Wednesday, September 3, 2008

MSNBC "Coverage" of RNC Convention



By Gary Fouse of Fousesquak

After helping "celebrate" the DNC Convention last week, the MSNBC team of commentators covering the Republican convention reminds me more of a pack of hyenas picking apart the carcass of a zebra. This is not news coverage; this is propaganda in action.Tonight's crew of pundits was led by Keith Olbermann in New York, who, as a partisan commentator, needs no introduction. He was joined in St Paul by Chris Matthews (who melts at the sight of Barack Obama), Eugene Robinson, the Washington Post leftie, who is on Olbermann's show almost every night, Rachel Maddow of Air America, Nora O'Donnell, who has made it crystal clear that she thinks Sarah Palin's selection was a mistake, David Gregory, Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd, and, oh yes, Pat Buchanan, the token conservative (sometimes). With the exception of Buchanan, the slant on the reporting of this convention is pretty unanimous: The Republicans suck. McCain sucks, and Sarah Palin has a pregnant 17-year-old daughter. Some analysis!

Tonight, Chuck Todd pointed out that Palin had sold a private jet on E-bay, the implication being that this woman is out of touch with ordinary Americans, who can't afford a private jet. Just one catch: The jet belonged to the state of Alaska and was sold to cut down on state expenses.In addition, Olbermann immediately followed up on Mike Huckabee's speech by jumping on two factual errors Huckabee made dealing with American history. Good job, Keith! Matthews, for his part, struck out against those critics of the MSM coverage, pointing out that they (the media) were "doing their job" in pointing out the stories about Palin. ("We have a job to do.") Yes, Chris, it was the media's job to jump on the Daily Kos rumor about the Governor not being the real mother of the baby born in April. It was the media's job to make a big deal out of the news that her daughter was going to have a baby out of wedlock. Then Matthews informed us that Palin's speech tonight (which supposedly attacks the "boys club" in politics) was being written by some guy he described as a member of the "boys club". Chris, you are supposed to be an anchor. You could have let Robinson or Maddow mention that.

Robinson, who usually likes to write about racial victim hood issues, pointed out that the Republicans are "playing against the media". Why shouldn't they? Media bias is a fact, and it is nowhere better illustrated than at MSNBC.Most importantly, the reaction to Palin's speech:Olbermann immediately commented that it was a great speech, but as to content....then went on to quote some Lincoln-era quote-implication: Her speech was devoid of content. He later went on to bemoan the "condescension" shown to Obama, Biden and the Democrats. This from the lead anchor of the convention coverage.Matthews, the co-anchor, made a curious reference to Palin being a torpedo aimed at Barack and Michelle Obama on "cultural terms". Curious indeed, but Matthews has been making curious comments with increasing regularity lately.Eugene Robinson described it as "two speeches". He liked the personal part but dismissed the other half as "canned-written by a McCain speechwriter". Rachel Maddow described Palin's speech as "Sarcasm, mockery, insults, nasty sniping, and belittling" (toward Barack Obama). She should know.

White House press gadfly David Gregory described it a strong presentation that was well received (faint praise).Buchanan: "Sensational". That was about the only word he got out before they cut away to someone else, and Pat disappeared. Then NBC News Anchor, Brian Williams came on and read a blog entry from "anonymous" author, Joe Klein, who blistered Palin for her policies in Alaska. (Klein is the stand-up guy who wrote the book, Primary Colors, by "anonymous", denied being the author then admitted it. So much for his credibility.)So MSNBC has a two-fold mission, as they see it: First, to defend themselves against criticism being directed toward the media for being biased and trying to tear down Sarah Palin; second, to tear down Sarah Palin. None of the above is to deny news commentators the right to offer criticism of the convention, the Republicans, McCain or Palin. However, it would be nice to see some measure of balance among the commentators. In addition, how can MSNBC justify having two blatant partisans (Olbermann and Matthews) acting as anchors? Olbermann, for his part, detests Republicans, yet, here he is leading the coverage of the RNC Convention.In my own view, Palin gave a fine speech. She has poise and charisma, and the convention has received her enthusiastically-contrary to what the press would have us believe. She has a tough road ahead, and, unfortunately, the attacks on her are just starting. Just wait till Keith and his pack of hyenas get back to "Countdown."

Gary Fouse is a regular contributor to Radarsite with his popular and always incisive Fouse Report.

