CNN's Rick Sanchez: A Shining Paragon of Fairness and Balance

By Brian C. Ledbetter (Bio | Archive)
September 23, 2008 - 15:33 ET

At 3:30 yesterday afternoon, CNN's Rick Sanchez described in exquisite detail how fair and balanced his network has been behaving during the 2008 Presidential election. Specifically, Rick pointed out that:

For the record, CNN has aired 22 reports from Alaska about Sarah Palin. We've aired 54 reports from Chicago about Obama, his minister, and other stories.

See? Contrary to our neanderthal conservative beliefs, CNN has been tougher on Obama than it has during its "vetting" of Republican VP Sarah Palin.

Of course, I think Rick might have left out a slight detail or two in his accounting of CNN's fairness.... (and you'll have to keep on reading to find out what it is!)

You see, Barack Obama has been campaigning for 19 months now. Which means that the network, by my math (54 stories divided by 19 months), put out a grand total of 0.6 "negative" stories about Barack Obama per week—or one every other week, if you ascribe to more "traditionalist" accounting.

On the other hand, Sarah Palin has only been involved in this election for 3 weeks. Which means that CNN's covered "negative" stories—22 stories divided by 3 weeks—about her 7.3 times per week.

Which, again by my math, makes it one negative story every single day.

Guess that's what CNN thinks it means to be an "unbiased observer" of the election.

Cross-posted at Snapped Shot, where you can always find plenty of amusing Obama photoshops!


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I've read the list

September 23, 2008 - 15:39 ET by NorthCoaster

The list of stories on Obama reads like a campaign sheet. Most of the stories were kind and gentle to Obama or making excuses to cover up his decisions or choices. The balance were just puffery. I challenge anyone to review the Sarah Palin pieces one by one to find any puffery.

The Left is.......

September 23, 2008 - 15:44 ET by connman

......coming unglued! I'm loving it! 

 

 

 

 

No way! No how! Nobama! Keep the change! ...Sen. Clinton

Oh come on Brian..Are you

September 23, 2008 - 15:45 ET by bigtimer

Oh come on Brian..Are you telling me that CNN isn't living up to the "No Bias...No Bull" ...

ROFL...surely you jest.

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

Hi BT

September 23, 2008 - 15:53 ET by Dee Bunk

I was posting at the same time below.   Campbell Brown is the worst.  Her show always has her plus 3 Obama supporters to one McCain supporter. 

Plus where is the list of stories?

September 23, 2008 - 15:52 ET by Dee Bunk

Just like the  40 + NYT stories cited by the Obama campaign as "probing" were actually mostly adoring puff when you looked at them (great analysis at cheatseekingmissles ) 

It turns out in that case, of the 40 stories about Obama, only 4 were critical.  I think CNN would have a better record than that, but I'm sure many of the 52 stories about Obama were more balanced and had more Obama apologists afterward where as the Palin stories had all negative and usually 1 Palin apologist to 3 Obama apologists afterward.

 

Dee . .atta gal.

September 23, 2008 - 16:23 ET by Gary Hall

Dee . .atta gal. That was my gut reaction. Who says that 54 stories aired by CNN "from Chicago" were mostly negative? I'd bet that some of them went like this: 

"Republicans today, continued their attacks on the Rev. Wright's controversial sermons; sermons which Senator Obama insists he did not personally witness, and had no prior knowledge of."

In other news today, CNN is announcing, that considering the importance of putting a Democrat in the White House and the delicacy of this very close race in the primaries between Sen's. Clinton and Obama, that we will not we will not share with our viewers the film, the transcript, nor express a  view on that most damaging rant from Rev. Wright, in which he suggested that Hillary would screw the black community just as President Clinton had. Well, here's the transcript, but keep it out of the conversation folks: 

Rev. Wright:  Hillary is married to Bill and Bill have been good to us? No, he ain't! Bill did us [while Wright thrusts his pelvic to and fro] just like he did Monica Lewinsky! 

Congregation:  (cheers)

Rev. Wright:  He was riding dirty!

That's the last thing that the Denmocratic party or the Hillary camp needs out there."

..oops - oh, sorry, that was an internal e-mail from the producer - sorry about that."

 

 

Exactly Dee...for me this

September 23, 2008 - 16:37 ET by bigtimer

Exactly Dee...for me this just goes without saying when it comes to how the reports are put out there by CNN concerning The Chosen One...lol.

Great work gal for those who may not know here. 

