The Great American Mainstream Press Pass-time: Nailin’ Palin
I am not terribly fond of Sarah Palin. I have written about this extensively. She is not particularly bright, articulate or engaging as a politician. Being incredibly sexy wears off after awhile. But when she is being blithely attacked, it bothers me to no end because, for the most part, it’s not on the issues, but rather, some partisan bromide by a press corps that while compliant to the Obama doctrine (whatever that may have morphed into this week), they are, to accommodate such bias, only sniping because it’s easy.
The Associated Press, a pillar of the mainstream media, has released a rather gratuitous series of stories on some email traffic that shows Todd Palin, the Governor’s husband, as being a significant participant in a decision-making processes that pertained to oil and gas matters in the great crude-rich state of Alaska.
So I spent the morning doing a little research on how many stories the AP did on former First Lady Hillary Clinton, while she was pushing pet initiatives in Wild Willy’s White House. Why? Well, it’s simple. The Dragon Lady was the first First Lady to hire an extensive staff, have her own ‘executive’ office in the West Wing and carry an entirely unworkable national (healthcare) policy–straight into the jaws of hell. (By the way, for a superb assessment of Hillary Clinton’s public life, pick -up a copy of Carl Bernstein’s exceptional tome, ‘A Woman In Charge’)
Lest we forget, too, that Ms. Clinton raised and tenured such folly for almost two years before it all expired in one gargantuan fireball of failure.
Five front line stories. Five. That’s it.
Yet Sarah Palin’s husband warrants an entire investigative team, multiple stories (plus three follow-ups), on issues that, I add with some pleasure, he was right on. But Ms. Clinton, sitting next the then most powerful man on the planet, while cradling a national policy with all the aplomb of a Bull Moose in heat, warranted only FIVE headliners. There were no follow-ups.
Here is what the AP says of its grand objectivity; its raison-d’etre; its significance! Bow to their greatness.
More to the point: Laugh at their bullshit.
And here, is the story. You’ll notice, for those of you who break-out in a rash over Fox’s dictum of ‘fairness and balance’, it is carried, indeed, by Fox News. Yes, the same Fox News that has hired Ms. Palin as a political commentator is carrying a fairly negative story. Tell me again that Fox panders only to one side…
They are no more offensive in the way they present the news than anyone else. At least they don’t pretend like CNN or certainly the AP.
Seems about right. Obama is still blaming George W for everything, why shouldn’t the MSM continue attacking a person who doesn’t even hold office anymore?
I say keep it up. It’s brought Obama 3 losses in the past year, and a popularity level dropping faster than anyone would have imagined just a few months ago.
Gee, if I remember correctly, George W. had some pretty impressive poll numbers for the first few years of his presidency, and far north of where Obama is after just 13 months.
Oprah may have anointed him as “the one”, and America finally got their first non-white President, but he is turning out to be the biggest and most colossal failure of any president in modern history.
They can go after Palin all they want but it still won’t cover up the spectacular incompetence, of supposedly the smartest “white house” in years.
Way to go liberal democrats…….can you hear us laughing?
…cause I’m on the floor….
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The truth is, they just don’t get it. Great comment. Nice to hear from you, Glen.
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Yeah well, I’m sure Hil had lots to say about US policy when her husband was running the show, everything except what he should do with his cigars, or to whom he should recite Leaves of Grass to. Of course, we being right-wing conspirators, our viewpoint is of little concern to this single case lawyer. It doesn’t really matter anyway, the last time I saw her on T.V. she looked to be at death’s door-step, but then she always was a stoned-faced b****h. The kind who thinks it takes a village to raise a child, and that pretty much covers her entire repertoire.
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Tells us what you really think, don’t hold back so much Larry…
I don’t disagree…
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Years ago, back before I used to read the news as extensively as I do now, I would have thought that the claims of media bias were overwrought, and based on a rather active imagination. But having been exposed to the 24 hour shriekstream media now for about 3 years and a bit, I can safely say that not only is there a bias, but an active campaign to ignore those things which might otherwise not meet with their particular worldview.
A perfect case in point was Climategate. Climategate exposed the media for the craven infotainment organizations they are. And when called out on it, they recoiled with mock disdain, as though the very accusation had sullied their unimpeachable reputation.
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One of the best comments this blog has seen thus far. Kudos!
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Ever notice that the slippery slope argument only runs in one direction? It began with the legal community when they would summon a dire future of 1984 proportions if we let the police do A or B, because it would end up with citizens arrested for spitting on the sidewalk and being sentenced to hard labor and buggery for 20 years.
The self appointed guardians of society news media have fully embraced the slippery slope scenario by falling victim to it, hurtling headlong into irrelevance by pursuing “dirt” instead of news, blood instead of fact, and schlock instead of grit. All you have to do is examine the various story headlines and compare them to the actual story to see the hucksterism at work. The snide innuendo, pregnant phrases and obvious bias is revolting.
The hubris of wolf Blitzer in the “situation room” where the dissection of excruciating minutiae is astounding, is another example. It was positively inane watching the politicians and various other talking heads on the birth certificate issue.
For a real howl, its Ian Mulgrew and his personal agenda, bending, twisting and even manufacturing on some topics. I must apologize however, as I do find it all quite amusing, and I am never disappointed in adding levity to my day. So it does serve a noble purpose…
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Yeah, you sure nailed it (again!). Mulgrew’s idiocy was on full display last week when he was defending Steve Fonyo. Absolutely shameless. Anybody with a dime-bag and an excuse gets Mulgrew’s immediate sympathy. Hmm…wonder why…
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Hi Alex, While our opinions about Sarah Palin may differ, we are certainly in agreement that Fox News, despite their conservative slant, which they don’t hide, unlike the other MSM they give “both sides” of the story, what makes them the channel to watch if you want real news, instead of the “biased pap” offered by the other channels, which not only supply “suitable news” favouring their “policies” and hiding their “slant”, pretending to be impartial, but as you corectly indicate, their double standard is appalling.
