John McCain’s War On The News Media
I feel more than justified in having been harshly-critical of mainstream media coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign from the jump because I know of what I speak: This is my ninth campaign as a reporter, editor and now blogger.
But that does not explain, let alone forgive, John McCain’s war on the news media — from bristling about being called out on his serial lies to denying any and all access to Sarah Palin that is not carefully-scripted to the big guy’s own disappearing act.
Then there was the hysterical tug of war between Palin’s handlers and the networks before her meet-and-greet yesterday at the United Nations. Cameras would be permitted but not reporters because they might actually report on what this remarkably vapid woman might say.
When the handlers relented and reporters were allowed access, this is typical of the breathless encounters they wrote about:
“Ms. Palin and Mr. Kissinger sat on blue couches, separated by an end table with photographs of President Nixon and President Reagan on it. As photographers were led in, Mr. Kissinger could be heard saying that he gave someone ‘a lot of credit for what he did in Georgia.’
” ‘Good, good,’ Ms. Palin said. ‘And you’ll give me more insight on that, also, huh? Good.’ “
To which I can only add, good grief!
There is no question that the war against the media is being choreographed by Steve Schmidt, Rick Davis and their merry band of Rovian pranksters. Yes, the selfsame Davis who hurls fire and brimstone at The New York Times for not swallowing the campaign’s lies whole while lying about his involvement with failed mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
These bums understand that the news media is widely reviled by the public. They know that the war on the media is a way of diverting attention from real issues, including Palin’s inability to say anything that is not written on a cue card. And that despite rumblings about a rebellion by some of the bigger media outlets, there will not be widespread resistance.
Will the war on the media backfire? Eventually. But it will be the voters and not John McCain and Sarah Palin who will be choking on the smoke.
15 Responses to “John McCain’s War On The News Media”
[...] John McCain’s War On The News Media [...]
So, this is your ninth campaign as an activist, dissembler and now netrooter.
Little wonder why the public holds the media in such low esteem.
Shaun, are you really that desperate that you continue to behave worse than the media? Down you go into the sewer once again. [sound of klaxon] Dive! Dive!
I ran across a wonderful speech given by Mark Twain about the press entitled, “License of the Press.” In it he says, “I am personally acquainted with hundreds of journalists, and the opinion of the majority of them would not be worth tuppence in private, but when they speak in print it is the newspaper that is talking (the pygmy scribe is not visible) and then their utterances shake the community like the thunders of prophecy.” Can't say it any better.
It's the _media_ (campaigning for Obama) that has been conducting warfare (sometimes nearly a scorched-earth form of warfare as well as scummy terrorist or guerrilla campaign, as we also have seen on-line), because Palin has attracted a broad audience and boosted McCain's chances of surviving all the way to the White House. The public has long held the media and its biased misbehavior in contempt, and this reaction has grown since the media have openly behaved as badly as they have since Palin's appearance nation-wide.
It's enough to make people feel the Bush Cheney Kremlin crowd are at times still justified in being so Kremlinesque. After all, the media are normally just untrustworthy, scheming leftist Mongols looking for information to use to undermine and attack (while treating their liberal and Democratic counterparts in Washington so obviously much differently).
All that's needed now is for Keith Olbermann (Obama worshipper and nut case) to be extra scummy on nation-wide broadcasting toward Palin as well as McCain. The response among the higher half of the bell curve? Disgust and defense of Palin and McCain.
“Thunders of prophecy” — the media are so far down now that the Dem Flagship New York Times is more like a popgun (dispensing little shots of “manure”) than much more or much else these days.
If the media is to blame it is for focusing on the petty and irrelevant, while ignoring the bigger issues during the campaign. Also, they can be blamed for excess timidity in the days after 9/11 leading up to the Iraq invasion.
But there is no requirement that they show Sarah Palin due deference, nor should they.
The real tragedy of the situation is that an open, accurate and fair press is vital to our democracy.
Most people are reasonable and would easily come to agreement on the problems in our society if presented with the truth, but activist “reporters” misrepresent, lie and twist events into unrecognizable figments of their warped worldview.
These people who have chose to change the world through distortion already are reviled by the vast majority of the country and, with the advent of the internet, are now being exposed daily for their lies. However, shaming someone who doesn’t comprehend the meaning of the word does no good.
As the bastions of misinformation such as the NY Times and NBC news suffer the ridicule and financial punishment of a loss of trust, more and more truth will reach the general public. We can only hope that the process of routing out the fallacy merchants continues to thrive.
I'm just waiting for the Sean Penn moment where she clocks a paparazzo/network cameraman.
At the end of the day, it all begs the question “What has she got to hide?”- Mrs. “Hold me Accountable” has become “Call my accountant”.
Did Dan Quayle ever get this barricaded?
Transparent- nope nope.
jwest and DLS,
You're embarrassing yourselves with the reflexive insults you throw at any post with the Shaun's name on the byline.
I agree with Chris.
You both must have a lot of extra time on your hands to waste reading posts by someone you consider “worse than the media”. LOL
DLS- Olbermann was removed from MSNBC's broadcasts covering the debates and the election, remember?
Shaun said: “These bums understand that the news media is widely reviled by the public.”
This begs the question of why the news media is widely reviled by the public. Also, why polls consistently show the public — even a sizeable number of Democrats — believing the media favoring Obama over McCain.
Could it be examples like “The Atlantic” hiring a fiercely anti-Republican photographer to do a cover portrait of McCain?
A photographer who — amazed at being hired, given her professed beliefs — attempts to take the worst possible pictures of McCain.
The Atlantic editors still claim that they think their cover picture is a fine one, and that it is all a matter of interpretation.
This is the classic media/liberal fallback. It is all a matter of interpretation…different viewpoints . . . .
In this case, however, the photographer described in detail how she made every picture — including the one chose — the worst possible in order to damage McCain.
This beauty of this example is that it is clear cut…we have an open confession.
The only way for Democrats to deny it is to stick their fingers in their ears and go: lalalalalalala…can't hear you!
But the New York Times persists in its fig leaf claim that it is unbiased and objective in its reporting.
In fairness, it must be said that McCain himself is a creation of media bias . . . and he had no complaints when the media covered his gaffes, and his anger and senior moments in 2000 . . . when he was fighting the liberal arch-nemesis Bush.
So it is hypocritical of McCain to complain about bias . . . a bias that he once enjoyed and benefitted from.
And yes, there is a political strategy at work here on McCain's part.
But he is also right . . . there is a media bias against him in this election.
Chris/Kritt,
I assure you I meant neither harm nor malice to the writer in question. My sole intention was to restore in him some sense of appreciation for his duties as a man and a reporter. “If one could shame a liberal,” I felt, “one might help him to gain his self-respect.” This was on my mind. Now, I freely admit my method was wrong. But I hope you can understand my motive, and accept this… apology.
All Palin-prevaricator has to do is counter her parochial Annie Oakley persona and have a sit-down discussion with another female politician, such as Germany's Angela Merkel and allow us all, the world over, to hear what it is about her that the Republicans so admire.
And I agree with both Chriswww and kritt11 – Intelligent disagreements are perfectly fine, but knee-jerk spitballs lobbed at the reporter/messenger is just petty.