E.J. Dionne: Media Must Hold Republicans Accountable for 'Expansive Rhetoric'
Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne is calling for the media to hold the newly-sworn in Republican House majority accountable for their "expansive rhetoric" as well as "how their ideas translate into policies that affect actual human beings."
Such a charge seems laughable almost 24 months after the Obama-loving press disgracefully gushed and swooned over every word uttered by the nation's 44th President before and after he took the oath of office:
If journalism in a democracy is about anything, it is about bringing the expansive rhetoric of politicians down to earth and holding them accountable for how their ideas translate into policies that affect actual human beings.
It may be easier to report windy speeches about "liberty" and "entrepreneurship" than to do the grubby work of examining budgets, regulations, programs and economic consequences. But journalists surely want to be more than stenographers.
Michael Oakeshott, another great conservative philosopher, declared: "It is the mark of all intelligent discourse that it is about something in particular." Let's encourage the new professors who would govern us to deal with particulars and not just their ideological dreams.
Is this how Dionne and his fellow so-called journalists behaved during the 2008 campaign and in the months immediately following Obama's inauguration?
Was the junior senator from Illinois' expansive rhetoric brought down to earth and examined for how it might actually translate into policies that affect actual human beings?
Or did people like Dionne get caught up in three words masterfully concocted by Obama's marketing team like a slogan for a new car or toothpaste?
Hope and Change indeed.
And after they assisted selling the man with absolutely no significant legislative accomplishments to the masses, did the media immediately hold him accountable for the ideas he wanted to impose on the nation?
I suggest Dionne revisit how ABC's Bill Weir reported the events of January 20, 2009:
BILL WEIR: We know that wind can make a cold day feel colder, but can national pride make a freezing day feel warmer? It seems to be the case because regardless of the final crowd number estimates, never have so many people shivered so long with such joy. From above, even the seagulls must have been awed by the blanket of humanity...
How's that for holding politicians accountable for their expansive rhetoric, E.J.?
Yet, there are even some better examples of Dionne's hypocrisy penned by the Post columnist himself.
Here's what E.J. wrote on January 15, 2009, just five days before the object of his affection was sworn in:
For the past two years, Barack Obama has made it hard for anyone to pin him down philosophically. So when he raises his hand on Tuesday, exactly what -- beyond the efforts of an eager, data-driven problem-solver -- can the American people expect?
Imagine that. In a piece hysterically titled "Audacity Without Ideology," Dionne admitted - almost celebrated - the fact that Obama - who was about to become the most powerful man on the planet - had not yet been pinned down philosophically, and the American people really didn't know what they were getting as President of the United States.
Wasn't it the responsibility of E.J. and his colleagues to flesh that out? Where were Dionne's calls for media to hold Obama accountable for the ideas he was imparting to the citizenry?
Sadly, they were absent five days before Inauguration Day, and didn't materialize as the event approached as E.J.'s January 19, 2009, column "Why the Uniter Divided Us" just bashed George W. Bush:
There are many reasons why most Americans are not mourning President Bush's departure. But our new president would do well to concentrate on the deeper causes of the public's disaffection with the man headed to Texas.
No calls for media to examine Obama's expansive rhetoric there.
But even more hypocritical was Dionne's January 22, 2009, column:
One of the wondrous aspects of Obama's inaugural address is the extent to which those on the left and those on the right both claimed our new president as their own.
Many conservatives were eager to argue that Obama is destined to disappoint his friends on the left because the president who now wields power will be far more careful than the candidate who deployed rhetoric so ecstatically.
Obama deployed rhetoric so ecstatically.
Now, almost two years later, Dionne is calling on his fellow "journalists" to hold Republicans accountable for their "expansive rhetoric."
What a difference a "D" makes.
- Noel Sheppard's blog
- Login to post comments
Comments
Oh hell yes!!
Submitted by Patriot II on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:42am.
But lets not hold that lying bastard in the white house accountable for anything!!!!
Actual human beings?
Submitted by Blonde on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:46am.
As opposed to, say, those "some say" human beings? Or the sob story human beings the dems are so fond of?
That "actual human beings" part had me rolling my eyes. As an actual human being, I object!
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
But, but, but, but
Submitted by Tomorama on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:56am.
Is anyone (besides Fox and NB and a few others.....) going to even mention the fact that the pussy in chief was against raising the debt ceiling when he had a chance to vote to do so?
I mean it's only on video in one of his usual written by someone else speeches?
He actually had three chances to vote on it, the last two, being the fraud of a man that he is, he voted present..................... actually worse, he didn't vote.
E J, where is the accountability for that considering the "debt ceiling" has been in the news?
E J, hello E J?
Accountable?
Submitted by JustAl on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:59am.
The ones who must be held accountable are the companies that support the socialist media machine as sponsors. Seek them out, point them out, call them out. The money that feeds this monster comes from one place only. . . us; American consumers. We already have the power, we just need to start using it.
This is Dionne making a joke, right?
Submitted by TexasMom0517 on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 11:59am.
This is hysterical. After being in office for two years, Obama is still the least vetted President in our history, and is held accountable for nothing. He and Pelosi lie through their teeth, yet the media ignores it.
If this isn't Orwell's NEWSPEAK, I don't know what is.
But who is buying it?
Submitted by ArrowSmith on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:08pm.
Other then the 28% of rabid leftists?
