Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

A Thorough Pasting

Over on The Corner, Yuval Levin let’s fly with both barrels at the irresponsible and biased media. RTWT.

Discussions - 4 Comments

It was all fine until his last two sentences: "They [the media] have shown themselves to be too insulated and too solipsistic to help the public better understand our politics, and too self-important to report on events as they happen. This is far more than media bias. Let us hope it is a passing episode." We haven't seen the last of it yet....

Steve's Clarence Thomas comparison below is important: Expect photoshopped porn as part of the campaign.

I like Yuval, but it seems like special pleading now after the media-enabled slime thrown at both Obama and Clinton for the past year, and at Al Gore before that. Just read Bob Somerby.

The right used to be good at playing this game - and part of it was screaming "left wing bias" every time something came out they didn't like. But the game has changed, partly because the media has grown tired of being played, partly because of the proliferation of new media, and, frankly, partly because it's easier to pick a fight with the GOP when their brand is in the gutter.

The problem has never been bias, or hostility to a particular party (except on overtly biased networks like Fox), it has been a herd mentality. It just so happens that the herd is trampling over McCain's presidential hopes right now. Most of that is his own doing, frankly. Unfortunately, lashing out at the press only makes him look more petulant and arbitrary. It is supposed to be alpha dog politics - protect your own - but coupled with the apparent arbitrariness of the pick of Palin, I this is will be seen as another turning point in the campaign where McCain tried to rally his troops and ended up alienating the people he needed to persuade.

The Sons of Liberty used to smash up the printing presses of loyalist--i.e., anti-American--publications. It's time for the Sons of Liberty to return to take on the traitors of today.

Brett, you are right that Obama has faced some despicable smears. The Jim Corsi book comes to mind. The problem is that much of the media has descended to the Corsi level in their coverage of Palin. Look at the story of her being in that seccesionist party. It ran even though party registration records are available. Contrast that with Obama's associations with Wright and Ayers, which the mainstream media generally ignored until oppossing campaigns turned them into a major issue. If you want to argue that US WEEKLY and the NEW YORK TIMES are no worse than a thug and charlatan like Corsi, you are right. Also no better.

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