It would have been much more a snub had Gore been in the receiving line to greet Bush. He’s on the periphery at best, and Bush is preoccupied anyway.

Should Al have leaped over the other mourners to introduce himself? Odds are, they greeted one another prior to the service.

Should Al have leaped over the other mourners to introduce himself? Odds are, they greeted one another prior to the service.

Exactly.  Wasn’t there similar smear about a “snub” before Obama’s inauguration? I can’t remember who it was about at the moment. Cheney? Bush Sr.?

See, there it is. That’s why I don’t pay any attention to “assumed” or “inferred” snubs. If there’s no obvious urination or dick-slapping involved, it probably didn’t happen.

When Cheney says, “Go fuck yourself,” that’s a snub. When Obama tells Hillary “You’re likable enough,” that’s a wry jab from a guy she’d been trashing for months.

Oh, and if you see a grown man with a Harvard degree flipping someone the bird while pretending to scratch his eye, it’s because that’s the same sort of shit you used to do when the House Matron passed by your cell in the Women’s Detention Center.

Daou’s exuding wisdom from every pore—thank heaven that Twitter is there to catch the drops:

Few things illustrate the finality/incongruity of death as the interrupted flow of a blog or Twitter feed

His Twitter feed was so alive! So vibrant!

This isn’t even Kremlinology; it’s flipping through OK! magazine.

LOL, Mrs. P. I saw that too and did a serious eye roll.  Also, just watching the TV coverage, learned that most people don’t know the second verse to “God Bless America”.

Really, I don’t like bullies, but something about Doauche makes me want to throw his hat in a mud puddle, his book bag into the nearest creek followed by a wedgie of mass destruction.

Al Gore has nothing on Hopey McSnubalot:

I’m flattered by this obsession with me, but really, there have to be better things to write about than my Twitter musings on Kennedy’s death.

Goodness, it’s the great analyst of the freeze frame himself!

There are universes of things more worth writing about than your Twittermusings, Mr. Daou. To consider a post on your silliness to be obsession with YOU is certainly flattering yourself.

An obsession with advanced nitwittery is more like it. If you happen to turn up fairly often in the course of musing on that, it’s probably not coincidence.

Well Peter, we could revisit your kick-ass work as internet director for Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Was it your personal decision to put up links at HillaryHub to those racist scumbags at No Quarter?

Also, I for one would love an answer to the question posed at Balloon Juice a few months back: do you keep the pearls on the nightstand at night, or clutch them in your sleep?

I’m flattered by this obsession with me, but really, there have to be better things to write about than my Twitter musings on Kennedy’s death.

Nah, obvious stupidity above and beyond the call of duty always has its fascination.

No, Peter.

There is nothing more important to write about than your tweets.

Only by obsessing on your every communication, in whatever medium it is offered, can we do justice to the glory that is Peter Daou.

For surely you wouldn’t put any communication out into the universe unless you thought it represented the finest, most crystallized essence of your immense wisdom and profound insight, now would you?

You would never just wank off aimlessly in print for the thrill of seeing your name on a website, would you?

Nor would you seek out those who may be commenting about your aimless wankery in order to pretend that you are smugly superior to those who are actually holding you accountable for every drop of Daou-dung you excrete into the internets by inserting what you mistakenly believe to be witherin sarcasm at their critique, would you?

Because then you would just be a scummy second-rate blog whore who longs for the visibility and reputation of Perez Hilton.

The funny part of this obsession is that the vitriol directed at me emanates from Balloon Juice, not exactly a long-standing bastion of liberalism. The sad part is that it all stems from the fact that I had the audacity to call Sarah Palin a human being. What an awful thing for a progressive to do.

Actually my problem with you, Peter, extends back to when you were Hillary’s internet director and HillaryHub was linking to that batshit crazy anti-Obama hate site No Quarter on a regular basis.  Barack and Michelle are human beings, too.  Maybe you should’ve reminded Larry Johnson and SusanUnPC of that instead of promoting their vile blog.

And if John Cole being an ex-Republican is such an awful thing, what are you doing shacking up with that cookie-cutter wingnut Patrick Hynes?