5 comments:

  1. The MSM will not get behind McCain or Palin. McCain because he is the white man and Palin because they see her as a right-wing loony. They have chosen their man, Obama and will stick with him.

    I expect to start seeing exposes of Palin any time soon. They will find ways to cut her down, they already have. And the issues that are facing this nation such as the economy, gas prices, etc... will go by the wayside. For on issues McCain has Obama beat.

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  2. This about the Running-Dog Leftist press that wants to cram a presidential candidate down our collective craw.

    We do not want him. He is running for president for all the wrong reasons. He is not running for us, although he mouths the words, Change, overturning society--that's "bottom's up!" He will try to "equalize" us. He is not running for "us," he is running for himself and for what he can do--not for all the people, but for the African-Americans and for the Africans, whom he believes we owe, we owe, we owe.

    He is running to make this country--to paraphrase and bowdlerize his wife Michelle--"less mean" and to make her (and presumably himself) for the first time "proud of his country"--actually our country.


    The point is that the Leftists or as they want to be called Liberals of the Main-Stream Media are Running Dogs of the Socialist-Marxist-pro-Islamic forces in our country. They are not pro-the-United States, they want it destroyed, and a "global union" to take its place--whether that be under a caliphate or a world government (under the despicable UN--the United Nations).

    That is why they are the Running Dogs of the Left and the would-be destroyers of our country, and Obama is their presidential candidate, the one they want to rule us, whether we like it or not.

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  3. Findalis, don't underestimate Gov. Palin. She has pitbull focus and tenacity. She will remain focused and centered on the critical issues and keep them up front, in the spotlight no matter what the 'crats & their accomplices throw at her.

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  4. The democrats are idiots if they keep pushing the 17-year-old pregnant daughter issue. There are plenty of parents in America who know you can only do so much in rearing children, and that in the end, the children make their own decisions. Sarah Palin is hardly to blame for her daughter's decision to have sex before marriage; it isn't like it was a choice Sarah would have liked her daughter to make.

    I always hear parents state that poor parenting leads to children making poor choices in their lives; only a parent who has children that are going down the path of their choosing have such a ludicrous sense of reality. Children are their own persons, have their own minds, and will make choices that they will end up learning from, if it doesn't kill them in the process.

    The media should be speaking to the fact that this 17-year-old girl is choosing life for her unborn and her boyfriend is choosing to stand with Britol Palin and take responsibility for his actions. In life, it is all about how we face and deal with challenges in our lives, whether they are the result of our own wilful actions or the result of circumstances we do not control. The media should also note that Sarah and her husband are standing in support of their pregnant daughter and boyfriend.

    Instead, the media just blasts this young lady for making a mistake that many, many, many women have made in their lives. I've heard 40 million abortions have taken place in America since Roe vs. Wade, so that is 40 million women who have made this same so-called 'mistake', but have chosen to take the right of the unborn to life and have made the decision to discard their life. God forgive them.

    Just think how many women pregnant out of wedlock who have made the choice to give birth to their children and either keep them or give them up for adoption. Those stupid democrats are messing with millions of women voters, pro-choice or pro-life, who will not take it too likely to hear and see that a young woman who finds herself to be unmarried and pregnant is being targeted for worldwide ridicule and harassment. Keep it up jackasses!

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  5. I agree that her daughter's pregnancy is not an issue in this campaign and it should never have been one.

    No one has the right to tell another person whether or not to terminate a pregnancy! NO ONE! Those on the pro-life position want the government out of our lives, but not on this point. The choice a woman makes is a personal and often difficult decision. But it is her choice. If you don't want an abortion, don't have one. But by making abortion illegal you will only drive it underground. The rich will have their abortions (safe and the doctors who do them will make a small fortune like they did in the 40's, 50's and 60's), the poor and middle class will have the coat hangers. Unwanted babies will be thrown in the trash like they were in the "good old days".

    Every nation with low abortion rates and low teen pregnancy rates knows this. That is why abortion is legal there and birth control pills and devices are given out like candy. Their children aren't taught abstinence only (since it doesn't work), they are taught RESPONSIBILITY. Something that all young people need to learn.

    Maybe if Ms. Palin the younger had been given the knowledge of birth control, of abstinence and of responsibility, she wouldn't be in her predicament. Maybe not. But knowledge is always better than ignorance.

    As for the media. The feeding frenzy over this pregnancy will end when Paris Hilton or some other Hollywood bimbo does something stupid again. That is the limit to their mentality.

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