"Uncle" is perhaps a veiled attack on Barney Frank's being gay. As in that weird old uncle of yours who never married. Maybe this is a stretch but nothing is too much for these people.
"Uncle" Barney Frank, fruit fly study in "Paris, France" (because we have to be reminded where Paris is), these are all dog-whistle words to rile the rabid base.
Uncle Sam --- Uncle Sugar (look it up) --- Uncle Barney. I'm not agreeing, just tracing the origin.
If Barney Frank wasn't such a moron, I might try to read more into the "Uncle" comment.
I think the sexual preference interpretation is a bit of a stretch. Palin was talking about government being part of the family and making decisions for us. So she said Barney Frank is your uncle making the decisions for you. She could have said Uncle Dodd or Aunt Pelosi, but she chose Frank. I don't think it's such a big deal.
Frank's one of the favorite targets because of the Fannie and Freddie mess
The family interpretation - the big government taking over the role of family - makes equal sense. I just tend to read darker motives in every thing these people do, especially the social conservatives.
Either you know nothing relevant about Barney Frank, or you're a moron.
Frank is brilliant.
And as for the Fannie and Freddie mess: I suggest you either get the full facts -- you won't get them from FOX's fake news, hate-radio, or McPalin -- or STFU until you know what you're talking about.
It is a safe bet that everything Palin says is deliberately intended to have exactly the effect it does have, and which we see for ourselves: riling up mindless hate against the "different".
Your efforts to minimize those facts are typical far-right wingnut LYING.
STFU?? Girl, you are on a roll today! Better ask MiamiDude for a halcyon before you blow a gasket.
This is a two-fer:
1. A swipe at presumed "paternalism," in that your family is now going to be managed by that crazy old uncle up in the attic.
2. But far more seriously and truly what they're going for ... a coded reference to that "bachelor" uncle in the family. A gay man. Although the coding might just be too highly coded for the intellectual "quality" of their base, that bigoted, homophobic, and ugly base already has had Barney on their radar for many years and will "appreciate" the reference that Palin is making.
Damn. Just how low will they go? I have a hunch that the next week is going to set new "standards" that will lock up the record books for the next few decades.
During the Regan years, I used to laugh at myself for finding some appreciation in the basic intelligence (and non-senility) of Nixon, comparatively.
With Bush, I have cried many times over the halcyon days of both Regan and Bush.
We have not even had the election, but could we be at the precipice of regarding even Bush and his cabal as a lesser evil than these two devils?
Uncle Barney is a kid's book, too, I think. But it's Palin's signature colloquial manner, which makes her feel superior and special and maver-icky:
"there you go, Joe" to Joe Biden.
"Uncle Barney" when referring to Barney Frank. It's her
maternal trump card.
"Uncle" Barney Frank, fruit fly study in "Paris, France" (because we have to be reminded where Paris is), these are all dog-whistle words to rile the rabid base.
October 26, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Uncle Sam --- Uncle Sugar (look it up) --- Uncle Barney. I'm not agreeing, just tracing the origin.
October 26, 2008 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Barney Frank wasn't such a moron, I might try to read more into the "Uncle" comment.
I think the sexual preference interpretation is a bit of a stretch. Palin was talking about government being part of the family and making decisions for us. So she said Barney Frank is your uncle making the decisions for you. She could have said Uncle Dodd or Aunt Pelosi, but she chose Frank. I don't think it's such a big deal.
Frank's one of the favorite targets because of the Fannie and Freddie mess
October 26, 2008 3:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
The family interpretation - the big government taking over the role of family - makes equal sense. I just tend to read darker motives in every thing these people do, especially the social conservatives.
October 26, 2008 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Either you know nothing relevant about Barney Frank, or you're a moron.
Frank is brilliant.
And as for the Fannie and Freddie mess: I suggest you either get the full facts -- you won't get them from FOX's fake news, hate-radio, or McPalin -- or STFU until you know what you're talking about.
It is a safe bet that everything Palin says is deliberately intended to have exactly the effect it does have, and which we see for ourselves: riling up mindless hate against the "different".
Your efforts to minimize those facts are typical far-right wingnut LYING.
October 26, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
STFU?? Girl, you are on a roll today! Better ask MiamiDude for a halcyon before you blow a gasket.
October 26, 2008 8:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a two-fer:
1. A swipe at presumed "paternalism," in that your family is now going to be managed by that crazy old uncle up in the attic.
2. But far more seriously and truly what they're going for ... a coded reference to that "bachelor" uncle in the family. A gay man. Although the coding might just be too highly coded for the intellectual "quality" of their base, that bigoted, homophobic, and ugly base already has had Barney on their radar for many years and will "appreciate" the reference that Palin is making.
Damn. Just how low will they go? I have a hunch that the next week is going to set new "standards" that will lock up the record books for the next few decades.
During the Regan years, I used to laugh at myself for finding some appreciation in the basic intelligence (and non-senility) of Nixon, comparatively.
With Bush, I have cried many times over the halcyon days of both Regan and Bush.
We have not even had the election, but could we be at the precipice of regarding even Bush and his cabal as a lesser evil than these two devils?
October 26, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Uncle Barney is a kid's book, too, I think. But it's Palin's signature colloquial manner, which makes her feel superior and special and maver-icky:
"there you go, Joe" to Joe Biden.
"Uncle Barney" when referring to Barney Frank. It's her
maternal trump card.
She's full of shit.
October 26, 2008 9:42 PM | Reply | Permalink