Charlie Kirk was not engaged in respectful political debate. https://x.com/vikdeadgens/stat...

As someone who can be tonally incendiary, I think there's a role for the incendiary in politics. My problem with Kirk wasn't his tone, but the content of what he said, which I believe was immoral.

All that aside, I do wonder how readily mainstream voices would canonize a dead leftist speaking in this register as having engaged in respectful debate. https://x.com/OsitaNwanevu/sta...

Of course, if the right-wing pundits goading listeners towards violence — as Kirk himself did — get their way, we might find out soon enough. https://x.com/OsitaNwanevu/sta...

The New York Times comment section is the best moderate publication in America.

@OsitaNwanevu apparently "practicing politics the right way" is being a propagandist. apparently klein "envies" the pipeline of billionaire sugar daddy money that charlie "built" and wants that for himself.

@OsitaNwanevu You’re really reaching here and missing the obvious point, but that’s on brand for your type of willful obtuseness.

@OsitaNwanevu I don't have a problem with this statement personally because really all you can ask for in politics is someone who has ideas and is willing to defend them in public debate. There's far too many people on the left and right that don't do any of that and just shitpost online.

@OsitaNwanevu Just hear what Charlie Kirk had to say about black women and that video of him getting shot becomes a lot less gruesome immediately

@OsitaNwanevu I’d be more forgiving if Klein hadn’t just published a sanctimonious plea for Democrats to shut down the government in order to combat their threat to democracy—one that Kirk had been among the loudest voices defending.

@OsitaNwanevu Ezra Klein is so far gone. No one deserves that but it also doesn’t white wash him … Kirk was a little Father Coughlin, period

@OsitaNwanevu If you look at what Kirk said about Muslims and substitute Jews, would Klein have written this editorial?

@OsitaNwanevu Charlie Kirk was a run of the mill right wing reactionary figure who was well paid to spew his hate. Liberals and conservatives who are glamorizing him because he's dead are trying to erase the damage he caused.

@OsitaNwanevu Much like with the Epstein stuff Ezra is a guy that often talks out of turn about stuff he doesn’t know anything about really, but because he looks and sounds like that I guess no one cares

@OsitaNwanevu This is also *wildly offensive* to anyone who suffered through the CO school shooting yesterday. yet for ezra, it's all about envying Kirk's organizing skills! Because Ezra isn't just a columnist or journalist anymore. He's a movement leader, supposedly.

@OsitaNwanevu Klein, ever the Zionist, can’t admit college age students (who are far more sympathetic with Palestinians) were domobilized by the (at that time) Dem led genocide

@OsitaNwanevu his "moxie" lol be fucking serious

@OsitaNwanevu Amongst other things, Klein's piece conveniently fails to mention Turning Point's key role in the “March to Save America” and the "Stop the Steal" rallies. Kirk's antivax campaigning is also omitted. How strange.

@OsitaNwanevu Some observers have a heart, and after witnessing a very public murder, may reevaluate the victim. This is normal human behavior.

@OsitaNwanevu Like it or not, respectful debate is an important part of American liberalism and the left can stand to practice it more. Don't appreciate all the Ezra Klein dunking on my TL today either: he's thinking very seriously about what's necessary to build a more equal society.

@OsitaNwanevu @sandeepvaheesan insane that his debatebro personality is being taken as "he just wanted to listen to the other side!" instead of bad faith clip farming to farm engagement online

@OsitaNwanevu @HBendaas “The left thought its hold on the hearts and minds of college students was nearly absolute” kind of gives it away. He frames Kirk as an ally against the leftist enemy, so his authoritarian racism can be excused or even celebrated as a brave stance. Such moxie!

@OsitaNwanevu Yeah that surprised me too

@OsitaNwanevu "Julius Streicher was practicing politics in exactly the right way." 😭

@OsitaNwanevu I mean, looking at his Epstein comment: maybe? Dude just likes chilling with the wealthy.

@OsitaNwanevu they’re acting like he’s princess diana lmfao

@OsitaNwanevu Hate the "college age voters shifted right in 2024" shit.

@OsitaNwanevu Zionist speaking about another

@OsitaNwanevu He seems to believe that yapping about politics, whatever the content, is itself a moral and praiseworthy act.

@OsitaNwanevu I know it’s just been two days, but normalizing obnoxious fringe beliefs because a prominent proponent was murdered, is not helpful.

@OsitaNwanevu It's Time To Admit Charlie Kirk Was An Extraordinarily Talented Politician

@OsitaNwanevu “Effective practitioners of persuasion.” Murder is murder, but trying to shoehorn hate speech into the rhetorical comfort zone of “persuasion” is just straight up dishonest.

@OsitaNwanevu "But I envied what he built."

@OsitaNwanevu absolutely insane take from Klein, has fully lost it here

@OsitaNwanevu freakish behavior

@OsitaNwanevu the only value held by most pundits is "closeness to power good" and Kirk was undeniably successful in that regard