DEUTSCH: That isn’t what I said, but you said I should not — we should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians, then, or —
COULTER: Yeah.
DEUTSCH: Really?
COULTER: Well, it’s a lot easier. It’s kind of a fast track.
DEUTSCH: Really?
COULTER: Yeah. You have to obey.
DEUTSCH: You can’t possibly believe that.
COULTER: Yes.
DEUTSCH: You can’t possibly — you’re too educated, you can’t — you’re like my friend in —
COULTER: Do you know what Christianity is? We believe your religion, but you have to obey.
DEUTSCH: No, no, no, but I mean —
COULTER: We have the fast-track program.
DEUTSCH: Why don’t I put you with the head of Iran? I mean, come on. You can’t believe that.
COULTER: The head of Iran is not a Christian.
DEUTSCH: No, but in fact, “Let’s wipe Israel” —
COULTER: I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention.
DEUTSCH: “Let’s wipe Israel off the earth.” I mean, what, no Jews?
COULTER: No, we think — we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say.
DEUTSCH: Wow, you didn’t really say that, did you?
The whole exchange is below the fold (the above is taken from the middle and it starts from the beginning below). You should read it if for Deutsch’s flabbergasted reaction alone…
DEUTSCH: Christian — so we should be Christian? It would be better if we were all Christian?
COULTER: Yes.
DEUTSCH: We should all be Christian?
COULTER: Yes. Would you like to come to church with me, Donny?
DEUTSCH: So I should not be a Jew, I should be a Christian, and this would be a better place?
COULTER: Well, you could be a practicing Jew, but you’re not.
DEUTSCH: I actually am. That’s not true. I really am. But — so we would be better if we were - if people — if there were no Jews, no Buddhists —
COULTER: Whenever I’m harangued by —
DEUTSCH: — in this country? You can’t believe that.
COULTER: — you know, liberals on diversity —
DEUTSCH: Here you go again.
COULTER: No, it’s true. I give all of these speeches at megachurches across America, and the one thing that’s really striking about it is how utterly, completely diverse they are, and completely unself-consciously. You walk past a mixed-race couple in New York, and it’s like they have a chip on their shoulder. They’re just waiting for somebody to say something, as if anybody would. And —
DEUTSCH: I don’t agree with that. I don’t agree with that at all. Maybe you have the chip looking at them. I see a lot of interracial couples, and I don’t see any more or less chips there either way. That’s erroneous.
COULTER: No. In fact, there was an entire Seinfeld episode about Elaine and her boyfriend dating because they wanted to be a mixed-race couple, so you’re lying.
DEUTSCH: Oh, because of some Seinfeld episode? OK.
COULTER: But yeah, I think that’s reflective of what’s going on in the culture, but it is completely striking that at these huge megachurches — the idea that, you know, the more Christian you are, the less tolerant you would be is preposterous.
DEUTSCH: That isn’t what I said, but you said I should not — we should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians, then, or —
COULTER: Yeah.
DEUTSCH: Really?
COULTER: Well, it’s a lot easier. It’s kind of a fast track.
DEUTSCH: Really?
COULTER: Yeah. You have to obey.
DEUTSCH: You can’t possibly believe that.
COULTER: Yes.
DEUTSCH: You can’t possibly — you’re too educated, you can’t — you’re like my friend in —
COULTER: Do you know what Christianity is? We believe your religion, but you have to obey.
DEUTSCH: No, no, no, but I mean —
COULTER: We have the fast-track program.
DEUTSCH: Why don’t I put you with the head of Iran? I mean, come on. You can’t believe that.
COULTER: The head of Iran is not a Christian.
DEUTSCH: No, but in fact, “Let’s wipe Israel” —
COULTER: I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention.
DEUTSCH: “Let’s wipe Israel off the earth.” I mean, what, no Jews?
COULTER: No, we think — we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say.
DEUTSCH: Wow, you didn’t really say that, did you?
COULTER: Yes. That is what Christianity is. We believe the Old Testament, but ours is more like Federal Express. You have to obey laws. We know we’re all sinners —
DEUTSCH: In my old days, I would have argued — when you say something absurd like that, there’s no —
COULTER: What’s absurd?
DEUTSCH: Jews are going to be perfected. I’m going to go off and try to perfect myself —
COULTER: Well, that’s what the New Testament says.
