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The Neutered Watchdog
Usually, members of the mainstream media at least go through the charade of presenting themselves as serious and objective reporters of facts. So it’s startling when you get something like this fawning introduction from Dean Singleton, the chairman of the Associated Press board.
Following his glowing introduction, President Obama went on to instruct an assembly of news editors how to report on his positions.
“This bears on your reporting,” President Obama said to journalists. “I think that there is oftentimes the impulse to suggest that if the two parties are disagreeing then they’re equally at fault and the truth lies somewhere in the middle. And an equivalence is presented which I think reinforces peoples’ cynicism about Washington in general. This is not one of those situations where there’s an equivalency.”
“As all of you are doing your reporting, I think it’s important to remember that the positions that I am taking now on the budget and a host of other issues. if we had been having this discussion 20 years ago or even 15 years ago … would’ve been considered squarely centrist positions,” Obama said a few moments later.
Just one more item to add to the long list of reasons why this is the week Obama jumped the shark.
Published in General
So it’s okay to discuss the fact that the opposition press’ wigglers don’t? I guess the CoC isn’t as tough as I thought.
MSM , lamestream media, NonFox media, antique media. Lots of great new versions of ink-stained wretches ,which phrase somehow carried a nobility long forgotten.The people who own newspapers have got to be crying inside, their assets are now almost worthless. Might as cheer and prostrate yourself before the only guy in America who funds media with tax revenues. We are reading this as if it were projected onto their tombstone.
To give Singleton some credit, at the end of the speech he told Obama directly what all of us have wanted to say for the last two days:
I hope a handful of so-called “independents” take note of undeniable evidence of media bias like this. Sadly, the delusions of most liberals I know are impenetrable.
Only racists who saw only his skin color and not his culture.
If one has watched the AP despatches during the past three years, the pro-Obama bias has been unmistakable and plain to see.
The outright advocacy of the left wing agenda and of Obama in particular by the news Mafia is barely short of criminal (unreported campaign contributions). I now rely almost exclusively (aside from Stephen Hayes and Charles Krauthammer on the Fox special report) upon the Internet for information.) Thanks, Mr. Gore/
Aaron, that’s a great point that I believe is overlooked. If you didn’t vote for Obama you’re a racist, but how many voted for him mostly because he is black? Many I know dismissed his record, or lack of one, dismissed his history with a racist minister, and why? Maybe because he is black?
First David Cameron, now this. Geez guys, get a room will ya’
Diane,
Yep, meet Obama’s real campaign staff the MSM. This is why the Republican debates were so choppy. Let these lame stream jerks get anywhere near the mike and out comes the fawning banal goofiness and the knife in the back for the Republicans from every phrase.
Expect no quarter but let’s just not give any either.
Regards,
Jim
There are few things worse for public figures than to have been found jumping the shark. It is not an accusation that is thrown lightly, because it is not something one even thinks about until they see it. Then, its irrefutable. And any defense given to the contrary simply adds to the ridiculousness of the situation.
Arthur Fonzarelli was a cool cat. Right up until the moment that he wasn’t. Then he became a joke.
The president does not know when to shut up. All he is doing is increasing the disregard half of us feel towards him, and decreasing the any enthusiasm left amongst the other half.
I mentioned it yesterday and will do so again today. He has already begun drafting his memoir. It turns out to be the only thing he actually knows how to do. That which he is going on record for saying today will serve as the talking points for the story he is preparing to tell tomorrow.
That’s what people who are all talk do. They spend more time laying the foundations for excuses than they do actually ensuring that those excuses are not going to be needed.
I remember Matt Drudge saying on Washington Journal a few years ago that the AP wire service is the most influential/powerful news source.
Go to Yahoo and the first thing you see are AP or other wire service headlines. And they are always slanted left. Often those headlines are all anyone reads. Google News is just as bad.
And those wire service stories are distributed to every local newspaper across the country.
Now the wire services have taken to putting “Analysis” or “Fact Check” in front of headlines to make them even more slanted.
