A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
Are you angry at the way the media is trying to control this presidential election? For just the latest example, check out this actual front page of the Palm Beach Post. Please note both main headlines (they're not even trying to pretend they lack bias any more!).
On the one hand, maybe you shouldn't worry. Gallup polled Americans and found that not a single non-Democrat in the country even pays attention to the media. OK, slight exaggeration but less than 40% of Americans even say they're paying attention to news about national politics.
More importantly, 60% of Americans say that have little or no trust in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately and fairly -- a record high.
Republicans and Independents agree on the issue. Respectively 26% and 31% of them trust the media. But a whopping 58% of Democrats trust the media.
Which brings us to Continetti's piece in the Washington Free Beacon:
You are probably eager to vote on Nov. 6. You have followed the news closely, watched the ads, listened to the conventions, and waited for the debates. If you are like most people, you are worried about the direction of the country, and for good reason. Calling the current economic situation a “recovery” is an insult. The government has failed to address important matters such as taxes, spending, and debt. American embassies across the Muslim world are under siege. The situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating, Putin just ejected USAID from Russia, and China and Japan are hurtling towards conflict. The candidates agree: This election is a choice between two futures. You get to say which path you would prefer in a little over a month.
Just kidding! The election is over, and Mitt Romney lost. He’s toast; his goose is cooked; put a fork in him he’s done; he’s yesterday’s news. Disagree? That’s too bad. The American media have made up their minds. And on this they are certain: Barack Obama is a lock for reelection. They may not be sure when Romney lost exactly—was it his trip to England, Israel, and Poland? Was it the Clint Eastwood speech at the RNC? Was it Romney’s response to the attacks on our embassies in Benghazi and Cairo? Was it his leaked remarks on government dependency? The exact date doesn’t matter. What matters is that the chorus has spoken. The politburo has decided. A consensus has been reached. Romney will lose, and the only question is by how much. The voters might as well stay at home.
The conceited arrogance with which our most sophisticated and well-schooled editors, writers, and journalists voice this conclusion makes it that much more annoying. Their eagerness to judge Romney a failure is not only premature but also erodes whatever credibility they had left. Indeed, the ridiculous manner in which the political press has covered the 2012 campaign suggests that “bias” is no longer a suitable description of the character of the media establishment. “Partisan toadies” may be a better one. “Obama’s army” is another.
What follows are some of the most enjoyable slaps at the media that I've read in a long time. I encourage you to read the whole thing so that you can have the same pleasure. He ends on a sobering point:
But be warned: If Romney does lose, not only will you have to deal with the consequences of a second Obama term. You also will have to watch as the smug and puffed up soldiers in Obama’s vainglorious army pat themselves on the back, and pompously remind the country that they were right all along. And that is a price even the most eager voter should be unwilling to pay.
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Comments:
Jun '10
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
If conservative Republicans controlled the White House and both houses of Congress, how irrelevant (and worthless) would most of these mainstream reporters be? Completely, and they know it.
Aug '11
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
The LINK to Continetti's piece that Molly forgot to provide! : )
Dec '10
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
Link to Continetti's article.
Jan '11
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
The more I hear about the US, the more saddened I am. Your northern neighbour still has some balance. I'm encouraging our government to build a wall along the Canada/US border. With a moat. And Alligators.
May '11
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
What discourages me is that when I talk to self-described "independents," what I hear is that "both sides do it." They always cite to Fox News as if that somehow completely counterbalances the entire MSM, hollywood, and even television shows (that should have nothing to do with politics) championing the liberal cause.
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
Whoopsie! It's in there now. But thank you.
Aug '12
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
I think it goes beyond bias.
Newspapers, in their current form, are not going to exits much longer. The ones that are thriving have dramatically changed their structures and approaches.
The ones who do not wish to change only have one hope for staying alive, which is government subsidies. Newspapers know which party is more likely to subsidize the print media.
Jun '12
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
"If Romney does lose, not only will you have to deal with the consequences of a second Obama term. You also will have to watch as the smug and puffed up soldiers in Obama’s vainglorious army pat themselves on the back , and pompously remind the country that they were right all along."
Antithetically speaking, if Romney wins by a landslide, I for one will guiltily gloat in their utter disillusionment. Watching all the MSM pundits squirm and console, fabricating verbose salves to assuage their injured pride will be pure entertainment. Or, it might make my head explode.
Sep '10
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
It is absolutely mind-boggling. I'm learning so much about people's memories, general psychology, belief systems and seeing why and how people can be members of strange cults. I now understand concepts like "Stockholm Syndrome" and how, as long as a message is repeated often enough from "different" sources, how quick ordinary people are to believe massive lies, and how easily they can be made to forget.