DEUTSCH: Ann Coulter, author of If Democrats Had Any Brains, They’d Be Republicans, and if Ann Coulter had any brains, she would not say Jews need to be perfected. I’m offended by that personally. And we’ll have more Big Idea when we come back.
[…]
DEUTSCH: Welcome back to The Big Idea. During the break, Ann said she wanted to explain her last comment. So I’m going to give her a chance. So you don’t think that was offensive?
COULTER: No. I’m sorry. It is not intended to be. I don’t think you should take it that way, but that is what Christians consider themselves: perfected Jews. We believe the Old Testament. As you know from the Old Testament, God was constantly getting fed up with humans for not being able to, you know, live up to all the laws. What Christians believe — this is just a statement of what the New Testament is — is that that’s why Christ came and died for our sins. Christians believe the Old Testament. You don’t believe our testament.
DEUTSCH: You said — your exact words were, “Jews need to be perfected.” Those are the words out of your mouth.
COULTER: No, I’m saying that’s what a Christian is.
DEUTSCH: But that’s what you said — don’t you see how hateful, how anti-Semitic —
COULTER: No!
DEUTSCH: How do you not see? You’re an educated woman. How do you not see that?
COULTER: That isn’t hateful at all.
DEUTSCH: But that’s even a scarier thought.
Ann Coulter does not speaks for none of us.
No, I didn’t go to school in Mississippi —
Ann Coulter speaks for none of us.
There.
Good to know Dan; on both counts!
Coulter is nothing but an attention hound. She gets paid to shock people in the same way horror movie directors do. The sad part is that she gets any positive attention from anybody.
Of course she does. It was okay when she called liberals traitors and when she called John Edwards a faggot, so what’s the problem now? She’ll end up with more face time on Faux News as a result of her idiocy. She needs to go to work for normy’s campaign.
Richard is right since she sells books and gets invited to speak at a variety of events. She also gets a good deal of support from a few of the regular posters on MDE.
Regular posters at MDE? That’s such a huge oxymoron. Her situation is roughly analogous to Fred Phelps and his circus. Fred would show up at the funerals of gay men and that was fine but suddenly, when they start demonstrating at veterans funerals, there’s a national outrage. The she/man that is Man Coulter is a twisted hateful thing and always has been a twisted hateful thing. She has risen to her position by having the support of the RNC and all republicans. norm must put her on the payroll.
Her having the support of “all Republicans” is not a true statement. Republicans have enough issues to be critical of without having to make them up.
I hate to say it, but this does seem par for the course, as far as present day GOP commentators go. Pity to see what the party of Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Eisenhower has come to. Or heck, the party of Jim Ramsted.
I know this is chancy territory, but its a fact that the since 9/11 that Bush and company have calibrated there response more with an eye to gaining political power for themselves, at the expense of actually finding and killing the people who carried out those attacks. Its a fact that in the context of this bungled response they have declared that they can hold people without trial and torture them. And its a fact that they have characterized dissent, not just from the fringe but from the sober, intelligent parts of the left as one step from treason.
This ‘perfected, as they say’ just seems like another brick in the wall. I’m a fairly moderate person, and I don’t like it when the word applicable to my country’s administration starts to seem like fascism, in the no-crap historical sense and not just the stoned-hippie sense. I know there are a lot of decent people in the Republican party - could y’all muzzle this lunatic?
Way to step up to the plate Anne! She speaks for millions of Americans (scary thought).
Perhaps she should anchor the nightly news, she’s not much worse.
Richard,
“A twisted hateful thing,” eh? Takes one to know one.
What a devastating riposte. I’m am crushed. So, w, let’s hear more defense of Man Coulter. Honestly, I’m wondering what you think of the premier conservative pin-up gal.
Ann Coulter does NOT represent mainstream, thoughtful Republicans. Someone put it best when they said:
“Ann Coulter is the is the reigning diva of the hysterical right”.
That someone was Al Franken, your Senate candidate, on page 5 of “Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them.” I completely agree with Al on that one. Ann represents a hysterical minority of our party.
here’s the thing, and there’s really no other way to look at it, Ann Coulter is famous because her saying this shit helps her sell books. her books frequently land themselves on best-seller lists. whatever you say about her, she’s not representing a ‘minority of your party.’
the criticism that she’s just telling jokes, or playing a character that liberals don’t understand might be valid. i don’t know what it is, but her comments just don’t strike me as jokes.
