Networks Excoriate the 'Nasty,' 'Dirty,' 'Notorious' Politics of South Carolina
In the days leading up to the GOP primary in South Carolina, all three networks have aggressively attacked the state and its supposedly "dirty," "nasty," "notorious" politics. Echoing many other journalists, CBS's Jan Crawford warned on January 12: "Down here in South Carolina, the weather is warm, that tea is cold, and the politics can get down right dirty."
On January 15, Chris Matthews repeatedly smeared the Palmetto state: "Why are South Carolina politics always so down and dirty?...What makes this state, for everyone who wants to be president, the messiest stop of all?" Quoting "Time" magazine, the "Chris Matthews Show" host mocked, "...They don't call South Carolina the low country for nothing." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]
In a segment on the state, Matthews played a clip of Lee Atwater from the documentary "Boogie Man." The anchor incorrectly insinuated that the George H.W. Bush strategist ran ads featuring Will Horton.
Matthews asserted, "It's where Lee Atwater honed his smear campaign skills, the talk of people being hooked up to jumper cables, turning murderer Willie Horton into Michael Dukakis' running mate."
Except, Atwater didn't run any ads showing Willie Horton's face, only a spot on Dukakis' "revolving door" attitude to crime.
Outside groups ran a commercial showing Willie Horton's picture.
On the January 11 "CBS This Morning," Bob Schieffer derided South Carolina as "a place where they sort of like really down and dirty politics." Reporter Erica Hill agreed, "It is known to be a little nasty."
"Today's" Peter Alexander parroted, "But here in socially-conservative South Carolina, where the primary is notorious for nasty politics, Romney's opponents are sharpening their attacks."
Sounding a similar theme, "Good Morning America's" George Stephanopoulos on January 12 proclaimed, "Primaries there usually get pretty nasty and with front-runner Mitt Romney hoping to end this fight early..."
The three networks have all hyped the idea of a "dirty" South Carolina, a place where the results can't necessarily be trusted. But how often to journalists look at their own work and wonder if they're too liberal? Will NBC reporters fret about the "nasty" nature of their colleagues on MSNBC?
A transcript of attacks on "nasty" South Carolina can be found below:
CBS This Morning
01/11/12
8am
BOB SCHIEFFER: And if you thought you saw a lot about Mitt Romney looting businesses back in Bain Capital and all that kind of stuff and about flip-flopping and all of that, you`re going to see that multiplied by a factor of twelve down there in South Carolina, which is a place where they sort of like really down and dirty politics. So get ready, strap yourself in. This is going to be something.
...
ERICA HILL: It is known to be a little nasty. You ain`t seen nothing yet.
GMA
01/12/12
7:06
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Now to politics. Your voice, your vote and the battle for South Carolina. Primaries there usually get pretty nasty and with front-runner Mitt Romney hoping to end this fight early, all his rivals are trying to figure out how to launch their last, best shot. ABC's John Berman covering it all. And, John, Romney's early strategy, soar above it.
Today
01/12/11
7:05AM
ALEXANDER: But here in socially-conservative South Carolina, where the primary is notorious for nasty politics, Romney's opponents are sharpening their attacks.
01/12/2012
07:08 am EST
CBS This Morning
JAN CRAWFORD: Well, good morning, Erica. New Hampshire may as well be a world away. Down here in South Carolina, the weather is warm, that tea is cold, and the politics can get down right dirty.
...
ROMNEY: No one's going to be happy if things are said that are untrue. But I know that's sometimes part of the underbelly of politics.
CRAWFORD: Nowhere is that more true than in South Carolina.
...
CRAWFORD: A dirty campaign in recent memory- the race for the Republican nomination in 2000 between Texas Governor George Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain.
...
CRAWFORD: That race was notorious, with anonymous false accusations that McCain fathered a child out of wedlock. McCain lost the primary and blamed his defeat on the smears.
Sunday Morning
01/15/12
BOB SCHIEFFER: Good morning, Charles. Well, the storm clouds are forming over South Carolina as the campaign gets nasty. We`ll hear from Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum.
Chris Matthews Show
01/15/12
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Lowdown politics. Why are South Carolina politics always so down and dirty? It's where Lee Atwater honed his smear campaign skills, the talk of people being hooked up to jumper cables, turning murderer Willie Horton into Michael Dukakis' running mate. What makes this state, for everyone who wants to be president, the messiest stop of all?
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Comments
wanting to set the rules
Submitted by MidAmerica on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 6:28pm.
