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Jon Stewart Torches CNN and Redstate’s Erick Erickson

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by Tommy Christopher | 7:14 am, April 2nd, 2010

» 11 comments

Hey, remember yesterday, when I mentioned that Redstate’s Erick Erickson didn’t really need anything to mess with the mainstream cred he’s building with his new CNN gig? Yeah, about that…

Daily Show host Jon Stewart lit into both Erickson and CNN last night, highlighting a Reliable Sources segment in which Howard Kurtz grilled the Redstate chief about some rhetorical skeletons in his closet. While Stewart’s real criticism was of CNN for acting shocked at Erick being Erick, it’s also a pretty good bet that Erickson wouldn’t mind if his “Greatest Hits” could just stay in the vault from now on.

Before you watch this, though, some of these might seem familiar to you. Most of these doozies were trotted out by Stephen Colbert in a January interview with Erickson. What a difference a few weeks make. Then, Erickson tried to pull a fast one on Colbert, explaining that his comparison of White House adviser Linda Douglass to Joseph Goebbels was a response to a similar remark from Douglass.

He almost got away with it, but Colbert had Douglass on the next night to refute Erickson’s claim. This time, it looks like he’s just saying “My bad!” and moving on.

As it happens, I disagree somewhat with Stewart’s assessment of Erick Erickson. While there’s no shortage of incendiary rhetoric in his portfolio, that’s the currency of the blogger’s realm. Without original reporting, there are only a few ways to draw the eyeballs, and stepping over the line is a reliable one.

However, Erickson, like him or not, has grown Redstate into the Coca Cola of conservative blogs. He didn’t do that just by calling people Nazis or goat-f***ing child molesters. He did it by understanding his audience, who constitute the broadest swath of mainstream conservatives. That’s what he brings to CNN, the true mainstream pulse of conservatism. Unfortunately, that happens to include the occasional spitting on Ted Kennedy’s grave.

CNN, daily show, Erick Erickson, John King, Jon Stewart, Joseph Goebbels, Linda Douglass, stephen colbert, Tommy Christopher

MrGlennBovineKoldys

This is a joke, right?

Erickson, like him or not, has grown Redstate into the Coca Cola of conservative blogs. He didn’t do that just by calling people Nazis or goat-f***ing child molesters. He did it by understanding his audience, who constitute the broadest swath of mainstream conservatives. That’s what he brings to CNN, the true mainstream pulse of conservatism.

Every single wingnut SORE LOSER talking head is screaming its head off claiming he/she represents “real conservatives”

I’ll give the list, and the wingnutz can add their slogans.

Limpo
Sht Flinging Baboon
Billdo
KKKlownnity
Moose Boogers
The Bald One Levine
Dr. Weiners
Crapputo
The trio of KKKlowns and their Fox gNOpig Friends
Frankenstein Face
Felon Liddy
mAnn Coulter
Michael Steele
B(igot) Cunningham
morons John and Ken
“fix my hair” Ingraham
Catfish Maglalang
Oily Tits
Batsht crazy Bachmann
the idiot from Wing Nut Daily
( * ) Breitbar

I know I am missing a bunch of irrelevant fill-in maggots and they may resent it, but the “real conservatives” will come in later to tell us how well organized and what a brilliant platform the little gNOpigs have in store for next November.

After they wake up from their week long teabagging marathon.
da-wdc

I just plain fail to understand how a person who’s quite a bit older than me & who’s been on the payroll of the conservative establishment for a minute & who should certainly know better… cannot restrain himself from saying the most idiotic, incendiary things. It’s not the currency of the realm of *talented* bloggers who actually have something to say, I’ve found.

And by the way, real cool of you to imply that spitting on Ted Kennedy’s grave is no big deal and should be understood. When will we stop making excuses for these poor childish conservatives? When will they take some personal responsibility for themselves already?
paulmdoro

I’m not convinced that “because I need people to read my blog and I can’t always do original reporting” is much of a defense of Erickson’s incendiary comments as well as evidence that Stewart is off the mark with his criticism of CNN and Redstate. CNN is smart to get commentators who represent mainstream conservatism, if that is why they went after Erickson. But what kind of standards should they have when selecting someone to fill that slot? Is it OK for a blogger to say whatever the hell they want in the name of generating page views? Would CNN go after, say, a Victor Davis Hanson or a Cal Thomas if one of them had called a Supreme Court justice a “goat fucking child molester”? Because he’s a blogger and not a newspaper columnist, should that blunt Erickson from criticism over his many incendiary remarks?
Olby Sucks

Just mention Erickson and the stalker goes all cuckoo. TDF!!
Grammie

Well, Tommy, based on your article today virtually equating David Frum’s firing to the cruxifixion I don’t see any difference of kind between you and Eric but only degree.

Could that have been at least partially responsible for your soft approach to this subject?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Kelly/720731075 Chris Kelly

Four years ago, I was banned by RedState after having posted around 75 blog posts – not just comments – at that site. The closest they’ve come to an explanation is that it was because of a temporal ambiguity in something someone else said that I quoted. The real reason is because I criticized Bush. Despite banning me, they kept my content on their site despite my request that they remove it. And, I couldn’t find any sort of legal agreement giving them the right to continue to display my content.

P.S. Here’s an Erick Erickson lie you won’t hear about from anyone else.
same2u

Olby,
Who is stalking who? Do you not see the irony of your statement?

P.S.
Erik Erickson is a creep whose self-assessment that he has “grown-up” is horseshit. He has modified his tone because it is in his financial interest to do so. I am glad that John King’s show has started out poorly and I hope it fails.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Kelly/720731075 Chris Kelly

I haven’t bothered to check, but has anyone else pointed out that one strong possibility as to why Erickson was hired is in order to discredit Republicans? What better way to do that then to bring on someone who, at the end of the day, makes the GOP look bad? Of course, it’s an equally strong possibility that @JonKleinCNN is just an idiot.

@JonKleinCNN probably is not a mole working to bring down CNN, although that possibility has to be considered after his various actions.
shootfromthehip

Erik is the single worst hire CNN has ever made. End of story.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

Chris, I, too, was banned from Redstate — Erickson, like so many on the right, i.e., Limbaugh and Fox, only want you to sing with their choir, and if you disagree with them and poke holes in their direction then you’re banned.
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