How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

denwyg — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:06:44 GMT

Isn't it also likely that by decrying the MSM's coverage of their candidate they help to reinforce widely held stereotypes of the media as eggheaded wimps that have little understanding of how things are in the so-called 'real world', with the added byproduct of potentially (and probably) convincing a good part of the voting public either to not read the MSM's factual evaluations of candidate's claims or to altogether eschew the MSM in favor of less stringent and more easily manipulated sources?

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

Neil49 — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:09:29 GMT

Ah, one of the Republicans' favorite bogeymen, the New York Times. If you can just convince the mob, including those who don't even read for themselves, that the Times is biased against your man, than who really cares about the facts?

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

AMCNYC — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:17:25 GMT

Thank you for a very candid and accurate article.

Truth is Schmidt is really a dance hall bouncer, with an irrational and explosive temper, rather like John McCain's, and he was simply pissed this morning that Camp McCain's Campaign Manager alum got busted...by no other than executives at Fannie and Freddie!, who were incensed that McCain was trying to falsely link Obama to Franklin Raines in another despicable ad. Furthermore, on page 16 there was a big photo of a grinning McCain hob-nobbing with the F&F lobbyists in 2004. No, he was not, as you might have thought from his new rhetoric, strongly urging them to shape up or breaking the news that he was working to develop and impose "OVERSIGHT", HIS NEW BUZZ WORD, and 'REGULATION', his new buzzword and old dirty word, he was attending an event of theirs because his campaign manager, Rick Davis, was being paid $2,000,000 to make sure that Fannie and Freddie avoided any rude government regulation and "because of his closeness to McCain."

Can't believe a word that comes out of McCain's mouth, or his campaign "old boys network". And who wants a president they can't trust? Not I.

Now, given McCain's barrage of "stong leadership" words and "pro regulation" statements over the last 48 hours, all carefully choreographed to make him look like an honest man and presidential candidate

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

Dan Rains — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:18:15 GMT

What is this election really about? I'd like it to be about the issues isntead of these media attacks. If John McCain and Minnie Moose have something to offer the American public other than attacking the free press, let them do it. I'd like them to start by explaining to Americans everywhere why it is that their fearless leader, George Bush, had to drop 1,000 pound bombs on innocent men, women and children in downtown Baghdad in order to take out one man - Saddam Hussein. Why? Where was the leadership here? Why did America have to resort to something so patently stupid and completely immoral as to blast away innocent people and destroy the infrastructure of an entire nation just to take out one man? Well, they can't explain it. American "intelligence" said we "had to do it." Well now, such much for American intelligence. The entire world is laughing at us to this day. That's what we have to show for the brains in the Republican Party. So I'm not going to expect anything intelligent from these misguided people. It's like watching the bullies in a school yard beat up on the smart kid because he stays in class and gets good grades. That's what is going on here. Well, these bullies have had their day. It's time for the smart kid to fight back. Barack Obama is going to win in a total landslide, and then maybe these anti-free speech, anti-environmental, anti-American reactionaries can go back to worshipping their redcoat lords and ladies hiding from America in their corporate boardrooms where they sip on their dead Iraqi bloody-Marys while they prance around in their sweat-shop $300,000 designer dresses while good people die everywhere so they can have "their" money.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

outpost — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:35:13 GMT

No one who believes in abortion is "pro-choice." It is a scientific fact that when a "being" exists in the womb, it is a HUMAN being, no matter what the stage of development. And that human being is not being given a choice between being killed through an abortion, or remaining alive. According to our Bill of Rights we are all "created equal" and not "born" equal, therefore the unborn have equal rights under our Constitution. However, to spiritually insane Democrats like Senator's Obama and Biden and their biased friends in the media, the brutal killing of millions of innocent unborn Americans through abortions is not an important issue. If they believed it was, these permissive liberal Democrats would acknowledge that the opposite of "pro-life" is pro-death and not pro-choice.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

PulSamsara — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:39:49 GMT

McCain's getting desperate... he's starting to yell at the playing field ... lol

Why would America REWARD complete Republican failure ?

We wont.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

not.Brit — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:55:32 GMT

Ironically, the more the media cover the story about the media being in the tank for Obama, the more the media benefit McCain's campaign... or, you could say, are in the tank for McCain.

I stand by a comment I made two months ago: The McCain campaign might be really, really good at getting the message out, they just don't seem to have any idea what the message is.

