Responding To Reader Comments

Apparently I chose quite a few hot button issues to blog about this past week, judging by the many comments I received. So I thought I’d jot off a few responses. Even my post last night about the silliness of starting a Lingerie Football League didn’t steer clear of controversy, because a reader was critical of what I DIDN’T write about. Let’s start with that one:

Posted by What's this about?

Jim,
You pick this subject when Nancy Pelosi is doing her best Porky Pig imitation - "ah, ah, mmmm, well, uh." What did she know and when did she know it?
Oh that's right, she is a Democrat. Better to talk about Lingerie Football than about a real subject.

Well, wta, it’s true I sometimes choose lighter things to write about. But I see your point, so here are some thoughts of mine on Pelosi saying the CIA misled her on enhanced interrogation techniques. I watched the news conference she held Thursday, and found it the most inarticulate and fumbling argument by a major politician on an important issue I’ve ever seen. She could barely get a single sentence out without mangling her words, a tendency of people who either aren’t telling the whole truth, or are trying desperately to split hairs. She should have just said something like this: yes, I was given indications that these techniques were being used, but details were sketchy and I was unsure how to proceed with my objections. It was soon after 9/11, none of us had ever been in this situation before, and I’m sorry in retrospect I didn’t speak out more forcefully. Having said that, criticizing me because I didn’t speak out more forcefully at the time is a political argument on behalf of the Bush administration policy, not a legal one.

But another commenter thought my chosen topic for the night was just fine:

Posted by HughEricShin

You are a funny dude. I only clicked on this to check out babes in lingerie but really got to laughing at your post.

Wildly divergent comments also on my post predicting the Rudy Giuliani will not be running for governor in 2010. Bob really had it in for me:

Posted by Bob

The fact that the both of NY's legislative branches are "tightly controlled" by liberal democrats is precisely why we need a fiscally conservative republican governor like Rudy Giuliani. Or do you like the runaway spending, endless corruption and oppressive taxation that comes with one party liberal rule? (Actually, you probably do.)

No, I don’t. I was simply saying Rudy would be less inclined to run with the very real prospect that he would always have the opposition party controlling the state’s legislative branch. I wasn’t saying he shouldn’t run, just predicting that he wouldn’t. Others saw it the same way:

Posted by eringobiteme

Jim, smart analysis of the upcoming gubernatorial primaries. I think you can bet on Rudy not entering a fight he is sure he can't win

My post about how all parties involved in the Miss California/gay marriage fight behaved badly, including both pro and anti-gay marriage forces, got one of my readers back on board:

Posted by John P.

Wow, I actually agree with Jim Watkins on this one!! Alright Jim, I'm going to give you another chance -- maybe you are not the archetype Upper West Side liberal after all.

For the record, John, I live in a rather Republican-oriented suburb. But before that: twelve years on the Upper West Side!!

GP was not nearly as forgiving.

Posted by GP

Very disappointed in you Jim - the majority of Americans are turning in favor of marriage equality. You really need to stick to reporting the news and not releasing your homophobic side to the viewing public. Look away from her boobs Jim - and you may be able to think logically again.

GP, I was only saying that Carrie Prejean had every right, in her answer to a gotcha question on national television, to give her opinion. It’s an opinion that a significant percentage of Americans have. But just because I defend her right to have that viewpoint doesn’t mean I agree with it. I’m not homophobic, and I wasn’t looking at her boobs. Alright I was. But I’m not homophobic.

Finally, let’s give my pal Bob the last word:

Posted by Bob

Jim, do us all a favor and just report the news instead of plugging your lame blog and pretending to be an opinion editorial columnist.

Bob, I hear you. But I’m going to keep plugging and pretending! I hope you keep giving me your feedback.

Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting!