Schadenfreude schmadenfreude

Some people (or things) you can’t help but root against. My beloved Braves aren’t going to make the postseason, but I’m assuaged by the fading New York Mets, who are on the verge of a historic collapse that may well knock them out of the playoffs.

It doesn’t give me as much pleasure, since I don’t have a horse in this race, but I love seeing Mitt Romney fail. Like the Mets, he held what seemed to be an insurmountable lead in New Hampshire.

No more. Despite spending a heap of money, and being the governor of a neighboring state, Romney is now in a statistical dead heat with Rudy Giuliani, whose surge is somewhat baffling considering his recent odd behavior.

Screw the Germans! I won’t apologize for taking pleasure in the pain of Mets, or Mitt.

Schadenfreude schmadenfreude

Some people (or things) you can’t help but root against. My beloved Braves aren’t going to make the postseason, but I’m assuaged by the fading New York Mets, who are on the verge of a historic collapse that may well knock them out of the playoffs.

It doesn’t give me as much pleasure, since I don’t have a horse in this race, but I love seeing Mitt Romney fail. Like the Mets, he held what seemed to be an insurmountable lead in New Hampshire.

No more. Despite spending a heap of money, and being the governor of a neighboring state, Romney is now in a statistical dead heat with Rudy Giuliani, whose surge is somewhat baffling considering his recent odd behavior.

Screw the Germans! I won’t apologize for taking pleasure in the pain of Mets, or Mitt.

The teflon demagogue

As unconvincing as the public apology that seeks forgiveness for possibly offending someone (without assuming personal responsibility), Bill O’Reilly is claiming his comments about Sylvia’s Restaurant were “taken out of context” by “left-wing smear merchants.”

You won’t find me defending Media Matters, the so-called watchdogs who first reported O’Reilly’s remarks. They have a partisan agenda, as does their conservative counterpart, the Media Research Center. Media Matters would love to silence O’Reilly, but that doesn’t absolve his ignorance.

Especially when it’s on audio — pretty hard to take that out of context. His critics didn’t even report the entirety of O’Reilly’s patronizing comments that afternoon (he praised the black people who dressed “appropriately” for an Anita Baker concert he recently attended; seems he expected them all to be wearing velour jumpsuits with Jheri curl stains on the shoulders).

O’Reilly loves playing the victim, though he derides that pervasive American mentality on air. Of course we’re talking about a self-proclaimed “cultural warrior” just three years removed from settling (for millons) a sexual harassment suit filed by a former producer. Remember the loofah?

Regardless, he maintains a fervent fan base, deflecting scandal with the skill of a Clinton. Like the Clintons, he alleges conspiracy whenever challenged. Left, right or center, it’s a dishonest formula that works, as long as you’re a gifted spinner.