I'm sitting here reading this ridiculous muttering that WashPost columnist Howard Kurtz tries to pass off today, and I'm getting a good chuckle out of it, because the media simply doesn't get it. The media has spent the past 7 days trying to defend their own righteous might, oblivious to what's happening here. America is shedding the Old Media in favor of the New Media, for one reason: They're tired of sensationalistic, often biased journalism that substitutes cheerleading for reporting. That goes for all of 'em, from the New York Times and MSNBC to Fox News Channel and the NY Post. There's a reason almost every major newspaper is operating in the red, cable news networks are losing traffic, and Internet news sources are attracting more readers than they can shake a stick at. Instead of addressing these reasons, the egotistical elitists in the press try to convince us that they're "just doing our jobs." Yeah. Well, America isn't buying it.
The news media, from Kurtz to Couric to The Politico co-founder Roger Simon, whines that they're just asking the questions that need to be asked. When that fails, they become confrontational: "Yeah, well why SHOULDN'T Sarah Palin be asked the same questions as everyone else?"
To my knowledge, Palin -- nor the McCain Campaign -- have decried asking tough questions about Palin's past. It comes with the territory. But a little fairness is in order.
I did a few Google News searches the other day. A search for "Biden brother son hedge-fund" returns 132 results. Which is about 130 too many, since Biden's brother and son aren't running for vice president. Yet, a search for "Palin husband DUI" returns 813 results. In fact, the media had discussed Todd Palin's 22-year-old DUI conviction more in the past 2 weeks than they've discussed Obama's self-confessed use of cocaine in the past 8 months (a search for "Obama cocaine" returns 720 stories).
It's a double-standard, and one that is obvious to everyone . . . everyone, apparently, but the media themselves. When the National Enquirer reported that Sarah Palin had an affair with her husband's business partner, several news outlets jumped on it. Some, in fact, did so before the story was even printed, reporting, "The National Enquirer plans to report . . ." Yet, when the same gossip tabloid reported that John Edwards -- who at the time was in the running to be Obama's veep selection -- had an affair, the newspapers were ominously silent. Even the New York Times, who had months earlier reported a baseless claim that McCain had an affair and would months later report that Palin had an affair (with 5 stories in one day, in fact), was silent. What did Simon, the co-founder of the increasingly-biased Politico, the same Simon who jeered at the GOP claims of unfair treatment, have to say about the Edwards affair? "There are human beings involved in this . . . The story turned out to be true so you could say the mainstream media should have reported it long ago. But there are scores of rumors out there, scores of stories that turn out not to be true -- should the mainstream media report every rumor that someone has raised?"
Of course not, Roger. The media's job isn't to report rumors; it is to confirm rumors. Then report them. But that apparently only applies at an editor's discretion. Simon's website admitted to ignoring the Edwards rumor because, as co-founder Jim VandeHei said, "I remember the sort of collective response was, 'Ah, Edwards can't be that dumb.'"
Then there's baby Trig, the Down's syndrome child of Palin's who some on the left claimed was actually the governor's grandchild, claimed as her own for political gain and to protect her daughter. The Atlantic and the DailyKOS both reported the story, without an ounce of credible evidence to back up the claims. Yet, many mainstream media outlets printed the claims. What did Politico's VandeHei, the same man who dismissed the Edwards affair story as rumor, have to say about Trig? "I don't know a reporter who off-the-record wouldn't say there's some compelling stuff in here if you look at the photos." (P.S. Jim: The Enquirer had photos of Edwards with his mistress. It doesn't get much more compelling than that . . . but you and your supposedly "legitimate" news website weren't compelled).
Do a Google News search and hundreds of stories about the wild rumor of baby Trig turn up. Do a similar search on Obama and Larry Sinclair -- the Chicago man who said in a similarly wild and unsubstantiated rumor that he and Obama had a homosexual relationship in the back of Obama's limousine while doing cocaine in 1999 -- and only 20 results turn up.
Oh, no, there's no conspiracy here. None at all. Or maybe there is. The Boston Herald even had a column on Palin's hair, claiming it to be 20 years out-of-date and quoting a stylist who says that it shows she is "out of touch with current events." The writer apparently knew how the story would be perceived, admonishing critics just 3 paragraphs into the mantra to "Get real. People talk about hair -- from Mitt Romney's perfectly sprayed coif, John Edward's Breck do, McCain's unfortunate combover and Barak's no. 3 buzz cut." Yet, a search of the Boston Herald's archives turns up no mention of Obama's buzz cut or McCain's unfortunate combover.
There is a smear campaign of Sarah Palin underway by some on the left. And, whether it's intended or not, the news media is serving as a mouthpiece for that campaign.
And they can whine and complain about that assertion all they want. But if the traditional media wants to remain the traditional media and not the once-was media, they'll start reporting, stop opining, and then the conservatives will have nothing to talk about.
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Politics, it seems to me, all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. ~Richard Armour
The media is biased simply on the fact of where the money comes from. Republican funded, is Republican bias, Dem is Dem. They also lobby, and skate on taxes, with the Republican plan.
Gris, that was very good investigating and writing!
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
Excellent post! It confirms what most people know, but democrats are reluctant, or refuse to admit. Nowadays, such reporting backfires more than it serves as effective attacks, and the polls show it.
Do a Google News search and hundreds of stories about the wild rumor of baby Trig turn up. Do a similar search on Obama and Larry Sinclair -- the Chicago man who said in a similarly wild and unsubstantiated rumor that he and Obama had a homosexual relationship in the back of Obama's limousine while doing cocaine in 1999 -- and only 20 results turn up.
How surprising this never came out. The media did a good job of hiding Resko,Ayers,Wright as well.
Obama has never been questioned or asked a tough question during this campaign or ever and if he was he brushed it off and didn't answer it directly.
This media tsunamiwill backfire in their face big time. ThisNovember they will be wandering around like the little whiny puppies they are wondering what happened and they'll probably invoke Roves nameor another Republican campaign manager. No one ever accused them of being exceptionally bright.
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"Banning guns is an idea whose time has come."
- Joseph Biden
Associated Press 11/18/93
"Be thankful that we're not getting all the government we are paying for." Will Rogers
The New York Times story of Palin's sit-down with Charles Gibson: "She looked like a student trying to bend prepared answers to fit unexpected questions." That's one of the comments in the story that the Times tries to pass off tonight as a hard news story. Do they really think Americans are that stupid? News reporters should not be editorializing in news stories. And on top of that, I would encourage anyone who thinks the Times isn't biased to find me a story where they've been critical of an Obama speaking engagement or interview.
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Politics, it seems to me, all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. ~Richard Armour
Democrat political hacks are scared out of their little panties of Palin. Palin is everything that the average Democrat politician is not. Palin is not a graduate of some ultra-left wingcollege in the NE part of the US, she is not ashamed of her Christian faith, she hunts and fishes.Lastly Palin does not look like your average female Democrat politician: It is arequirement that a female Democratpoliticianlook like a worn outtruck stopprostitute.
The media simply doesn't get it
