The learning curve for "Gotcha!" politics

Rand Paul is Learning What It's Like to Be Me, Says Sarah Palin

Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul is feeling what it is like to be Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate said Sunday, comparing the media's preoccupation with Paul's recent statements about the 1964 Civil Rights Act to her own treatment in the press.

Palin said that Paul is seeing firsthand how "gotcha" politics work after the libertarian-leaning Republican spent days on defense spelling out his support for the Civil Rights Act and the government's role in regulating how private businesses can deal with their customers.

"One thing that we can learn in this lesson that I have learned and Rand Paul is learning now is don't assume that you can engage in a hypothetical discussion about constitutional impacts with a reporter or a media personality who has an agenda, who may be prejudiced before they even get into the interview in regards to what your answer may be -- and then the opportunity that they seize to get you," Palin told "Fox News Sunday."

[...]

Palin, who endorsed Paul in his primary bid, said she is thankful that Paul has had the opportunity to clarify his comments but he's facing a double standard. Paul wrongly anticipated being able to engage in discussion "with a TV character, a media personality, who perhaps had an agenda in asking the question and then interpreting his answer the way that she did," she said.

"And I think that more of those who serve in the Senate, and Rand we anticipate will be serving in the Senate, should ask questions about the constitutionality of policies that are proposed. I think more questions should be asked as to the impacts. And Rand isn't going to be shy about asking the questions," Palin added. [...]

Yeah, but like Palin, the clarification of his comments won't be as widely disseminated in the media, as will the media's interpretation of what he said. That is the Democrat's big advantage, and they will use it without mercy to hammer anyone who disagrees with them.

And talk about double standards. President Obama hasn't had a press conference since last July! Can you imagine a Republican President avoiding questions from the press for that long, and the media putting up with it? Talk about media bias. Thank God for the internet.


Related link:

Government debt the biggest threat to freedom

     

In the MSM: Where have all our Elders gone?

Here is a very thoughtful piece by Peggy Noonan:

Keeping America Safe From the Ranters
As the Elders of the media die, who'll replace them?

When William Safire died the other day, we lost one of the Elders of journalism and the argumentative arts. We've been losing a lot of them lately: Walter Cronkite, Bob Novak, Don Hewitt, Irving Kristol. "The stars seem to be going out one by one," said Howard Stringer at Cronkite's memorial.

[...]

Who are the Elders? They set the standards. They hand down the lore. They're the oldest and wisest. By proceeding through the world each day with dignity and humanity, they show the young what it is that should be emulated. They're the tribal chieftains. This role has probably existed since caveman days, because people need guidance and encouragement, they need to be heartened by examples of endurance. They need to be inspired.

We are in a generational shift in the media, and new Elders are rising. They're running the networks and newspapers, they own the Web sites, they anchor the shows. What is their job?

It's to do what the Elders have always done, but now more than ever.

[...]

A few days ago, I was sent a link to a screed by MSNBC's left-wing anchorman Ed Schultz, in which he explained opposition to the president's health-care reform. "The Republicans lie. They want to see you dead. They'd rather make money off your dead corpse. They kind of like it when that woman has cancer and they don't have anything for us." Next, a link to the syndicated show of right-wing radio talker Alex Jones, on the subject of the U.S. military, whose security efforts at the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh show them to be agents and lackeys of the New World Order. "They are complete enemies of America. . . . Our military's been taken over. . . . This is the end of our country." Later, "They'd love to kill 10,000 Americans," and, "The republic is falling right now."

This, increasingly, is the sound of our political conversation.

It is not new to call this kind of thing destructive, though it is. It is a daily agitating barrage that coarsens and inflames. It tears the national fabric. But it could wind up doing worse than that.

Democracy cannot healthily endure without free and unfettered debate. It's our job to watch, critique and question, and, being us, to do it in colorful terms.

But knowing where the line is, matters. Seeing clearly the lay of the land, knowing the facts of the country and your countrymen, matters.

