Posted by
Sgt Relic on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 7:47:00 AM
"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." A.J. Liebling
This may be a good time to visit a subject that was very familiar to conservatives last fall but since then hasn’t been discussed, at least in any detail. That subject is the media and their influence in framing the issues and defining the candidates.
The right has very few voices in that 24/7 cacophony, and those voices mostly limited to talk radio, don’t reach into every market as is the case with the major networks. The press and the broadcast media belong to the left. The press denies it but the evidence is clear to see to any who will take the time to listen and sift out the facts.
Here’s a common scenario. You pick up a newspaper and below the fold there is a small headline that says, “Investigation Underway in Texas”. Somewhere around paragraph 11 you will find that the target of the investigation is a democrat but only if you’re willing to wade through the proceeding 10 paragraphs.
The same article about the right will read, “Republican Under Investigation” and will very likely identify the party affiliation of the target numerous times, using every GOP variant possible, including any peripheral associations such as their church, military background, community organizations, and family members. I think of it as “No stone left unsmeared” but most are familiar with the technique as the politics of personally destruction made popular during the BJ years.
In the last election cycle, this conservative, and I suspect many others, thought that the press, with the willing support of the RNC, manipulated the outcome of the primaries with the clear intent of giving the republican voters the most divisive candidate possible, John McAmnesty. A candidate who could NOT unite the party but was sufficiently left wing to virtually guarantee, if not a victory, at least the advancement of the left wing agenda.
The media was as blatant as I have ever seen it in the last election but the single most important act they achieved was ignoring the conservative candidates, which resulted in their campaigns failing to get any traction whatsoever. Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, Fred Thompson, and yes, even Ron Paul couldn’t get mugged by the press, EVEN ON TOWNHALL! We were left to decide which RINO to vote for and many conservatives voted third party or just stayed home. The outcome was practically pre-ordained.
I suggest that this process is starting again. In recent months we have gotten news reports about “Green” Newt, “Massachusetts” Mitt, Huckleberry Hound and Sarah Palin, everybody’s favorite moose killer. I like Sarah Palin. What’s not to like about her? Well, first off she was McLame’s running mate. Secondly, she was not ready to be on the big stage and wound up getting her head handed to her by a lightweight like “Perky” Katie Couric. Lastly, she has proven herself pro-illegal alien by approving driver’s licenses for illegals, something even Hillary wasn’t ready to do. There is more to being a conservative than just shooting polar bears.
I would suggest that none of these people can beat an incumbent Obama. They represent what is wrong with the GOP. Gingrich has more political baggage than a 747, Romney still suffers the same vulnerabilities he carried into the last primary cycle. And, Huckabee is only good for setting off another GOP jihad. Bobby Jindal blew his 15 minutes, IMO, when he stumbled through his rebuttal to the non-State of Union speech and hasn’t really gotten any air time since. Perhaps he can recover.
Sarah Palin can run a personality campaign a la Obama but I haven’t seen anything from her to suggest that she can win the contest of cult or that she is now ready for primetime.
There are some real live, dyed in the wool, conservatives out there but as I pointed out, they are not getting any recognition in the national media. Jim DeMint, Mike Pence, Pete Sessions, Update! Mark Sanford (It would appear that Gov. Sanford is capable of refusing bailout money but NOT able to stay in his own yard), our stable of governors is sadly depleted (And getting worse everyday), as well as Jeb Hensarling are just a few of the possibilities that we should be exploring. Forget the past along with those who represent it.
The press is priming for another Bob Dole. It is not in the best interests of conservatives, or America, to allow them to choose the opposition candidate. Be wary of those the press chooses to cover. They are probably RINO’s and if we are dumb enough to get played twice in a row, then shame on us!