How can the media say there is NO POLITICAL leaning, when a Politician is targeted?!

[vaberella]

Everyone knows that it was a politician who was targeted. Even the police and from what I gather the FBI have said she was the target. Would that not mean this is politically motivated?

This is not random. I'm not understanding how anyone can go on tv and say this is not a politically leaning, when a politician is targeted.

[slackmaster]

1. For a crazy person, targeting a politician is no different than targeting a movie star

Visibility of the person, perhaps a desire for attention are what matters.

The assumption that the shooting must have been politically motivated because the target is a politician reminds me of one of my favorite Archie Bunker quotes:

"People who live in communes are commune-ists."

[vaberella]

2. Oh okay. n/t

[Teaser]

8. that isn't even the point

the point is whether or not the climate of our political discourse facilitated the attack.

The actual motivation for the attack isn't all that relevant. What is relevant is that when stupid people stay stupid things, they should be aware that crazy people are listening.

[unblock]

10. that may be true in some cases, particularly presidential assassination attempts

given that there is only one president at a time.
the president is not only a democrat or a republican, but also head of state, symbol of the ultimate power, etc.

however, there's a great choice of congresscritters and other political figures, so it's hardly unreasonable to figure that the political affiliation or views of the politician played a role in target selection. or the gunsights on palin's map for that matter.

it's also possible that he went for the easiest target, and he didn't have to travel far to get to giffords. still, one always has to figure politics (however twisted) played a role.

[onenote]

3. its because the concepts of political and partisan are sometimes not distinguished

At present, there is overwhelming evidence that Gabby was targeted because she is a political figure, which makes this an act of political violence. On the other hand, it has not yet been established whether this was a partisan political act in the sense that she was targeted not merely because she was a political figure but because she was a Democrat.

[slackmaster]

4. Exclusive: Loughner Friend Explains Alleged Gunman's Grudge Against Giffords

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/jared-lee-loughner-friend-voicemail-phone-message?page=1

[Teaser]

9. which doesn't really "explain" the grudge

at all. Just that the individual in question was losing touch with reality.

Which we know already.

[slackmaster]

11. There doesn't have to be a rational reason for his grudge

I doubt that there is one. His focus on her may be rooted in something as simple as sexual attraction.

[vaberella]

12. It doesn't explain a grudge. However that's no grudge. However I love the topic of lucid dreams.

This is a topic I do know about. There's nothing wrong it...I don't even thinking believing in it is a problem. There admittedly is no consequences in lucid dreaming. But the problem is the extent he went to kill. That's something else entirely. That has nothing to do with lucid dreaming.

[liberal N proud]

5. Because that is the propaganda they want to use

The talking points came out and this is the message to be sold.

[Raine1967]

6. It's strange that he didn't target the recruiters office

that denied him entrance to the Army, nor did he go after the college that kicked him out.

I don't care if he was mentally unstable or not, this was a political event, and he knew she was a politician. He had a grudge against her among all the others that he could have had a grudge against. This is political.

Even if it isn't connected to RW conservative media types, at the very very least, we finally have a national conversation going regarding hate talk on the airwaves.

[vaberella]

13. Hate talk, mental illness, and gun accessibility. I think these are great issues to deal with. n/t

[thereismore]

7. Because they focus on the killer, not who he killed. nt

[Phx_Dem]

14. My thoughts exactly. He not only specifically targeted Rep. Giffords,

he railed about the 8th Congressional District. How is that not political?

Our media sucks.

[GoCubsGo]

15. And, on top of that...

...they chastise the left for automatically assuming it's political. Meanwhile, they ignore the comments about "Second Amendment remedies", comments about Democrats "in the crosshairs"--complete with graphics, people showing up armed at events with the Democratic President, offices of their Congresspeople vandalized, death threats, gunmen coming into churches and shooting up the place because the people there are "liberals"... What the fuck do these idiots expect the left to think when a Democratic Congresswoman gets shot? Never mind that whenever such an incident comes up, the right automatically claims the killer is Muslim or an "illegal" Mexican. That goes unnoticed by our whore media.