Which gets us back to Safire and Cronkite and Novak and the rest. They knew where the line was. They were tough guys who got in big fights, but they had a sense of responsibility towards the country, and towards its culture. They, actually, were protective toward it. They made mistakes, but they were solid. [...]

It's worth reading the whole thing. We sure DO need some elders in the media.

I think the far Left, in it's desire to destroy the status quo, have coarsened and polarized political debate as part of their plan to destabilize the existing order. Some on the Right are now buying into it, and playing tit-for-tat. It's a trap set by the Left, that should be resisted.


This November 2008 interview with Peggy Noonan is also interesting:

Grace Will Lead Me Home?
Looking toward the future — conservative and otherwise.

     

Will the Main Stream Media be responsible for a November Surprise tomorrow?

Victor Davis Hanson has an article today called The End of Journalism, where he states that "Sometime in 2008, journalism as we knew it died, and advocacy media took its place." The media has been biased for quite some time, but his year, they haven't even bothered to make the pretense of being unbiased. They have decided for us.

In blogging for this election, I've spent a lot of my time blogging about Obama, and the things about him the MSM failed to report on. The sad part of that is, I would have much rather spent my time talking about the advantages of a McCain/Palin ticket, instead of trying to make up for the deficiencies, lies and distortions of the MSM.

I see the photos of huge numbers of people at McCain/Palin rallies, at JohnMcCain.com. I look for the rallies on the MSM, and they aren't there. But the lies and distortions are.

Most people get their news from the MSM, not blogs. If McCain/Palin manages to win, it will be because it's what the majority of American people really want, despite the efforts of so many in the media to manipulate the outcome.

If Obama looses, and riots ensue as some are predicting, it will be the MSM who is responsible, for building up false expectations.

Republicans have not been the ones committing voter registration fraud, accepting illegal campaign contributions and bullying critics into silence. The MSM has not only failed to report substantially on these and other things, but have focused their resources on publishing skewed polls and erroneous stories presented as facts. All in support of their Chosen One.

No matter who wins this, the MSM will have a great deal to answer for. We should all be holding them accountable. Real journalism, that scrutinizes and reports on ALL the candidates, needs to live again.


Related Links:

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23,000 attend McCain/Palin rally in Virginia

MSM does their best to Kill the Messenger

Palin and the Negligent Malevolence of the MSM

Obama Thugs go after NRO Journalist

Barack Obama; the larger, complete picture

When you can't debate, restrict your opponent
     

Joe the Plumber Solidarity & the Silent Majority

From IowaHawk: I AM JOE

[...] Politicians -- Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, et al. -- obviously have to put up with some rude, nasty shit, but it's right there in the jobs description. Joe the Plumber is different. He was a guy tossing a football with his kid in the front yard of his $125,000 house when a politician picked him out as a prop for a 30 second newsbite for the cable news cameras. [...]

I hope you will join me in expressing a simple bit of solidarity with this guy, Spartacus style. I AM JOE. I am a Wal Mart schlub in flyover country who changes my own oil and unclogs drains without a license. I smoke and drink beer and toss the football in the front yard with my kid, and I figure I can fend my way without handouts from some Magic Messiah's candy bags. Most everyone in my family and most everyone I grew up with is another Joe, and if you screw with them, you screw with me.

Are you a Joe? Say it proud. Leave it on every goddamn newspaper comment section and online forum. Let these pressroom and online thugs know you won't stay silent when they try to destroy the life of a private citizen for speaking his mind -- because for every one of them, there are a million Joe Wurzelbachers. And for that we should all be thankful. [...]

[HT:Tammy Bruce] The media won't dig into or talk about Obama's background with any depth or detail, but they will disect, eviscerate and publicize the intimate details of the life of a literal "Average Joe" who was randomly approached by the Obamasiah, and had the audacity to ask him a question. For that, Joe needs to be destroyed?

Something needs to be destroyed, and it isn't Joe.