I would take exception to the idea that the McCain campaign is "far better than Team Obama" on capitalizing on the weaknesses of the traditional media. Team Obama is simply working on entirely different weaknesses. Specifically, the media's insistence of rooting for the under dog. Their love of branding. Their insatiable need to highlight differentness. He has given "special access" to just the right journalists at just the right time. His rapid response team is the best ever, sending wonderfully specific messages to journalists all over the world within minutes - perfect for writing a complete story that includes both sides. And, probably above all, Obama understands (better than any candidate in history) how to look good on camera (video and photo). Smiles, basketball, fireworks, even those so-called "greek columns." The entire Democratic National Convention was specifically designed to look great on television. And it worked. Obama has played the media like a xylophone.

And I love you Andrew, but he got you, too. Even in this story: "...the Obama campaign, which took the unusual step this afternoon of sending reporters links to negative New York Times articles..."

Who's highlighting which weakness better? Who cares. But clearly BOTH campaigns are using the media to MAKE the news, not report it.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

DMD2 — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:14:26 GMT

Political operatives' use of Karl Rove-ian Best Methods: Repeatedly and regularly point a finger of illegitimacy at any information outlet that might cause the targeted supporters to think too critically or too much.

In effect, the best thing that can happen for the supported candidate in an endeavor reliant on Karl Rove-ian techniques is that early in the process, based on party affiliation or non-issue based biases or preferences, each supporter strongly or weakly decides to vote for the target candidate and thereafter is never subjected to any new election information; 2nd preference - said supporter will automatically reject new election information critical of supported candidate based on a programmed perception that the source is illegitimate.

Of course, such “Best Methods” are dependent on what appears to be a Karl Rove-ian view that implicitly and emphatically asserts the general and natural gullibility or prejudice of the American electorate. In the words of Kurt Vonnegut, “And so it goes.”

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

Let's Be Nice — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:25:26 GMT

I'd like to ask pro-life commenter Outpost if s/he is also against the death penalty, also for more strict gun control, and is against the Iraq war. The latter has killed 800,000 to 1 million Iraqis who wished us no harm before the U.S. invaded their country; gun-related deaths have afflicted far more innocent people than they have protected citizens' homes; and there is nothing "spiritual" (as cited by Outpost) about state-sponsored murder (the death penalty), which most Western countries have ceased practicing.

Abortion may be murder, but logically speaking, so are all of these other things, on an equally or bigger scale.

If Outpost's (and others') concern about protecting human life is genuine, and I really hope it is, then it would be logical that they should be equally vocal and against the death penalty, lack of gun control, and the Iraq war.

If Outpost is for the Iraq war, pro-NRA, and for the death penalty, but pro-life, then I'd like her/him to seriously consider how/why she/he arrived at holding contradictory beliefs, as many in our two-party system do these days, and what sources have ignited his/her passions into just focusing on abortion.

p.s. Andrew, you are my favorite political blogger during this election cycle. You're clearly the most independent and transcendent (able to step back and look at the game).

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

love234america — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:31:25 GMT

The New York Times is not only in bed with Obama, they are married to him. A strange things in today's world especially for Democrats, being married. That newspaper needs to seize to exist. It is as near communist as it can get. Controlled and attempting to brainwash minds.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

love234america — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:41:52 GMT

An answer to "Let's Be Nice" from a Pro Lifer.

Yes, I am against killing babies; they are innocent human beings and killing them is murder.

Yes, I am for the death penalty: a person who kills in cold blood several or one person, kills a two year old because he felt like it, a person who send poison thru the mails and kills many, these are just a very few examples of evil. Evil needs to be dealth with by eliminating the evil. Do you suppose if Hitler had not committed suicide he should have lived? Ask the Jews, the Catholics, etc. whom he exterminated.

The Iraqi war has eliminated a evil dictator who killed millions of his own people and got rid of terrorist in Iraq. The U.S. soldiers there are volunteers. Wars are necessary in this world. We will one day soon have another 9/11? What do you suggest we do when that happens? Sit on our hands?

I have guns in my home and would not hesitate to use them if someone kicked in my door. A very long time friend and his wife were sleeping in their bedroom upstairs, heard a loud noise, he went downstairs and 3 black men killed him. The wife was spared only because she hid. His life might have been saved if he had stayed upstairs waiting with guns.

