Our Manchurian Candidates in the Mainstream Media Awake
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
Sep 30, 2010 at 1:16am
I hereby stop complaining--at least for today--about the left-wing bias in the mainstream media. I've no quarrel with this AP item, but you've got to admit, it could be an RNC press release:
WASHINGTON (AP) - A deeply unpopular Congress is bolting for the campaign trail without finishing its most basic job - approving a budget for the government year that begins on Friday. Lawmakers also are postponing a major fight over taxes, two embarrassing ethics cases and other political hot potatoes until angry and frustrated voters render their verdict in the Nov. 2 elections.
Pleased to see the vast right-wing conspiracy has at last captured the Associated Press. Next we take CNN and the Duke University English Department.
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Jul '10
Re: Our Manchurian Candidates in the Mainstream Media Awake
"....angry and frustrated voters..."
Boy, that's casting a net. Last I saw We were rather energized and excited.
But I guess "angry and frustrated" fits nicely with "temper tantrum." It's '94s "angry white male" redux.
Re: Our Manchurian Candidates in the Mainstream Media Awake
I have no problem with the description "angry and frustrated." It certainly applies to me. "Angry and frustrated" seem to me entirely appropriate emotions to have about our "deeply unpopular Congress" which is "bolting for the campaign trail without finishing its most basic job" while facing "four weeks of defending unpopular votes" amid "embarrassing ethics cases" as Congress "moves toward a messy end" while "delaying the ethics trials" in "a reminder of the dismal performance by Congress in doing its most basic job - passing an annual budget and the spending bills for agency operations."
Come on, Jimmy, if you complain about this article, nothing will make you happy.
May '10
Re: Our Manchurian Candidates in the Mainstream Media Awake
Yes, I saw that item turn up in a search result, saw that it was from the AP, then did a cartoon-style double-take on reading the first paragraph. (I was looking up to see if maybe the government were to shut down Friday.)
That "without finishing its most basic job" phrase sounds just like me months ago when it became clear Congress was not going to formulate a budget, instead going from one gun-to-the-head appropriations bill to another.
Jul '10
Re: Our Manchurian Candidates in the Mainstream Media Awake
I agree that AP has given an accurate sounding of the country's mood right now. Like the Supreme Court, the press follows the election returns; in this case, the opinion polls that forecast the vote. That's one explanation. Another is that like the rest of the left the press does not believe Obama has not been liberal enough. He has not been transformative to the degree promised. A third is who likes a loser? Yet another is the sparks that have been flying because the msm's full-throated chorus of approval has softened, triggering the Obama's administration's exasperation. They counted on them for more than sunshine soldiering. There are many reasons for why AP has struck off in this direction. Among the last is it has rediscovered the role of an adversary press in a healthy democracy.
May '10
Re: Our Manchurian Candidates in the Mainstream Media Awake
Yet another is the sparks that have been flying because the msm's full-throated chorus of approval has softened, triggering the Obama's administration's exasperation.
He still has Jan Wenner.
Sep '10
Re: Our Manchurian Candidates in the Mainstream Media Awake
I am beginning to think America is having a political epiphany and it is peaking right now. After all, since 1980 we have had creeping socialism but fundamentally centrist Presidents. Democrats could operate in stealth mode and had plausible deniabilty that they weren't overt socialists.
The abstractions of their claims were seductive. Now that these policies have been initiated and implemented, the electorate realizes the fundamental flaws, and better understands the abstractions of the free market, low taxes and less government.
Meanwhile the media acolytes of Obama and Democrats are beginning to retreat from their aggressive protection of them, sensing the mood of the country and realizing, at least vaguely, that Obama may not be that smart, may not be a very good President after all, and might be botching things badly for Democrats.
Democrat pols have so long relied on media protection their rhetorical skills have atrophied, and once subjected to scrutiny they stand exposed as charlatans. The media shift is beginning to be recognized. The tea party smears by the media and democrats have not found resonance and have backfired in some ways. They must feel they are utterly ineffective and need to change course.
Edited on Sep 30, 2010 at 5:52amSep '10
Re: Our Manchurian Candidates in the Mainstream Media Awake
Obama intuitively understands what his real problem is ~ Fox News. In other words, he is unable to control the message and surf easily on the old standby MSM currents and waves. Of course it isn't just Fox News, it is the internet, including You Tube and the availability of videos, articles and non partisan fact checkers, along with much better approaches to getting points across, Breitbart for example.
The tea parties exposed so many arrogant, entitled politicians right at the peak of their hubris, and the movement exposed elements of the media as propagandists for the Democrat Party.
Moreover, the left has finally squeezed the last drops out of the phony racism ploy, so a tool that used to be so effective is useless at this point. They have no ammunition left and they are losing the cover of the MSM. Not only are more people aware the MSM is skewed left, wildly sensational and out of touch with real news, now elements of the media are beginning to react and begin necessary corrections for their very survival.
I've been watching them for years and they are definitely beginning to change their approach.