I don't claim to be exactly like Joe; I'm probably more of a "new age" redneck. I don't have kids. But I'm a small business owner in rural America. I understand his dream. He's a fellow citizen like me, who expressed an opinion. What the Media and the Obamabots are trying to do to him, they could do to any of us. How DARE they!

Pat has an interesting post on his blog this morning, with some excerpts of an essay called "The Left's Big Blunder":

Don't underestimate the Silent Majority

Follow the link for the quotes, but in short says what I've been thinking for a long time; that there is a silent majority that is being ignored by the media, and all this unfair skewering and bias in the news reporting has not gone unnoticed by them. Neither has events like ACORN's voter fraud financed with Obama's campaign money, or the thuggery by Obama's campaign to silence it's critics. What is happening to Joe the Plumber is just the latest of many attacks against ordinary Americans and their rights.

I'm not certain, but I think there may indeed be a silent majority that is taking all this in, regardless of whatever the media is saying. I think what's happening to Joe, plus so many other injustices, is rubbing them the wrong way, and we are going to see it reflected in the election results.


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Obama, ACORN, and the attempted cover-up

Obama, ACORN, Wright & Ayers all tie together

     

Cindy McCain's "October Surprise"

It's not nasty, it's sweet.
     

ABC Palin/Gibson Interviews heavily edited

We finally watched the 20/20 interview we had recorded. I thought Sarah did pretty good, but the editing was choppy. What was cut out? From Little Green Footballs:

ABC News Hid Important Parts of Palin Interview

It won’t come as a surprise to LGF readers, but Charlie Gibson’s interview with Sarah Palin was heavily edited by ABC News to make Palin appear more hawkish and less knowledgeable. Mark Levin has the complete transcript, and what ABC News tried to pull here is a textbook example of media malfeasance: Gibson Interview.

Also see: ABC News Edited Out Key Parts of Sarah Palin Interview.

The interview was so egregiously biased, even UPI is calling out ABC News for their blatant double standards: ABC’s Gibson grilled Palin hard, but it may backfire. [...]

I have taken issue with the way her quotes were chopped up and taken out of context and thrown back at her as questions. Not good journalism. But for all the unfairness, I think she held up well; at least no one can accuse Gibson of giving her a "softball" interview. She has demonstrated that she can handle the grilling and defend herself.

Perhaps Gibson should try his hardball technique with Obama. This was on Nealz Nuze today:

This is an interesting look at the differences between Charlie Gibson's interview with Sarah Palin compared to his interview with Barack Obama. 

Take a look at the questions.

Indeed. Palin supporters aren't upset that she is being asked questions. Obviously she MUST be asked questions, and tough and relevant ones, too. What we're bothered by is the mainstream media's political bias and it's resulting inconsistency, double standards, and at times, dishonesty.
     

23,000 attend McCain/Palin rally in Virginia

Massive crowds, missing MSM; Update: More photos added

The same Obamedia cultists in American newsrooms who didn’t miss an opportunity to tout The One’s ability to draw massive crowds are AWOL when it comes to showing America the massive crowds turning out for McCain-Palin. (Nothing on the front page of the WaPo website; no crowd shots included in the WaPo “Day in Photos” gallery. And, of course, zippo on the front page of the NYT website.) [...]

Visit the link for more photos, facts and commentary, and a link to even more photos of the Fairfax, Virginia rally.
     

At last - Pigs Fly!

Newsweek Debunks Palin Rumors

Newsweek! Whodathunkit?
     

The MSM Push for a Palin Interview - NOW

From Tammy Bruce:

ABC Gets First Palin Interview

Looks like it's going to be this week, with Charles Gibson. Agree with Tammy, good choice, for the reasons she stated. Tammy also said:

[...] I do find it amusing how quickly she was pounced on by the media for not giving an in-depth interview. What was it--one week? And how long did it take the Establishment Media to notice Barry had avoided them? About 18 months, and that only changed when Saturday Night Live made fun of them and Hillary called them on it. [...]

Exactly. It's just one of many reasons for my recent rant about the MSM. Double standards. There is too often seemingly no difference between the MSM and the DNC.
     