On the contrary, Seinfeld actually jumped the shark on its last episode.
Well, if y’gotta jump the shark, jump it at the last minute I always say.
I’ll just paraphrase the WSJ’s James Taranto: “Hey, Singleton! C’mere! Fetch! Aww, good boy! What a cute little lapdog!”
THANK you for this vid. Passing it on.
Arthur Fonzarelli was a cool cat. Right up until the moment that he wasn’t. Then he became a joke.
Wish I’d said that. Good analogy.
As one who is really slow to catch onto vernacular, I have been wondering about what that phrase, “Jump the Shark” meant. Lance clearly knows but for the rest of us I provide the wickepedia definition: “The phrase jump the shark comes from a scene in the fifth season premiere episode of the American TV series Happy Days titled “Hollywood: Part 3,” written by Fred Fox, Jr.[4] , and aired on September 20, 1977. In the episode, the central characters visit Los Angeles, where a water-skiing Fonzie (Henry Winkler), wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket, jumps over a confined shark, answering a challenge to demonstrate his bravery.”
I gather it means you do something stupid in an effort to prove you aren’t. Which is something I do every day.
Lance, great points.
It is often said that 90% of life is “just showing up.” That is probably true. Thus Captain Present is our chief executive.
The problem, of course, is that pesky 10% of the time when folks have to do something. Barry did something, and few like it.
P.S. Diane, awesome title.
My dear Pessimist, I would not worry about bundling you in the category of shark jumpers. You remain as cool as the moment I first read your words.
The real meaning behind the phrase is that it represents the demarcation point at which something that had been universally accepted as cool, or hip, or quality, or relevant, or any other number of ways to described being taken seriously, is no longer so.
Fonzie had no business jumping the shark. He had even less business doing so wearing his jacket when he did so. Happy Days was no longer what it had been from that moment on.
Many things in life Jump the Shark. Many long lived sitcoms do. One notable exception was Rob Long’s very own Cheers. It remained cool and relevant right up to the very end. Even with the loss of Diane Chambers. It recovered and thrived.
On the contrary, Seinfeld actually jumped the shark on its last episode.
And according to Peter Wehner, President Obama did this week.
Arthur Fonzarelli was a cool cat. Right up until the moment that he wasn’t. Then he became a joke.
The president does not know when to shut up. All he is doing is increasing the disregard half of us feel towards him, and decreasing the any enthusiasm left amongst the other half.
When President Obama is negative and nasty toward his political opponents, private citizens, SCOTUS etc, I think he does himself a disservice. While his negative, nasty base might egg him on, it’s a huge turnoff to moderates and middle-of-the road voters.
Thank you, Lance. I tend to avoid using trendy vernacular for reasons which I guess are obvious. My real name is Southern Clueless. Tomorrow I am going to ask everyone I meet what the phrase, jump the shark, means. I’ll let you know what they say.
Arthur Fonzarelli was a cool cat. Right up until the moment that he wasn’t. Then he became a joke.
The president does not know when to shut up. All he is doing is increasing the disregard half of us feel towards him, and decreasing the any enthusiasm left amongst the other half.
When President Obama is negative and nasty toward his political opponents, private citizens, SCOTUS etc, I think he does himself a disservice. While his negative, nasty base might egg him on, it’s a huge turnoff to moderates and middle-of-the road voters. ·2 hours ago
Daniel Henninger’s likening Obama to a certain wizard from OZ is another appropriate analogy. To connect it to your point, the man behind that curtain certainly ended up demoralizing his base as well.
Thought that the JTS website was great fun and encyclopedically complete for old and forgotten tv. TV Guide buying it turned it into Renfield, sort of a staid reference tool now.Why do these media all feel so musty all of a sudden ?Is their loss of credibility across the board ?Only thing they do well anymore is pretty sordid. Breaking Bad, The Riches, Dirty Sexy Money, The Wire, Sopranos . All gripping stuff , but not exactly reassuringly wholesome .