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Phew! What a pleasure to hear form one of my regulars! I had this insane woman post ridiculous, incoherent messages all day and it’s taken me this long to get rid of most of the inanities she popped up.
More to the point, yes, I agree the double-standard is indeed troubling. I find Bill Moyer from PBS and Keith Olbermann of MSNBC to be particularly appalling.
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Alex, you rascal you!… Pray tell – did you lift this thread’s leader from Hustler?….
http://tinyurl.com/yhj4sx4
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Okay, that’s HILARIOUS! Frankly, I’ve been a Penthouse man for about 25 years…
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Penthouse?! No way, I had you pegged for a Playboy kinda guy!
Seriously, Palin is really not too bright as you say. I sure like lookin’ at her though.
See ya big man. Luv yer blog.
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Okay, this thread is just going sideways…
When did I loose control of this blog to horny toads?
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Rumor has it that Mulgrew has a drug addled relative and is in the same mode as Jerry Paradis and his drug addled son, in that society has failed their kin and now suffer the wrath of both the towering intellects. Mulgrew with his inane blatherings and Paradis following a tepid career on the bench with his unholy zeal in supporting LEAP.
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Yeah, I’ve heard the same, and I feel for both of them. But because their own have issues and the system MAY have failed them, doesn’t give them the right to wreck havoc over the lives of others with irresponsible, often inaccurate, statements or positions.
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Off topic just a wee bit (okay, a lot). I just happened to poke my nose into today’s issue of the 24Hrs. (Tell it not in Gath!) and came across a column by one Linda Cullen, which I have seen before and which I understood was supposed to do with relationships, but appears to be mainly about the sexual side of said topic. I’m not sure if she was meant to replace you, or whether in fact you know her, or of her. Judging from the graphic that goes with the column, I presume that her target audience would be the Bevis and Butthead crowd (or at least those of them that can read). I am not of course suggesting that they are not sentient or capable of responding to stimulus; indeed one suspects they are perceptive of a movement in their loins, even if it wasn’t induced on their own intention. I trust too that they seldom read your column anyway, because without the attendant erotica the only response you would be likely to induce would be, “Duh – My brain hurts!”
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Yes, I know Linda Cullen and she was one of my favorite columnists at 24hrs. She was part of the the great big cuts that took place, that washed over the newsroom. Of the columnists, only Tieleman and I survived… I actually like Linda and her writing is highly entertaining. But today’s column could have been so much more. I thought it was a little disappointing. But I have heard they are scrambling over there. If it wasn’t for great reporters in their newsroom like Bob Mackin and Dharm, they’d shutter the windows. They have such huge potential but try to be everything to everyone. They wonder why they aren’t taken more seriously, well, look at the paper. Tomorrow Tieleman will do something at least approaching acceptable and then for the rest of the week, zilch, mindless pap. Sad.
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Got to split with you on this one Alex.
The latest emails are newsworthy because they confirm suspicions that the Toddster was de facto Governor due to Princess Sarah’s inability to handle her hands-on duties. That incompetence, as much as any embarrassing electronic paper trail, probably spurred her to resign. If she runs for the Big Job in 2012, is the campaign slogan to be: Elect Me and I’ll Quit???
Much can be said oh Hillary. But other than the health-care file (which she was appointed to chair) there was never any suggestion that Willy was such a dillard that Hil had to pinch hit in the Oval Office.
Sarah and Hillary are apples and oranges: a baby babe Barracuda compared to an aging lethal Great White Shark.
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Oh, I agree for the most part… I just think the contradictory positions are glaring…
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Oops, second to last paragraph should read “of Hillary” and “Willy was a dullard.”
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No problem.
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I guess I look at things a little bit different than many others. Left leaning types state that the media is biased towards the right , and the right side of the spectrum suggest the opposite.
The problem is that those of us that just want unbiased information upon which we can make our own judgements is sorely lacking. Whether it is the reporter, editor or whomever, it seems that most information nowadays is being massaged.
Black is black and white is white, and I for one am getting tired of anyone trying to convince me otherwise, for whatever reason.
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I’ll agree with that. I just think that regardless of biases, and we all have them, fair and balanced should not just be the calling card of the most popular and successful cable news network in America. As you’ve clearly stated, good reporting is good reporting–and there is a great dearth of it.
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Hope you didn’t think I was too disparaging of your co-columnist, I mean, one must do whatever the boss wants, mustn’t one? I’m sure she has a deeper side with more to say, than what I perceived. It’s just that I’ve grown out of that sort of thing, and it wasn’t really available outside of Playboy, when I was a teen. Isn’t it funny how every generation seems to think that they invented sex? I eventually became aware of the fact that I wasn’t brought by the stork and I wasn’t found under a cabbage leaf, but couldn’t imagine my parents doing those kinds of things. Now they want to tell you all (and I mean all!) about it in school. I’m sure that when you throw a man and a woman into the same bed, even without ever having even been told about sex, they would have it figured out in less than 5 minutes. Tielman proved today that he does have a sense of humour (have you been giving him lessons?) and that all is not doom and gloom in B.C., just comical as hell; Conserve-A-Tory, not bad! Well let the Liberals enjoy their Olympic glow, as it’s all about to start unwinding re the B.C. Rail controversy. The fat is in the fire!
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No, I didn’t think you were disparaging at all. And yes, I enjoyed Tieleman’s column today. It was unusually good.
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