Did Maher not have the phone number of a black intellectual? Were Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Orlando Patterson, Julian Bond, Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, John McWhorter all busy?

But they're not liberals, ya see.

Thus are we faced with the frightening, yet unsuprising prospect that Def was the smartest black liberal they could find to take the role.

I only listed the first people who came to mind, who, given my political views, happen to be more generally conservative or libertarian (except for Orlando Patterson, who I believe is pretty left, but whose work I nevertheless admire). There are plenty of serious black intellectuals on the left, obviously.

Why is the black community not outraged by this?

I think I can speak for the black community, when I ask, "Why isn't the white community outraged by Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck?" I watch Maher pretty regularly, and if you watched the week before he had Kerry Washington, a young black actress, who was extremely informed, most likely a liberal and hot as well. Maher has had other young blacks like John Legend, Farai Chideya, Corey Booker and Amy Holmes (a conservative) and they've done just fine. Sandefur's argument is silly on its face.

I think I can speak for the black community, when I ask, "Why isn't the white community outraged by Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck?"

A look at the reaction to each will give your answer to you.

With Coulter and Beck the left gets angry because they articularte an anti-left position all too effecteively for the left's tastes. They hit too close to home.

Compare that to James' reaction.

Out.

With Coulter and Beck the left gets angry because they articularte an anti-left position all too effecteively for the left's tastes. They hit too close to home.

Huh? I guess by the same standard, conservatives deep-seated anger at Ward Churchill or Cindy Sheehan is because they articulate such an effective anti-right position. This notion that because you think someone is vile, is some proof of their effectiveness is the reasoning of children. I happen to not like bat-shit crazy people whether its the homeless preacher guy trying to tell me that I'm going to hell, or Glenn Beck telling me that liberals are setting up FEMA Concentration Camps. It's just that they actually give Glenn Beck an actual medium to voice his insane ramblings.

Huh? I guess by the same standard, conservatives deep-seated anger at Ward Churchill or Cindy Sheehan is because they articulate such an effective anti-right position.

Well, that's right enough. The position they articulate is itself incoherrent, but they do as good a job as any of trying to explain it. Of course, tey're not black, are they?

This notion that because you think someone is vile, is some proof of their effectiveness is the reasoning of children

Not at all. You think them vile because you dislike their politics. You target them because they're effective. One is not the other.

With Coulter and Beck the left gets angry because they articulate

That's a stretch. Anyhow, I didn't see the show, but I did see House last night. Mos Def is a pretty good actor. The "Mr. Def" part reminded me of a review of Bo Diddley in the New York Times some years back wherein the reviewer kept referring to "Mr. Diddley". I guess that's correct, but it sounded funny when I read it (still does).

This illustrates once again why it is foolish to look to Maher, SNL, The Daily Show, or Colbert for real news, analysis, or opinion that matters. These are comedy shows, nothing more. The amount of attention given to their political content is just amazing to me. You might as well ask junior high students to comment.

your friend lost when he said

Why is the black community not outraged by this? Bill Maher hosts a talk show to discuss the threat of Islamic terrorism and the Middle East, and he invites two world-renowned white male intellectuals and Mos Def?

when did Salman Rushdie become white?

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P.S>

Bithead proves that not only is he a usually wrong (ignorant), but it seems that he is also a bigot. no surprise there, kind of figured, glad to see the proof though.

Thus are we faced with the frightening, yet unsuprising prospect that Def was the smartest black liberal they could find to take the role.

The "Mr. Def" part reminded me of a review of Bo Diddley in the New York Times some years back wherein the reviewer kept referring to "Mr. Diddley". I guess that's correct, but it sounded funny when I read it (still does).

It reminds me of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, when they call Joan of Arc "Miss Of Arc"

In what way are Coulter and Beck *effective*?

I would agree that Coulter riles some on the left (the ones who haven't realized it's just a big act - she's actually a flaming liberal trying to make all conservatives look hateful).

But Beck inspires fear in no one - he sounds exactly like the Young Republicans back in high school, except he's not quite as smart.

Bithead proves that not only is he a usually wrong (ignorant), but it seems that he is also a bigot. no surprise there, kind of figured, glad to see the proof though.

Perhaps you're reading something in that isn't there. Look at it this way; Are there smarter black liberals out there? Possibly. It certainly wouldn't take much to get smarter than the guy they got to fill the role. But being smarter, they wanted no part of Maher. Get it, now?

"It certainly wouldn't take much to get smarter than the guy they got to fill the role. But being smarter, they wanted no part of Maher. Get it, now?"

Umm, that's not quite right, as smarter black folks like Michael Eric Dyson and Cornel West have appeared on Maher's show...try again...

Have.
Past tense.

We're talking about current, not past events.
I'm suggesting that currently the list of smart people getting involved with that creep grows justifiably thin