Like most liberal-media reviewers, Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales was forced by events to concede Sarah Palin wowed the crowd last night. It was "the night that John McCain’s brilliantly screwy choice for a running mate changed from laughingstock to national star." But Shales also lamented the "demagoguery" of mocking the liberal media, especially the idea that President Reagan was attacked by the media, when he enjoyed "a virtual love affair with the press." A long MRC rebuttal is here. To Shales:
It's unfortunate considering the strong showing of Palin that the Republicans have again decided to run against "the media" as well as against the Democrats, and to portray themselves as poor, abused victims of media aggression. Giuliani, who has made a second career of courting the press, referred sneeringly to "the left-wing media."
Mike Huckabee spoke of "the elite media." And a poorly made film about Ronald Reagan, shown to the delegates on Tuesday night, included the outright lie that "the media hated" Reagan, when just the opposite is closer to the truth. Reagan's time in the White House was a virtual love affair with the press, whom he charmed as infectiously as he charmed the whole country.
Jeffrey Toobin, one of the most valuable of CNN’s army of guest commentators, said last night that he found it "ironic and rather unbecoming" that John McCain, who has enjoyed "adoring" treatment from the news media, should choose to be part of this kind of demagoguery.
Actually, Shales misquoted the film. The narrator said "The media despised him." One can argue that not everyone hated him -- journalists tend to look back fondly on him. But to charge it was a "virtual love affair" is at dramatic odds with the facts, hard set in print and video archives. It was quite clear the elite media thought his policies were wrong-headed and dangerous and wanted to remove him from the White House.
The idea that is "unbecoming" for McCain to attack the media as it simply "does its job" is to underscore how the media can be unbecoming. They see themselves as the tribunes of the people, that attacking them is unbecoming. But it's not unbecoming when reporters "doing their job" sort through the underwear drawers of a vice-presidential candidate's teenage daughter.
Shales was busy pouring his acid pen out on Rudy Giuliani:
Commentators on more than one channel said the crowd in St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center wanted "red meat," and from last night's speakers, obviously including Palin, they got it -- blood red. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who preceded Palin, in fact delivered a boorish attack full of cheap shots. Seemingly, Giuliani is intent on systematically destroying, with each public appearance, the goodwill he had built up after Sept. 11, an event that of course he never fails to mention.
His habit of cackling with laughter at his own remarks, and pausing repeatedly to point to people in the crowd, helped keep his speech raggedy and disjointed; he gave the impression of a naughty boy gleefully sticking his fingers in Mom's cookie dough and congratulating himself for his deed.
And that's not a boorish cheap shot attack?
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Comments Policy
Yeah, Republicans. Take your
September 4, 2008 - 16:17 ET by Chris NormanYeah, Republicans. Take your insults and attacks from the media in silent assent that they're right - you did that forever and they like it that way.
McNotObama '08
Why we shouldn't criticize the media
September 4, 2008 - 18:38 ET by KC Mulville... wait, I'm working on it ... I'm sure it'll come to me.
Besides, what are they going to do if we attack them back? Give us poor and slanted coverage? We've already got that.
Well, that settles it
September 4, 2008 - 16:18 ET by Indiana JoeIf the leftoid media reports that they are not, in fact, biased, shilling, panderers for the left, willing to do and say anything to build up socialists while tearing down those who oppose them...
...well, that's good enough for me.
<rolls eyes>
Shales' point of view
September 4, 2008 - 16:22 ET by kch50428Is limited to what he can see out the peep hole that replaced his umbilicus.
MAD
September 4, 2008 - 16:25 ET by Copperhead RidgeMutualy Assured Demagoguery
I say we stop demogoging the media as soon as they stop demagoging the Democrat party
The media are deserving of every bit of criticism, and more...
September 4, 2008 - 16:30 ET by ThalpyThe media are deserving of every bit of and more! Alter and all of them go on and on about their objectivity and keen insight, but in reality they are propagandists hell--bent on swaying the country to their delusional worldview. No thanks.
I know they think that we are stupid and uneducated. Even if we were, it would not make the press less biased. We are smart enough to know that the MSM are damaging our country. There is no doubt about it.
Media
September 4, 2008 - 16:31 ET by rick007Screw you elitist in the media. Did you get that? SCREW YOU.
