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Simple answers to simple questions

October 23, 2008 5:47 pm ET by Eric Boehlert

Wolf Blitzer, against his better judgment, was quoting right-wing radio talker Hugh Hewitt at length during "The Situation Room" today about how McCain could still win the election if he stressed the topic of abortion during the final days of the campaign.

Blitzer asked GOP consultant Alex Castellanos, was Hugh Hewitt being realistic?

Castellanos: "No."

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    • Author by Dem02020 (October 23, 2008 6:05 pm ET)
         

      I don't pay much mind to the thing referred to here, but I read the words and consider them all... what the frig is meant by "against his better judgment"?

      I'm common and peasant, in that I nearly insist that a substantial idea or real picture, accompany the words I hear (or else I do not nod agreement or understandining to those words, as idiots and fools and children and pundits do)... what does "against his better judgment" mean"?

      I won't ask what the sickening A-word means, because I already know, having a capacity for realizing the imagery of words, as they are spoken to me...

      But the other inquiry stands asked: whose "better judgment" are you referring to, and what evidence do you show, to support such a claim?

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      • Author by Eric Jaffa (October 23, 2008 6:52 pm ET)
           

        I agree that "against his better judgement" needs an explanation from MMMFA.

         

        Did Wolf Blitzer say he was reluctant about reading the quote?

         

        Or is this just mind-reading?

         

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    • Author by Dem02020 (October 23, 2008 6:24 pm ET)
         

      And there is little that pleases me in this current 2008 Presidential campaign, but what does please me, is the refrain from the maniacal invocation of an issue so personal and private, that minds sensible and real recoil and reel at it's mention in Public Policy talk (and are relieved at the passing over).

      This is positive, forward-looking, constructive and AMERICAN (I speak of the People in their total, and not of any partial and stupid context thereof)...

      Things are looking up.

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    • Author by ahersh (October 23, 2008 7:16 pm ET)
         
      This is like push-polling a journalist...
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    • Author by jjcomet514 (October 23, 2008 9:48 pm ET)
         
      I think "against his better judgment" refers to the propriety of quoting Hugh Hewitt at length on any topic of moment - not specifically to the topic of abortion. The swipe, it seems to me, is at Hugh Hewitt. It does seem delusional to think that McCain would actually gain ground by focusing on the matter. It also seems improbable that Wolf thought it was a serious enough notion to ask a GOP consultant to comment on it. I think his curt response shows how dismissive of the the idea Castellanos was, and it actually didn't reflect very well on Wolf that he mentioned it. So, in retrospect, I think the remark was rather appropriate.
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      • Author by fawltylogic (October 24, 2008 12:01 am ET)
           

        Yes, of course. Anyone who quotes Hugh Hewitt as if he was knowledgeable, authoritative, reasonable or sane is obviously either lacking judgment or is acting against it. :)

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    • Author by ehutch (October 23, 2008 11:36 pm ET)
         
      Yes, the swipe was at Hewitt, I think--still, MM has erred a bit here in assuming that Blitzer has any judgment.

      That said: McCain won't do it. MacCain will lose. And Hewitt will have a sinecure for the next four years opining that if only he had blathered on forever about jailing women who abort unwanted feti McCAIN WOULD BE PREZNIT NOW!!!
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    • Author by deoll (October 24, 2008 10:46 am ET)
         

      "against his better judgment"

      I think whoever wrote this is being generous by assuming that Wolfie had better judgment to go against.  How does the writer know what was going through Wolfie's mind?  Maybe he thought quoting Hewitt was a great idea.  The writer is pretending that (s)he knows Wolfie's mind, when (s)he really doesn't.  Let's stick to the facts, kids:  Wolfie referenced a bonehead as an authoritative source, which makes him a bonehead too.  And he got called on it.  End of thread.

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