David Cohn

"I did. But no worries re: credit. I put it on my personal blog for posterity as well. http://blog.digidave.org/2013/..." - David Cohn

"This was awesome. I can fully admit the post is a bit heady and academic (guilty as charged). But I'm glad you feel there is something to be taken away regardless ;) Rock on!" - David Cohn

"I know an app that does push notifications to alert you about movements in only the stories you are interested in........." - David Cohn

"You get what a lot? Told that you are not actually addressing the conversation? For the record: there is a TON I can find wrong with President Obama. I am not a worshiper by any stretch of the imagination. I think what he has done with Drones, for example, sucks (albiet a natural continuation of the executive powers embibed to him from the previous administration). Just as I can find fault - there is much I think he has done well. I do not live in a black/white evil/good 100% wrong or 100% right world. There are shades of gray. We explain the world as black/white to children. Adults can comprehend more." - David Cohn

"It was a simple question. Could even be answered yes or no. You continue to make ad-hominem attacks instead of making real points." - David Cohn

"By "Amazon" are you referring to Michelle Obama? And could it have had more tact - sure. I don't think she handled it perfectly. But I also don't think the way she handled it was atrocious deserving of some of the comments in this thread." - David Cohn

"No. I don't, Nor has my attitude been uppity. But thanks for the ad-hominem." - David Cohn

"Actually - I wouldn't characterize anything I've done as "saying the opposite as you." I've been constructing arguments and asking questions. But you have never actually responded in kind. If you recall - your first comment was a swipe at me either being gay or whiney. Your second focused around my avatar not being masculine enough and being able to verbally kick my ass. Your ability to make actual points is minimal. Question: Do you think that in 3 years there will be a peaceful transfer of power or do you believe that Obama and the "evil left" are staging a coup? It's a direct question." - David Cohn

"Now I'm doubly confused. So the liberals are evil and pushing us towards some untimely frog death. And the republicans are.... useless? Or part of the larger conspiracy? Now you make it sound like some inevitable march of history which leads to a culture/market war (which is very marxist of you really)." - David Cohn

"Or... in 3 years there will be another peaceful transfer of power and the very detailed conspiracy theory you paint whereby Obama and the left overthrow the government will prove to be untrue. ALL politicians (left or right) vie for power. That's the very nature of what they do. For every Pelosi there is a right wing counterpart. Your girlfriend who thought plants felt pain. Well, that's not a liberal belief - that's just unscientific (most professional scientists are liberal and would laugh at the idea of grass screaming in pain). You definitely have a long web of related ideas that all point to this idea of liberals, especially the ones who take up professional politics, as being evil. But I would encourage you to take the time to put everything in historical context. Obama is president today. He wasn't president before 2008. And after 2016 somebody else will be president. That's how the US works. We vote for representatives... and they have to prove themselves to be worthy or else..." - David Cohn

"There is a big difference between typos and writing fast and the purposefully misspelling. That is my point: We cannot have a conversation about the First Lady of the United States - if you insist on spelling her name Moochelle as some kind of put down (it's on the same level as commenting on her fat ass). So touche - you found some typos. But you have not addressed a single point that was made in this thread. I suspect it is because you cannot justify your position. See @Green Christian and his comment above." - David Cohn

"I don't think the heckler was being racist. But I do think she was being obnoxious and lacked all sense of tact." - David Cohn

"Typos happen. But to misspell on purpose as a means of being insulting makes little sense to me. Also - I am not a rocket scientist." - David Cohn

"It seems a comment I put in earlier didn't come through. The short answer is: The link was there to inform. People can be offensive even if they don't know they are being offensive. One does not have to justify being offended. I'm sure you've been offended by something somebody said at one time. If you approached the person would they be able to tell you that your emotional response is unjust? No - that's not their place. They can't tell you how to feel. They can explain their ignorance about knowing how it would make you feel and that does grant them a moral pardon. But once they've become aware of the offending word - to use it again in the future would be purposefully offensive. As a culture - we should know, based on the history of the use 'uppidty' - most commonly used in the phrase "uppidty n--er' in the south - that it is perhaps a word people would be sensitive to. If you did not know - now you do. To use it in the future would be purposefully offensive." - David Cohn

"" point me to the part where I 'make it sound like she's on Jerry Springer...." I would say the part where you comment on her having a "fat ass" and misspell her name as "moochelle" - the second you do that - you turn what could be a constructive conversation into a sideshow worthy of Jerry Springer where people are just yelling at the top of their lungs. It's hard to play the high horse when you have to comment on somebody's physical features and call them fat to make your point.... Your words are that ALL logic leaves "WHENEVER a liberal is present." So you are saying that it is literally impossible for a liberal to be logical? Again: If you look at your comment it is nothing more than tribalism. There are good guys and bad guys. You belong to the good guys and everything pure/just is related to them. Everything evil and bad belongs to the bad guys. I don't think it's healthy. I have not slandered anyone or any group in total. But it's impossible for me to come across as sincere to..." - David Cohn

