Facepalm: The Wingnut Word-Counting Brigade Springs Into Action Again

Only commies use personal pronouns this much
Wingnuts • Views: 36,531

‘Tis the season for wingnuts to recycle their anti-Obama memes, and once again we find them diligently counting words in Obama’s speeches, in order to prove — prove, I say! — that the President is an uppity malignant narcissist who thinks he’s important for some reason: Obama Uses Funeral Service to Talk About Himself | the Weekly Standard.

President Barack Obama used the funeral for Hawaii senator Daniel Inouye to talk about himself. In the short 1,600 word speech, Obama used the word “my” 21 times, “me” 12 times, and “I” 30 times.

If you saw the President’s speech about Daniel Inouye, you know it was a touching, heartfelt tribute to the Senator from Obama’s state of birth. So naturally, the right wing was provoked into paroxysms of rage and personal pronoun-counting.

This non-argument is not supposed to convince anyone (how could it?); it’s just a numb-skulled tactic the wingnut chattering classes have been using to rile up the knuckle-draggers for years, recycling it at periodic intervals when they can’t think of any other way to attack Obama.

For example, here’s our post on an idiotic word-counting exercise by George Will in 2009: Ready … Set … Now Count Those Words!

At least we know some of them can actually count.

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46 comments
1 PhillyPretzel  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:16:36pm

Perhaps someone should start counting their words and reminding them of it every few minutes. /half

2 Vicious Babushka  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:24:16pm

Anybody want to watch a Bryan Fischer video and count the number of times he says "I" "me" and "my"?

I would, but I would throw up too many times.

3 Four More Tears  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:26:09pm

They need to send Obama a bill for all that space he's renting in their heads.

4 BongCrodny  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:27:37pm
Kit: The letter K appears in this script 1,456 times. That's perfectly divisible by 3.
Freddy: So what? So what you saying?
Kit: What am I saying? KKK appears in this script 486 times!

-- "Bowfinger"

Once again, derp follows art.

5 Achilles Tang  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:30:23pm

Has anyone analyzed Reagan's speeches? Jesus (as they were imagined)?

6 Usually refered to as anyways  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:31:16pm

dragonath said it best here.

Gallup, this morning:

Obama Approval - 58% (+2)

*pop* *pop* *pop*

7 The Ghost of a Flea  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:33:14pm

How stupid do you have to be to imagine that a straight count of pronouns produces a meaningful picture of the content?

I remember, I feel, I was told a story by, I respected...when we speak about a topic, opinions and emotions are framed in terms of "I" statements, because it's recognition of embedded perspective, not omniscience or pure factuality.

Seriously...morons.

8 Obdicut  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:41:48pm

re: #7 The Ghost of a Flea

Made up example:

"I would like to say that I am not deserving of this honor. I didn't do most of the work on this, the credit belongs to many others besides myself, and for this honor to come to me makes me feel embarrassed. I hope that people remember me saying this more than me receiving this award."

OMG Look at all the I's and me's and myselfs the vain bastard.

9 dragonath  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:44:54pm

I have to admit, the first time I heard a Reagan speech, I had a hard time figuring what the fuss was all about.

10 Randall Gross  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:51:03pm

I blame Anne Coulter for this kind of debased logic - she was the first one I recall citing the number of times a word or phrase appeared in Lexis- Nexis searches as proof of this, that, or the other.

11 Kragar  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:52:42pm

re: #9 dragonath

I have to admit, the first time I heard a Reagan speech, I had a hard time figuring what the fuss was all about.

Kind of like Ayn Rand and Ron Paul.

12 sattv4u2  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:52:51pm

re: #10 Randall Gross

I blame Anne Coulter for this kind of debased logic - she was the first one I recall citing the number of times a word or phrase appeared in Lexis- Nexis searches as proof of this, that, or the other.

iirc, it was Rush who was the big Lexis utilizer, but same point

13 Charles Johnson  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:53:28pm

re: #7 The Ghost of a Flea

How stupid do you have to be to imagine that a straight count of pronouns produces a meaningful picture of the content?

This stupid:

President First Person Singular and His Radical Cult of Antisocial Admirers : The Other McCain

14 Randall Gross  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:53:40pm

re: #12 sattv4u2

Well I just recall it from reading her books. Including the first one.

