Since Dede Scozzafava suspended her campaign for the open House seat in New York state's 23rd district Saturday, media members have been depicting her as a moderate Republican who was the victim of an attack by the far-right in the nation.
As NewsBusters reported hours ago, ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Monday said of events in upstate New York:
You saw this conservative candidate just come in and swamp the Republican who was pro-choice, pro-gay rights. And what the White House is trying to do even if they lose here is exploit- is fan the flames of this civil war.
With this in mind, one has to wonder how media are going to report the news that Scozzafava has actually recorded a "robocall" for Democrat candidate Bill Owens (audio available here, transcript below the fold, h/t Tweeter EndTheRoboCalls):
Hi, this is Dede Scozzafava calling on behalf of Bill Owens. And I wanted to let you know that I am supporting Bill for Congress.
Since beginning my campaign I have said that this election is not about me, it’s about the people of this district. It’s not in the cards for me to be your representative but I strongly believe Bill Owens is the only candidate who can build upon John McHugh’s lasting legacy in Congress.
In Bill Owens I see a sense of duty and integrity. He will be an independent voice, devoted to doing what is right for New York. To address the tough challenges ahead we must rise above partisanship and politics, and work together.
Please join me in voting for Bill Owens on Tuesday.
It goes without saying that robocalling, though VERY popular with campaigns, is not liked by the public.
Who wants to pick up the phone and hear a recording of some politician telling you who to vote for?
With this in mind, it's going to be very interesting to see how the conservative-hating press will report Scozzafava's robocall.
But more than that, will they continue to depict her as a moderate Republican "swamped" by the far-right?
After all, calling Scozzafava either moderate or a Republican is about as accurate as claiming the Philadephia Phillies beat the New York Yankees last night.
This entire media meme concerning Scozzafava being moderate is totally absurd.
John McCain is a moderate Republican. Dede Scozzafava is so liberal that even if she was a Democrat, she'd still be considered liberal.
Even the far-left leaning proprietor of Daily Kos understood just how liberal Scozzafava is.
As a result, regardless of how hard media try to depict it as such, what's happening in upstate New York isn't a civil war within the GOP.
It's merely a case of mistaken identity: Scozzafava had the audacity to call herself a Republican, and the media continue to make the mistake of believing her.
