Mad Reporter! Mad Reporter!
The media are getting mad.
Whether it’s the latest back-and-forth over attack ads, the silly lipstick flap or the continuing debate over Sarah and sexism, you can just feel the tension level rising several notches.
Maybe it’s a sense that this is crunch time, that the election is on the line, that the press is being manipulated (not that there’s anything new about that).
News outlets are increasingly challenging false or questionable claims by the McCain campaign, whether it’s the ad accusing Obama of supporting sex-ed for kindergartners (the Illinois legislation clearly describes “age-appropriate” programs) or Palin’s repeated boast that she stopped the Bridge to Nowhere (after she had supported it, and after Congress had effectively killed the specific earmark).
Now, despite the camouflage of that second sentence, what Howie is mad about is only one of the two campaigns. The entire column is one long rant against John McCain. Howie approvingly quotes left wing blog posts to support his thesis of media anger.
Well, I agree that the media is indeed exhibiting signs of being mad. In the “mad dog” sense of the word. They are, more and more, showing their rabid partisanship for Obama. They are so intent on dragging their chosen candidate across the finish line that they are now unleashing vicious attacks on Cindy McCain. (Yes, Howie, that was your newspaper that put the hit on her. And no, I’m not linking that tabloid trash.)
What Howie and the press fail to notice is that their foaming muzzles are more and more obvious to average voters. People are turned off by the vile behavior of the press these days and are seeing the madness in the media’s eyes.
Others: Powerline, TigerHawk, Ed Driscoll, Mark Steyn.
Incidentally, Steyn also points out this little gem from The Boston Phoenix which warns of a backlash over MSNBC’s obvious dive into the tank for Obama. My one quibble with the article is that the author repeatedly says it is not Obama’s fault that MSNBC (and the media) are in the tank for Obama. I think the Obama campaign is very closely allied with their media buddies.
Other Links to this Post
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Blue Crab Boulevard » Arc — Friday, 12 September , 2008 @ 4:51 am
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The Mahablog » They Must Really Be Mad — Friday, 12 September , 2008 @ 9:37 am
By Mockinbird, Friday, 12 September , 2008 @ 1:37 pm
Obama’s resume is as thin as newsprint; and the press knows it.
By Rich Horton, Friday, 12 September , 2008 @ 2:01 pm
It amazes me that Kurtz can look at, for example, the Gibson interview, or the opinion piece on it masquerading as “news” in the NYT (seriusly read Jim Rutenberg’s piece and tell me if this is a news story about the content of Sarah Palin’s interview, or if it about Rutenberg personal feelings about “how” she said things?), and Kurtz sees nothing odd about it.
The press has spent the last year or so telling us that Barack Obama’s “eloquence” makes up for the fact he hasn’t done anything and they seriously do not like getting called on it.
The press is so casually in the bag for Obama they barely notice it anymore. Its just normal for them. For example, the other day Obama devotes his day of campaigning to education; the very next day PBS’ The Newshour devotes their entire campaign coverage to looking at (Surprise, surprise, surprise!) education. That kind of thing happens routinely. They, to all intents and purposes, allow the Obama campaign to set the news agenda, always on his terms, when he has all his lackeys prepared to spout off for the talking heads.
LArge segments of the MSM are functioning as the PR wing of the Obama campaign and they are shocked that people are getting pissed off about it.
By martian, Friday, 12 September , 2008 @ 2:17 pm
“News outlets are increasingly challenging false or questionable claims by the McCain campaign”
However, I don’t see them doing the same in regard to false or questionable claims by the Obama/Biden campaign - and there are plenty of those out there. This, again, just goes to show the MSM bias that’s out there in living color.
By Rich Horton, Friday, 12 September , 2008 @ 2:19 pm
Yes martian, notice how they are treating the Obama/Ayers connection as “asked and answered” by merely accepting the word of Obama on the matter.
I guess there is no reason to believe Obama would be prejudiced in the matter?
By Bleepless, Friday, 12 September , 2008 @ 7:02 pm
Kurtz does not realize that the media are not getting mad, they have gone mad.