Well, Mr. Daou while we have your attention, can you answer Oblomova’s question above?

Was it your call to link Clinton’s blog to the likes of No Quarter?  Tons of respect were lost for the Clinton campaign due to that one simple act.

Peter has already demonstrated several times that he lacks the stones to answer that question. Now I expect that he’ll pop back in and whine about how we shouldn’t be writing about his tweets when children are being sold into slavery all over the world. That’s his usual douchey avoidance tactic.

Also (ha ha!), you haven’t addressed the main point of this post. Why would you infer that Gore intentionally turned his back on Bush at a funeral mass for a beloved liberal icon when you aren’t even remotely sure that’s what he did? What an awful thing for a progressive to do.

there have to be better things to write about than my Twitter musings on Kennedy’s death

Certainly, there have to be better things to read…but this is all you’re giving us.

Until Sarah Palin starts Tweeting again, we’re all just going to have to soldier through our mutual disappointment.

The funny part of this obsession is that the vitriol directed at me emanates from Balloon Juice, not exactly a long-standing bastion of liberalism.

Very good, Little Peter! Now tell me—when your candidate sat down for a kiss-ass session with Richard Mellon Scaife, did you point out his lack of liberal bona fides as well?

Actually, Peter, aside from all that (though it would be good to have a response to those questions) and to get to the meat of the post - don’t you think it cheapens what for many people has been a sad day, to try to make mischief, based on extremely tenuous “evidence,” about some supposed “snub” among those mourners attending a funeral?

Or are they not people, human beings, dads, husbands, sons, friends of the deceased, etc. etc.?

Is this really Pete Wankz, Failout Boy?  And is he really lecturing on the triviality of blogging about his trivial post about Gore maybe snubbing Bush?  Who knew the internet was such a silly place?

Kevin - so you mean to tell me this is all about a microsite managed by a communications staffer during the 2008 campaign? Are you serious? It’s really time to move on from that campaign; everyone threw hard punches and Obama won, to his credit. Let it go.

And I never said John Cole being a Republican was an awful thing, just that it smacks of irony that my progressive cred is being attacked on a site that wasn’t exactly a stalwart of progressivism. (Ask him how often I linked to him from the Daou Report before anyone else on the left did).

My site with Patrick is explicitly about partisan disagreement, with him on the right and me on the left, not about ‘shacking up.’

Finally, it surprises me that a small cadre of people without the slightest inkling of who I am or what I’ve worked for spend time attacking me when there are so many more important things to write about. It’s kind of funny and sad at the same time.

Or are they not people, human beings, dads, husbands, sons, friends of the deceased, etc. etc.?

That’ll be a “no,” then.

As far as the post about Gore turning away from Bush, it wasn’t meant as an attack on Gore—if anything the opposite. I would have done the same thing. (And anyway, from the video, I’m still not sure if he really did it.)

Regarding HillaryHub and decisions on the campaign, my policy as Internet Director was to reject anything that crossed the line into racism, sexism, ad hominem attacks, etc. My staff spent countless hours moderating comments and banning trolls anytime someone violated our guidelines. There was a lot of hate directed at the candidates, I did my best to keep focused and fight a clean fight.

I did not personally post on HillaryHub, but I tried to make sure the content was about politics not personal attacks.

When HRC dropped out, I poured my heart into helping my friends on the Obama team, so I’m not really sure where the grudge is coming from.

Again, is all this really about hating Palin so much that anything remotely decent said about her warrants obsessive anger?

HRC’s “Internet Advisor” - that’s right up there with “First Mate on the SS Minnow” in the annals of FAIL. Combine that with your linking to NQ, and that’s all I NEED to know about you.

Actually Tom65, HRC did quite well online, everything from tens of millions of viewers for the Sopranos spoof video to tens of millions raised from her grassroots supporters to millions of volunteer hours to massive interactive online town halls.

Still, only one candidate was going to win. Obama won. As soon as he did, HRC and her staff (including me) did everything in our power to elect him.

