The push to move right

[solarbird]

More suggestion that Mr. Obama shouldn't do anything about torture or Gitmo too soon, or he'll look "soft on terrorism." Similarly, the press continues to play its bullshit "equivalence" game, as Maureen Dowd at the New York Times looks at Mr. Clinton's blowjob and Mr. Bush's torture, ending of habeas corpus, unlimited-power executive, and discarding of rule of law as roughly equal failures. Fuck you, Maureen Dowd, and fuck the New York Times for still publishing you.

In similar incompetent media news, apparently a variety of reporters sat on various Sarah Palin stories until after the election; I personally presume this is related to not wanting to offend Senator McCain or make him look bad, which remained throughout the campaign a key motivating factor for most so-called reporters covering his campaign.

But hopefully no one will be fooled that "not looking soft on terror" will make the right more accommodating of an Obama presidency; three people commenting on this New York Times blogger's post are already hoping for Mr. Obama's impeachment. (See previous commentary on an early Impeach Obama website being online before balloting even opened.)

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

i think we need to add "soft on torture" and "soft on human rights" to our national catchphrases.

[dustin-00.livejournal.com]

I think the primary reason they didn't report on the farce that was the suggestion Palin was capable to even be Vice President was that they wanted ratings that a close race garners.

It is a broken system and it scares me that they will make any contest look evenly matched, even when one candidate thinks Africa is a country, has never heard of Hamas, and has barely ever left or thought of anything outside her home state.

And yeah, comparing consensual sex with torture and violation of basic American privacy rights is gross.

[solarbird]

I think the primary reason they didn't report on the farce that was the suggestion Palin was capable to even be Vice President was that they wanted ratings that a close race garners.
Then I think I've done an inadequate job of illuminating the way the political media actually works.

[avram]

According to Chris Wallace on The Daily Show the other night, the primary reason is that these stories were told off the record by McCain staffers, with the request that they not be revealed till after the election.

[shadesofmauve]

I know that at least some instances of these stories are because of reporters 'embedded' with each of the major candidates (see newsweek's special) on the condition that the wouldn't divulge any of their findings 'till after the election - a case of "information late" versus "information never." Since the same bargain was in place with their reporters in each camp, I think it's less an issue of favoritism/manipulation and more an opportunity to discuss journalistic ethics.

Is it better to enter into a limiting agreement like this, on the premise that it's better to have information eventually (even too late) than not at all? I think most journalists would say yes.

Is there a point where what you learn is so potentially critical to the well-being of the nation that you have an obligation to break your promise and report early? What is that point?

[dustin-00.livejournal.com]

"Please don't tell the world we want to put a complete blithering idiot in charge of the 3am call!"

McCain's staff is sounding more and more criminally neglegent all the time.

[kathrynt.livejournal.com]

I just have one question about McCain: If he wanted a game-changing VP candidate, why didn't he pick Dr. Rice? She would seem to have all of Palin's conservative bona fides, with the added advantage of being, you know, QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB.

[solarbird]

Too strongly connected to the most hated Chief Executive in American history. Remember, she goes back to Mr. Bush's Texas days. She's not a newcomer; she's a longtime loyalist, and as such, radioactive.

Not that this is keeping various people from suggesting Colin Powell for various cabinet positions.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

General Powell doesn't have the long track record with "W"; his runs through Bush 41, who was a lot better President.

He also effectively disavowed the current Administration, I think.

That said, I do have a certain fondness for the phrase "President Rice".

[epawtows.livejournal.com]

I could swear I saw a report that said she *was* asked if she'd be interested, and she firmly refused to have anything to do with the idea.

[rosepurr.livejournal.com]

I've seen the Obama as "anti-christ" nonsense starting too.

[solarbird]

Some fundamentalist leaders had to say that he wasn't the anti-Christ before the election, trying to calm down some of their crazies who were going a bit far even for them.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

I don't think they are listening.

That's the problem with pouring gasoline on a fire; sometimes the fire follows the gas up into the tank...and then you can forget about controlling how hot it gets.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

What is it with these people? How much freakin' political capital do they think they need before they can take the gloves off? I want Reid and Pelosi's heads on pikes, for the encouragement of the others. Wusses.

I fully expect to flip back to the Loyal Opposition at some point. I would like to not have to do that before all the absentee votes are tallied.

Pass me that there pooper scooper; I can see our rest is over and we have to start cleaning up this mess with a vengeance, or come Jan 3 folks are just gonna throw up their hands and be content to wade through the fertilizer for gods know how long.

[solarbird]

To flip "back to the Loyal Opposition," you first need to have been an opposition. The Congressional Democrats have not been an opposition party, in that they opposed essentially nothing. Now that they have been handed a larger majority (and an actual one in the Senate) on the basis of having done nothing but had a different brand name, I have no idea why anyone thinks they're suddenly going to become a different party.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

I think it's safe to say the Congressional Democrats have essentially been lap dogs for the White House. Even the bailout plan was blocked the first time primarily by REPUBLICANS voting against it.

[solarbird]

One might go so far as to describe them as "enablers," or, perhaps, "coalition partners of the particularly dimwitted sort." But I'm bitter.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

I think "enablers" is actually a VERY good word.

[silussa.livejournal.com]

Some of our local right wing nutcases are already acquiring unreported weapons in the expectation that gun seizures will start anytime, and that socialization/Marxist-Lennist seizures (I refuse to use the word communist as it's incorrect) of property will begin shortly afterwards.

sheez.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Jesus bangin' Superman, did any of you actually read the meta-articles surrounding the reporter's "sitting on various Sarah Palin stories?"

This is a seven-part in-depth look behind the scenes of the campaign, consisting of exclusive reporting from the McCain and Obama camps assembled by a special team of journalists who were granted year-long access on the condition that none of their findings appear until after Election Day.

Right there on Newsweek's freaking home page.

Newsweek is giving us these details now because they're allowed to. Because they honored their agreement with the McCain and Obama campaigns. The press is currently doing its job. All of these people with their jockstrap in a wad over over how Newsweek was "irresponsible" for not releasing this critical information early are the same voices that get the vapors whenever the press "doesn't do its job," for many and sundry personal definitions.

If we want future elections to have as much serious coverage as this one received, then we have to accept that some reporters will keep items in confidence until some condition is met. Newsweek did its job. Protesting that they honored their agreements after railing for eight years that we wanted an "honorable" White House and an "honorable" press corp is rich indeed.

[solarbird]

I think part of the problem has been reporters agreeing to conditions that turn them from reporters into mouthpieces. It's the source of access-based journalism - of being "part of the team" - and part of the problem.