Shocker! The mainstream media highlights right wing hate, but nearly ignores hate coming from the left. Such a topic best selling author and former CBS insider Bernard Goldberg exposed appearing on the October 13 "O’Reilly Factor." Host Bill O’Reilly scorned the media for accusing John McCain of "fostering and encouraging hatred" from a few crazies at his rallies, but give Democrats "a complete pass" for attending the vile DailyKos convention. A stunned O’Reilly wondered "am I living in the Twilight Zone?"
Bernie Goldberg agreed and added the media elite "were never concerned" about constant references to Bush as a Nazi. Accentuating O’Reilly’s point that Democratic presidential candidates attended the DailyKos convention, Goldberg also reminded the audience that these same candidates boycotted Fox News. Goldberg concluded "case closed. That’s all you need to know about that."
On the topic of the media’s love affair with Barack Obama, Goldberg noted their current disdain for McCain despite a very strong past relationship. The former CBS reporter noted "the only time the media has been in love...with John McCain...is when he’s sticking a thumb in some Republican’s eye." Bernard Goldberg recalled very different (as in positive) treatment of McCain when working with Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold on more liberal legislative initiatives.
The transcript follows.
BILL O’REILLY: Now, homestretch, three weeks, 80 percent of the press, we’ve evaluated, has been rooting for Obama from the, from the jump pretty much. Are they, are the pro-Obama media going to change tactics in the last three weeks or will they just same old, same old?
BERNARD GOLDBERG: I, I think they’re not going to change tactics. I think the media, the so-called mainstream media has been on team Obama from jump street, from the very beginning. Look, "Saturday Night Live," it took "Saturday Night Live" to make fun of the media and say "look, look how easy they’re going on Obama versus Hillary Clinton." And the reason for that I think is that to liberals whether they’re inside or outside of the media race chumps- trumps gender. And then when, when Obama went up against McCain, well that was easy. They always side with the Democrat over the Republican. Let, let’s just cut to the point here Bill. The only time the media has been in love as they say with John McCain, the only time, is when he’s sticking a thumb in some Republican’s eye, when he allies himself with the most liberal members of the Senate, whether it’s Russ Feingold or Teddy Kennedy.
O’REILLY: Yeah, on the immigration thing and they’re not going to-
GOLDBERG: That’s the only time the media loves him.
O’REILLY: They loved him on the immigration thing because they didn’t want him to really crack down.
GOLDBERG: That’s right.
O’REILLY: Now here’s interesting- in my "Talking Points Memo" I made the, I think, valid point that you have the DailyKos and it doesn’t get more vicious. Would you agree with that?
GOLDBERG: I, I not only agree, but when I wrote the book "100 People Screwing up America," long before all of this stuff, I had Markos Moulitsas, the head of The DailyKos, as one of the people screwing up America.
O’REILLY: Okay, so you’ve got that thing and it’s on display every day and then all of the Democratic candidates, except Biden who couldn’t work it into his schedule. It wasn’t- he didn’t object to them. They all go and pay their respects to their convention, and not a drop from the media, not a thing, don’t say anything. Then you have some yahoo’s at, at a McCain rally screaming bad things about Obama and therefore Obama is fostering and encouraging hatred, but the people who actually go and travel to a Kos convention get a complete pass. Am I living in the Twilight Zone here Bernie?
GOLDBERG: No, no, no, no, no. It’s an excellent point, and you know I don’t blow smoke at you Bill. It’s an excellent point and it is a perfect example of how corrupt the media has become. I don’t remember the sensitive media types worrying when George Bush was called a Nazi, when Dick Cheney was called a criminal and a Fascist. They were never concerned about that. And The DailyKos, let me tell you, it was nasty long before, you know, the past year. These are bad guys. And, and the very same presidential candidates who, who had to pay homage to these people wouldn’t come on Fox and have a debate. They stayed away from Fox, but they went to the DailyKos. Case closed. That’s all you need to know about it.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
The media double-standard is
October 14, 2008 - 10:16 ET by SmartypantsThe media double-standard is in the process of handing this election to Barack Obama.