It is interesting though - whenever a left-wing nut says something, the demand lies on the Democrats to loudly condemn them, or automatically be assumed to agree with it. So, my Repos, lets here your public condemnations, or maybe we should assume you too think Jews should be ‘perfected’.
Or you can assume that we aren’t all closet nuts whenever ANSWER or Moveon.org says something precious.
I cringe when Coulter makes statements like the one here. Like everyone else, I understand her modus operandi, which is to make outrageous statements in order to prove a point, but I don’t agree with her approach because I believe a point can be made in an effective, civil manner without resorting to coarse, offensive language or outlandish statements.
please tell us what her deeper point is when she talks about how she wants jews to be perfected?
my problem with her isn’t that she makes outlandish statements, it’s that the deeper points behind her outlandish statements are equally offensive.
her modus operandi, which is to make outrageous statements in order to prove a point
And exactly what was her point this time? What was the drug addicted gas bag Limbaugh’s point when he called soldiers in theater, phonies? Is it too subtle for a common guy like me to be able to figure out? Enlighten me.
Who supports Ann Coulter? If she is so far from the fringe, how does she manage to make a living speaking, let alone becoming as famous as she is? Far from being a pariah, she is a regular guest on Fox and other right-wing media outlets. Her books are bestsellers, and she is allowed to speak on college campuses, even if they bar other “controversial” speakers.
The sad fact is, she does speak for a lot of people, saying out loud what they say under their breath. Are you offended? Heck, can’t you take a joke/are you unable to get past the humor and see her real point/don’t you know about the liberals who have said bad things/do you want Muslim terrorists in your neighborhood? The National Review exiled her, briefly, but relented when she gained her mass fame (the marketplace in action, I guess).
wtm, you say you “don’t agree with her approach.” Where do you stand on her substance?
What was Al Franken’s point when he made and coninues to make outrageous statements and jokes?
I’m sorry, I thought we were talking about Ann Coulter and how you believe there’s a deeper point behind her insulting Jews. Modus operandi and all that…ringing any bells…..?
What am I, the press secretary for Ann Coulter? I have not read her books nor her columns nor did I watch this interview, so I honestly don’t know what her point is — other than to drive you crazy.
MY point, just like others who have posted here, is shocking others is part of her m.o., which, incidentally, is the same one used by a U.S. Senate candidate of your party in this state.
her modus operandi, which is to make outrageous statements in order to prove a point
so I honestly don’t know what her point is
That’s an effective spokesperson you righties have there. The republican party and it’s spokespeople like Man Coulter are so utterly devoid of ideas and morality it’s really shameful. I’m embarassed for them because they lack the mental acuity to be embarassed for themselves. For those who maintain the hideous Coulter doesn’t speak for them, all you have to do to get rid of her is to quit watching Faux news. Simple as that, quit feeding the bitch and she will shrivel up and blow away.
That’s an effective spokesperson you righties have there
too subtle for a common guy like me to be able to figure out
Thansk for the compliment, Richard.
She is an entertainer, so she doesn’t need to have a point. My question is, how did entertainers ever become so surely identified with political movements? Why does someone whose incentive is to sell books get legitimately grouped with people who are elected officials?
In the Right corner:
- Jim Ramstad
- Ann Coulter
- John McCain
And in the Left corner:
- Evan Bayh
- Michael Moore
- Amy Klobuchar
It just makes no sense to me. Civics is civics and entertainment is entertainment.
Is it too subtle for a common guy like me to be able to figure out? Enlighten me.
You’re failing miserably w. You’re probably used to that so I won’t press you anymore. Maybe you can answer why the she-male Coulter gets as much face time on Hannity as she does. Does Hannity have a thing for trannies? I’m not judging but made we have another “wide stance” republican here.
She grew up with hippie parents, who embarrased her, so she has decided to make her life all about proving them totally misguided. She’s basically a scorned child, who has grown into sad, pathetic wench. All this and she loves the Grateful Dead. If Gerry was around to know that she liked his music, he’d write a song about how fucked up she is.
This is hilarious, really. You people all get the vapors over some shocking statement made by Ann Coulter. But what you don’t realize is that you’re running a liberal version of Ann Coulter for U.S. Senate right here in Minnesota. The difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Ann Coulter would never have a shot at running for office while you people proudly put up a joke like Al Franken.