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

racking up those airline miles

September 23, 2008 - 16:05 ET by mom_rox

Sanchez: "For the record, CNN has aired 22 reports from Alaska about Sarah Palin. We've aired 54 reports from Chicago about Obama, his minister, and other stories."

Rick, I have no reason to doubt your counting prowess, but just including reports FROM Alaska and FROM Chicago really doesn't mean much to me. Reporters can still report a story from a distant location, which includes the CNN studios.

What's the difference between Barack Obama and Sarah Palin?
     One is eye candy while the other kills her own food.

Brian, when you said

September 23, 2008 - 16:12 ET by motherbelt

Brian, when you said "you'll have to keep reading to find out what it is" I was sure you were going to compare positive to negative stories.

By your math, they did one story about Obama every other week; not one negative story.

So how many of those stories about Obama were actually negative????

Sanchez never said they did 56 negative reports from Chicago, did he?

Heh, true.  What can I say?

September 23, 2008 - 16:27 ET by Brian C. Ledbetter

Heh, true.  What can I say?  His math stands on its own, there really wasn't any reason to dig any deeper than that.  ;)

Regards,
Brian

Me thinks thou doth protest too much

September 23, 2008 - 16:30 ET by dbo

The fact that Sanchez and his ilk at CNN are continuously pointing out how fair and balanced they are only further goes to prove the point that they are in the tank for Obama.

Rick's OK

September 23, 2008 - 16:34 ET by Michael M. Bates

I'm cutting him slack (temporarily) since he read a tweet from me on the air this afternoon.

 

 

 

OK, the reprieve  is over.

M.M.Bates

September 23, 2008 - 16:38 ET by MrShy

Did he? A tweet??

I really can't stand him, because he reeks of schmoozy/Hollywood-style insincerity. He has no business being behind a news anchor's desk. Well, then again, most of them don't.

 

NOW PLAYING:
Governor Palin Get Your Gun

 

MrShy

September 23, 2008 - 16:43 ET by Michael M. Bates

tweet as in twitter, but you knew that.

he reeks of schmoozy/Hollywood-style insincerity.

I think he's got a future in politics.

MMBates

September 23, 2008 - 16:48 ET by MrShy

Actually, you won't believe this, but I just googled the word and now I know.

I'm seriously not a blogging guy. NB's the only site I really participate in and am a member of. And I'm only an average-level participant, compared to many others.

And very cool that he used it on his show, even if he is just another of CNN's many laughable offerings of a news person/anchor.

 

NOW PLAYING:
Governor Palin Get Your Gun

 

Rick Sanchez is full of it. And so is CNN.

September 23, 2008 - 16:43 ET by Superman

I've seen Rick Sanchez. He's clearly biased. And so is CNN. "Black in America"? "Broken Government"? Come on.

Superman

September 23, 2008 - 16:50 ET by MrShy

Lest we forget, Christiane Amanopouramanpurpour's (or whatever :p) "God's Warriors".

Or, wait, was it... "Evil Christian Warriors, Evil Jewish Warriors, Noble Muslim Warriors"? I'm forgetting. :p

 

NOW PLAYING:
Governor Palin Get Your Gun

 

MrS... OMG..she was just

September 23, 2008 - 17:04 ET by bigtimer

MrS...

OMG..she was just on CNN a bit back now after Pajamaheads speech at the UN...defending him as usual, along with Wolfie..for the time being, before I turned it he had a different take...

I cannot stand her, her despicable views or her voice...CNN making her seem self-important, along with that snot nosed sniveling husband of hers, second in command of Madeline-Not-So-Brights is pathetic in itself.

Did anybody hear that filth coming from Pajamahead at the UN today?

God, when are we going to get out of the despicable UN? 

President Bush pretty well made a great speech and spelled it out about the UN in my opinion today.

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

kick'em where it hurts

September 23, 2008 - 16:55 ET by tonemeister

the only way to get this brain-dead skag and her ilk off the air is to hammer their sponsors .look how fast msnbc got a**-kissing keith olberman off the air when ratings fell...ratings = dollars. after all the libs only watch hgtv and pbs...

There you go again.

September 24, 2008 - 00:17 ET by JWF

  Putting it in perspective. Shame on you NewAbusers.

  How are we going to get Obama elected if you keep doing that?

  From now on, keep it hearty touchy lovey feely. Ok? 

Sincerely,

a Veteran of a 1000 psychic wars.