I just had an argument with my hubby.....

[senseandsensibility]

Well, not an ARGUMENT exactly. but we were watching Micheal J. Fox, a person both of us admire and wish only the best for on the Craig Ferguson Show. I got angry because he did not specifically praise President Obama for lifting the ban on stem cell research. nor naming chimp as the one who did not do so. The hubby, generally more liberal than I (and we are both to the left of Kucinich), was flummoxed.

All I can say, is if the one life and death issue of my generation (surely to Fox) was in the balance, and an American President had finally done the right thing....well, I would thank him by name and be proud to do so. He did neither, and did not refer to chimp by name as the one keeping the research from helping those in need.

Now the hubby is as liberal as they come, but a nicer person than me. I remember on the very eve of the Iraq invasion (like the night before), we went to see Jerry Seinfeld do stand up. There were protesters outside against the probable invasion, and like an idiot, I was sure that Jerry would address the topic, even if only in a humorous manner. He did not. I was angry, but the hubby was forgiving.

Now he thinks it's okay that Micheal J. Fox went on the Ferguson show to talk about stem cell without making it clear that one party wants to ban it and the other doesn't.

You know, Obama is too conservative for both me and my hubby. But if lefties with more money than they know what to do with and nothing to lose won't praise him when he DOES take a courageous stand....what hope do we have? And why would he want to keep taking chances?

[MercutioATC]

1. Fox is a stem-cell research advocate.

He can't afford to alienate people by politicizing the issue.


I see both sides here, but I believe Fox is doing the right thing by not specifically praising Obama.

[senseandsensibility]

2. You're a nicer person than me

and I admire that. But I don't think it will help the progressive cause in the long run.

[jberryhill]

9. What won't?

Being a nice person?

Or telling disabled persons how to run their lives and condemning them when they don't do what you want?

Limbaugh had a field day with Fox a while back, if you recall. Fox has certainly done more for stem cell research than you or I ever will.

[Lasher]

4. But Fox has endorsed and otherwise worked for candidates

based on their support for embryonic stem cell research. It's pointless for him to now come across as apolitical. He should have given Obama the credit he is due and he should have blasted Junior for his obstruction.

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. Ding ding ding

Real activists know to pick their battles.

The long haul is the criterion.

[MADem]

3. He's a dual national (Canadian and American) and he's gotta eat.

Jesus, the guy makes his money from the odd job and the shit he's got in syndication, and probably a few investments, many of which probably went bad in this economy. He can't work much, unless you want him to play the human frappe machine in a children's story, or something.

He didn't mention Bush OR Obama, odds are, because he didn't want the right OR left boycotting the shows he's got running in syndication, or getting pissed off at him.

Sometimes, when you try to stay out of partisan politics, you get shit on, anyway. He just caught a steaming pile from you.

I say cut the guy a break. He wants a damned cure, and he doesn't care if it rides in on the back of Mussolini's buck naked ghost in a goblet made from Hitler's gonads. He's desperate. He doesn't want to broad brush and paint ALL Republicans as opposing stem cell, because they don't. Some very surprising conservatives are FOR it, in fact. Example: pro-life Orrin Hatch is very much FOR stem cell research--why? Because it "facilitates life" according to him. http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Orrin_Hatch_Abortion.htm

You can't assume this is a party line issue, because it isn't. Nancy Reagan is a vocal advocate for stem cell, too.

I hope he gets his cure, and that others do, too. But leave the guy alone.

[grantcart]

5. People who understand the issue will connect the dots

People who don't understand it won't remember if Fox drew them a picture and autographed it.

[LiberalFighter]

6. If he leaves the impression that it isn't about politics than maybe he

can create a wave of people to call their congressional members to support Fox's cause.

[AllentownJake]

7. Fox is in the Category of Reeves

He suffers from an illness and needs to work with whoever is in power to get his issue addressed.

If he politicizes the issue too much he runs the risk of not being able to talk to the other side.

Taking a stand on a particular candidate is not good for his cause. Like someone upthread said its better for him to be issue oriented and let people connect the dots.

[Mass]

8. He needs the support of those Republicans like Hatch who have been fighting for

embryonic stem cells research while Democrats like Casey oppose it. He cannot afford to make this a political issue.

[rvablue]

11. Don't worry. It doesn't matter. As Oprah's ratings are probably 100X greater than Ferguson's

and Michael J. Fox was on Oprah last week and did praise the President for lifting the ban.

Also, demographically speaking, Oprah probably has a much higher percentage of older, Republican and middle-of-the-roader voters who watch her show than Ferguson's.

So, no bad on Michael.

And BTW, lifting the stem cell ban was not "taking chances." And overwhelming majority of Americans support it. The ban was bone Bush the fundies to keep them in line.