Palin and the Negligent Malevolence of the MSM

I have recently read a "Straw Man" argument on the Politico blog:

Why the media should apologize
Sarah Palin gave a really good speech. Why go beyond that, asks Simon.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — On behalf of the media, I would like to say we are sorry.

On behalf of the elite media, I would like to say we are very sorry.

We have asked questions this week that we should never have asked.

We have asked pathetic questions like: Who is Sarah Palin? What is her record? Where does she stand on the issues? And is she is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency?

We have asked mean questions like: How well did John McCain know her before he selected her? How well did his campaign vet her? And was she his first choice?

Bad questions. Bad media. Bad.

It is not our job to ask questions. Or it shouldn’t be. To hear from the pols at the Republican National Convention this week, our job is to endorse and support the decisions of the pols. [...]

It goes on, and on, and ON like that. What complete and utter BS. Not to mention arrogance and disdain.

I've never said the media shouldn't ask questions, and I don't know ANYONE who has. So what the hell is he talking about? What has Palin supporters upset is not questions, but the lies, smear and distortions about Governor Palin that are demonstrably untrue, that the media is so quick to embrace, promote and acclaim.

That's quite a different thing from being upset about questions being asked. Note to Simon: don't talk down to us or at us like we're ignorant morons, too stupid to understand the value of questioning. It's just that sort of weaselly, disingenuous elitist BS that's got so many of us angry with the MSM. Many of us understand the difference between real journalism and partisan propaganda.

When I went to college in the late 1970's my major was "Mass Communications". A great deal of that dealt with journalism basics. How to gather information and check facts to assemble and present a news story that could withstand scrutiny.

That is something fundamentally rudimentary to what a journalist does (or should) do.

So it's with this background that I look upon "journalism" by the main stream media today. I'm appalled at what I'm seeing.

So-called journalists seem to simply be lifting and repeating George-Soros Democrat talking points verbatim. They are repeating smears and rumors without doing any research, fact checking or verification. If I, who have even fewer fact checking resources available to me than professional journalists have, can go on line and search through public records and see, in context, what things Sarah Palin has said and done as a mayor and as Governor of Alaska, certainly journalists can do the same?

The talking point today is that she's hiding. The media has sharpened every knife in their drawer, and they now demand that she present herself for a stabbing-fest.

If she's not in a hurry to rush into that, I can't blame her. She's not hiding, she has been available talking to voters on campaign events, but the media doesn't want to cover that.

A lot has happened in her life in a short time since the nomination. She's still Governor of Alaska, and still a mother with kids, including a son about to go off to war. She's juggling a lot of things right now. If she needs some time to prepare herself before facing the decidedly hostile media, so be it. Obama has had a lot more time to prepare for the spotlight in a national campaign, much more than she is going to get. We understand that the MSM would rather deal with her as unprepared and vulnerable as possible, and therfore don't want to wait. But they will have to for a bit.

In the meantime, what the media could do, is actually get off their backsides and do some REAL journalistic WORK. Many of the supposed questions they are asking already have answers; they don't all have to be answered personally by Sarah Palin. If I, a non-journalist, can find the answers to so many of their questions, answers that are in things she has already said publicly, then surely the journalists could do the same - if they were sincerely interested in actually finding factual, true answers.

The MSM has revealed their bias for some time now. Remember Dan Rather-Gate? Fake memos about President Bush, being pushed by CBS as true during the 2004 election?

What about all the things about Barrack Obama that the media neglected to tell us, about his lengthy associations with hate-mongers and terrorists? I was able to find these things out on my own, before they became widely known to the general public. Surely journalists could have done the same? Those things only became know in the MSM because bloggers kept talking about issues that the MSM would not, until it became impossible for the MSM not to address them.

It seems that many journalists knew about John Edward's mistress and her baby. But they deliberately made a decision to not tell us about it. They decide to spoon feed us only what they want us to know or believe.

All things considered, it seems that most journalists in the MSM can't be trusted to dig for information and present facts that don't support their own personal political agenda.