We'll hear this theme a lot in the general election as the networks try to stop any real criticism of obama by calling it low down dirty and nasty.
I guess this stoooooopid
Submitted by ricklail on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 6:46pm.
I guess this stoooooopid bastard never followed Chicago politics. I've got to defend my neighbors to the south. . If they could only ship ClemPson University to some other state I'd like them a lot more. I've made fun of sandlappers for years but at least they don't send dead fish to their politcial opponents. They are for the most part hard working, God fearing good folks. They, like us up here in the Tarheel state, are bitterly clinging to their guns. That's the reason they are hated by the MSM.
Obviously a New England Elitist attitude toward the South...
Submitted by acaiguana on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 6:47pm.
Those Crackers (Red Necks) are so ignorant and pig wallow stupid that nasty was born in the South.
'nough said.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana notes from the Underground' (Soon to be at theaters near you)
Do Dem politicians ever get
Submitted by gopsteve on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 6:50pm.
Do Dem politicians ever get "nasty?" Seems like it only gets mentioned when the GOP goes on the offensive...
At Newt's townhall meeting at Rioz restaurant in
Submitted by Bodini on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 7:36pm.
At Newt's town-hall meeting at Rioz restaurant in Myrtle Beach this afternoon ...I planted the seed with him that we need to help the Marxist-media and Hollywood entertainment industry put their money where their mouths are by promoting a special media and entertainment tax. That would surely escalate the war against conservatism, but to hear old Chrissy and his fellow elites "squeal like a pig," would be music to my ears!
Chirs Matthews
Submitted by oldfart on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 8:14pm.
I think he was looking in a mirror at himself when he made those remarks
Propaganda, thy name is BSNBC
Submitted by Slyrr on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 8:16pm.
When Chris Matthews and the liberal Demorats do it, they call it 'political savvy'.
I wonder if
Submitted by 10ksnooker on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 8:44pm.
wonder boy knows it was the Democrats KKK.
What did virulent, militant,
Submitted by TE on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 9:00pm.
What did virulent, militant, leftist political activists/lobbyists Tingles Matthews, Schieffer, Stephanopoulos, Peter Alexander, Erica Hill and Jan Crawford have to say about the fabricated allegations against George W. Bush made by CBS, Dan Rather and Mary Mapes using fabricated, bogus, forged and thoroughly debunked documents?
What did the aforesaid leftist political activists have to say about the fabricated, unsubstantiated and thoroughly debunked allegations made by the New York Times against John McCain falsely alleging that McCain had a "romantic relationship" and a "romantic relationship" with some woman who was not his wife?
I don't recall any of the aforesaid, stupid, leftist, political activists denouncing leftist political advocacy/lobbying groups like CBS and the New York Times.
Tingles the Racer says:
Submitted by Jerry Mack on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 9:39pm.
If you can not win an election by painting your opponnet as a Racist then you are a Republican.
Who writes this tripe?
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 01/16/2012 - 10:57pm.
"Down here in South Carolina, the weather is warm, that tea is cold, and the politics can get down right dirty."
Ugh.
SC nasty?
Submitted by g55rumpy on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 4:50am.
try Cook co. IL
Where do they have high-stakes politics that aren't rough?
Submitted by CO2Maker on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 6:12am.
Nasty and dirty? Just South Carolina, right? Until the Republicans move to the next state and then it's Florida. And then Texas, and then ...
I remember back when I was a radical youth and wanted McGovern to win the 1972 Democratic nomination. I watched the credentials fight at the convention. First came the dispute of the South Carolina delegation, which involved a challenge by the national Women's Political Caucus to 20 of the state's 32 delegates. California, the big prize, was fifth. McGovern abandoned his disputed delegates in South Carolina so as not to provoke a floor dispute to the decision, lose, and thus set a precedent at the convention that he could not undo ... at least until the California ruling. That was the slate of delegates he needed, so he threw the South Carolina delegates under the curb so he could prevail with the California challenge.
Nasty? Mean? Throwing elbows? Ha! That was brass knuckles.
(Oh, btw, Illinois, Chicago, and Hizonner, Mayor Daley were also involved in the political calculations.)
Another dirty campaign in "recent" memory...
Submitted by CobraMan on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 1:39pm.
"A dirty campaign in recent memory..."
Would that be Obama's healthcare/welfare campaigns, where he, along with his fellow democrats, accused the racist, homophobic, rich, white, gun toting republicans, who cling to their bibles, of killing children, starving the poor and elderly, and other nefarious crimes against humanity because of their objections to his policies? Is that the dirty campaign you're referring to?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.