As far as linking to NQ, glad you already know all the facts and have made a judgment.

Finally, it surprises me that a small cadre of people without the slightest inkling of who I am or what I’ve worked for spend time attacking me when there are so many more important things to write about.

That’s like 11th dimensional hackery.

Not to mention loaded with self importance.

It’s not that you’re being attacked personally.  It’s that your particular style of gossip is being attacked. And, I genuinely doubt that you’ve moved on from the primary campaign.  Really, folks here would like to.

Signing off after this response to AltHippo:

I’ll admit I still haven’t gotten over the presidential campaign - I’m talking about 2004, when I worked 24/7 in John Kerry’s war room. Kerry’s loss still stings, a good man smeared by despicable people who spat on his service.

I continue to be amazed that anyone reads anything I write.  What sad little lives these RumpRoasters must lead.  If they were better, more serious and worthwhile people, they would be completely oblivious to my existence like 99.999999999% of the human race.  To read me is to be a loser.  To respond to my writing is to be a double-loser.  Please ignore me.

Peter Daou

Finally, it surprises me that a small cadre of people without the slightest inkling of who I am or what I’ve worked for spend time attacking me when there are so many more important things to write about. It’s kind of funny and sad at the same time.

See: previous comment regarding “douchey avoidance tactic” above. Man, I think it’s time to give Peter the First Annual Rumproast Matthew Harrison Brady Inherit the Wind Award, i.e., the “I Do Not Think About the Things I Do Not Think About” Award.

there are so many more important things to write about

Like somebody not turning his back on somebody else at a funeral?

And for the record, I bothered to watch the footage closely. From what I saw, Bush shook hands and was engaged with another person standing between him and Gore before Gore turned round, I’d imagine rather than looking like a lemon staring at the person’s back.

I resent even having to disprove this rubbish!

As far as the post about Gore turning away from Bush, it wasn’t meant as an attack on Gore—if anything the opposite. I would have done the same thing.

I’m sorry, but the same guy who’s lecturing libs/progs for the “trashing of opponents” would have turned his back on someone at a funeral mass? Really?

I did not personally post on HillaryHub, but I tried to make sure the content was about politics not personal attacks.

And it’s funny that the guy who worked for Hillary “You have to denounce AND reject Louis Farrakhan” Clinton (cuz all those black dudes know each other and are responsible for what the other ones say, right?) turns totally spineless and refuses to acknowledge—“denounce and reject,” if you will—the rampant racism his candidate’s website linked to on a regular basis.

Kevin, your long and short kicks the hell out of my long. And Peter: Ass. Door. I’m sure you know the drill.

We just don’t want the “new media” critique to go missing, you see.  Meet the new wankers, same as the old wankers.  Treating politics like some kind of high school gossip game.  Maureen Daoud would love this dude.

Daou—The funny part of this obsession is that the vitriol directed at me emanates from Balloon Juice, not exactly a long-standing bastion of liberalism. The sad part is that it all stems from the fact that I had the audacity to call Sarah Palin a human being.

Vitriol? Vitriol???
Apparently your reading comprehension skills are as sadly lacking as your visual acuity. The readers/commenters at Ballon Juice were neither vitriolic in their response to you (following your inaccurate and overwrought post regarding Palin on Huffpost) nor were we castigating you for saying that Palin is a human being.
We were simply laughing at you for being such a self-involved twit, desperately attempting to insert yourself into the conversation regarding the odious Ms. Palin by making absurd comparisions between her and Hilary Clinton.

You’re still a twit—-and as Oblomova pointed out earlier, you never answered my question as to whether you keep your pearls on the nightstand at night, or tightly clutched to your chest through the long night?

Peter, it’s like this. There’s this place called “Grown-Up Land.” And in this place, you’re expected to either back your shit up, or walk your shit back.

So when you insinuate that Al Gore might have snubbed a former president at the funeral of a loved liberal figure on the same fucking day as the funeral—well, you best bring something other than your Weak Sauce to the table.

And when you’re called out for your failure to substantiate your odious claims, you should man the fuck up and say “You know, that was straight-up bullshit. I was wrong, and I apologize.”

