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Creating a Tempest in the Tea Pot

Shakespearean Tragedy, Talmudic Comedy Jay D. HomnickThe American Spectator

Columnist and humorist (?) Jay D. Homnick cave man words about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s role in former Congressman Anthony Weiner’s resignation yesterday.

Research shows over and over again that men are much more likely than women to be ideologues and demagogues. Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are probably exceptions, but in truth we haven’t read their writings, only listened to them on TV. Homnick laces into Hillary Clinton with outlandish opinions about what went on between her and Huma Abedin, once Weiner admitted that the sexting stories were true.

THIS BRINGS US TO THE OTHER PART of this story. For some reason, no one has looked at the second player in this sorry tale, the Secretary of State. Mrs. Weiner is her aide, so she was naturally along on the Secretary’s trip to the Middle East. Fine… .

Suddenly in the middle of their itinerary the aide’s home life blows up in a public way. Her husband is being humiliated daily in the press. Major life decisions have to be made. Whether or not she chooses at the end of the day to stand behind him, it is an elemental act of humanity to send her home to participate in the resolution. She can cry or she can yell or she can soothe, but whatever course of action she chooses, she needs to search her heart at her own hearth.

The fact that Madam Secretary never let this lady behave like a normal person betokens her cruelty and viciousness. Not one day early was she released from her duties. The press has overlooked this, as if there was nothing untoward about such behavior. What if her husband had a heart attack? What if he had a suicide attempt? Too bad, the Missus is busy massaging the Secretary’s feet in Morocco or something, while making a cultural visit to the mineral baths.

When will someone come along and put this nasty woman in her place? Methinks it is time to revert to the Bard’s original title: The Taming of the Shrew.

This man Jay D. Homnick — whoever he is — has no bloody idea what transpired between Secretary Clinton and Anthony Weiner’s wife. All we know is that they are very close, and Hillary treats Huma like a daughter. Even that relationship has been tabloid fodder for writers who are bored with or incapable of writing thoughtful debate, analysis and opinions of real news events.

Mrs Weiner vs Huma Abedin

Note also that Huma Abedin, who doesn’t use the public name Huma Weiner, isn’t even mentioned by name in his piece. She is only Mrs Weiner; the writer’s presumption is that Huma Abedin wanted to be with her husband (although her friends deny this assertion) and Hillary Clinton is so heartless, that she refused. 

All reports are that Huma Abedin is a very private person, even in happy times. There is every reason to argue that the best place for Huma Abedin was to be NOT dragged into the press frenzy here in New York and in Washington.

Do we have any doubts that the writer believes it was her duty, not only her desire, to be standing next to her man?

Why Women Don’t Get Caught Up in Sex ScandalsNYTimes

Reason Seen More As Weapon Than Path to Truth NYTimes

Hard Ball Men Play to Audience

What is really wrong with America is this kind of pointless, over-heated writing that seeks to manipulate all events to an ideological agenda. The trend’s so pathetic and really dangerous to the future of our country. There is no doubt, though, that men love it. They thrive on it.

Chris Matthews | My Audience Is Half Women

Given how many educated women can’t stand Chris Matthews, this assertion surprised me. His egocentric, me-me-me approach to commentary, and especially his relentless beating the same dead horse every night with Palin and Bachmann failing American history and also the birthers issue,  I was surprised to hear Matthews say his audience is half women.

So I went looking for the neutral research facts and they didn’t surprise me.

If the Hardball audience is half women, then the show has enjoyed a mighty big swing since the Pew Research Center issued a major analysis in September 2011. We wrote previously that Rachel Maddow has been hot, hot, hot for MSNBC, but not Matthews.

I do believe that especially under new owners, and perhaps because AOC has been very vocal and consistent in calling Chris out, more moderation is part of his new approach. It seems that Chris is doing a better job of letting people finish their sentences and not talking over all his ‘experts’. To date, these changes have lasted a few days at a time, and then the old Chris takes over again. We’re hoping for more permanent progress.

News Show Audiences By Gender

Who is Listening, Watching, Reading — and WhyPew Research Center for the People and the Press

According to Pew Research’s exhaustive look at audience demographics for key TV shows, issued on Sept. 12, 2010, Hardball’s audience was only 42% women and 58% male. I don’t call that audience split ‘half women’, and I don’t like commentators making rounding errors of this magnitude.

For someone who calls Sarah Palin ‘profoundly stupid’, Matthews must check his math. Read on for Hardball and other detailed gender-breakdown media statistics in Sexual Politics.

If I am wrong about Chris Matthews and Hardball not having a 50% female audience, MSNBC is welcome to contact me and I will write a story that clarifies my error. Anne

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