Feldman's Law

By Clarice Feldman

Godwin's Law has a new companion: Feldman's Law. Wikipedia defines Godwin's rule as follows:

Godwin's Law (also known as Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies)^[1] is a humorous observation made by Mike Godwin in 1990 which has become an Internet adage. It states: "As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."^[2][3]

Godwin's Law is often cited in online discussions as a deterrent against the use of arguments in the widespread reductio ad Hitlerum form. The rule does not make any statement about whether any particular reference or comparison to Adolf Hitler or the Nazis might be appropriate, but only asserts that the likelihood of such a reference or comparison arising increases as the discussion progresses. It is precisely because such a comparison or reference may sometimes be appropriate, Godwin has argued,^[4] that overuse of Nazi and Hitler comparisons should be avoided, because it robs the valid comparisons of their impact.

Although in one of its early forms Godwin's Law referred specifically to Usenet newsgroup discussions,^[5] the law is now applied to any threaded online discussion: electronic mailing lists, message boards, chat rooms, and more recently blog comment threads and wiki talk pages.

I want a law named after me -- Feldman's Law -- and I want it invoked whenever that horrible anti-Semite, dreadful human being and unspeakably incompetent President, Jimmy Carter, is hauled out to defend or accuse someone. It would hold that as the Democrat's position grows increasingly weak, the probability of a charge of racism increases, and when the position is on its last mortal legs, that old self righteous misanthrope, Jimmy Carter,will be hauled out of his lonely cellar to pronounce it so.

Last night, MSNBC rang up the old pill to quote him as saying that the conservative reaction against Obama is rooted in racism.

And I think it's [racism's]bubbled up to the surface because of the belief among many white people, not just in the South but around the country, that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply."

Slate's Mickey Kaus is quick on the draw:

Instant reaction: Kiss of Death. Gift to the GOPs. Remember the Carter era of smug moralizing? Anyone want to go back to that? ... P.S.: A good example of how, if the MSM wants to tilt against the Republicans, it's often too wedded to its own conventions--e.g., the desire to 'make news' with an ex-Pres.--to be effective. ... No sophisticated campaign propagandist would say, "OK, let's throw Jimmy Carter at them. They'll be reeling!" ....6:42 P.M.

No "sophisticated propagandist" might do that, but for bottom of the barrel feeders like MSNBC, it's good enough.

h/t:Instapundit.com