September 23, 2010

"[F]or Axelrod to plead with liberal bloggers for their help turning out the base, only to get accused of 'hippie punching,' is an iconic moment in Campaign 2010."

Interesting... but what the hell is "hippie punching"?
That tension burst out into the open when [Susan Madrak of Crooks and Liars] directly asked Axelrod: "Have you ever heard of hippie punching?" That prompted a long silence from Axelrod.

"You want us to help you, the first thing I would suggest is enough of the hippie punching," Madrak added. "We're the girl you'll take under the bleachers but you won't be seen with in the light of day."
Ha ha. Long silence. Axelrod did exactly what I think I'd do. Keep silent, because I don't know what it means, and I don't want to be embarrassed by admitting it. But now that I've worked a bit Googling and searching Urban Dictionary, I'm not embarrassed to say I don't know what it means. And I don't know what it has to do with under-bleacher sex, but that's a creepy metaphor to throw at Axelrod. I don't much like the man myself, but when you get access, ask some good questions in plain English. Don't be weird.

45 comments:

Sprezzatura said...

"I don't much like the man myself"

For quite some time before moving to DC, and since the move, he's been dedicated to more than just politics.

A.W. said...

Well, IMAO has a helpful guide on the subject: http://www.imao.us/archives/009667.html

A sampling of his hippie punching faq:

HIPPIE PUNCHING FAQ

Q. Where is best to punch a hippie?
A. About the face. That's where the hippie is most annoying.

Q. What is a hippie?
A. Generally, a hippie is an annoying, useless. Actually, less than useless, as they are not happy until they prevent other people from being useful as well. In fact, Scientists have determined that the only evolutionary purpose of a hippie is for punching as a stress release for productive members of society.

Q. Are there any other uses for hippies than punching them?
A. No, there are no other uses.

Q. Couldn't they be ground up and used as chum?
A. They're too gummy.

Q. Where do hippies come from?
A. There's basically waste products of a productive society, as they only come from middle class to upper middle class families. Thus its important for parents to make sure they tell children the importance of not being a hippie while also making them cut the lawn and do other non-hippie, productive activities.

----

I suspect though Frank J.'s definition is slightly different than this hippie's definition.

I'm Full of Soup said...

See susiemadrak-dot-com where she predicted Althouse would get in the mix.

Ann Althouse said...

@AJ How about just cluing us in about it?

Sprezzatura said...

Today on Hannity's radio show Dick Morris was saying that Axelrod was going back to Chicago so that he could avoid going down w/ the ship and he wanted to make more than ten million a year selling access to policy makers in DC. Morris was in full blown evil mode where his shrill voice exudes the glee and excitement he thrives on when he's running folks through the mud.

While Morris was thrashing away, I was remembering how Axlerod was separated from his family, and how he and his wife had been able to use their DC connections to raise money for charity. I think that a lot of Hannity's audience would have respected the personal side of Axelrod. Instead they were listening to Dick's alternate universe version of reality.

I was also thinking that the money grubbing, selfish, hold-out for the highest bidder that Morris was describing seemed a lot more like Morris than Axelrod.

Oh well.

jungatheart said...

Doesn't it just meant that the bloggers are the lefties/hippie/flower children that the Obama campaign to terrible advantage last time, only to not pay attention to their issues, and recently to have that jerk, Gibbs call them the professional left?

jungatheart said...

And that back in the days of the hippies, they might have been attacked with some regularity, especially after the summer of love disintegrated into a very bad drug scene.

Anonymous said...

She should have said donkey punch. That would have taken guts.

Revenant said...

Hippie punching refers to beating up on outsiders in order to cozy up to the in crowd.

bagoh20 said...

"when you get access, ask some good questions in plain English. Don't be weird. "

"...,but if you want to push its limits, you'd better be interesting."

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Hippie punching refers to beating up on outsiders in order to cozy up to the in crowd.

HA!

