Bill Maher on Larry King 6/2/04

[quispquake]

A GREAT interview for the whole show with Bill Maher...hope y'all saw it...if not, check out the posted transcript at:

http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0406/02/lkl.00.html

Here's an excerpt:
KING: Who do you think Mr. Kerry should select to run with him?

MAHER: Oh, I don't know. I mean, John Edwards would be the choice, based on the primaries. He did very well, and he's a vote getter. And I think he brings strength on the economic side. But you know, it's not -- it's not who he runs with, first of all. That's never going to decide the election. And it's not the fact that -- people say he doesn't have a better plan, that there's not a big difference between Bush and Kerry on the war. That's not the point. It's not the plan, it's the man.

When we were talking a few months ago about Bush being a draft dodger and that whole controversy, and people said, It's not relevant now, it is so relevant. If Bush says he's a war president -- you know what? If we're going to be at war and need a war president, I want a president who's been to war. John Kerry understands war in a way George Bush never will.

You know, this is a perfect storm of a mess in Iraq because we have a president who proudly says he doesn't read the paper, never traveled oversees, never really cared to learn about overseas, and never served oversees, so he doesn't understand what it's like overseas. And that's why he has this two-dimensional view of what goes on over there. He gets frustrated with us because we don't understand -- Saddam Hussein, 9/11, they hate us for our freedom. What don't you marshmallow-heads get about that? That's his whole world view. John Kerry has been to war. He's like a guy who's a vegetarian now because he's been to the slaughterhouse. I think he would have kept us out of war.

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

1. Thanks for the link...

I caught some of the show only in passing. Unfortunately, I only heard him say he didn't 'respect religion' before changing the channel and wondered later what the point was.

Does anyone feel his statements of "I'm sorry, I don't. I don't respect religion. I don't respect superstitious thinking, which is what religion is. I don't respect childish thinking, which is what religion is." will just make ANY of his points moot to Middle America?

[quispquake]

2. Nope, middle America will never take to Maher...

...and he's said many times, he's happy with that...he got I think 14% ratings when Politically Incorrect was on, and he always said that was about right...14% of the people like what he has to say, the other 86% are horrified...

I'm personally glad that he feels that way (and I'm definitely in the 14%...I've got my tickets to see him live on July 9th...woo hoo!)

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

3. Congrats! I'm going to have to get tix one of these days!

I've really enjoyed him, haven't always agreed with everything he's said or stated (and definitely curious about his 'interest' in Ann Coulter!!), but for the most part, right on!

The scary thing about the 14%.. I've been telling a friend to stop getting upset that his opinions and ideas aren't 'mainstream' because of his education, travels, experiences, & intellect, he'll ALWAYS be in a minority of opinions/attitudes... I guess Bill has already settled into his comfort zone (which of course is called 'Elitist' to give it a bad slant TO middle USA!)

[quispquake]

5. Yeah, the Coulter thing freaks me out too...

But, on "Real Time" she was going into one of her tirades, and he looked at her and point blank said "You just make shit up"...she was dumbfounded (I LMAO)...

[lucky777]

4. His comments on religion were awesome . . .

Finally someone said it publicly! I don't respect religion either just because it is religion. That's like saying about someone, "He is very superstitious. . ." and somehow that is supposed to impress me.

Religion is a private matter, it has zero place in public discourse. Maher is right. He's great.

[quispquake]

6. I agree with his religious comments...

But I respect people that have their beliefs...it just becomes a problem when they are trying to change the rest of us according to their beliefs...

A COMPLETE separation of Church & State is necessary for democracy to work...

But, if that isn't to happen, at least make it an interesting religion like the Church of the Subgenius or something (and YES, I'M KIDDING).

[Mechatanketra]

7. Sorry, can't win the victory over myself here.

He's like a guy who's a vegetarian now because he's been to the slaughterhouse. I think he would have kept us out of war.

I might be inclined to believe this if at any point Kerry showed me a sign he was bothered more by this war's lack of validity than simply our lack of allies. Clinton got suckered by PNAC, and Kerry could have too.

Kerry's got my vote this year, but I'm not going to kid myself that he deserves it, especially on the grounds of 'would have kept us out of war' (he had a chance to help keep us out of war in 2002 -- he passed). He gets my vote because I'll be voting against Bush, not for him -- and I may still regret that vote, if he spends 4 years Blagojeviching the White House.