I don't know who the hell these lard asses think they are.
Even Fox News doesn't ask hard questions or stop these elitists from spewing the vile talking points of the Dem. party line.
They let O Dumby talk about the Rep's last night didn't give them any details???
The only detail O Dunby has given out is he will tax big oil. Thats his only fix for all the countrys ills. Jobs Inflation Health Care Energy Needs. Every damn thing is going to be fixed by taxing big oil?
Well O Dumby the price of oil has dropped $30.00 a barrel. What ya goona do now? DUH.
Has any body seen the worlds tallest building built with our energy money in Dubai??? I'll bet it has a Clinton room.and maby a Biden toilet.
"and maby a Biden toilet."
September 4, 2008 - 16:34 ET by Indiana JoeI think that's a .... Bidet.
;^)
Here's a Tip, Shales...
September 4, 2008 - 16:36 ET by neighbShales claims that Republicans are demagoging his demure and pure media pals and claims that they are completely innocent of bias.
He might want to watch a tape of Oblahma's press conference of the past hour where he lays blame for the vicious, vapid lunatic ravings of the media against Sarah Palin DIRECTLY AT THEIR FEET!!!!
Me thinks some folk need to meet and get their stories straight.....
It is IMPOSSIBLE to be a rational, logical thinker AND a liberal Democrat.
Son of a GUN!
September 4, 2008 - 16:36 ET by MearlineWHAT HYPOCRITS....yes, with their tails between their legs, but Still. HYPOCRITS!
Media
September 4, 2008 - 16:40 ET by rick007People need to remember it;s the Media and Democrats that have gotten us into then energy crunch.
Rudy told it as it is. The O Dumby croud is only gonna draw water from the other side of the bucket?
He will give you $1,000 dollars from taxing big oil.
He will then get to keep the other Billions for the next years.
.50 a gal over a year will save me $2,000. Screw you O Dumby
Remember he said $4.00 a gal just got here to soon????????
MSM
September 4, 2008 - 16:43 ET by rick007O Dumbo and the MSM.
Good cop bad cop.
Watch O Dumbo's ears they flap when he lies
The greatest Flim Flan of all times
September 4, 2008 - 17:01 ET by rick007The reason the MSM and Democrats in congress are against drilling is it would bring down energy costs?
This is their only running point. " EXCESS PROFITS of BIG OIL"
Thats all their running on. What are they going to do when oil prices fall below $90,00 a barrel????
How are they going to create new jobs?
How are they going to bring down energy costs?
How are they going to lower Medical Costs? Surly not by going after the Edwards type lawyers!
MSM doesn't understand how they are loathed
September 4, 2008 - 17:22 ET by jefflebowskiby the regular, hard-working, taxpaying people of this country. The Old Media is unabashedly leftist and doesn't even try to hide it anymore. They should truly be ashamed of themselves. What I find incredulous is that they cannot realize why their numbers continue to plummet!!
If they let Lebowski run a network for 1 year, I promise that I could raise their ratings double digits!
Jeff Lebowski
www.angrywhitedude.c...
he gave the impression of a
September 4, 2008 - 18:22 ET by fitzfonghe gave the impression of a naughty boy gleefully sticking his fingers in Mom's cookie dough and congratulating himself for his deed.
As opposed to Tom Shales, who obviously shoved both filthy mitts into Mom's cookie dough and wiped his sweaty face with his sleeve. The suggestion that the media did not hate Ronald Reagan is hilarious. Sam Donaldson? Dan "Forged Documents" Rather? Tom Brokaw? Peter Jennings? The cast of 60 Minutes? Every single major market newspaper of the day? The British Press? That fossil Helen Thomas was probably only 110 at the time, but she was certainly hostile. Problem for them was that Reagan was too smart for them. And leave it to Roger Ebert's fatter double to quote CNN's resident dissembling shyster, Jeffrey Toobin as affirmation of his lame thesis.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com
By the way, I believe a
September 4, 2008 - 18:52 ET by fitzfongBy the way, I believe a distinction needs to be made...and fast. Mike Huckabee refers to an "elite" media. The mainstream media is not elite, it's elitist. One word refers to how they're perceived by others, the other word refers to how they perceive themselves.
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -Ronald Reagan
fitzfong.blogspot.com