The only time I've ever seen
Submitted by marpel on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:12pm.
The only time I've ever seen EJ Dionne smile that toothless grin (a la Barney Frank) of his (can't he afford teeth?) is when his "lord and savior" was running for POTUS. I haven't seen him gum a smile in about a year. What gives, EJ?
"Deep within my heart lies a memory. A song of ol' San Antone..."
I'd love to get a stick on
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:29pm.
of that BO rainbow logo. It would be great to put in all the urinals as a target. Hey, there may be a market for that. At least 150 million people would want at least one.
I want to say something so bad...
Submitted by Red Jeep on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:19pm.
...that I better not. BUT I could see you selling a million of those...overnight.
Maybe 2 sizes are needed. One for urinals and one for toilets to cover home use too.
And once that takes off
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:24pm.
We can market matching toilet paper.
Exactly.
Submitted by Red Jeep on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:34pm.
Out sell Charmin.
Yep, the Chairman beats the Charmin
Submitted by Blonde on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 3:19pm.
is a sure bet in toilet paper sales.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Born yesterday
Submitted by KC Mulville on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:32pm.
Having not done anything like it for the last four years, and now suddenly lecturing us about the media's obligation to pick apart political rhetoric, Dionne's just another vampire ... no self-reflection at all. Frankly, when he pretends that journalism suddenly begins today, having not existed for the last four years, he's acting as if he was born yesterday.
Liberal Media and
Submitted by NVRAT on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:34pm.
MSNBC on my TV as is all other liberal commentators are going straight to GROUND (termanate) and have been for many years. I do not watch them nor do I have anything to do with those channels. If the majority of TV watchers would do the same thing maybe they would change and start hiring real reporters and journalists and stop pushing a liberal adjenda through the air waves and try to pose it as real politics. These people are totally worthless and their message belongs in a garbage can.
The spots on a Leopard never changes and they bring death to those not observing.
What I want to know is who's
Submitted by Barack_must_go..... on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:46pm.
What I want to know is who's idea was it to display a photo of the Ass Clown, affectionately referred to as ' the chosen one ' by his sycophant, rabid, apostles such as Dionne, in a saintly pose with a patriotic ( red, white & blue ) halo surrounding his head?
2011 is the year where all real Americans ought to demand that any and all corporations which advertise with these left wing bomb thrower organizations, immediately cease & desist or suffer the consequences, meted out by the real American in the form of a boycott across the board.
Enough of this unfettered, constant and concerted barage by the lame street media ( coordinated with the administration of the sitting president ) of unwarranted, nor solicited attacks against the Constitution, conservatism, religion, tea party folks or just ordinary citizens ( simply because the left believe we're just too stupid to make our own decisions ) who openly exercise their right to speak out against the government.
The longer We the People allow this widespread abberation of assault on our America to continue, the closer we come to ' fundamentally transforming ' into a grotesque , morally bankrupt and Godless society, from which there is no return.
The consequence of doing nothing to irradicate this cancer ( Barack Obama's intended goal, according to his stated manifesto ) from American society will be even more devastating to our everyday American life than the present & ever growing ( even though Obama denies it ) danger to life & limb from islamic terrorists.
Barack_Must_Go.....
I feel the media will be
Submitted by MidAmerica on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:39pm.
I feel the media will be filled with stories about the new Republicans failing to accomplish their promises made during the campaign. I saw two such stories at yahoo this morning. One is titled 'PROMISES PROMISES: GOP drop some out of the gate'. Sheesh the swearing in was yesterday and already the media is tagging them for backtracking. Let's see... one of obama's first actions as President was to order the closing of Guantanamo.....
I believe there will a coordinated effort by the media to portray the Republicans as just more Washington business as usual hoping to divide the Tea Partiers from the Republican Party and bring on an independant Tea Party thereby splitting the opposition to democrats.
"I feel the media will be
Submitted by celator on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:50pm.
"I feel the media will be filled with stories about the new Republicans failing to accomplish their promises made during the campaign."
This is MSM employing a slight variation of.........
Alinsky Rule 4: Make opponents live up to their own book of rules. “You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity.”
In the magical fairee world
Submitted by celator on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:45pm.
In the magical fairee world Dionne and his fellow media elves live in, saying you will govern according to the principles of the US Constitution is considered "expansive rhetoric".
The White House Owns the Liberal MSM Media...
Submitted by gruyere cheese on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:02pm.
It is sickening to listen to the adoration these talking heads on TV have for Obama. They make their disdain for anyone who does not love "The One" obvious in their reporting.
Obama can do no wrong and will never be challenged on his policies by his adoring liberal TV personalities.
That being said, how can anyone with half a brain believe anything these talking heads report on TV daily? Every word they utter is cleary coming from the White House machine, it is that simple!
Then again, it makes the rest of us smarter than they are, because we don't fall for the crap the rest of their liberal fans fall for.
Goebbels Would Be Proud
Submitted by BW222 on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 1:07pm.
The media truly is the Propaganda Wing of the Democratic Party,
The Lapdog Media Is Complicit In The Marxist Dismantling Of U.S.
Submitted by Lentenlands on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 3:42pm.
Screw the lapdog media, they are complicit in the destruction of America and irrelevant! Crush marxism, make no compromise with the evil of marxist ideology. Displace the evil ideologies of Marx!
Do it now!!!
http://smashabanana.blogspot.com/