Category: Awards

"There are, of course, those who have deeply-felt moral objections to gay marriage and there are others who make a moral case for changing the law to allow it. I don’t share the former and I’m not completely persuaded by the latter, but as my general view is that morality ought, where feasible, to be a matter for individuals rather than the state, I’ll leave those controversies to others, pausing only to observe that changes in the law that bring a little happiness, resolve some painful practical injustices (from hospital visitation rights to the ability to benefit from the spousal Death Tax exemption) and help take the previously marginalized deeper into ‘regular’ society should, probably, be seen as a Good Thing.

The role of the Right should be to shape the way that this change takes place, by building in, for example, free speech and ‘conscientious objection’ protections to those who do not go along. If that’s the aim, a position of outright opposition is not the best place to begin," – Andrew Stuttaford, Secular Right.

"Which should tell all of you about the abuse of power inherent in this administration. They now control General Motors, they basically control Chrysler, they control Citibank, they control AIG, and they are prepared to punish people. I think that's very dangerous, to have a president who thinks he should get up in the morning and punish Americans. You know, appease foreigners, bow to the Saudi king, embrace the Venezuelan dictator, and punish Americans? I think that's a very dangerous attitude," – Newt Gingrich, ranting on.

"The nation loses the only goat f*&king child molester to ever serve on the Supreme Court in David Souter's retirement,"- Erik Erickson, Red State. Ah, the bloggy right. Will their charms never cease?

"I'm having trouble figuring out why staunch conservatives aren't as outraged by the torture memos and practices as the American public. Maybe it's because they've become so estranged from the public. Republican leaders have stumbled around, since the closing of the Bush era, much like a duck whacked on the head, as Abraham Lincoln once quipped about one of his generals who was chasing Lee's forces. Or maybe it's because of high, and justified, concerns over national security. Or considerable, again justified, preference for presidential leadership over that of the Congress (especially one with the twin faces of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid). But still… It's somewhat outrageous for real conservatives not to be outraged by all this. Conservatism has never been, and should not become now, the pro-torture movement," – Ken Adelman, former chair of the Reagan-era Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

(hat tip: Ackerman)

A reader writes:

I think perhaps you should reconsider your Moore Award nominee. The object of her rhetorical horse-whipping really is a misogynist whackaloon. I just read his article. It is stark raving mad. You should read it. He really is opposed to women voting and he wants to colonize outer space to escape taxes. Amanda Marcotte is not exaggerating.

The award was garnered because of Marcotte's characterization of all libertarianism, not because many of Thiel's particular views are worth defending. Marcotte uses Thiel as a bludgeon to grossly distort the small L libertarian worldview. She also invents policy positions that most libertarians don't hold: they want " to create an army to ransack other nations and take their wealth." Huh?

She apparently doesn't see this.

"NJPD release 911 calls of terrified residents reacting to Obama's sick AF1 terrorizing of NY/NJ. Osama would be proud," – Tammy Bruce, twittering.

"Thiel is one of the co-founders of PayPal and a major investor in Facebook, and he’s a complete wackaloon and apparently a misogynist besides.  Which is to say, he’s a libertarian.  And his essay really drives home how much libertarians shouldn’t own the word “liberty”, because they are actually modern day feudalists who object to any government functions that don’t involve taxing the middle class to create an army to ransack other nations and take their wealth," – Amanda Marcotte, Pandagon.

"I stand with Theodore Roosevelt, Elihu Root and the United States military, and with a 100-year tradition of our nation, against the specific practice of waterboarding captured combatants as strategically ineffective and morally repugnant. It is beneath us; beneath our dignity, and beneath our enlightened self-interest," – Jim Manzi, NRO.