It's a very dangerous world we live in. The criminals will get guns regardless of laws. Look at Washington, D.C.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

Let's Be Nice — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:43:03 GMT

Dear love234america,

Isn't FOX News equally (or more?) biased than the NY Times? Would you say that FOX News also needs to cease to exist and that it brainwashes minds? If so, then your assertion is made on solid ground, but if not, then you (and all of us who are one-sided on this) may need to consider the possibility that we are biased, as well, and thereofore hypocrites.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

Let's Be Nice — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:01:42 GMT

Dear love234america,

Thank you for your reponse to my comment to the pro-lifer. I'm sure that if I'd had your life experiences, and if I lived in a dangerous area, I would share many of your stances on these issues (particularly about guns--that was a compelling story).

When 9/11 happened, I believe our immediate response was correct--to attack Al Queda in Afghanistan where they were. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 (and I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone, because I wish it HAD turned out that Iraq was connected to Al Queda, which would have helped to justify this war). Instead, the U.S.-led war (based on intentionally faulty intelligence, it turns out) was responsible for more death and destruction than Iraqi's dictator had ever caused. In this case, I am very sorry and saddened to say, we (the U.S.) are the evil-doers.

Saddam was evil, too, but so are we, in this case. He committed aggressive acts against innocent people, and so did we. Even if we did kill some terrorists whormay have been drawn there to fight the U.S., I don't believe the killing of 800,000 to 1 million Iraqi civilians (also innocent in this matter) justifies the means. That is my sincere opinion, and I hope that you will respect it and see that there is a logical cohesion to it, even if it disagrees with your equally impassioned and valid belief.

Thank you.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

mishi — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:09:40 GMT

love234america: "Yes, I am against killing babies; they are innocent human beings and killing them is murder."

Well, there are those who believe that a newly fertilized ovum is less of an "innocent human being" than the at-least 100,000 civilians dead as a result of our invasion of Iraq. You may think a fertilized

hen's egg is a chicken - I (and many people, including many religious people, such as most Jews) do not.

"Wars are necessary in this world."

Said with breezy self-assurance. But some wars are nothing more than agressive actions founded on lies. Was Saddam a bad guy? Yes, and he stayed in power during the Iran-Iraq war with the connivance of the USA's Republican regime. There are other evil regimes abroad, too - like our steadfast ally Saudi Arabia, home base of the 9/11 conspiracy. So why haven't we invaded Burma or the Sudan? Um, O-I-L?

Lying about WMDs, openly espousing torture, invading a country pre-emptively, destroying a country's infrastructure, acting as an army of occupation for longer than we fought in WWII. Ain't WE on the moral high ground? I hate to bring up the Hitler card, but since you did...if you substitute "Reichstag Fire" for "WMD," does any of this sound familiar?

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

saxxon_domela — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:35:56 GMT

My god, McCain has lost all his honor. It is so very very sad.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

goldieluck — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:34:42 GMT

I am so glad that these people (GOP camp) are finally getting caught up with their lies and insanity. They need to stop using drugs and medications and start facing the reality that they can't manipulate American people. It is time for them to come up with their senses and add common sense into it. They were living in a Wonderland up in the sky for a while, let them come down and give them a smack in the face for them to wake up. Send them the message, that they still need a lot of potatoes, tortillas, and rice to eat before manipulating people again. Vote Obama real people.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

goldieluck — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:49:02 GMT

To love234america, You are so stupid and ignorant, you are judging people by the color of their skin. Criminals are everwhere and they are in every color. This election is not about the color of our skin, this is about our country and the American people like you. In times of disaster like Sept. 11 we are into it. We are living in one country and you should vote who's best for our country. MCain is old and Palin cannot run this country, we will be in bad shape and great diasater if we vote for two liars. If you don't like Obama because the color of his skin, guesse what! vote for Biden then. Be Happy, Vote for Obama and Biden!

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

Mr.tutto — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:50:23 GMT

You didn't hear from me first, but why is everyone making excuses for Sarah Palin's stupidity. She would have a hard time getting a job as a cashier at Wal Mart. Tomorrow she will do a meet and greet with 9 world leaders in 20 hours. I bet that she could do more.

re: How the Media's Real 'Bias' Works in McCain's Favor

ikez78 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:36:11 GMT

Andrew, read the latest Gallup poll. The press is WAAAY to the left of the country and 50 % of the country is aware you are biased to the left (that means you are to the left of AT LEAST 50% of the country) and only 10% see a conservative bias. Poll after poll after poll show these same results. At some point you people in the press need to be honest with yourselves. Go take one of those online political quizzes and see where YOU rank. You may be unaware that YOU are to the left of the country. You owe it to your readers to CHECK what your own beliefs are in comparison to the country. You no longer have the excuse of being ignorant of your own biases and just denying them is dishonest and only hurting your business and credibility.