"I would say racism is bad anytime it occurs. Her name is spelled Michelle. You know that, right? Unless - are you talking about a different person? (see how important communication is)." - David Cohn

"I do not think I am "ranting" about the right. The comment above was an observation about both sides of the political aisle. I think both sides are guilty. Would you argue that the left is ALWAYS wrong and the right is ALWAYS correct? That seems like a very black/white childish understanding of the world." - David Cohn

"What is a "professional leftist"? - Are there "professional rightists"? Is the poor level of discussion a result of the conspiracy you outlined above. Or is it a result of the fact that nobody is able to take anybody else at their word. For example, our conversation may be cut off already since you may think I am a "professional lefist" - and therefore cannot take me at my word. If trust does not exist - I'm not sure how a real healthy debate can occur. Personally - I do not advice cutting yourself off from intellectual discourse." - David Cohn

"Not really sure what about my comments are "whiney" - I've merely been pointing out the tone/nature of the comments that already occurred in the thread. In fact, if you look at the majority of the conservative comments on this article - they are incredibly whiney. Everyone here is losing their mind calling Michelle every name under the sun (with horrendous spelling I would add) and making up ridiculous scenarios and beyond. It feels like one giant temper tantrum in order to regain some sense of control. If you step back and look at the comments objectivity - they are sad, lonely and project a sense of "whiney" in order to regain some kind of control. To then turn around and call me a whiner seems to be very detached from the reality of the comments in this thread. You don't know who my peers are and if you did, I highly doubt you would make the statement that you could verbally kick their arses. Then again - it appears you have made almost 10k comments @mattthewdean That requires a..." - David Cohn

"@donamarina The link is merely to inform about the history of the word and why for a long time it was indeed used as a way to put black people in their place - particularly in the south. The term "uppidty n---er" was not uncommon. Not knowing that something is offensive doesn't make it any less offensive to those who are sensitive to it. If I call you a "dumb crip" not knowing that you are indeed wheelchair bound or actually retarded - does my ignorance excuse using the term that was both meant to brush you off but turned out to be indeed gut-wrenchingly offensive? The not knowing does allow for some kind of pardon or moral excuse in terms of using words. But that doesn't take the poison out of the emotional tone on the behalf of those offended. A simple recognition and understanding of those things is all that is needed to move on. Hopefully you now understand part of the history behind the word and will think twice before using it ... because now with this knowledge... using it..." - David Cohn

"The topic is: The First Lady of the United States of America confronted a heckler. You make it sound like she went on Jerry Springer. If Sarah Palin had uttered the same words - everyone here would be applauding. This is a sad example of how the political left/right have turned into nothing more than gangs. "I'm a republica" "I'm a democrat" - is belonging to a tribe like a crip or a blood in the streets of Los Angeles in the 80's - to the point where all logic and critical thought has left the conversation. If you step back and observe the situation, this article and the comments with that light - you may be disgusted." - David Cohn

"Uppidty as a word has a history of racism when applied to black people http://www.theatlanticwire.com..." - David Cohn

"Questioning my sexuality isn't really insulting. It does, however, paint a poor picture for the level of discussion on this site and your peers." - David Cohn

"Whether or not they are racist they are uncalled for. This is a very normal human reaction she had - and the top comments in this thread compare her to looking like Chewbacca. So which response has more class? Hers - where she provides a choice for the audience. Or this one...?" - David Cohn

"There was nothing ghetto about that. It was a reasonable response which I think a lot of people would have had. Believe me - "ghetto" (euphemism for poor black) people do not handle a situation like that with such class." - David Cohn

"So the first commenter says that perhaps there is racism behind the comment. And in response you call him gay????" - David Cohn

"Agreed. But trying to take it all with some levity." - David Cohn

"That seems pretty generalizing don't you think? The word schadenfreude means taking pleasure in other people's misfortunes. The comment I was responding to seemed to take pleasure in the idea of one of America's greatest cities falling to ruins. Your comment is neither here nor there on that topic. But I also think your characterization of half the country based on ideological preferences seems strange. Liberals encompass many many people with all kinds of motivating factors." - David Cohn

"Your response makes no sense." - David Cohn

"YES!!! My home made the police blotter!!!!" - David Cohn