Now I can predict the responses before you even write them, so let me pre-empt some of you. You people will say that Al Franken was a comedian. And that excuses his idiotic and offensive statements. What do you think Ann Coulter is? She’s an inconoclast. She says offensive things to get people to think and makes a whole lot of money off of it all. You guys actually think Al Franken is a serious candidate. He’s nothing but another Ann Coulter. Again, Republicans would never run her (not that she would be willing to take the pay cut) and you people can’t endorse Stuart Smalley fast enough.
No, we won’t say he’s a comedian. Personally, I’ve never found him all that funny. His seriousness I’ve had doubts about too.
But here’s the thing: Ann Coulter is dead serious when she is referring to Jews like their present status is, dare I say it, a ‘problem’, perhaps even one that needs a solution.
Ann Coulter is just as serious when she says more explicitly violent things about homosexuals. And Democrats. And quite a few groups, really.
Being an iconoclast does not excuse the fact that she has made loathsome statements with every semblence of conviction. Franken says things for shock value, but usually qualifies it with the fact that he is, in fact joking. I have a (declining) view of Franken as a candidate. But he at least doesn’t advocate horrible things with perfect conviction. Ann Coulter accused the widows of victims of the tragedy your party uses to justify its worst excesses as being in it for the money, apparently with great conviction.
So no, you couldn’t predict what I was going to say. Just like Coulter doesn’t know jack about the people she demonizes.
And I’m always warry of the defense - ‘they’re just an iconoclast, they don’t really think that way.’ Historically, that’s also been a mistake when considering shocking statements about Jews.
“Ann Coulter is dead serious when she is referring to Jews like their present status is, dare I say it, a ‘problem’, perhaps even one that needs a solution.”
“Franken says things for shock value”
We should try to estimate intent. My guess is as good as yours on if they are each trying to be serious or only trying to sell books. We really don’t know.
I’d love to see a list of the outrageous things Al Franken has said so we can compare his list to a list of Anne Coulter’s outrageous statements.
I haven’t seen any specific quotes of Franken’s mentioned here. What is it he sadi? Did he want to poison some right wing justice? Did he want to bomb some newspaper he disagrees with? Did he insult some of the victims of 9/11? Wait, he tells “jokes” doesn’t he…..*sigh*…whatever he did, some people just can’t take a joke.
It almost feels like some quivering lipped people are defending Anne Coulter here,…or maybe I’m wrong…..well that doesn’t matter anyway, whatever’s going on with some people is really a small insignificant issue.
Anyhoo I’d LOVE to see some Franken quotes posted to compare with Anne Coulters.
Thanks!
Dantheman-
We can assume based on what we know. As far as I know, Coulter has never, not once, said anything like ‘that was intended as humor’ or ‘I don’t believe it, I just want to get people to think’. You know how often articles on big names will have crap like ‘Privately, such-and-such is more….’ fill in the blank? That sort of stuff tends to stress her conviction, not any sort of ‘more light-hearted in private’ etc.
Franken however will say things like ‘I was an entertainer going for laughs’, and has been far, far, more serious since he started running for office (again, I’m not a big booster of the man).
With Coulter, she’s an entertainer-in-earnest. Think Bill O’Reilly. Shock-jock like, but means it. Or Micheal Moore, to give it some balance. These three try to enrage. Franken was trying to be funny (often failing, in my view).
When Ann Coulter says Jews should become Christians, everyone gets bent out of shape.
Isn’t that what all Christians believe?
That EVERYONE needs to become Christian or they go to hell?
This is not Anti-Semitism. It is Religious Bigotry of a much broader sort.
If she had said Atheists need to become Christians, no one would have complained.
Religion of all sorts is a myth that cannot be supported. It makes some people feel good, and as long as it is limited to that, who cares?
But when Religion leads to wars in the middle east, and turning airplanes into weapons, then reasonable people should stand up and throw all these mythologies out the window.
Coulter, Bush and Bin Laden are all cut from the same cloth.
BobT,
It’s one thing to disagree with the President. It’s quite another to say he’s cut from the same cloth as the man who masterminded the murder of 3000 Americans. I have to say that’s a pretty mean spirited and frankly unpatriotic thing to say.
what a crazy bitch.