Bernie Goldberg is great. I
October 14, 2008 - 10:25 ET by Chris NormanBernie Goldberg is great. I just wish I could hear more from him and less from O'Reilly...
McNotObama '08
Amen Chris
October 14, 2008 - 11:05 ET by cvgbuckeyeAfter all these years, it is almost getting to the point that I cannot stand to watch O'Reilly anymore. I find myself screaming at the screen "SHUT UP OREILLY, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LET SOMONE ELSE SPEAK FOR A FEW SECONDS---------------------IF IT'S NO TO MUCH TO ASK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Doesn't anyone at Fox have the stones to pull him aside and say, "Bill, for the love of Pete, watch a replay of your show. You are beginning to turn off even your long time viewers; SHUT UUUUUUP!!!!!!!! occasionally. Why even have a guest.
It really becomes evident when he has guests on like Karl Rove, Laura Ingraham and Newt Gingrich; people who deserve respect and are (and should be offended) when he walks all over them. You can see it in their eyes when he cuts them off in the middle of a very important point to bowl them over with his hyperbole.
He is starting to look like a fool and that is a shame.
I don't watch O'Reilly much
October 14, 2008 - 12:46 ET by Chris NormanI don't watch O'Reilly much anymore as a rule. However, once in a while I'll break down and watch his "Talking Points" or an interview if I see he has a good guest on - big mistake - after hearing him interrupting, talking over, or lecturing his guest I get mad and I kick myself for falling for the promotion. As I've said before, I think the show has the best guests and subjects, it's just too bad that O'Reilly is the host. I don't get why some people like him so much....
McNotObama '08
This is great, but it's on
October 14, 2008 - 10:27 ET by mattmThis is great, but it's on FOX. He should see if they'll let him on CNN or one of the other Trotskyite "news" networks.
the right "anger" claim is a laughable
October 14, 2008 - 10:28 ET by jondelwicheCirca 2004-2008:
The left and its media allies pretty much from
the top of ticket down accepted a "Bush lied, people
died" slogan. This lead to hateful signs, jeering, bumper
stickers, AND rallies, yet since the media generally believes
these Bush smears,
it is politics as usual to call the President a liar and a killer.
The MSM is a joke, and this current "anger" media slant
proves real journalism no longer exists.
jondelwiche - indeed! MSM, no interest in "McCain a sick beast"
October 14, 2008 - 11:48 ET by Gary Hall"the right "anger" claim is a laughable"
With rare exception (and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here) the MSM entirely focuses on the gang of 6 - all of the MSM, against 6; Hannity, Rush, O'Reilly, Coulter, Malkin, and now Rich Lowry. Well, there may be a few additional scattered household names there; however, that's basicly the list that the entire MSM attacks day in and day out. They represent all that is bad in American journalism to the MSM and to the Democratic party. Oh, they're such a formidible lot going up against the likes of NPR, PBS, LA Times, NY Times, Time & Newsweek, the TV network news, MSNBC, CNN, MoveOn.org, DailyKos, the Progressive Black Caucus, PD America, Air America, etc.
While MSM is quite aware of the vile spewing anger from the left (and they should know as they all seem to get their talking points from them) the MSM still has shown no interest in passing it along in their never ending reporting on supposed anger from the right.
In fact just last week they missed this raving nut case commie, Mike Malloy.
MSM entirely focuses on
October 14, 2008 - 18:23 ET by JohnTXI find it very interesting that none of the people you list are actually journalists, but rather, political commentators.
A lot of these organizations are mixtures of actual journalism and political commentary. Most newspapers are kind enough to separate their opinion/editorial sections from their reporting sections. Some are pure commentary.
I find a lot of the problem people have with the media is that there is this blur between journalists and commentators. A lot of the problem has to do with brand segmentation - the same organization having two wildly different products - in this case journalism and commentary - packaged together.
That's not to say that journalists can't be biased - they can by simply ignoring some stories while reporting on others or by not reporting the full story - but by and large there is a world of difference between the top story in the New York Times and the lead story of Olbermann, Hannity or Kos. Background checks of sources and third-party fact checks are just the start.
