Ann Coulter on tour: “I think a baseball bat is the most effective way these days” to talk to liberals

As Media Matters for America noted, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter's new book, How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter, was released on October 5 by Crown Forum. Although Coulter is not signing books in person this time around, there has been no shortage of opportunities to watch or listen to interviews with Coulter on various media outlets. As Media Matters for America noted, she appeared on FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes on October 4 and on ABC's Good Morning America on October 5. Her tour continues, with more recent appearances again on FOX News Channel, as well as on MSNBC and Bill O'Reilly's radio show; during her appearances, she promotes her new book and proffers her opinion on such subjects as the debates, the war in Iraq, women, and Democrats.

Coulter on her gender:

  • PAUL W. SMITH (host): If you were to have the ear of President Bush for a minute or two before he goes into the debate on Friday, what would you say to him?

    COULTER: No more Mr. Nice Guy. You really gotta point out Kerry's absurd positions and inconsistencies. I mean, I understand that there's the risk of offending, of upsetting my gender, which really wants to know which one of you will cooperate better, but it's just absurd. Kerry, you know, denouncing the war in Iraq because we don't have enough allies, the coalition involved and we're bearing such a large part of the cost and casualties, but complaining that we did too much outsourcing in Afghanistan. It's absurd that he [Kerry] wants this multilateral coalition in Iraq, which apparently we'll only achieve when France and Germany are on board, you know, we have dozens of other countries, four of the six world's largest economies, but it's not a true multilateral coalition until we have France and Germany. [WJR, The Paul W. Smith Show, 10/6/04]

Coulter on liberals and Democrats:

  • COULTER: Usually all you have to do is defend the United States of America. That enrages them [Democrats]. [FOX News Channel, FOX & Friends, 10/6]
  • COULTER: I think the problem the Democrats have is, no one really believes they're authentic patriots and they would ever say that any war in defense of America is the right war at the right time in the right place. They wouldn't fight any place.

    They keep having this apocryphal idea that there's some war they would fight. On the criteria they have set out, you know, they wouldn't fight World War II. [...] And everyone knows that Democrats won't fight a war. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 10/6]

  • LINDA VESTER (host): You say you'd rather not talk to liberals at all?

    COULTER: I think a baseball bat is the most effective way these days. [FOX News Channel, DaySide with Linda Vester, 10/6]

  • COULTER: Not only attention, it is to try to discredit us, and I mean, this was more the point of my book Slander, though somewhat of this book, and that is liberals don't wanna take you on on substance. What they wanna do is say this person is crazy, this person is stupid, don't listen to this person, this person is a fascist -- danger, danger -- America, do not listen. They are afraid of public debate. [The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, 10/6]

    (Coulter on Gore: "Al Gore is nuts." Coulter on Kerry: Kerry “is as crazy as their [Democrats'] last presidential candidate [Gore] was"; “Kerry will improve the economy in the emergency services and body bag industry." Coulter on New Yorkers: “Oh God, they're so stupid in New York!")

  • COULTER: I think the problem Democrats have is, no one really believes they're authentic patriots and they would ever say that any war in defense of America is the right war at the right time in the right place. They wouldn't fight any place. They keep having this apocryphal idea that there's some war they would fight. On the criteria they have set out, you know, they wouldn't fight World War II. [...] And everyone knows that Democrats won't fight a war. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 10/6]

Coulter on Senator John Edwards:

  • STEVE DOOCY (FOX & Friends co-host): So what's your headline after the debate last night?

    COULTER: Vote for Kerry-Edwards because Edwards's old man used to learn math on TV. [FOX News Channel, FOX & Friends, 10/6]

  • COULTER: Every answer was some personal anecdote. It's all about him and what happened to him. I mean, his response to Israel is he was at the King David Hotel during the pizzeria bombing, and therefore Israel has a right to defend itself. Well, what if he hadn't been at the King David Hotel? Would Israel still have a right to defend itself? Why is everything a personal story with this snake oil salesman? [FOX News Channel, FOX & Friends, 10/6]
  • COULTER: Does anyone believe when Edwards is in his little girlie voice with his girlie hands, saying we will track the terrorists down where they are. We will stop them. We will kill them. All Cheney has to say is, we'll take care of it. [FOX News Channel, FOX & Friends, 10/6]
  • COULTER: I think people have different ways of viewing John Edwards because I kept hearing how he was unbelievably persuasive, and the jury awards, and that he can charm the birds out of the trees ... I must not be a bird because I just want to strangle him when I see him talking. He would channel the victims in front of the jury, I mean, he was pretending he was a baby who had died in the womb and said to the jury, she is speaking to you through me. I can feel her. Who would fall for that? It's so creepy. It makes my skin crawl. [MSNBC, Imus in the Morning, 10/6]
  • COULTER: But even on reading the transcript, I think Edwards was an absolute ninny. These long, personal stories about the glow from the television and his father wasn't -- you know, wasn't putting groceries away, wasn't helping his mother, wasn't cleaning the cat litter, this endless story about we should vote for him because his father learned math off the TV? [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 10/6]
  • COULTER: And I think the vice presidential debate, showing this Dan Quayle with more effeminate hand gestures as the vice presidential candidate for the Democrats, hurt the Democrats a lot. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 10/6]