Waldo Jaquith

Robertson: Both a jerk and a liar.

Pat Robertson, Monday, regarding elected Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez:

If he thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think we really ought to go ahead and do it. It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don’t need another $200 billion war to get rid of one strong-arm dictator. It’s a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.”

Pat Robertson today:

I didn’t say “assassination.” I said our special forces should “take him out.” And “take him out” can be a number of things, including kidnapping; there are a number of ways to take out a dictator from power besides killing him. I was misinterpreted by the AP, but that happens all the time.

Black is white. Up is down.

Does he think that the media is so stupid that they’re not going to play Monday’s comment back to back with today’s? Or that Americans and Venezuelans are so stupid that we figure that when he says “if he thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think we really ought to go ahead and do it,” he probably meant, like, we should “take him out” for a round of golf and drinks on the 9th hole?

All of this is to say far too little of having one of America’s most well-known, influential people calling for the assassination of the Democratically-elected president of an American nation. While an creepy guy and no friend of the U.S., Chávez has a 70% approval rating, or twice that of President Bush. This isn’t like calling for the assassination of somebody like Saddam Hussein.

Who would Jesus murder?


12 Comments

Now that the Venezuelans have heard that yet another “Imperialist” from
the North has threatened one of their own, that 70% could increase;
giving the STOOPID statement a most negative effect… What a Dink…
The Tramp

Posted by SaddleTramp on 24 August 2005 @ 3pm

Ugh, the worst part of this is that this might become a stereotype of Christians; daft and thoughtless.

Robertson’s words were foolish, even if he did mean something different than what he said (at least, that is what he is trying to say after the fact). Now, if he had said something more along the lines of arresting Chavez and trying him for his crimes, he would be defendable. No defense from me here, this was a bad decision by Robertson.

Posted by CR UVa on 24 August 2005 @ 4pm

It already is (a stereotype).

Posted by Richard Hubbard on 24 August 2005 @ 9pm

“one of America’s most well-known, influential people”

ROFL!! In whose dreams? Only the extreme fringe (read: with a high school education or less) of evangelicals give Robertson the time of day. The man is a kook, and while he’s well-known, he is hardly influential, much less being “one of America’s most” influential people.

Was that red herring intentional?

Posted by I. Publius on 25 August 2005 @ 8am

OK, if you insist: nobody has ever heard of this “Pat Robertson” character, he’s garnered no coverage, and absolutely nobody watches the 700 Club.

Phew. That’s settled.

Posted by Waldo Jaquith on 25 August 2005 @ 8am

I’m glad to see I. Publius disavowing the influence of Pat Robertson. I thought otherwise when he was considered a serious candidate for the Republican nomination for President in 1988. I thought otherwise when the nominee, George H.W. Bush, dispatched his son, George W. Bush, to make peace with the Christian Right, after seeing how significant a force Robertson and his followers were. I thought otherwise when I saw what an influence he’s been in the career of Virginia’s own Republican nominee for Attorney General, Bob McDonnell.

Are other Republicans finally ready to join I. Publius in acknowledging that Robertson’s a kook? Bob? Bob McDonnell? How about you? Is he a kook?

Posted by Harry Landers on 25 August 2005 @ 8am

Good grief! People have “heard of” lots of kooks, but does that make them influential?

He gets coverage because the MSM considers him newsworthy. And because journalists and quasi-journalists love to tout Robertson as some icon of the right. So keep saying it and touting it… maybe you’ll convince somebody other than yourself that it’s true.

Posted by I. Publius on 25 August 2005 @ 11am

Let me guess in October of 2007 Robertson will issue a fatwa against
Hillary?

Posted by Will on 25 August 2005 @ 12pm

Well, I’m won over — everybody but you is delusional. Robertson is unknown, nobody cares what he says, and this is all a product of the “MSM”/Illumunati/Vast Left Wing Conspiracy.

Posted by Waldo Jaquith on 25 August 2005 @ 1pm

Those neighborhood paramilitary groups have done wonders for Chavez’s approval rating.

Posted by Tim Hulsey on 25 August 2005 @ 10pm

70-percent?

Have they polled Chavez’s political prisoners lately?

Or the 50,000 Cubans working (poising) as the Venezuela government officials?

Posted by the blue dog on 27 August 2005 @ 6am

Steve, if you have some statistical information that the Venezuelan opposition media doesn’t possess, I’d definitely love to hear bout it.

Posted by Waldo Jaquith on 27 August 2005 @ 7am