I have noticed that the online versions of news organizations such as CNN and also the TV versions are far less stringent about standards than the print versions. They're competing with bloggers after all who are happy to print a rumors long before an outfit like the New York Times could fact check it.
As the number of sources we turn to for news increases, our ability to identify individual journalists and make judgments about whether or not to trust them decreases. I think trust in the whole system is just going downhill. Add that to the fact that people are actually demanding more opinionated news and you have a situation where news organizations have no choice but to add lower quality content or risk losing all their readers.
Personally I think they'll eventually be a backlash.
John in TX
October 14, 2008 - 19:48 ET by Gary HallBest I can tell, thanks for making my point stick for me.
Yes, the names I mentioned are political commentators. FTR, on the other side of the political spectrum there are many more well known, on mainstreet, liberal commentators.
In the MSM, and not limited to political commentators, theses conservative voices are being hounded as virulent trash. A handful of them, expressing their constitutional right of free speech, and I might note, seldom crossing the line of deciency as so many on the left do on a daily basis, being attacked by the country's mainstream media - commentators, political opinion writers, national editors, correspondents, investigative reporters, political pundits, and the national MSM print staff writers.
Why does that excessively large and powerful group of folks seem to be able to garnish such anger against a few individual voices in the pack?
On the topic on the likes of Mike Malloy (and there are so many more like him); here is a political commentator from the left - why is there not a soul in the mainstream media, a news reporter or commentator, bringing this sick material to the attention of the US Voter? After all, the attention of the media seems to be on the nasty in politics - right now? (;~> gary
The New Bradley Effect
October 14, 2008 - 10:30 ET by MillerTimeWarpI see a new effect rearing its head on Nov 4 - The Biased Media Effect. Would you say the a majority of American's dislike the media ? NBC, ABC, CBS.... a bunch of liberal talking heads ? So the more they push for Obama, the more Americans get turned off to it ? Or, even vote for McCain to spite the media ?
I would rather be a Conservative nut job, than a Liberal with no nuts and no job
This is nothing new. The
October 14, 2008 - 10:48 ET by Hunter12This is nothing new. The MSM always goes in the tank for the liberal clown. Look at 2004. They took a man dishonorably discharged from the military and tried to present him as a decorated veteran worthy of the CinC label. I've stated here before, how would you like to be a veteran of an armed conflict where you watched your buddies die and find out after the fact that you voted for a man who consorted with the enemy on his Paris honeymoon and testified before congress that his fellow solidiers were baby killers, guilty of mass murders?
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
I don't watch much TV,
October 14, 2008 - 10:34 ET by suzycreamcheeseI don't watch much TV, especially late at night, but I happened to catch Bernie on Bill's show last night and really enjoyed his take on the double standards of the media. Why can't all people be as sensible as Bernie? He tells it like it is, even if it means blasting his own party.
I'm reading his book Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right and the chapter about how he switched to the Republican party is interesting.
Al Gore: He betrayed this country!
October 14, 2008 - 10:43 ET by KC MulvilleVampires. They have no reflection. They don't see themselves at all.
Remember when Gore was railing, "He betrayed this country! He played on our fears!" That's calling the president a traitor. Not only did the media fail to call Gore on his rhetoric, they re-played these accusations frequently, usually with approval.
The idea that Obama's campaign can't take a few boos is hysterical.
A purpose
October 14, 2008 - 10:44 ET by retroconKeep in mind one of the real consequences of this election...
If Oblama wins, expect the fairness doctrine to return. Say goodbye to conservative talk radio. MSM tightens it's hold on the masses. Expect the Brady Bill X 10. There go the first and second amendments. And knowing libs -- remember Waco, Ruby Ridge, and New London -- privacy and property rights will be gone, too.
Somehow, McCain has to get word past the closed doors of the media, but with them (ABC in particular) refusing advertising that doesn't fit their agenda, it's going to be difficult.
If McCain really is a patriot, he cannot leave us with Obama, he cannot say or believe that Obama is harmless, and there is no reason that he should have to. He must speak well and loud.
