Many of you are aware of the kerfuffle surrounding the "cone of silence" complaint being ginned up by the Obama campaign after the recent Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency on Saturday, August 16. The claim made by Obama and his willing accomplices in the Old Media (like Andrea Mitchell, not to mention the DailyKos) is that John McCain "cheated" by hearing the questions proffered to Obama, who was first up to be questioned by moderator Rick Warren. McCain's answers were just too glib, the Obama meme posits, so he must have heard the questions ahead of time instead of being placed in an area off stage where he could not hear the proceedings. Yes, they are saying he cheated.
On Sunday, August 17, The New York Times did its level best to assist the Obama campaign to further that mistaken conception -- well, all right, that outright lie -- even as they debunked the story. How? By making their headline seem to support the Obama claim that McCain cheated, that's how.
Now, remember, that the claim from the Obama camp is that John McCain somehow snuck out of the "cone of silence" he was supposed to be in while backstage. This so-called "cone of silence" was supposed to be an area backstage where McCain was not able to hear the questioning. Keep in mind that the Obama camp is saying McCain left this area unauthorized and that he, therefore, cheated. Now check out the New York Times headline:
Despite Assurances, McCain Wasn’t in a ‘Cone of Silence’
Now, if you were to read only this headline and skip the story, it would seem to verify that the Obama campaign was right. McCain was not in this "cone of silence." It would be very easy to conclude that McCain then did hear the questions and did cheat.
And it isn't just the headline. The first short paragraph also made it seem as if Obama was right about his "cheating" charge.
Senator John McCain was not in a “cone of silence” on Saturday night while his rival, Senator Barack Obama, was being interviewed at the Saddleback Church in California.
But wait. It turns out that John McCain wasn't even at the venue to hear the questions.
...Mr. McCain was in his motorcade on the way to the church as Mr. Obama was being interviewed... Mr. McCain had not heard the broadcast of the event while in his motorcade and heard none of the questions.
So, yes, he wasn't in the vaunted "cone of silence" but he also wasn't any where near the stage where the questions were being asked and that means he certainly did not "cheat" as the Obama camp and the Old Media are charging.
Unfortunately, while the Times gets points for telling the full truth eventually, the first paragraph and the headline seem to support the opposite of the truth and casual readers that only read headlines and the first few lines are easily led to imagine that Obama's charges are correct.
So, the ignominious, but ingenious, prize for most misleading headline of the week goes to The New York Times for its Obama leaning treatment of this McCain smear.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Breaking: NYT Bombed
August 18, 2008 - 04:49 ET by Cool ArrowMembers of the NYT were reportedly bombed out of their gourds when they wrote this misleading headline.
Gotcha!
I ♣ my seal
Questions about McCain's arrival
August 18, 2008 - 05:12 ET by airedaletwoI know the event was carried on
FOX and CNN but was it available any radio stations in Southern
California or XM or Sirius, being broadcast live? How did he travel from the hotel to the event
(car? Bus equipped with satellite TV, etc.) With the questions being
raised by the left I think we need to nail this down.
Second exactly when during Obama's
interview did McCain arrive at the event? If it was 30 seconds into it
then it won't hold water. If he arrived near the end the Democrats will be able
to spin this more successfully and they are going to try no matter what with
the aid of their media allies.
Third why was he late? What idiot let him arrive late so this
problem would exist?
McCain wasn't late
August 18, 2008 - 12:16 ET by CobraMan"Third why was he late?"
McCain wasn't "late." He showed up in time for his interview, did he not? Why would he need to be there during Obama's interview? You have to remember that this wasn't a debate, this was a live interview. There’s a BIG difference between the two venues.
The NYT is doing the ONE
August 18, 2008 - 05:20 ET by Jack BauerThe NYT is doing the ONE thing that gets McCain insane.
They are attacking his "honor." You don't do that, my friend.
It's going to be FUN today as our friend goes VietCong on their ass.
Anyone thinking that Obama is kept in a DRONE OF SUBSERVIENCE by the media?
Don't know Jack
August 18, 2008 - 05:22 ET by Cool ArrowDoes it look anything like a cone of tinfoil? I think he's wearing it now.
I ♣ my seal
It's a travesty when a
August 18, 2008 - 05:37 ET by zhombreIt's a travesty when a Republican candidate has to run against the media as well as his Democrat opponent. And the calls for restoration of the "Fairness Doctrine" represent another attempt to censor any voices in opposition to the liberal-left consensus.
I think the same thing every
August 18, 2008 - 05:55 ET by USA4freedomI think the same thing every day.
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
Make sure you read the rest
August 18, 2008 - 05:53 ET by hoystoryMake sure you read the rest of the story.
