Liberal Media Bias? Progressive insight the Not-So-Liberal Media missed…

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We continue to hear from the strains of Right Wing Hate Radio programming to the musings in conservative rags such as the Washington Times that the media has a Liberal Bias to the stories they cover.  

The Neo-Con’s whine and cry and complain that the New York Times (to a conservative, synonymous with George Soros’ personal newspaper), CNN, The Washington Post, USA Today, BBC News, NPR, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC and on and on, are nothing more than the mouthpieces of the dangerous liberal movement in our country!  The Wingnut set decries these media outlets for only giving us one side, TEH LIBERAL SIDE, of any story.

According to the Konservative Kidz, only fair and balanced news outlets such as Fox News, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Times, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and on and on, are able to tell the REAL side of the story.

Today, we will begin a series of diaries that takes on this well worn right-wing-talking-point and see if there is really any truth to this meme, or is this just another Republican Bumper Sticker Slogan that is meant to enrage the 20%’ers that still Love ’em some George Bush and Pals?

Let’s see!

From the Peoples Republic of CNN:

House Democrats hoping for Obama factor

With the Democratic presidential nominee locked in, the party now hopes to capitalize on Sen. Barack Obama’s popularity in upcoming congressional races.  

I use this word in the most complimentary way: exploit the opportunities that he has opened up for us by his campaign, which has proved to be very attractive,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.

Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen, the man in charge of getting Democrats elected to the House, says he’s targeting take-overs in 40 districts this fall to expand the Democratic majority.

That includes utilizing Obama’s draw, not only to boost the African-American vote but to reach out to independents and young voters.

“The Obama factor is this sense that people now are participating this political process who didn’t participate before. People who are thinking now they are going to make a difference in coming out to the polls and casting their votes,” Van Hollen said. “I think young people see in Obama an opportunity to really make a break with this past logjam in Washington, a break with the status quo, and move into a new era in American politics.

“Republicans can’t plan on a conventional type of election. There’s this whole new factor of people who have not been involved before, who are getting involved,” he added. “The Republicans can’t count on them staying at home this time.”

Yep, that sounds pretty much like the writer of this piece, Kate Bolduan, is talking up what the DEMOCRATS said in a story about the Obama coattail pickup of House Seats.

But, before you get your knickers in a bunch, my Republican friends, there IS more.  Not that Rush Limpbaugh or Sean Hannity would go any further with this story or any possible sound bite from this story beyond what we have already been exposed to.

snip

House Republicans acknowledge that they face a tough political landscape in November.

But House Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri argues that the John McCain factor is also at play.

He says McCain is the Republicans’ best chance to appeal to independents and working-class voters.

“I do think there’s a presidential dynamic that’s stronger than it normally is. … I think the presidential dynamic works to our advantage … and I think it does because of the unique appeal of John McCain to people who don’t always vote for Republicans,” Blunt said.

Wait just a gol’darned minute here Kate Bouldan!  Did you just give equal time in your story to Republicans who have disagreed with the Democrats by stating that THEY, the Republicans are the ones with the advantage here?  How COULD YOU, Kate!?!  That doesn’t show a Liberal Bias at all!  

I am amazed at what I’ve found here!

I will now drop the Peoples Republic of CNN website from my browser and head over to the Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Fox News website to see what they have brewing ovah theah…

From Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Fox News:

Hmmmmm,

Bush Heads to Europe to Rally Support From Allies

Nope, not a word about Democrats, but if you choose to follow the link, there is some discussion about Bush pushing European allies for stronger penatlies against Iran.

Obama Heads for Republican Turf With Economic Message

A story about Barack Obama going into the Republican Lions Dens, but within the first paragraph I see John McCain’s name pop up!  In fact, the very next TWO paragraphs begin with the word “McCain”.

So, we have a story about Barack Obama going to scary Republican places that turns into a story about John McCain.  HEY, read it for yourself if you don’t believe me.

Well, gentle readers, thus we have come to the end of our first foray into the underworld of Liberal Media and their OBVIOUS bias against all things Konservative.

However, today we have not found this Liberal Bias as we would have expected from all the talking-points we have been bombarded with.

Tune back in on Wednesday afternoon, Same Liberal Time, Same Liberal Blog to see what we may find then….

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x-posted at EENRblog

13 comments

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    • brobin on June 9, 2008 at 21:41
      Author

    subject matter.  No doubt, there will be plenty of fodder to choose from for discussion sake.

  1. all the time and it always puts my teeth on edge.  I remember a time when journalists didn’t consider themselves the story and thought their job was to present facts and allow the public to draw their own conclusions.  I can not bring myself to watch Faux nonNews, mostly because I have a long standing aversion to ill mannered people.  The same reason I don’t watch Tweety, the flying spittle is revolting, even with the sound off.  

  2. should care and demand better.  The problem is that wing nuts only listen to Faux and believe everything else is liberal spin.  They are unable to see the right wing spin, or even admit that things might not be what they’re being fed.  It’s frustrating but important to keep after–pushing back and requiring facts, verifiable facts, from accredited sources other than Faux.  My gosh, I’ve had to point out in the actual Constitution points that the right wing have wrong.  The natives out here flinch when I whip out my pocket copy, but they know better than to claim that’s liberal spin.  They have more respect for the Constitution than anyone in the present administration.  Can’t say I’ve made any converts that weren’t on the way already, but I have made the blathering idiots avoid me.  And that’s never a bad thing.

    • geomoo on June 10, 2008 at 08:35

    Of course if you cherrypick your articles to support your French-loving reality-biased view, you can fool some of the idealistic fascists with your politically correct views.  But having McCain in a story about Obama is just being fair and balanced.  Like this:  The Democrat Jesus spoke at length about blessings while feeding the masses with loaves and fishes.  Meanwhile, his Republican opponent, Adolf Hitler, dismissed as laughable the notion of feeding multitudes with such a small quantity of food.  He made a strong recommendation for reducing hunger through innovative controls on the Jewish population.  See, no favorites.

    In seriousness, I enjoyed this diary, but I have a critique.  It implicity accepts the notion of balanced as a criteria of judgment.  That flawed concept was introduced by the right to get around the well-known liberal bias of reality.  They replaced the notion of objectivity with the notion of fair and balanced.  In a perfect world, the vast majority of news would involve information.  The bias would come in only when we decide what to do with the info.  For example, global warming is a fact without a liberal or conservative bias.  What to do about it does have a bias. Of course you know this, but I wanted to make it explicit.

    That being said, showing that the liberal bias notion is a myth is a very useful enterprise.  And the snarky commentary makes it a lot of fun.  I look forward to more of these.

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