Robin Toner
I wasn't nearly as close a friend to Robin Toner as Karen, but we traveled many a mile together on the campaign trail, with many fond memories. My fondest was during the 1988 presidential campaign. Robin and I were following the Pat Robertson for President campaign in South Carolina and were left behind--yes, that is a Rapture reference--by the Robertson press bus in Aiken.
Happily, we were offered a ride to the next Reverend Pat event by an itinerant evangelical minister and his Bible-spouting 14-year-old-son, also a minister, in a splashy Pontiac convertible. The talk was Godilicious all the way and eventually spun toward the religion of the two visiting journalists. I was asked first. "Jewish," I replied, which occasioned a condescending effusion of joy and trumpets the likes of which I have rarely seen. We were Preparing The Way, we Israelites. We were Fulfilling Prophecy. Boy, did those dudes love Israel.
"And what about you, Miss Toner?" The elder evangelist then asked. "I'm a Roman Catholic," Robin said. Dead Silence. The temperature in the car seemed to drop 10 degrees. We drove the rest of the way to Columbia without a word. When we got out of the car, Robin said to me, "Well, you Israelites are safe, for a change. If these guys win, the gas chambers'll be for us this time."
Robin was a fine reporter and an even better person. My thoughts and prayers are with her family. She will be missed.
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1
I am Roman Catholic. Why don't they like us?
Sorry for your loss.
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Joe, that was a lovely, telling story. Thank you.
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Thanks for that story.
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4
Every fundie I've met believes that the Catholic Church is a cult. The looks of disbelief on their faces when I tell them that the Catholic Church is the original Christian church is precious. Dumbest white people on the face of the planet.
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My condolences to KT and Ms Toner's friends and family. -
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They were showing restraint by not going into an anti-papal tirade. It's the fundie version of being polite.
Thanks for the very revealing and funny story, Joe.
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Robin Toner, a "Roman Catholic"? Try: Fundamentalist leftist feminist. That's the only allowed religion at the New York Times. They do, though, make exceptions for the fundamentalist earth worshippers and the fundamentalist homosexualists.
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I have expressed my condolences to KT, and now to you Joe. Not meaning to make light of a sad, too early loss, it would be my delight to give a ride to 2 national reporters/writers during the top of an election, and to talk religion with a Jew, a Catholic, and an evangelical no less. textee, I would want you along for the ride as well, whatever it is you are.
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8
@formerlyjames: Do you mean in the trunk or on the roof? Sit, Seamus, sit! Good dog!
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9
Just reading about her in different articles - wow, what a trailblazer, what a professional. What a loss.
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[...] Robin Toner I wasn’t nearly as close a friend to Robin Toner as Karen, but we traveled many a mile together on the campaign [...] [...]
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