Saturday, March 03, 2007

An Actual Botched Joke?

So, Ann Coulter is speaking at the American Conservative Union's Political Action Conference, March, 2, 2007 in Washington, D.C. and at the end of her speech, she says something pretty stupid:
I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I - so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards.

Now, Howard Dean is demanding that anyone who shared the podium with her that night denounce her, the Edwards campaign has the video on his campaign website saying that she's taken hate-speech politics to a new low, etc.
This was truly a foot-in-mouth moment. While obviously a reference to "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington's recent remarks about a co-star (and his subsequent "getting help" to save his career), this one went over like a wet leaf. After some gasps, you hear some nervous laughter and muted applause after people had a minute to figure out what she was talking about.
The use of the (new?) "f" word was just idiotic, and a blunder that will probably fire up the gay rights community, etc. However, I doubt that Ann truly thinks that Edwards, by all evidence a dedicated family man, is actually gay. So, this would be a prime example of "botched joke" - as it was clear that she was going for laughs with this one.
I'm sure the feigned outrage about her comment has barely begun. But I encourage Ann to use the "botched joke" excuse, since as soon as John Kerry uttered those words, the press fell right in line and dismissed all criticism of his belittling of our troops as needless "partisan politics" and killed the story as fast as they could. Let's see if they give her the same kid glove treatment.
Want to take any bets?