Got it now?

That’s quite an impressive resume, Peter.

2008 - Hillary Clinton’s internet strategist
2004 - John Kerry’s war room

But don’t stop there.  You should list your entire history of influencing Presidential election outcomes.

2000 - Al Gore’s Florida recount strategist
1996 - Ross Perot’s comeback orchestrator
1992 - George Bush’s supermarket technology advisor
1988 - Mike Dukakis’ military helmet coordinator
1984 - Walter Mondale’s VP vetter

Let me know when I can stop…

And for that fact, Oblomova, Mr. Daou will never be taken seriously as a legitimate internet icon again.

I seriuosly doubt Daou will be internet director of anything again but some local race.Epic Fail runs deep and long.

Forgive typos from the blackberry.

Finally, it surprises me that a small cadre of people without the slightest inkling of who I am or what I’ve worked for spend time attacking me when there are so many more important things to write about. It’s kind of funny and sad at the same time.

As I said, immensely stupid statements draw snarky comments. It’s an irresistible target.

Stop writing immensely stupid things. Write smart things. There. Problem solved.

(And you obviously don’t know who I am or what I’ve worked for, either. That was also an immensely stupid thing to say).

Peter Daou is now officially the male Ann Althouse.

Dang, have been out having dinner with friends.  It was fun but can’t believe I missed the fun here!  Oh well, next time.

I seriuosly doubt Daou will be internet director of anything again but some local race.

I don’t know if I’d go that far. Wolfson is working for Bloomberg now. Daou will get a gig somewhere.

It seems poor Peter has abandoned the field. I wonder, was it our cruel lack of civility that drove him from the discussion, or did he perhaps suddenly discover that his pantywaists were in dire need of ironing?

Daou will get a gig somewhere.

Afraid so, Kevin. If Estritch can keep working, anybody can keep working.

@Peter Doau

Actually Tom65, HRC did quite well online, everything from tens of millions of viewers for the Sopranos spoof video to tens of millions raised from her grassroots supporters to millions of volunteer hours to massive interactive online town halls.

Yes, and isn’t it too bad that despite her excellent performance online she still lost all of those primaries out here in the real world? LIstening to you dodge responsibility for your part in the epic fail that was the Clinton campaign is like listening to one of the corporate officers of the epic fail that was Pets.com say “Actually, Pets.com did quite well online, everything from tens of thousands of people visiting the site to our sock puppet advertising campaign to our Superbowl commercial. It’s just that we didn’t, you know, actually *sell* anything. But online, well online we were a fuckin’ juggernaut!”

haha 49 comments. ill never catch up. someone fill me in?

Alright, i just caught up.

First, let me say that I was going to point out that Oblomova has a sharp tongue and a sharper wit, but I didn’t want the rest of the hilarious commenters feeling left out, so bravo all around.

Second, I want to point out how hilarious this whole thread is, not just individual contributions, but a real team effort. Win all around.

Finally, I think that any comprehensive tome of the 2008 campaign will include 1.5 paragraphs on Peter Daou’s pathetic defense of the HRC internet operations here. “Sure, we promoted No Quarter, but we deleted racists comments!” and “But look how many hits the Sopranos video got!”

Ahhh, just desserts.

Oh noes, I went to bed early and missed a visit by the Great Daouche himself! Did someone get a picture of him clutching his pearls, or even ... pitching onto the fainting couch, one arm dramatically draped over his fevered brow?

Sad little twatwaffle.

So to summarize the list of grievances:

1. I called Sarah Palin a human being (and used somewhat corny language to do it)

2. Some staffer at a campaign a year and a half ago linked to a vitriolic site from one of a dozen campaign microsites. [A campaign that was hard-hitting on all sides and that ended with the opponents working together.]

Shorter Peter Daou:

I’m taking my ball and going home! You all suck! And no, it’s not just because I can’t defend my actions!  It’s because the little boy I once was is crying and I have to comfort him now. And something about my daughter, but she’s not little Sarah Palin, so I don’t care as much. Waaah!

