uncomfortable or hurting their feelings somehow. Um, that’s a “you” problem that I rank far below in priority behind the topic I’m focused on, now please sit down while I talk about whatever I feel like I need to talk about, thanks.

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Jonathan Chait is not nearly as liberal as he would have us believe.

Mostly, he’s a moderate lefty who types with one hand while clutching his pearls with the other.

No one on the left denies that unpopular speech has a right to be spoken—but those who speak it must be ready for the consequences, which Chait seems to believe should not follow the unpopular speech.

He’s a fraud, really----sort of a lefty version of Howie Kurtz, the original doughy pantload.

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Every time Jonathan Chait tries to talk about issues of race and gender, an angel loses its wings.

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Not all white people.

/snark

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I just hope nobody refers to Lindsey Graham as ‘Miss Lindsey’ or alludes to him clutching pearls in this thread.

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Chait is doing all the pearl-clutching in this story.

He will not brook any competition from Sen. Graham.

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I think you were here a few weeks ago when someone made a reference to “pearl clutching”. The ensuing thread jack over whether or not the reference was homophobic was so successful that I can’t even remember the subject of the article. Someone flagged a post and when the moderator showed up I asked him to make a ruling.

I think Chait’s point is that defensiveness is anathema to effective communication. People need to lighten up.

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Damn, I want to read the rest of this article but I can’t get past the second paragraph until I vent.
The noun form of lambast(e) is lambasting, not lambast.
Change the text at the bottom of all of Marcotte’s pieces where she refers to herself as a “Twitter villian”. It’s villain.

Carry on.

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Chait is completely correct.

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Gramar-splainin.

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I think the article was about Sen. Graham mockingly “welcoming” Sen. Warren to democracy, and yes, I remember the pearl-clutching discussion…

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Oh, I remember that thread. It was PC run amok.

If that was Chait’s point, he needs to stop projecting—he is endlessly defensive, and has never known how to lighten up.

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remember when you were attacking people questioning elements of the UVA Rolling Stone stories as misogynists?

Maybe you should read Jonathan Chait’s article and lay off the one-liners for a tad.

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Still grinding that ax?

It must be heavy.

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Apparently he believes that consequences should follow speech that’s unpopular with certain people including himself.

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I don’t think he insulted me personally or anything like that, I have nothing against him. But maybe the sort of modes of thinking that Chait is complaining about are the same ones we see in examples like that? And result in lousy thinkpieces like this one?

Seemed like a relevant point to bring up.

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I found this article to be tedious and its premise unfounded. Chait’s OK.

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Okay, he can start by lightening up himself.

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OK, I see Marcotte’s point and subjected myself to the totality of Chait’s article in “New York” (not “The New Yorker”) magazine.
My first reaction is: No wonder “The New Republic” is gone. Stripped of the insular surroundings and writing for a glorified advertising supplement, Chait comes off as peevish and lacking in self-awareness.
Maybe he should take up afternoon drinking with George Will.

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