The David Frums and their David Brooks.

I LOVE IT!

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

We get beat up on too (the tea parties) and then they come with their tail btwn you know what, when we show them what we can do.

The elite, its the same in both sides.

John E. said...

UrbanDictionary.com: "A hippie punch is when you're working your way to the front of a show by performing a dancing, punching motion, therefore annoying audience members so they simply move out of the way and let you pass making your way through the crowd....closer to the jams.
I didn't sit through the opening act and hold my pee to get a great spot, so I hippie punched my way past those who did."

bagoh20 said...

If I met myself, from 30 years ago, today, I'd punch that hippie asshole. Then he would kick my ass. Then we would have a beer, and I'd punch him again, because he needed some sense knocked into him, and I envy his stupid ass. I'd then give him my credit card. He would make so much better use of it than I do.

Hippies: don't leave home without one.

former law student said...

Liberals are tired of being used as a punching bag by middle-of-the-roader Obama. Run to the left, govern on the right -- that's Obama all over. Clinton redux. Only difference is that Obama can limit his sex life to his wife.

T J Sawyer said...

No one writing the definitions at Urban Dictionary is old enough to have actually seen a hippie.

Unless they live in Oregon where the elderly hippies still show up in Portland at the Saturday Market selling arts and crafts.

Go with the IMAO FAQ. Prescient of him to write it two years ago, wasn't it?

EnigmatiCore said...

Hippie punching = lefty bashing

Unknown said...

Hippie punching is the cause-effect synthesis of the NROTC students finding out the SDS chapter is selling Viet Cong savings stamps in the Student Union and taking appropriate action.

IAW, when Lefties do something calculated to enrage everyone while counting on authority to protect them and then finding that they are not safe from retribution.

Sort of like what ought to happen every time some creep Leftist burns an American flag.

(No, it's got nothing to do with free speech, regardless of what SCOTUS says)

traditionalguy said...

The gist of the "hippie punching" accusation is sexual use on the wrong side of the tracks, that is followed by pretending not to even know these outlier freaks that you once carefully seduced and screwed because they were easy.

Anonymous said...

""We're the girl you'll take under the bleachers but you won't be seen with in the light of day."

No doubt Madrak is speaking from experience. Poor baby, Axelrod should take her to the prom.

traditionalguy said...

By my definition Barack and Michelle Hippie Punch everybody the meet. Netanyahu is a punchee, big time.

ndspinelli said...

The Obama administration is fighting fronts on the right, left, and in between. The need General Patton.

KCFleming said...

"Madrak added. "We're the girl you'll take under the bleachers but you won't be seen with in the light of day."

Madrak let him have his way, and then waited and waited for him to call, but he never did. Now she's warning the other girls that Obama is a playa.

Hell hath no fury like a blogger scorned.

Scott M said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scott M said...

Until bloggers become yet another facet of President Obama's "new normal" they are, by default, weird.

Jim said...

People voted for his FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE promises: not his SOCIALLY LIBERAL ones.

The Lefty bloggers have it precisely backwards: they didn't get him elected. His lies about promising to be more fiscally responsible than those darned Republicans did.

If they want to play a part in Obama's re-election, then they should get on Axelrod's AstroTurfing firm payroll.

I personally CAN'T WAIT until Axelrod gets back to Chicago so we can all go back to dealing with all those AstroTurfed concern trolls that inhabited every blog and forum in the run-up to the 2008 election.

Oh the joys of Axelrod's AstroTurf. The once and future lying king of the sleazebags and his minions. But hey, he's not REALLY a bad guy because he once gave some of his illgotten gains to charity. Right?

Anonymous said...

The problem with bad leftists is that they do not understand how hard the Administration is working. So sad. So very sad. These leftists are like Journ"o"lists (Ezra, Weigel, etc.), not too bright.

Every one: Your objective is very simple.

Keep up the pressure on GOP and Tea Party.

Support the President and VP 100%, 24/7, 365.