15 Randall Gross  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 1:55:27pm

re: #11 Kragar

Kind of like Ayn Rand and Ron Paul.

And of course to the GOP's current orginal prophet of wild west capitalism and Galtian individualism, use of "I" is a sign of individualism as opposed to you know, socialism and communism....

[Link: en.wikipedia.org...]

16 stabby  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:01:00pm

Heh, heh, back in the 70's and a little in the 80's people this stupid used hand writing analysis pseudoscience to attack people. Remember that?

17 A Man for all Seasons  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:01:32pm

unfortunately I have given 2 eulogies in my life. I spoke of how they effected me. Stories of us and things we did during life. Yes, they deeply effected me and counting pronouns is deeply disturbing as a political tactic.

18 Amory Blaine  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:02:05pm

Santa and Machine Guns: In Arizona, Christmas Is Here Again

Nothing says Christmas like a family photo with Santa and an AK-47.

Arizona's Scottsdale Gun Club hosts what might be the oddest photo opportunity of the holiday season -- a family picture with jolly Ol' St. Nick and some high-powered firearms: AK-47s, grenade launchers and machine guns.

"People decide to celebrate the holidays in unique ways," said club spokesman Ron Kennedy. "Some choose to do it with Santa at the mall, others in front of their tree. Our members and customers like to do it with 'Santa and Machine Guns.'"

People in this country are diseased. This truly represents their "war on Christmas". Dumbfucks.

19 stabby  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:02:39pm

According to this bullshit Bob Dole is the least egotistical person in the woooorrrrld.

20 stabby  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:03:27pm

Bob Dole!

21 Vicious Babushka  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:03:50pm

Holy crap WTF

22 darthstar  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:04:39pm

re: #19 stabby

According to this bullshit Bob Dole is the least egotistical person in the woooorrrrld.

You should talk to Bob Dole about Bob Dole. He loves saying Bob Dole.

23 stabby  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:05:04pm

re: #21 Vicious Michigan Union Thug

Holy crap WTF

[Embedded content]

Well for instance he said he was born.

24 Kronocide  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:05:33pm

What do you expect from the craven d-bags who espouse those who cry racism are the real racists?

I don't think it's stupidity or merely being a moron, though that has a lot to do with it as there is a huge amount of idiocy. This is based in hate. They cannot use the nCLANG any more, so let's focus on the worst possible personal attributes one can ascribe to any action or words no matter how benign: wife is fat/ugly, Obama is narcissist/foreigner/Muslim/socialist/liberal.

It's really really sad and pathetic.

The fiscal cliff memes aren't working, the gun debate isn't really going our way, so let's get the Narcissist in Chief meme fired up again boys.

25 Randall Gross  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:06:07pm

re: #18 Amory Blaine

Santa and Machine Guns: In Arizona, Christmas Is Here Again

People in this country are diseased. This truly represents their "war on Christmas". Dumbfucks.

Arizona has the second highest rate of gun deaths by state in the country for a reason!
[Link: www.statemaster.com...]

(DC is really a city, not a state)

26 stabby  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:06:33pm

Bob Dole!

27 stabby  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:07:54pm

Timmy!

28 wrenchwench  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:08:56pm

re: #24 Kronocide

What do you expect from the craven d-bags who espouse those who cry racism are the real racists?

I don't think it's stupidity or merely being a moron, though that has a lot to do with it as there is a huge amount of idiocy. This is based in hate. They cannot use the nCLANG any more, so let's focus on the worst possible personal attributes one can ascribe any to action words no matter how benign: wife is fat/ugly, Obama is narcissist/foreigner/Muslim/socialist/liberal.

It's really really sad and pathetic.

The fiscal cliff memes aren't working, the gun debate isn't really going our way, so let's get the Narcissist in Chief meme fired up again boys.

How dare the leader of the finest, most exceptional nation in the history of the world, the shining beacon of freedom, the pinnacle of civilization, think highly of himself!!!1!

29 S.D.  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:13:06pm

re: #3 Four More Tears

They need to send Obama a bill for all that space he's renting in their heads.

Thank you, I nearly choked on my drink laughing at that!!!

30 darthstar  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:18:23pm

Our driveway this morning...my dogs supervising me, of course...took me an hour to dig the car out.
Image: 563621_10151298888351382_1150934470_n.jpg

Only took five minutes to do the rest (with the help of a large caterpillar)
Image: 383689_10151329414628024_844375044_n.jpg

31 darthstar  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:18:51pm

Nice little bugs, those caterpillars.