For some reason, the only thing I remember about the Clinton diner spot is Althouse’s hilariously Freudian characterization of the onion rings.

Well done, Peter - another winning moment.

Here’s how the question was received on a real progressive site

Democratic Underground? For reals? When it comes to intellectual discussion, it barely clears the YouTube bar. I’m surprised they weren’t upset Tipper didn’t hold down Bush while Gore peed on his face.

You do understand this thing called “optics,” don’t you, Peter? You do get how it would have played out if the media started yammering about Gore turning his back on Bush at a funeral? If not, really, you have no business being a political consultant, internet or otherwise.

Oh, for heaven’s sake, Peter, if you have such obvious contempt for us “unreal progressives” here and at Balloon Juice, why on earth do you give a damn what we think?

You were called out on hypocrisy and posting shite at a sensitive time - live with it. And if you have it in you, then improve, as you keep urging others to do so sanctimoniously.

As for the “real progressives” at DU - for a start, it was a bit of a push poll, since the person who posted the clip introduced it with:

Watch this video and note what Gore does as Bush enters his line of sight. Around ten seconds into the clip (as MSNBC goes to a split screen), Gore does a complete about-face as Bush approaches…

Which is precisely the sort of pointlessly petty meme you tried to start.

Even so, there are quite a few responses on that DU thread that closely resemble those from us “unreal progressives”:

Bush was a few feet away talking with someone else

Odd that so many people think that being a petty ass at a state funeral is a good thing.
 
I don’t think Gore intentionally snubbed Bush, not do I think he would do so at an occasion like this. Ted Kennedy wasn’t that kind of guy and Gore wouldn’t dishonor his memory by being snitty at his funeral.

If you notice, Gore turns and wipes the tears from his eyes
 
emotional moment, probably wanted to have a little privacy

It’s interesting that people can view the same video but…
 
come to different conclusions as to what took place. This is like that controversy about Obama supposedly snubbing Hillary at the SOTU address.

After 20 looks, I found which one was Gore… coincidental body shift.
 
On initial viewing I was expecting to see an actual about-face turnaround, but he only moved a tad - he’s not a soldier where he has to be rigid.

Looked like he turned to face the same way that everybody else was faced
 
Yes, it was away from Bush, but I think it was because the pallbearers were moving, not to snub Bush.

I don’t give a stuff that you find anyone here “sad.” We didn’t celebrate Edward Kennedy’s death by shitstirring about an event at his funeral.

And if you think your team’s shameless promotion of the bilge posted on No Quarter etc. was fair game (until the likes of Kevin here called you out on it, when you quickly tried to cover your tracks), then you’re exactly the sort of person who should never be trusted with a role in a political campaign again. It was disgusting. And you show no contrition. Hence you’ll be ridiculed when you come up with more crap like this or lecture people.

What an ingenious rhetorical device, Mr. Daou! Appoint yourself arbiter of the importance of things, and then dismiss your critics’ concerns as unimportant. I can see how it would be very difficult to win an argument with you. Have fun on your Very Important Walk.

Peter Daou is now officially the male Ann Althouse.

I was going to go with the bastard child of Bill Kristol and Andrea Dworkin, but that works too.

YAFB, I think the DUers are “real progressives” because none of them called out Daou for starting this exercise in inanity.

Have fun on your Very Important Walk.

That may be the winner so far.

YAFB, I think the DUers are “real progressives” because none of them called out Daou for starting this exercise in inanity.

True (though there may be another thread doing just that - I haven’t bothered checking; I do read DU regularly, as somebody has to).

That’s what this place and Balloon Juice are for. It seemed to work against Daou’s sub-Rovian antics in the primaries. :)

And this is why we are all very lucky that Hillary Clinton entrusted her campaign to brainiacs like Daou, Penn, Wolfson, et al—because otherwise she might have won and a thoroughly incompetent heinous idiot like Daou might have a job that actually matters.

But Peter, you’re right: it’s not fair to call you a douche. Douches are occasionally helpful tools. You, on the other hand, are just a tool.