It has to go beyond regular reporter bias and their political sympathies. Media corporations are donating massive amounts of in-kind contributions to the Obama campaign and Democrats. I wouldn't be able to quantify the amount of advertising a political party would have to buy to counter the free messages and storylines that Democrats get from these people every day, but it would be in the billions.
All anyone has to do is go back in history - a distant four years ago - and listen to what Obama was saying in 2008 to understand that the mainstream media is lying, running interference, distracting and covering for him and his cronies every day.
May '11
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
If Romney wins I'm taking the next day off work to watch the MSM meltdown live
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
Late October will be fun. Suddenly, CNN, NPR, Pravda-on-the-Hudson, Pravda-on-the-Potomac, and, alas, The Wall Street Journal will have to explain to their readers why Romney is surging.
Those who are aware that Gallup had Romney and Obama tied among registered voters in mid-September and that Rasmussen had Romney ahead of Obama at that time among those likely to vote will only laugh. We are witnessing the death throes of the old order. The less the legacy press is able to manipulate us, the more desperately it tries.
Feb '12
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
So it's a 3 weeks a year, high summer deterrent? :D
Apr '11
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
Paul A. Rahe: Late October will be fun. Suddenly, CNN, NPR,Pravda-on-the-Hudson,Pravda-on-the-Potomac, and, alas,The Wall Street Journal will have to explain to their readers why Romney is surging.
Those who are aware that Gallup had Romney and Obama tied among registered votersin mid-September and that Rasmussen had Romney ahead of Obama at that time among those likely to votewill only laugh. We are witnessing the death throes of the old order. The less the legacy press is able to manipulate us, the more desperately it tries. · 14 minutes ago
I hope your're right, but I just don't see it. As of today, Rasmussen has Obama ahead among likelies. The Real Clear Politics polling average page is just a sea of blue. This has got to have an effect among both voters and donors. With Obama having 90 mil in cash-on-hand, I am worried about Romney's fundraising being able to keep up.
Jan '11
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
Amy Schley, funny! Well, the fence will be electrified :)
In all seriousness, ten years ago Obama's redistributionist tape would have been a shocker. But now, with the sympathetic OWS media paean, the American public has been so mollified (sorry MH) to the biased media message that the battle is almost lost.
Oct '10
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
26% of Republicans trust the media. Sadly, almost 100% of Republican congresscritters would walk over broken glass to be humiliated on Meet the Press. And a goodly proportion of conservative pundits and public intellectuals would be flattered to write for the New York Times.
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
wmartin
Paul A. Rahe: Late October will be fun. Suddenly, CNN, NPR,Pravda-on-the-Hudson,Pravda-on-the-Potomac, and, alas,The Wall Street Journal will have to explain to their readers why Romney is surging.
Those who are aware that Gallup had Romney and Obama tied among registered votersin mid-September and that Rasmussen had Romney ahead of Obama at that time among those likely to votewill only laugh. We are witnessing the death throes of the old order. The less the legacy press is able to manipulate us, the more desperately it tries. · 14 minutes ago
I hope your're right, but I just don't see it. As of today, Rasmussen has Obama ahead among likelies. The Real Clear Politics polling average page is just a sea of blue. This has got to have an effect among both voters and donors. With Obama having 90 mil in cash-on-hand, I am worried about Romney's fundraising being able to keep up. · 2 hours ago
Most of the polls listed by RCP grossly over-sample Democrats. They were wrong in 2010, and Rasmussen was close to being right.
Feb '12
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
In November 1969, Vice President Agnew made the first direct assault on the leftist media in his Des Moines speech, which noted that almost everything that Americans knew of politics and current events was filtered through the newsrooms of the three television networks. An excerpt from that famous speech describes the leftist prison of those who govern our news:
May '11
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
I remember it, it was great, 'nattering nabobs of negativism' , 'effete..impudent snobs' I was standing up and cheering. The left/press hatred still comes through to this day, they still reference that speech along with Nixon calling protesters bums as if they were the worst things anyone ever did. Mary Jo was dead only four months but the press could find no fault with Kennedy, all their ammo was reserved for Republicans. The fact that it still ticks them off after 43 years shows that there's no 'move on' in this crowd.
Oct '10
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
There are always land mines, far cheaper than walls or moats and minding the gators. Rather a Dystopian option sadly.
Apr '11
Re: A Price Even The Most Eager Voter Should Be Unwilling To Pay
"Their eagerness to judge Romney a failure is not only premature but also erodes whatever credibility they had left."
I am reminded of an episode of the Simpsons in which Marge says to Homer: "Homer, I've never been so disappointed in you." To which Homer replies "Marge, those words have lost all meaning to me."
How much credibility do they have left?
Edited on September 23, 2012 at 7:15am