Geez, I was going to quote just the opening big cry because they sniff sniff let Obama down. But the second graph got even worse. So I moved it up. Carl Pope: I'm not just the Sierra Club Executive Director, I've got sawdust for brains.
What we underestimated was the power of the fact that both Jones and the Barack Obama are black. Yes, the hysteria was about politics -- I don't think Fox News really cares about Jones's ethnicity -- but it was enabled by race. Calling Bush a "crack-head" is seen by a large part of America as worse than calling him "addict-in-chief" because crack is not just a drug -- it is a drug used largely by black people. It reminds those Americans who are still uncomfortable with Barack Obama that we have a black president.
Here's the big group boo hoo hoo. I don't know how these folks commune with trees and manage to keep the squirrels away at the same time.
On Thursday evening, I got worried. Friday I put in a call to ask Van Jones how to help. Saturday I started writing a blog post, which would have appeared this morning. (I've attached it below because it goes into more detail on the history of the "Bush as addict" meme.) But on Saturday night, Van resigned, and this morning I was sick at heart. Collectively we -- the environmental community, progressives, and the Obama administration -- blew this, and we let our cause, our president, and Van Jones down.
I believe the major lesson for the media and other activist organizations from all of this is that they can no longer spike a story and get away with it. They are not the only "oxygen supply" anymore. Refusing to mention it does not prevent it from becoming widely reported through other means beyond their control.
It's a good thing as long as the alternative reporting is accurate. In this case Jones was undone by his own words. He can't really blame anyone for misreporting anything. Forget the "trufer" aspect, there was enough other stuff there to doom him.
Posted by: crosspatch | Sunday, September 06, 2009 at 11:01 PM
Has anyone bothered to break it to Pope that Van Jones not only blamed whitey for everything....but he took issue with white environmentalists too. Because obviously you can't be a good environmentalist and be WHITE.
In Jones' world you can't be good at anything if you are white, with perhaps the exception being "landfill"....
"Collectively we -- the environmental community, progressives, and the Obama administration -- blew this..."
I am just too afraid to find out what they "collectively" "blew"...if you know what I mean....
Posted by: christmasghost | Sunday, September 06, 2009 at 11:16 PM
It is a shame Mr. Pope did not get his message out fast enough to keep Czar jonsie on the WH payroll and make disparaging remarks about Pres. Bush, but he could make up for lost time by letting his followers know about bambi's crack smokin'. Not in his college days, but when he was a senator for the great state of Illinois, (1999). And if he really wants to be aggressive and get the scoop on all the MSM/LSM he could also tell about bambi's activities on the "low-down". (Just recently found out what that phrase means!) Hmmmmm, wonder if bambi has continued these practices? Would something of this nature perhaps expose him (he,he,he- pun)to possible blackmail from enemies. (Sure ain't no Blue Dress this time, tho)
A book is currently on the market on this subject by the other participant. Bambi and bambi's team have been aware of these claims since the early days of his campaign. Bambi chose not to fight in on his "fight the smears" site or otherwise.
Don't you think Mr. Pope needs to get this scoop before anyone else does?
Posted by: fb274 | Sunday, September 06, 2009 at 11:35 PM
Stick to the fact's. Documentation goes a long way.
Posted by: cindi | Sunday, September 06, 2009 at 11:52 PM
the environmental community ... -- blew this
Real environmentals should be happy to lose this guy, who saw "green jobs" as a patronage "piggie bank" to be handed out for potilical purposes rather than for the good of the environment.
Posted by: Neo | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 12:15 AM
I dont think he gets it at all. If VJ was so important to the WH he would have been backed to the hilt by those same folks in the WH. But he was tossed under the bus as fast as they could throw him there. So much for loyalty and fidelity.Aint no such thing in the world of the ONE.
Posted by: Rich K | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 12:58 AM
Who are these people that forget and need to be "reminded" that Obama is black? I didn't know there were so many blind people in America!
Posted by: L.N. Smithee | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 01:45 AM
O BOO Freaking HOO! How many jobs did this whackadoo create?
Posted by: Sharon | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 03:38 AM
My sophisticated, articulate, and intellectual response to Mr. Pope's waxing wroth:
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Suck it up, deal with it, chin out, roll with the punches, get a life, move on, and give that college try-try again, old rotter.
Posted by: MarkJ | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 10:22 AM
I think Vaclav Klaus understands the Sierra Club than most well-heeled Ivy-league degreed, especially those recent graduates from Harvard, Yale and University of Chicago:
http://www.klaus.cz/klaus2/asp/clanek.asp?id=wFYl3mgsTzI6
Posted by: syn | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 11:52 AM
"I don't know how these folks commune with trees and manage to keep the squirrels away at the same time."
Delicious!!! Worthy of Twain himself. One for the Hall of Fame. Thanks!
Posted by: David R. Graham | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 01:29 PM
Wow are the comments on that Huffpost article pretty righty. Nice.
Posted by: Uncle Mikey | Monday, September 07, 2009 at 04:00 PM