Salon.com > AlterNet Staff

Tarantino: “I find the criticism ridiculous”

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 00:30:00 +0000

A wide-ranging three-part interview on The Root with Quentin Tarantino conducted by its editor, the Harvard Prof and cultural critic Henry Louis Gates Jr., offers the public a chance to hear Tarantino's thinking about slavery, race, use of the N-word and the making of his latest film, "Django Unchained." Prominent figures including Spike Lee have attacked Tarantino in recent days for being disrespectful and exploitative of America's racial past and present in "Django." The following are excerpts of some his most interesting remarks:

On working with Jamie Foxx to build the character of the hero, Django:

10 right-wingers who got the election hilariously wrong

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:01:00 +0000

We really had a contest between the reality-based community, and a conservative movement that had convinced itself that Obama was so heinous that there was simply no way the American people could possibly re-elect him. Progressives read the polling averages, and read Nate Silver to stave off the anxiety created by a beltway media intent on making the race appear to be a toss-up. As conservatives slept, they dreamed of Ronald Reagan's electoral maps, all painted red, and a defeated, weak Democrat limping off the field of battle, chastened by Real America.

They say the only poll that counts is the final one. And it has revealed a number of conservative pundits – people who make their living gauging the state of the race – to be utterly clueless. So join us, as we take a tour of their wild swings-and-misses. Enjoy the Schadenfreude!

1. Michael Barone

You almost get the sense that Michael Barone, a relatively fact-based analyst, drew the short straw for this one.

Ten Senate races too close to call

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:24:00 +0000

Democrats currently hold 51 Senate seats to the GOP's 47, with two Independent senators voting with the Democrats. Here's a quick rundown on the various close Senate races across the country. Polls don't start closing until the evening on Tuesday, but news, gossip and exit polls will start to surface in the hours ahead. This article will be updated regularly.

1. Indiana Senate : Republican state Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R) vs. Rep. Joe Donnelly (D). The most recent serious poll in Indiana shows that Donnelly has jumped ahead of Mourdock by 3 points, 45-42. Pundits are saying that if the GOP can't win this seat, GOP chances of taking the Senate are somewhere between slim and none.