I really hate this. Conservative bloggers and pundit declare the treatment of Donald Trump or another Republican by the mainstream media, unfair, dishonest and biased, then complain when the news media doesn’t treat someone else in the same unfair, dishonest and biased manner. This is always certifiably moronic, but this most recent case is especially so.
Nobody could listen to what James Carville said on CNN and honestly think the old Clinton political consultant was threatening to assassinate Donald Trump or advocating that someone else do it. Carville, who despite his Mayberry accent is a lot more articulate and clear about his meaning than the previous President, was making the case that Joe Biden shouldn’t be the one attacking Trump and that eh should leave that gutter-level task to surrogates “like me,” that is, Carville. He is simply stating his support for what used to be established, conventional political wisdom, and was a wise practice that kept the President from appearing nasty, partisan and petty, like Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Carville said that “he called” such attacks “wet work,” meaning, again obviously, the dirty work of Presidential politics. It was a metaphor, and a good one, unless a listener was either a complete paranoid dolt or determined to misrepresent Carville as revenge for the Axis deciding to try to make Trump’s use of the word “bloodbath” to describe what faces the auto industry if he is defeated a threat to encourage actual violence in the streets.
Twitter/X warrior Sam J. led the way in this illogical and unethical theme writing, “Nothing to see here, just James Carville chatting with Anderson Cooper and calling for Trump’s assassination on CNN.” She then rounded up some of the knee-jerk reactions of conservative knee-jerks on social media:
- “James Carville says: Joe Biden’s surrogates should do the “Wetwork” against Trump … *Notice No outcries or condemnations by the news media ?”
- “Oh, so, “Wet Ops” as they call it in the intel world. James Carville just called for assassination of Trump on-air. Why? Because he is standing up to the radical Democratic Party that is looting America and wrecking the country. Sickos. And an obvious case of “priming.”
- “More proof the media is full in the tank for one party. Last weekend they all were shrieking about violent threats when Trump used a common economic term. Here is Dem operative James Carville blatantly calling for violence against Trump, and no pearl-clutching is to be found.”
- “Why hasn’t the FBI arrested James Carville for suggesting that the former President and current Republican Presidential candidate be taken out?”
As I said, morons all. To begin with, nothing James Carville says matters: he’s a mostly retired, cynical political operative that the mainstream media goes to for colorful quotes, of which this was obviously one. Comparing anything Carville says with what a Once and Future President says is apples and coconuts. Second, the FBI isn’t going to arrest James Carville for what is clearly not a “true threat” under the law, not even close. Jeez, Tweeters, why don’t you do a little research before you make fools of yourselves?
But most important of all, look at what these idiots are saying. It was dishonest and wrong to deliberately misrepresent Trump’s bloodbath remark (I’ve written four posts on this nonsense, and boy, am I sick of it) , but because the Get Trump! mob engaged in this unethical conduct, it is obligated to do it again. Two wrongs is better than one wrong! Brilliant. So the indignant defenders of the ex-President then behave exactly like the liars they abhor, using a bunch of bad rationalizations, like #2, Ethics Estoppel, or “They’re Just as Bad,” #2 A, Sicilian Ethics, or “They had it coming,” #7, The “Tit for Tat” Excuse, and Yoo’s Rationalization or “It isn’t what it is.”
Not only was James Carville not calling for Trump’s assassination, he was making a valid point. Once again, too many conservatives beclowned themselves by proving that they are no more ethical or rational than those they oppose.
Ethics Alarms 
I don’t like the use of dirty tactics or these kind of tactics either, but the conservatives have to come out swinging use the other side’s tactics against them. Nothing pisses a bully off more than having his own tactics used against him. I don’t like it, but we have to fight to win, not fight to lose graciously.
If you feel you must fight fire with fire, keep in mind that the only way that that can resolve the situation is if you explicitly say what you’re doing and that you’re doing it because the other side has taught you that it is an accepted tactic, that they introduced the tactic to a previously civil interaction.
If you don’t explain that to people, they will be stupid enough not to realize that what they’re doing is wrong, and will assume that because you’re doing it too, it is normal, even if they complain about it when the situation doesn’t go their way.
At that point, the only way the tactic works is if you beat them at their own game, and if you manage that I doubt you can readily restore the original game you were looking to preserve.
Constructive principles like ethics aren’t a luxury or an ideal. They’re pragmatic. What’s idealistic is assuming that other people will “learn” that your way is better if the best defense it can mount is by adopting the tactics of its corrupt rivals.
I prefer the deconstruction method. It’s classier and gets taken seriously. You’d be surprised what people will critically reflect on when they know they’re understood in a respectful manner.
I heard the comment and was a bit perplexed at Carville’s use of the term especially when he defined wet work as a covert tactic to take out a subject.
While not specifically a threat it reminded me of Johnny Depp’s statement about when was the last time an actor assassinated a president or another commentator said the only way to stop Trump was to put a bullet in him.
So, while Carville can legitimately defend himself against a charge of making a threat there is no telling if some unhinged person hears it as a call to action. Much speculation still exists surrounding the questionable deaths of Clinton associates Foster and Epstein.
Using the term bloodbath in the context of the auto industry is a far cry from using metaphors of violence against a specific person. In this hyper-partisan environment in which Trump is cast by his opposition as the reincarnation of Stalin, Hitler and PolPot it is inexcusable to use such metaphors. Carville could have just as easily said Biden should let his surrogates throw the mud so his hands can remain clean if that is what he meant.
with my background there isn’t a non violent version of this phrase. There were many less inflammatory choices. In a political/real world context that is a euphemism for murder. Your mileage may vary.
another way to put it “if only someone would rid me of this troublesome priest”
But Carville gave himself credit for using the term in a non-violent way—you know, like I use “head explosion.” He says he uses the term “wet works” to describe political dirty work. He literally says that.If someone says, I call a car a chariot and then uses the term “chariot,” you can come back and say he obviously meant a genuine chariot.
The not insignificant difference is the, we-must-destroy-Trump-by-any-means-available mainstream media latched onto the word bloodbath with the same fervor that our beloved Prez exhibits when standing in a room full of cute ten year olds. The posted examples were just Twitter Xers. What do you expect Jack? I found them amusing in the same way as when reading the Babylon Bee.
Isn’t it possible these folks were simply illustrating how easy it is to play word games to tarnish someone? I am not sure these comments were not tongue-in-cheek.
As a stone-cold conservative libertarian I have enjoyed listening to Carville lately. He is actually a voice of reason and Dems would do well to listen. I am also not offended by his wet works comment, as the contextual meaning is obvious, and I am not easily triggered by expressions. I am offended by the media who are triggered by anything Trump or conservative, but who give a free pass to everything radically leftist. Jackals, morons, hypocrites, scalawags …. evil.
Oh, I agree, JC is always a hoot. He’s too conservative and politically incorrect for the current mutation of his party. He and his wife Mary might consider changing places and clients.