Just before the holidays, one of y’all* valued commenter Mnemosyne provided a great piece of advice on dealing with frothing wingnuts that I’ve used to good effect several times since: When confronted with some bogus charge of liberal perfidy, act like you’ve never heard of the issue the person is raising, and stand there with a polite, somewhat incredulous look as they explain it. These absurd plots invariably sound kooky and far-fetched when spoken aloud, and with any luck, your wingnut is capable of recognizing that and shuts up. The POTUS engaged in something similar last night:
I’m sure Fox viewers were exuberant about O’Reilly’s “interview.” I thought it was deeply stupid, which is hardly surprising. But the reaction I saw from unaffiliated folks was interesting: It was as if O’Reilly were babbling about missing mustard and shaving cats’ asses to people who have never heard of Balloon Juice. Obama played his part well, maintaining the demeanor of a subway car rider who is trying to avoid escalating the ravings of a psychopath between stops.
*I’ve inexcusably forgotten who provided this excellent advice but will be glad to give credit if he or she claims it in comments.