Regarding Palin, it seems that the MSM has already chosen Obama for us; and if we want something different, they are going to fight it. Real journalism be damned.

One of the courses I took in college was called "Propaganda and Public Opinion". I learned how public opinion could be manipulated by withholding information, presenting information out-of-context, and mixing up lies with facts, and repeating lies until they become generally accepted. With such creative mixing and editing of facts and lies, you could make JFK look like Hitler, and Hitler look like JFK. It was a real eye opener.

We need real journalism, not propaganda. Of COURSE the media does need to question Palin; I have no doubt they will have plenty of opportunity soon enough. But let them be warned; we want real journalism, not just regurgitated George Soros talking points. Not neglectful research, partial facts, rumors, unsubstantiated gossip, or opinion masquerading as fact.

Some advice for the MSM:

Just as Sarah Palin needs to prepare to be questioned, Journalists also need to DO THEIR HOMEWORK before they question her; not waste her time and ours by asking questions they could have easily found the answers to on their own, like so many of the rest of us have done already. DON'T WASTE OUR TIME.

I should also add "Don't waste our time asking stupid chauvinistic questions from the 1950's that offend and bore those of us who are already living in the 21st century." I can't believe some of the stuff I've been hearing. Is this really the 21st century? Sheesh!

Journalists need to report on the whole, larger picture, not just fragments they can spin to suit their own agendas. That may have worked in Hitler's Germany, but we expect something better.

They need to be equally vigorous in their questioning to BOTH political parties, and seek to find real answers, not opinion and conjecture. There ARE such things as FACTS. We are tired of their attempts to merely sway public opinion toward the answers they want us to embrace.

To the journalists who want more respect, I say: Start actually DOING your JOB, and you might get it. Ask tough, intelligent questions, of ALL the candidates. Let us decide from the facts, stop talking down to us, stop presenting your opinions as facts, and stop making things up!

I realize that it's human nature to be biased. Save your bias for opinion pieces and editorials; that's where it belongs. Being a PROFESSIONAL in journalism actually needs to mean something; when it does, you will find you are respected more.

More journalism, less BS, please. Thank goodness we are going to see actual debates to base decisions on, not just media sound bites. At least, I hope we are.


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Hell freezes over

Sarah Palin Smears, Lies, Rumors and Gossip

Governors, Senators, Qualifications & Reforms
     

Sarah Palin Smears, Lies, Rumors and Gossip

If you can't argue with what someone says, assassinate their character. That's what the left is making a massive effort towards doing to Sarah Palin.

I've been reading things this past week that are just ridiculous. Total fabrications. Even the MSM is quoting lunatic posts from the Daily Kos as if they were facts! How is anyone supposed to debate about things that are just made up out of thin air? Whatever happened to journalism? Checking facts?

Here are two sources for Palin fact checking:

FightThePalinSmears.com

We are not connected to or supported by the McCain/ Palin campaign. Strictly supported by ads.

Many of the major lies are listed in the left sidebar for quick and easy reference. Breaking stories in the center. Lots of links. References and resources in drop down menus from the top.

Palin Rumors

Cripes, this has gotten ridiculous. Folks, look, let’s just run through a list here. (Updated.)

An extensive list, with embedded links. The list numbers 53 items, at the time I'm publishing this link.

Fortunately, the true facts do matter to many of us. Wouldn't it be nice if the MSM thought the truth was important, too?

Here is an introductory video about Sarah Palin, that was meant to introduce her at the RNC. They cut it from the program due to time restraints, which is unfortunate. It's only about 4 minutes long, and it would have cleared up some things about her.



By not showing the video before she gave her speech, the teleprompter was thrown out of synchronization. Sarah gave that great speech just from her notes. Looking on the bright side, we found out she doesn't NEED a teleprompter.

     

Electronics, Multimedia, Reality and Children.