32 sattv4u2  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:18:52pm

re: #30 darthstar

Our driveway this morning...my dogs supervising me, of course...took me an hour to dig the car out.
Image: 563621_10151298888351382_1150934470_n.jpg

Only took five minutes to do the rest (with the help of a large caterpillar)
Image: 383689_10151329414628024_844375044_n.jpg

Are those large snow clouds overhead !?!?!

//

33 stabby  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:20:59pm

re: #31 darthstar

34 darthstar  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:22:03pm

re: #32 sattv4u2

Are those large snow clouds overhead !?!?!

//

That's our balcony, which now has snow above the railing...and the doors to the balcony open out, of course. So we won't be going onto it until late spring at the earliest...unless I can climb up from the outside with a shovel (or a caterpillar).

35 darthstar  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:24:39pm

Avy at Squaw today...a few people buried but no fatalities. It's sketchy out there. So much weight on a layer of surface hoar (it rained a few weeks ago creating a hard layer, which gets little ice crystals that are not very stable...add three feet of snow on top and you get some big ass slides).

36 Gus  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:24:50pm

They're crazy.

37 sattv4u2  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:26:53pm

re: #35 darthstar

Avy at Squaw today...a few people buried but no fatalities. It's sketchy out there. So much weight on a layer of surface hoar (it rained a few weeks ago creating a hard layer, which gets little ice crystals that are not very stable...add three feet of snow on top and you get some big ass slides).

Thats how skiing is in the northeast ALL the time

1st time I went out west, into some actual powder, took me three days to acclimate myself to lean back, not forward and hard onto the edges of the skis

38 Romantic Heretic  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:27:41pm

re: #21 Vicious Michigan Union Thug

Holy crap WTF

[Embedded content]

He really is the dumbest man on the internet.

39 Charles Johnson  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:29:38pm
40 Romantic Heretic  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:31:05pm

re: #35 darthstar

Avy at Squaw today...a few people buried but no fatalities. It's sketchy out there. So much weight on a layer of surface hoar (it rained a few weeks ago creating a hard layer, which gets little ice crystals that are not very stable...add three feet of snow on top and you get some big ass slides).

I just finished reading this article on an avalanche with fatalities in Washington. Sobering.

41 dragonath  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:31:12pm

re: #11 Kragar

Kind of like Ayn Rand and Ron Paul.

Yeah, pretty much. The anti-communism speech that he made in support of Goldwater was filled with so much ad hominem, I had a hard time imagining anyone took him seriously.

The theme was anyone to the left of me is Karl Marx. No wonder Rush loves it.

42 sattv4u2  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:37:25pm

re: #40 Romantic Heretic

I just finished reading this article on an avalanche with fatalities in Washington. Sobering.

Was telling Darth earlier how we used to have to wait till spring- summer to ski Tuckerman Ravine in the White Mts of New Hampshire, after avalanche season

[Link: en.wikipedia.org...]

43 Pawn of the Oppressor  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:48:19pm

re: #23 stabby

Well for instance he said he was born.

No kidding. Everybody knows he was assembled from parts of dead famous Communists and animated with the spells of Ni-Clan'g-toth, Tenth Overlord of the Fire Pits, who's symbol is a five-headed calf, and who demands the blood of white people to sustain his power. Sheez...

44 Eventual Carrion  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 2:57:50pm

re: #43 Pawn of the Oppressor

No kidding. Everybody knows he was assembled from parts of dead famous Communists and animated with the spells of Ni-Clan'g-toth, Tenth Overlord of the Fire Pits, who's symbol is a five-headed calf, and who demands the blood of white people to sustain his power. Sheez...

I was afraid to say it. but that is exactly as I had if figured out too.

//

45 Sophist is the VillageGreen Preservation Society  Sun, Dec 23, 2012 8:28:23pm

Oh, come on guys, you have to admit they have a point here. Everyone knows that when you are giving a eulogy, it is considered very poor taste to talk about your own relationship to the deceased, or the effect they had upon your life.

46 Bulworth  Wed, Dec 26, 2012 6:52:33am

Really, Weekly Standard, really? Word counting the prez's speeches? You're supposed to be better than this. Your hackery is supposed to be about actual policy stuff.


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