Ahh John remember the
August 18, 2008 - 06:07 ET by USA4freedomAhh John remember the “good old days” when the NYT was your buddy and “we” were your enemy? When you use to hang with them, on the bus and chew the fat? I remember.. religious leaders were.. what’s that line you used, “agents of intolerance”?
A large part of the conservatives are trying to like you then your team does a trial balloon with Liebermann. This really make we wonder how you will govern.
Look how we conservatives have tried to stick with Bush even with the spending, big government, immigration, etc. Basically doing most things that drive the base crazy, and makes us want to change parties!
Remember: conservatives, good. MSM, bad. Seems simple to me.
For what its worth department, why does John not write the NYT as well, asking them whey did they indorse him, and then treat him thisway? (I bet you thought we forgot that they endorsed you)
I think its like Rushes line: if you are made by the MSM you can be broken by them.
John please, please, pick a conservative VP, help us like you. Give us a reason to vote FOR you, rather then against Obama. If you do that and promise one term I might be able to hold my nose that long. But hey, from your track record.. I can look for another finger in my eye.
Sorry every one, for the rant.
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
Great One
August 18, 2008 - 07:22 ET by JoelCT"“If McCain wants to find out what’s on someone’s mind, he uses an ax,” said McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb."
Heh heh, now that's MY kind of funny!
Good stuff, hoy.
Joel
August 18, 2008 - 07:27 ET by Cool ArrowI think I'd just tell him instead of waiting for him to axe me..
I ♣ my seal
Holding a fistful of water
August 18, 2008 - 07:38 ET by Iowa BoyI'm sensing something here. The MSM has lost (not loosing) it's influence. Their arrogance and elitism has caused it customers to find other sources of information, i.e. the internet and talk radio. And there's the trouble. The MSM doesn't look at their readers or viewers as customers but as the great unwashed masses who need to be told what's what. If they did, they would apply market forces and change their operation to compete.
They've lost and they try and grasp for control but, like holding a fistful of water, it flows right between their fingers.
"Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain." Official Motto of the State of Iowa
What the liberals cannot understand
August 18, 2008 - 08:19 ET by c5thenIs how someone with actual convictions and foundational beliefs does not have to think about certain answers. To a true Christian, life begins at conception, PERIOD. There is no need to think on this issue. It is immoral to kill a child, regardless of how "old" the child is and should be illegal. People should be compensated for the quality of the job they do, not simply how long they've been doing it as most teacher's unions have it structured now.
The liberals are not familier with be able to answer based on these underlying idiologies, because they don't have any that allows them to not care about what the "right" answer is. They always have to think about what the asker or the audience wants to hear and then try and structure their answer to fit into that assumption.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Simple question, if not at
August 18, 2008 - 08:42 ET by USA4freedomSimple question, if not at conception, then when?????
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
Well, USA
August 18, 2008 - 08:46 ET by Cool ArrowThat's a matter of perspective and it's complex and did I mention it's nuanced? It's above his pay grade also.
I ♣ my seal
I can see that I skipped the
August 18, 2008 - 11:33 ET by USA4freedomI can see that I skipped the Nuance 101 class too often..
Pay grade.. what a chicken $hit answer.
Ronald Reagan, 1962: I did not leave the Democratic party, the party left me.
Insert: your name, 2008, and the Republican party.
warren's "cone of silence"
August 18, 2008 - 08:22 ET by larry on LIthe nyt's ms. kathrine seelye exposes her total lack of basic math.she discribes warren's 'cone of silence' ,"that the spell has a range 400 ft. + 40ft level", giving warren a more than 1/4 mile range.
where might this place ms. seelye ,in the scholastic pecking order?
Get real Obama
August 18, 2008 - 09:14 ET by SouthernRootsAfter 25 years of experience in Congress, and previous attempts at the presidency, you can bet that John McCain "has heard" most of these questions before - probably several times. He has probably also had to answer these questions many times and so he has been forced to consider his response to the point where he actually knows what his position is.
McCain's experience is the "unfair" advantage he holds over Obama.
I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them. - J.B. Books (John Wayne)
Oh! Bama
August 18, 2008 - 10:21 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsMcCain's experience is the "unfair" advantage he holds over Obama.
Ohhh, now I get it, McCain cheated by being more experienced than Obama, who says experience doesn't count. Darn those neo-cons!
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
We're
August 18, 2008 - 10:42 ET by NorthCoasterjust to assume that BO is going to be the best President for the future and allow his Campaign and the Media to promote him. He'll gain experience on-the-job at our expense.
RIGHT!
Liberals are so assured of
August 18, 2008 - 13:26 ET by greenfairieLiberals are so assured of their righteousness, if Republicans win elections or show them up in a debate, libs think it's only because the Republicans cheated. If they're not blaming it on cheating, they will instead blame it on Jesusland rednecks or not packaging their message correctly.