The Media Double Standard; Obama, Palin
When Senator John McCain announced Governor Sarah Palin would be his running mate, American media jumped all over themselves in order to find dirt on her. They wanted something, anything, to use against her. Whether or not the dirt was on her personally, or only on one of the members of her family, did not matter. Dirt was the goal.
And they found it in only a couple of days, hours even, time. They found that her husbad was arrested in 1986 and they realized that her 17-year old daughter was pregnant. Both pieces of dirt made headlines. How happy the media were to publish something negative about the Republican running mate!
What is most interesting about the Palin affair is that the media focus on her dirt, while they ignore everything dirty about Obama. It is well known that he used drugs, for instance. Yet, the media consider all questions about his past drug use illegit. They say it happened a long time ago, but one has to wonder how they know. When was the last time he used drugs? What kind of drugs did he use exactly? Did he ever sell drugs?
Those are relevant questions about dirt. And far more relevant than the ones they did ask about Palin’s daughter; Palin’s daughter is not up for election, while Obama is. American journalists defended their attempt to destroy Palin and her entire family by saying ‘the public has the right to know.’ Well, when it comes to media darling Obama, doesn’t the public have the right to know as well?
Not so according to the enlightened beings who make up the American media establishment.
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Dear Sir,
Finally, someone is calling is like it is! I wish the American people would stop being led around by the nose with regard to the mainstream, liberal media. I think Sarah Palin makes them very nervous in terms of this election, but if there is going to be negative coverage, it needs to be done on both sides.
Don’t buy it. McCain, Biden, and Obama have been in the national spotlight for some time, Palin has only been a local celebrity. She was a surprise selection for the office and the media had every right to investigate her. Yeah the “dirt” got circulated quickly but other interesting information came out about the earmarks for the bridge, the sale of the jet, and her evangelical views. McCain is 72 years old and it is a very real possibility that he might not make it through his entire term so finding out as much about Palin as quickly as possible is the job of the media. The “dirt” gets circulated because it is sensational, but this type of journalism has been around for a long time, just read the things being said about Thomas Jefferson when he ran for office. Politics is a rough and dirty game but when the President has to face someone like a Putin it is not a bad test of character.
Very true.
Voters! Let’s will give McCain-Palin a landslide victory onto teach those ‘evil’ people a good lesson.
You talk about the media "double standard." All right. What is the alternative to a double standard? It is a common standard. What are you really arguing for, Michael? That everything in their personal lives is fair game? Or should we rather talk about the issues facing the American people? Somewhere in between and if so, where is the line drawn? The attacks against the media are fundamentally unfair. Up to the pick of Palin, they laid out the criteria for a good VP pick: do no harm, and pick someone vetted on the national stage. Someone with experience. These apply to Democrats and Republicans equally. It was McCain’s decision to cut against conventional wisdom, and that is going to raise questions. Period.
All this is besides the point. The media aren’t running for office. If the Republicans had gone through the fray with their head held high, taken it on the chin, and talked about the issues facing the American people, I’d have been OK with that. If you bring up Hillary, guess what, she ain’t running anymore, and guess why. When Barack Obama was facing difficult questions about his personal life, his pastor, his lack of substance, he would answer his critics, but he never stopped talking about the issues.
That’s what this election is coming down to for me. Barack Obama may have high-flown rhetoric and be too proud for his own good, but he will answer the simple question, "What will you do as president?" chapter and verse. John McCain has said how he’s a maverick, how he will fight for me, how he will stand by your side and not in your way, how he’s a former POW, how Palin’s a pit bull with lipstick ( throw in a bridge to nowhere a few more times and see if that convinces me), but he’s not answering the question. 59 days left John. Get moving.
Don’t be so angry. Most of the media and country has just found out about Palin. Don’t you remember we’ve been at this for over 19 months, we know about Mccain and Obama. We’ve learned about Biden, if you don’t know shame on you for not knowing the senators of the US. Palin just came out, we all want to know about her. We’ve heard about Mccain being a prisoner of war and what else, he cheated on his first wife. Obama used drugs while in school, he was raised by a single parent who is white. Some peole thought he was muslin, but that’s not true; he’s christian. Peole start educating yourselves, read the books of Mccain’s life and Obama’s life. Let’s stick to the issues of America, don’t fall into the trap of their family issues, we all have them too. What’s up do you want your laundry aired too. If not lets elect a president that’s going to help with Social Security, Equal Pay, Affordable college tuition and so forth!!
I don’t want anyone to dig up dirt on Obama’s personal life, but I would love to see the press get half as interested in his public record as they are on Palin’s. Every salacious rumor that pops up on her is investigated as though it’s a major scandal, while all of the indications of Obama’s seedy Chicago political connections are ignored.
You know I’m a critic of the media, and have even defended Palin against some of the grossly sexist things being said. However, there’s one that’s undeniable. We got to know Obama over the course of 19 months and heard many things that were true and some things that were certainly smears. We’ve heard all about Biden and McCain over several decades.
On the other hand, we’ve got two months to find out about Palin. Certainly anything grossly misconstrued and anything sexist ought to be condemned. But, it’s not a sin for all this media craziness to be going on right now. It’ll get to a manageable level soon, I think, it just seems overbearing right now.
I seem to remember a course of several weeks if not months where Obama was hounded over Rev. Wright and Father Pfleger, et. al. And several months where McCain got little media coverage – good, bad, or ugly.
It is what it is Michael. Its been this way since I started reading the papers way back in 1967. The kingmakers have always protected Democrates (to a point) and held Republicans to higher standard. As a conservative, I have to say this is really nothing new, and I don’t expect it to change much.
Fed Closes Silver State Bank. McCain’s Son Andrew Resigns /right wing radio stations omits son’s name.
Reminds of when the Fed had to take over Silverado Bank,
The Presidents brother Neil Bush cost tax payers 100’s millions of dollars
[[Palin’s daughter is not up for election, while Obama is.]]
Palin’s daughter became fair game as soon as Sarah began using her as a political prop. Same thing with Trig. It’s very unfortunate, though – the Republic party is always championing family values, and they give us a candidate who is forcing her unwed knocked-up teen and her baby daddy into the spotlight; and handing off her special-needs infant for others to raise while she chases the vice presidency. My God; what a terrible mother.
When that shrill, sanctimonious harpie Dr. Laura comes out against her own party’s candidate, you know something’s seriously out of whack!
Ted, I watched the Democrat convention. Funny thing, up on the stage were all four of the Obamas, and Joe Bidens family, including carrying around one his granchildren. Is this the political prop you speak of, because other than talking about her kids in the speech as a way of introduction, thats all she did.