McCain
October 14, 2008 - 10:47 ET by GOPG8RI fear this is NO way McCain will really go after Obama. He has already shown he doesn't have the stomach for real campaigning. :o(
the fairness doctrine
October 14, 2008 - 11:01 ET by allamericangirlRetrocon I agree with you 100 percent. I had written almost the exact same thing and your post just showed up. It is all about the money and control the msm are fighting to preserve. They see newspapers lose subscribers and television news outlets loose ratings to alternative voices.
"Liberalism is a mental disorder" -Michael Savage
Election debate
October 14, 2008 - 11:26 ET by cvgbuckeyeSOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAPPEN BUT NEVER WILL:
At the debate, McCain should get up and say this, regardless of the question:
My fellow Americans (not my friends); if you allow this to continue, you are going to wake up on November 5, 2008 to a totally different America, one that will never be the same. You will have elected a man who, if he is not an outright Marxist, he is at the very least a radical Socialist. He will also be leading a congress that will accompany him on the trip from a Democracy to outright Socialism.
You all claim to harbor a mighty dislike and distrust of the Main Stream Media, yet you have approved of their complicity in the successful campaign of the Obama campaign, aided no less by Obama's pet organizations like Acorn and hate web-sites that want to see America changed into a socialist state.
It is a fact that people like Louis Farakhan, the Reverend Wright, Tony Rezko and Bill Ayers, as well as all types of America- hating organizations around the world, (including radical Islam) are all heavily in favor of Senator Obama and they consider his election as a victory for them because it is a defeat for America.
Ladies and gentlemen, WAKE UP! This is not some unimportant election that will just make you all feel better because of some kind of sick hate that you have for president George Bush.
If you allow this to happen, you will have destroyed the 300 year dream of the founding fathers and you will have desecrated the graves of all those brave Americans that lie in their graves, having died premature deaths for the freedoms that we all will enjoy for the next three weeks-----------and then they shall all be in jeopardy.
EXIT THE STAGE!
if nobanas wins
October 14, 2008 - 11:32 ET by tejanodiablolook for a republican sweep of all congressional and senate seats up for vote in 2010 and Palin/Jindal in 2012 with a super majority .. bet on it ..
never look a gift skunk in the tail ..
If Nobama Wins
October 14, 2008 - 12:28 ET by GeneralAlI wish I could agree with you Tejanodiablo but I can't. Obama will stifle free speech, institute the fairness doctrine, spy on honest Americans while ignoring terrorist, and give away our hard earned money to the morons who elect him. They could care less about democracy and more about themselves. As long as they can text message each other, have sex, booze, and drugs at will, and listen to their Ipods, nothing else matters! The sad part is that you don't have to have any level of intelligence to vote! Furthermore, its a proven fact that a majority of Democrats vote for whom they are told to by their union boss or their church [so much for separation of church and state but nobody wants to be accused of racism!]. The democrats will have a majority until we are bankrupt as a nationand that will be too late1
allow me to love
October 14, 2008 - 14:41 ET by JIMMY1660allow me to love America
if BHO does win, this man quits his job, and takes the good life of not working. join me. where will the dollars come from. no one works if we all go on the dole.
I don't listen to radio very
October 14, 2008 - 18:38 ET by JohnTXI don't listen to radio very often (no commute), but wouldn't implementing the fairness doctrine hurt the liberals - especially in urban areas? After all, there are liberal talk radio shows and I imagine conservative shows might not even have syndication in many large cities.
Bernie nailed this one, but
October 14, 2008 - 11:24 ET by Clear thinkerBernie nailed this one, but to be fair, a 3 year old could have made the same observation. It's that blatant!
Why Obama Scares The Crap Out Of Me
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
The Fairness Doctrine
October 14, 2008 - 12:45 ET by tymanI truly don't believe that they will reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. Rush's millions ditto heads will not take it lying down. I'm one of them. We might lose this battle but we will ultimately win the war in 2010 & 2012.
God Bless America
From a disabled veteran.