We must have a 50-state victory in 2012. No time to lose.

Give everything you can to Democratic candidates.

Seize the moment.

2yellowdogs said...

He wrote that like hippie punching is a bad thing.

Christopher said...

We're the girl you'll take under the bleachers but you won't be seen with in the light of day.

Lord, some of these bloggers have issues.

Drew said...

So "Hippie Punching" is what the GOP is doing to the Tea Party movement. Cool. I learned a new term!

Dang, the political class really loathes the citizen class, don't they?

Steve M. Galbraith said...

In less than 18 months, Obama's passed a nearly $1 trillion stimulus plan, the greatest healthcare reform in the history of the world (affecting more than 1/6 of our economy), and the most far reaching finanical reforms since the Great Depression.

All, again, within 2 years. And I didn't even include the $1-2 trillion in bailouts of various industries.

And the left complains that he's not with them?

But remember, it's the Tea Partyers who are doctrinaire ideologues.

knox said...

And the left complains that he's not with them?

LOL. You took the words right out of my mouth. I guess they expected him immediately to:

- close Guantanamo
- end the Iraq War
- end the war in Afghanistan
- institute Single Payer
- institute Cap & Trade through Executive Order
- end Bush Tax cuts through Executive Order
- why stop at the auto, banking, and student loan industries? Full government takeover of all Capitalist establishments.

Anything less is "Governing From The Right Like Clinton."

The Crack Emcee said...

""Have you ever heard of hippie punching?"

Yea - and it's very therapeutic.

Jeff with one 'f' said...

"...when you get access, ask some good questions in plain English. Don't be weird."

A lifetime spent as a hippie did not prepare her for this moment.

The Crack Emcee said...

A.W.,

"Scientists have determined that the only evolutionary purpose of a hippie is for punching as a stress release for productive members of society."

I rest my case. (Hadn't seen that before my last post.)

Big Mike said...

Don't be weird.

The Professor warns us not to be weird, then FLS claims that Obama "governs from the right." How weird is a statement like that? Except for foreign policy, which Obama doesn't care anything about so he's left Bush's policies in place, Obama governs from the far left wing lunatic fringe. If he's not far enough left for you, FLS, then that says a lot. But only about you.

Alex said...

Liberals are tired of being used as a punching bag by middle-of-the-roader Obama.

Poor, poor liberals. They have it so hard in this country where the debate is controlled by the left in the media, universities, HR departments, the Presidency, the Congress, etc....

Alex said...

America's Politico = keep up the comedy!

former law student said...

People voted for his FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE promises: not his SOCIALLY LIBERAL ones.


That may be why people voted for McCain -- when did Obama make andy FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE promises?

paul a'barge said...

Puh-leeze!

Want to see a photo of the punched hippie, Susan Madrak?
Click Here!!!

O.M.G. ... Would you take this thing under the bleachers? Well, ok. Maybe. If no one else was watching. Which, I guess is her point. Look again at the photo. She nails her self, spot on.

Fen said...

then FLS claims that Obama "governs from the right." How weird is a statement like that?

Its common practice for the Left to argue an outrageous position just so you will feel that they "met you halfway" when you finally settle.

There's also a chance that, as you grow tired of arguing the obvious, you'll compromise and admit Obama is a centrist.

Its not weird, its the way the deceitful little weasels actually operate.

Phil 314 said...

Susie Madrak

And from her personal blog:
That you’ll donate to the “Rent, Broadband and Chiropractor” fund. I’ll be oh so grateful, really. And good karma will ensue!

She's unemployed and looking for donations

Phil 314 said...

An appropriate song for this conflict.

Phil 314 said...

American Politico's favorite radio personality

The Crack Emcee said...

c3,

"That you’ll donate to the “Rent, Broadband and Chiropractor” fund. I’ll be oh so grateful, really. And good karma will ensue!"

">That's nothing. It's all of them, I tell ya.