As an alleged writer, you might also want to work away from your overused “It’s sad/it’s funny” binary structure. Of course, you are neither sad nor funny. You’re ... scrofulous.

So to summarize the list of grievances:

He forgot whiny ass titty baby.

Anyone who puts this self-absorbed cretin on their campaign team deserves what they get. Now if there were a way to get an opponent to hire him he’d be the bloody Trojan Horse of politics.

And of course, still no apology for linking to NQ, still no apology for smearing Al Gore. Peter honey, didn’t you learn anything from Hillary Clinton Epic Fail 2008? You don’t look weak when you apologize and acknowledge errors—you look like the better person. So, for example, had Hillary Clinton apologized for voting for the worst foreign policy mistake in recent history, some of us might have had an easier time supporting her.

At least we might have until her campaign went into overdrive on their “niggerize him, other-ize him, rah rah rah!” racist, xenophobic, and bullshit faux-populist strategy, which helped provide a playbook for the creeps behind the townhalls this summer. What was your take on that strategy? Oh wait—you linked to NQ. ‘nuff said.

But hey, that Sopranos video was so cute!

Geez, I guess if Peter had to look for a positive in this mess, it’s that Betty, Strange or, gasp, Humboldt didn’t show up after he did.

Now if there were a way to get an opponent to hire him he’d be the bloody Trojan Horse of politics.

Well, he’s certainly exhibited more public empathy for Sarah Palin than for a host of people who wanted to mark Kennedy’s death respectfully. He should submit a résumé to Team Sarah.

And if you’ve noticed, this thread didn’t start because of what you said about Sarah Fucking Palin—I think the Balloon Juice people tore that up sufficiently. It started because of your disgusting attempt to stir some shit with Al Gore, of all people, at the funeral of Ted Kennedy, of all places. You can’t even acknowledge that what you did was hack-tastic.

But by all means, go crawling back under Palin’s skirts if you feel more comfortable there than with facing actual questions about your actual actions.

My question is: with Al Gore on one hand, and Peter Daou on the other, what will Bob Somerby write about this?  I think I’ll sit by the phone clutching my pearls until he calls.

Alt, you are correct! None of us will know the “correct” take on the situation until the World’s Unfunniest Comedian (TM)* tells us what to think.

*And do keep in mind that the “world” to which I’m referring includes BOTH Robin Williams and Carrot Top.

So sorry, but this just leapt out at me upon re-reading:

2. Some staffer at a campaign a year and a half ago linked to a vitriolic site from one of a dozen campaign microsites. [A campaign that was hard-hitting on all sides and that ended with the opponents working together.]

A whole dozen microsites? Wow, I can see why that would have been extremely taxing of the talents and energies of Mr. Daou’s crack internet team. Jesus, most people who blog for grits and shins and aren’t trying to get their boss elected to the most powerful position on earth do a better job of policing their blogroll than that. Or were they all too busy scolding each other for not paying enough attention to more important things?

Shit, I thought this thread was already dead last night when I went to bed.

Doesn’t appear to have been any shortage of firepower, though.

I certainly hope Peter didn’t expect to shut down the discussion by materializing in a billowing cloud of condescension to deride our choice of Sunday diversions. He’d have had more luck ambling into a biker bar and demanding to know “which one of you homos dinged my Vespa?”

How much longer until Daou claims he was “driven away” from the left, and had no choice BUT to go work for Sarah?

That would, I think, be a win-win situation, Brendan. For the left.

He’d have had more luck ambling into a biker bar and demanding to know “which one of you homos dinged my Vespa?”

Comment by StrangeAppar8us on 08/30/09 at 09:10 PM

Strange FTW!

Oh no, he REflounced, and I missed it! I was out walking, albeit without a baby, as little Wardenclyffe, whom I usually hesitate to mention lest anybody think I was trying to use my child as some sort of unanswerable rhetorical flourish, is still away at cryptozoology camp.

I don’t want to be accused of tastelessness, though just about anything I could say pales in comparison to Zapruderizing Ted Kennedy’s funeral.