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| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| The other bailout |
| 2008-12-22 |
| By now, many in the American mainstream media (MSM) have admitted the obvious: Coverage of the recent US presidential campaign was heavily biased in favor of Barack Obama. ...Admittedly, the American ideal of an objective, adversarial press has always been mostly myth, extolled by the MSM with delusional self-flattery. But it did exist to some extent, and its absence is an ominous development for American democracy: The same press that spent months cheerleading for Obama instead of reporting and investigating is now too invested in his success to be sufficiently critical when necessary. In truth, MSM retreat from objectivity reached its tipping point during the 2000 election controversy. Since then, there has been a poorly-disguised loathing of President George W. Bush by the MSM. Reporting that even pretended to be objective yet adversarial gave way to a hyper-critical, obstructionist style, painting everything Bush-related in the worst possible light. And that has repercussions for America. For example, reflexive MSM Bush-bashing has poisoned reporting on Iraq and the war on terror. ...NOW THE problem is the reverse. Throughout the campaign, the MSM acted like hyperventilating teenage girls with a crush on Obama, complete with Chris Matthews, host of Hardball famously stating that "I felt a thrill going up my leg" as Obama spoke. Similarly, the love-struck press would not countenance any story that could damage Obama's image. Where was the MSM "hardball" coverage of Obama reneging on his explicit promise to use only public financing? The extent of his adherence to the black liberation theology of his church? His role in Chicago's notoriously corrupt political machine? Even the Washington Post's Howell admitted: "Obama deserved tougher scrutiny than he got, especially of his undergraduate years, his start in Chicago and his relationship with Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who was convicted this year of influence-peddling in Chicago. The Post did nothing on Obama's drug use as a teenager." (Cindy McCain's past prescription drug addiction, however, seemed to be fair game.) Having so thoroughly taken sides during the campaign, the MSM is now dangerously over-invested in Obama's success. Being human - and not known for their modesty - MSM personalities are unlikely to make themselves look foolish for their unmitigated Obama support. What this means in practical terms is that Obama will have tremendous leeway to do anything, and fail at anything, with little critical analysis from the press. The MSM have staked so much of their professional and reputational capital in his success that they will feel compelled to keep extending him additional political credit. For their own sakes, they cannot allow Obama to be perceived as a failure no matter what he actually does. They will be there to bail him out. This MSM behavior already is evident in the coverage of the unfolding scandal of the bribery auction to fill Obama's Senate seat. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |
| #5 OOPSIES, forgot to add WAFF > RUSSIA CONFIRMS RECESSION TO COME, and its gonna be bad. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-12-22 23:10 |
| #4 ION WORLD MIL FORUM [paraph = GOOGLE Chinglish translation] > IIUC BRITISH UPROAR OVER 1/3 SHARES SALE OF NATION's LAST REMAINING NUCLEAR WEAPONS PLANT TO US BUSINESS GROUP. BRITS > An awfully bad show from Whitehall, 'ole boy = [seeming]LOSS OF BRIT SOVEREIGNTY, LOSS OF BRITISH-CONTROLLED NUKULAR DETERRENCE AND NUCLEARISM, NATIONAL PRIDE, SURRENDER TO AMERICA = THE COLONIALS,...............@@etc. AND ALL THAT! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-12-22 22:44 |
| #3 "the media down around Congress and pedophiles" Of the 3, pedophiles poll highest. And deserve to.... |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-12-22 18:40 |
| #2 Polaroid cameras? |
| Posted by: Hupimp Borgia3748 2008-12-22 18:26 |
| #1 Read the numbers on the Pew polls every year on 'trust' with the military well above 60% and the media down around Congress and pedophiles. |
| Posted by: P2k on holiday 2008-12-22 17:41 |