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Sunday, February 17, 2008

the media and truth?

It was interesting to hear Sen. John McCain attack Sen. Barack Obama for not honoring a campaign financing promise that, from what I have read so far, McCain can't prove Obama even made. The news media immediately picked up on it-- will Obama keep his word and go public for his financing in the fall? Obama Waffles. Except did he? How many readers or listeners bother to find out what was actually said? Why do you suppose this has come up right now? The Carpetbagger blog describes well this situation. That's not what I've been reading in the news.

We learned with President Bush that when he would say something, the newspapers and the right wing spouted it out as truth. People hear it enough and some believe it must be so. McCain has learned well to play this dishonest game. Straight talk express long ago became crooked express twisted by his desire to become president. This well-known picture says it all. This is what McCain has done to gain power.

It's not hard to understand why he would try to intimidate Obama into committing to depending on public financing. Small donors are what Obama has been depending upon to challenge the Clinton machine-- and the small donors have come through big-time. It is likely that in the fall, with Bush's low ratings and how McCain has hitched his wagon to that train, he would be outspent if he has to depend on true believers sending him donations.

Why now, however, makes less sense. Unlike the Republican party, where the candidate is definite, the Democratic party has yet to choose a presumptive winner. My guess is McCain would prefer to run against Sen. Hillary Clinton. Anything he says to put down Obama plays to her benefit.

The primary is not over. Hillary could still easily win. The media pontificates as though it's all been decided. It has not been. We will know more after Ohio and Texas. These primaries, however, could end in a statistical dead heat which might not be settled until the Convention.

Elections have been stolen before. There was something odd that happened in New York City-- Unofficial Tallies in City Understated Obama Vote. These understated results in 80 districts wouldn't change Clinton's win, but might they impact delegate count? What if this is repeated in Ohio where a lot of us were suspicious of the results in 2004.

Hillary and the media are both distorting Obama's position on issues and his experience. There is extensive information online regarding his plans, what he would like to do, his experience in state politics, his education, his ability to bring people together as he is doing right now, but the news media follows along with the Clinton line-- no meat. I realize some people who deride Obama are doing so because they want a president who is a dictator, not one who is a leader. Maybe some have forgotten leadership is supposed to be about inspiring and gathering together others where together we do the work.

IF you want to know Obama's exact policies, do some research. Andrew Sullivan, in Daily Dish, writes about listening to Obama's in depth speeches on various topics and provides the transcripts-- in his own words. If you have been one to believe Obama has no statements out there on specifics, please click on the Sullivan link.

I guess sometimes we all want information spoon fed us in easy bites. The news media has gotten used to that for themselves. After all, that's how the Bush administration has done as it provided the news outlets the stories as they want them delivered-- in convenient clips.

On one program after another, I hear the media talk about how honorable McCain is. He appears to have been at one time-- although he was tangled up in the savings and loan scandals of the 1980s: McCain and the Keating Five. Even remembering the questionable ethics of his connection to Charles Keating, I thought at one time McCain was a good man-- even if he had made some mistakes in judgment. I thought that in 2000; but if he was honorable, he does not appear to be anymore. You see it in statement after statement as he plays the fear card, promises genocide if we leave Iraq, backs off on whether torture is okay, toadies up to the religious right, and, I think, tries to aid Hillary in getting the nomination. The picture above says well who John McCain is today.

Whatever you do, however you get your information, whoever you favor for the presidency, don't trust any one media as your sole source. Go looking for actual quotes when something is claimed. Check multiple outlets. If you don't do that, you are going to get the government you deserve. It's not too late to turn this country around, but it takes us as a people doing it, not expecting it to be magically delivered.

8 comments:

Ingineer66 said...

McCain did the same thing in Florida about Romney. He used Michael Moore type editing in a commercial to make it seem like Romney said he was for pulling the troops out of Iraq. And that was not what Romney said at all.

Anonymous said...

After watching the news tonight, I'll tell ya....I'm getting mighty tired of Hillary's juvenile antics in relation to Obama. Claiming that when he said something in his speech, it wasn't "his words" but the words of the Gov. of Mass. GIVE me a break! Talk about petty crap! It's getting very annoying with all the childish behavior and I, for one, am already sick to death of it.
And the media? I certainly don't need them to form my opinions. I value my brain way more than that.
Terri
htpp://www.islandwriter.net

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Thanks so much for this Rain...I hear so many people saying that "LINE"....What does he really plan to do, etc., etc....I am going to send this link to a few people who have been spouting this crap!

And thank you so much for your lovely words about my pictures....You know, seeing them in this little book that Bob-Kat put together---SOOOOO Artfully, I might add----Gave me a real sense of my pictures that I have posted in 2007....I told her, I was impressed by me....LOL!
I wish I could show the whole book...The placement of the pictures is really brilliant....Bob-Kat did all that....The sizes she used and putting certain ones next to other ones....I mean....SHE is An Artist!

Back to the Media: I really hate the way they place enphasis on the wrong things, and distort and lie!

Rain Trueax said...

I am glad you brought up the issue of the speeches, terri. It is hard for me to believe it's gotten the coverage it has from the media as it's obviously a crock. There are very few politicians who even write their own speeches and I doubt very much Hillary does. She also has used some of Obama's expressions for her own speeches. It's a ridiculous issue and typical of what is wrong with our media today that it even is being covered at all..

Here is another good piece about McCain's landing on Obama right now-- Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish with some links to look further. It sounds like McCain has no choice but to take public financing regardless of what Obama does. We all have to remember how the swift boating went in '04. Obama seems wise in his approach to this but the media is driving me crazy with how they milk everything like this with no concern for truth or background.

Fran aka Redondowriter said...

Good advice to all of us in the last paragraph. I have decided not to listen much of the day to day crap of the 3 major candidates. It gagged me to see CNN tonight and see the Bush Sr. endorsement. I would think being endorsed by the Bushs would be a true negative, but they are super delegates.

I'm curious about how these candidates, who all hold office, can keep their offices when they obviously are not handling the day to day stuff back home or in Washington. Maybe it goes to prove that senators really aren't needed at all.

ainelivia said...

Hi Rain, your comment on my blog re the Cascades, reminded me of a C& W song, don't know who sings it, woman I think, that has a line in it, "ancient and justified...."

Thanks for all the links and info in this post, am following election events in US closely and it it lovely to get some recommendations of where to go for info. Thanks.

ainelivia said...

Sorry Rain, just realised that Cadelinse is confusing as it doesn't link to my Typepad blog, "ainelivia" where you left comment about Cascades.

TorAa said...

Quote:
"Whatever you do, however you get your information, whoever you favor for the presidency, don't trust any one media as your sole source"

You are so right. I've been to political meetings and read the papers the day after: That was certainly not the same meeting they referred to. People should be lot's more critical to the trad public medias, who are 100% dependent on advertising. Money rules.