Saturday, September 13, 2008

Democrats, Media Are Unable to See What They Are Doing

Mark Penn, a longtime campaign advisor and friend to both Bill and later Hillary Clinton takes on the press in a CBS interview:

CBSNews.com: Your former colleague Howard Wolfson argued that you all unintentionally paved the way for Palin by exposing some of the unfair media coverage that Hillary Clinton received. And, therefore, a lot of the media may now be treating Sarah Palin with kid gloves. Do you agree with that?

Mark Penn:
Well, no, I think the people themselves saw unfair media coverage of Senator Clinton. I think if you go back, the polls reflected very clearly what "Saturday Night Live" crystallized in one of their mock debates about what was happening with the press.

I think here the media is on very dangerous ground. I think that when you see them going through every single expense report that Governor Palin ever filed, if they don't do that for all four of the candidates, they're on very dangerous ground. I think the media so far has been the biggest loser in this race. And they continue to have growing credibility problems.

Is anybody listening?

12 comments:

Vigilante said...

Since you are such an accomplished sports commentator, Wizard, can I have your pick between the Saints and the Skins today?

Bob Keller said...

This isn't a sports commentary..... this is extremely serious situation and unless Democrats and the media very quickly begin to look in the mirror, they will hand the entire election to McCain-Palin. On a silver platter.

I'll be writing again (as quickly as possible) about a commentary I heard this morning given by Susan Estrich (I'm trying to get a copy and a transcript). She is furious with the Democrat Bloggers, operatives, Obama operatives and the media for both their extremely biased and sexist treatment of Palin and their preoccupation with Palin.

Estrich says that it has become so one sided, and so horrifically sexist, that even women who disagree with Palin on many issues will be supporting her and be voting for her.

Here is the real problem. You are right in the middle of a hurricane and you refuse to listen to the warnings. You won't evacuate and you won't strengthen the levies. You're sitting on the beach waiting for the end.

Sports commentary? Only if you felt that Hurricane Katrina was a sports event!

Wiz-ziW said...

You are seeing the big picture... next question: can you figure out what is driving the lemmings over the cliff?

Unknown said...

Shannon Love wrote this, I thought it sounded supportive of your opinion Wizard:
http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6217.html

The important thing here is not that Greenberg took and altered the pictures. The import thing is that she felt comfortable bragging about what she did! She expected to receive accolades and approval from the Left for her dirty trick. This tells us a lot about what kind of ethics Greenberg believes the Left approves of. Given her immersion in the upper class, urban, articulate intellectual culture of the far Left, her assessment is probably correct.

The far Left has long since adopted the world view of the radical Marxist in which political utility equals truth. Incapable of believing themselves capable of intellectual error or moral failing, they see themselves obligated to acquire power by any means necessary. They view democracy as only a means of acquiring the legitimacy to use that power. If they must do so under false pretenses, then they will. They believe that the enormous benefits of their enlightened rule outweigh any consequences of the dishonest acts that bring about that rule.

Politics is an ugly business and dirty tricks abound. Individuals from every part of the political spectrum stoop to low tactics to win. What we see on the contemporary far Left, however, is a lack of shame about doing so and complete unwillingness to punish those who go too far.

We should worry if that mindset really does gain power.
--end--

Vigilante said...

Lee, in order to establish you know what you're bloviating about, do me a fav?

Identify someone from

he far Left [who]has long since adopted the world view of the radical Marxist?

Thanks, Pal.

Bob Keller said...

Lee, What is really bothering me over the last 48 hours is WHY IS THIS HAPPENNG?

Both the far left and the far right are caught in boiling cauldrons of hate, feeding on themselves.

I am shocked and revolted by what Jill Greenberg has done. It simply adds another layer of hate.

Meanshile vigilante, you are completely mute about Greenberg, but object only to Shannon Love's use of the term "Marxist."

Still, I agree with you. Let's remove the word Marxist. And then let's note that the boiling cauldron of hate exists on both sides of the political sprectrum. The correct statement then should be:

"Both the far left and the far right have long since adopted the world view in which political utility equals truth."

Perhaps that is why you are so concerned that I fall into line and condemn Palin and McCain.

Vigilante said...

Wiz, pray tell, who is Jill Greenberg? and what office is she running for? And why should I be concerned about what she says?

Wiz-ziW said...

Our friend vigilante pops in to be an instant example. Its powerful stuff. Its common, its partisan, is dishonest. However... the questions are excellent:

"who is Jill Greenberg? and what office is she running for? And why should I be concerned"

Say, what is this morality thing people keep talking about? How do people pose as the Good Guys while thinking & acting like this?

All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.

Pink Liberty said...

Wow, except for a poster saying something like, "I hate bible believers," I've never seen anything as hateful toward Republicans on the left as the Greenberg images.

It's about time they got a visual dose of what they've done to liberals in the imaginations of every Rush Limbaugh (and his ilk) listener. Are these photos any worse than what Coulter peddles about her political enemies every day on every network? Shannon Love's description of the far left as willing to do anything for power describes the current administration, and John McCain's dishonest and superficial campaign. I think it's laughable that this sole woman's behavior is now pegging the mostly peace-at-all-costs/go-along-get-along left with the dishonest and reckless behavior that is being hoisted on Americans every single day by Republicans and our media!

Of course, I think what Greenberg did is absolutely immoral. She had a professional obligation and I think she can be sued by both the magazine and John McCain (well, maybe not him unless he's copyrighted his image like Tiger Woods has--but there may be a fraud charge or something). As an artist, I would fully support an artist making these images without the shocking professional error involved--so I'm not outraged (although I am really disgusted by the one really disgusting one I saw) about the content. Sure it sucks, but we liberals get to be angry, too. And we should be.

Bob Keller said...

urban pink Thanks for stopping by and your excellent spot on comments.

There are ample examples of conservatives peddling hate and distorting liberals in words or in deeds just like Greenberg did in her photos.

The key to me is to keep an honest look at both sides and the big picture and not just repeat the mantra of only one side.

But this honest approach is causing me to take a lot of heat from vigilante lately.

Vigilante said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Vigilante said...

So my question goes unanswered? I'll have to answer my own questions.

Is Jill G. a blogger? Have I seen any of her photos she has posted? Not to my knowledge. I don't watch much teevee? Have I posted anything about the mental runts who bloviate as talking heads on TV? Not much. I am trying to hold on to a shrinking job in a shrinking market. I don't have time to chase all of the superficial insects that Wizard is so hooked on.