As the One Laptop Per Child project moves forward, kids seem to take to the computers quickly and with enthusiasm. Even very young kids. How about a 6 year old? From the blog Suburban (in)Sanity:

This laptop is so simple even a six-year-old can show you

My six-year-old son, Liam, and I recently attended a One Laptop Per Child networking event at the Marie Murphy school in Wilmette, IL. The event was put on by Chris Brown as part of a teacher professional development day. He invited area XO owners to come talk about our computers as well as have the opportunity to network with others in the community. One blogged about it here.

About 10-15 laptops were present at peak. We gathered around a large conference table in the resource room and quickly got to work. Liam was beyond excited to have so many “friends” show up on his neighborhood view. [...]

The kid takes to it like a duck to water, and pretty soon, he is "demoing" his computer skills to a very receptive audience. Amazing.

I once had a look at the "Sugar" software operating system used on the OLPC computers. I hated it. Most adults do, because it's too different from what we know. It's made to appeal to children who have little or no experience with computers. Even very young children. And apparently, they DO find it appealing. The OLPC project is now expanding to include US schools, with Birmingham, Alabama being the first major project here.

I posted earlier about a 10 year old British boy whose journalist father gave him a OLPC computer, only to be amazed at what the kid could do with it, and how enthusiastic he was. As more and more children are exposed to this, it seems apparent that they are very receptive to it. I find that fascinating for a variety of reasons.

I only became exposed to personal computers when I was in my mid twenties. I'm talking Timex-Sinclair and Commodore 64. I've been a computer geek ever since. But I had a childhood void of personal computers.

These kids I've posted about are part of a new wave that is just beginning. A wave of children who are being introduced to computers at a very early age. And not just rich kids in the classrooms of expensive schools, but kids from all backgrounds, everywhere.

Nothing like this has ever happened before, so we can't quite know what all the consequences will be. Like so many things, I expect there will be a mixture of good and bad. I'm not complaining about it. Even if there were a significant number of people who wanted to stop it or slow it down, I don't think it would be possible. A fully interconnected internet world is arriving now, where even children all over the planet will be able to talk to each other. It's happening NOW, right before our eyes.

In developing nations where the laptops are being used, the parents of children are asking their kids to look up stuff on the internet for them. By proxy, a whole bunch of new adults are being introduced to the internet. There is even talk now of designing a simple inexpensive laptop device like the OLPC XO, that's made for adults. This is a trend that could have big cultural effects world wide.

I love using computers. They can be very helpful tools. But they can be used for lots of other purposes as well, like entertainment and communications, a link to mass media and all the good and bad stuff that comes with it.

I remember as a kid, growing up in the 60's and 70's, listening to the old folks complain about Television being the "boob tube". They said watching too much television made people "stupid". Old folks back then remembered what life was like before the TV existed. Now many years laster, as I look at young kids and computers and the internet, I think I understand better what those old folks were seeing.

TV isn't reality. It's entertainment, fantasy. Sure sometimes it's educational or informative, but it has a large fantasy element. It isn't the REAL world, though it does interact with and claim to represent the real world, it is in so many ways, 2nd hand notions, 2nd hand experiences, unproven ideas and wild imaginings.

The same goes for the internet, but because it is interactive, perhaps it's even more so. Computers themselves are like extensions of our minds, or at least mind tools, as we interact with them so closely with our minds. Plug that into the mass media, the collective or race mind, and then spend too much time immersed in it and... I think you can lose touch with reality. You start living in a world of ideas and imagination, and stop seeing the world the way it really is, and stop seeing people the way they really are.

Our advanced Western culture is becoming so obsessed with electronics and multimedia, you would have to wonder how we will cope if an EMP pulse fries all of our electronics and we suddenly find ourselves living in a world with only the technology of the 1870's available to us? Would we understand enough about reality and the basics of living to survive?

I love computers and the internet, but I love reality too. I see computers and the internet as tools, and as entertainment to some degree. That's all for the good. I just think we have to be very careful not to lose ourselves in them, and thus our connection to reality. With children being indoctrinated into the computer lifestyle so early in life, I have to wonder if they will be able to even understand what I am talking about, much less why it is important.


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