Comments on: Dissenting Conservatives Criticized http://www.poligazette.com/2008/10/14/6869/ Because Common Sense Transcends Distance Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:33:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Michael Merritt http://www.poligazette.com/2008/10/14/6869/comment-page-1/#comment-72724 Michael Merritt Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:12:02 +0000 http://poligazette.com/?p=6869#comment-72724 Kristol certainly isn't someone I'd turn to for campaign advice, that's for sure.  McCain didn't follow his advice last week, so there's no reason to think he'd do so this week. As for criticizing those you support, constructive criticism is all right.  I guess the question is whether or not he should giving all this to McCain in private. Kristol seems like one that wants to get on TV to say his bit, so he probably doesn't think this way. Kristol certainly isn’t someone I’d turn to for campaign advice, that’s for sure.  McCain didn’t follow his advice last week, so there’s no reason to think he’d do so this week.

As for criticizing those you support, constructive criticism is all right.  I guess the question is whether or not he should giving all this to McCain in private.

Kristol seems like one that wants to get on TV to say his bit, so he probably doesn’t think this way.

]]> By: C Stanley http://www.poligazette.com/2008/10/14/6869/comment-page-1/#comment-72588 C Stanley Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:04:17 +0000 http://poligazette.com/?p=6869#comment-72588 True enough, the Dems had their turn at this during the protracted battle between Clinton and Obama. I don't think it's right to cry foul when conservative opinionmakers express their negative views on McCain or his campaign- though I mostly disagree with them. On the other hand though, I think it's to be expected that people will resent them doing so if they feel that overall the GOP ticket should be supported (for instance, if Frum's point really is that McCain screwing up hurts the downticket, then how does his complaint help those candidates?) There's also some legitimacy to the complaint that the media plays up the dissenters. Frum is being a bit coy when he suggests that everyone would still think Palin was incompetent even if he didn't point it out; that's not the point, because what these stories really do is amplify such concerns and often give validity to them that they might not otherwise have. I thought it Ann Althouse who made a great point about Bill Kristol, for instance- he's the same guy who ran the PR campaign for Dan Quayle...but now we're supposed to think he knows how to sway public opinion? Really? He wasn't able to keep people from believing that Quayle's misspelling of "potato" was an indicator of low IQ or lack of qualifications (compare that to some recent gaffes from both major candidates) yet Kristol really thinks his 'advice' for winning over voters for Mccain should have merit? But back to the media as an amplifier- I'm not claiming that in these cases it's due to bias- it seems more like the bias of controversy (I think the PUMAs probably got more attention than they deserved too.) True enough, the Dems had their turn at this during the protracted battle between Clinton and Obama.

I don’t think it’s right to cry foul when conservative opinionmakers express their negative views on McCain or his campaign- though I mostly disagree with them. On the other hand though, I think it’s to be expected that people will resent them doing so if they feel that overall the GOP ticket should be supported (for instance, if Frum’s point really is that McCain screwing up hurts the downticket, then how does his complaint help those candidates?)

There’s also some legitimacy to the complaint that the media plays up the dissenters. Frum is being a bit coy when he suggests that everyone would still think Palin was incompetent even if he didn’t point it out; that’s not the point, because what these stories really do is amplify such concerns and often give validity to them that they might not otherwise have.

I thought it Ann Althouse who made a great point about Bill Kristol, for instance- he’s the same guy who ran the PR campaign for Dan Quayle…but now we’re supposed to think he knows how to sway public opinion? Really? He wasn’t able to keep people from believing that Quayle’s misspelling of “potato” was an indicator of low IQ or lack of qualifications (compare that to some recent gaffes from both major candidates) yet Kristol really thinks his ‘advice’ for winning over voters for Mccain should have merit?

But back to the media as an amplifier- I’m not claiming that in these cases it’s due to bias- it seems more like the bias of controversy (I think the PUMAs probably got more attention than they deserved too.)

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