Election 2012

[Ti-Amie]

Against overwhelming evidence that Republicans have plotted to obstruct everything President Obama does, even the things they agree with, the mainstream media has stubbornly insisted that “both sides” are the problem, that there’s just a “polarization” problem in DC. In an interview on Current TV’s The War Room with Jennifer Granholm, Politico‘s Joe Williams says that the press has been cowed into this perversion of “objectivity” by a right-wing that specializes in working the ref (I’m paraphrasing, of course).

The Republicans’ obstruction of President Obama at every turn, aside from being more obvious than the evacuation habits of ursine mammals, has been traced to the very day Obama took office, when Republicans made a pact to block anything and everything he would ever try to do to fix the economy, even those things they agreed with. That pact remains in effect today, enforced by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Despite this plain reality, the Beltway press has continued to act as though the DC gridlock is a two-way problem.


Even so, a recent poll shows that 49% of voters in Florida aren’t fooled, but former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Joe Williams, White House correspondent for the influential Politico.com, think that number could be higher if the press did its job.


Gov. Granholm asked Williams, “Do the Capitol Hill journalists whisper about this obstructionism on the part of Republicans?”


“There’s not so much a whisper,” Williams replied. “It’s pretty plain. A lot of people in a lot of newsrooms have a duty to be objective here, and I think that’s one of the reasons the poll numbers are so low, because we try to present news in an objective fashion, we try not to necessarily focus on what they said, and on the agenda, because they do have, for lack of a better term, legitimate reasons for saying what they’re saying. They are philosophically opposed with the President, and they can extrapolate and say that philosophical opposition is what’s leading them to vote against the President at every turn.”


“But sooner or later, it becomes pretty obvious,” Williams continued, “especially when the President points out that some of the things he’s proposing that will fix the economy in years past have been universally loved by Republicans. They voted for transportation packages, they voted for infrastructure spending in the past–these were not controversial proposals until President Obama seemed to put his name on it. Then, all of a sudden, it became something that was untouchable–something the republicans didn’t even want to consider, much less hold a vote on.”
“You said something really interesting there,” Gov. Granholm responded, “which is one of the reasons that the number of that poll might be so low–the 49%–is that the media feels like its got to be even-handed and on this channel, I think we would call that false equivalency. The media knows very well what the obstruction is.”


“And there are many who would agree with you that it is false equivalency,” Williams allowed, “but nonetheless, one reason why that still sticks and still maintains a presence in most newsrooms is not only because of integrity of individual journalism, but also because the conservative Republican message machine is very, very good at vilifying people who they believe have crossed the line into advocacy, who have done a number on what they believe is their fair and objective way of looking at things and looking at the White House agenda.”


Gov. Granholm observed, “And so the Democrats don’t do as good of a job at scaring the journalists into being fairer to the Democrats?”
Williams then confirmed that “working the ref” has worked wonders for the GOP. “Well, I’ll probably get some heat for this,” he said, “but certainly, in my view, and again, I’m only speaking as one reporter–in my view, they have done a very good job of pushing back–we always talk about Republican push back and we always talk about the fact that they are very much intent on staying on message–they do it very, very well. They’ve got very intense message discipline and they are very good at convincing journalists, that’s probably a more polite word, convincing them that not only is their stance legitimate, but you might have gone too far. And there are some journalists who are very sensitive.”


Credit Williams for honesty, but this definition of “objectivity” stinks, and it’s the whole problem with our political journalism establishment. Any attempt at analysis, any attempt to draw a conclusion, has been relegated to the commentariat, as though it’s impossible to objectively judge the truth in what one side or the other says. If enough people insist that Elvis and Sasquatch had a love child named Ted Nugent, that assertion gains equal footing with those who disagree. Gov. Granholm calls it “false equivalency,” I call it the fig leaf of pointless neutrality. By Williams’ own admission, his conception of “objectivity” (in fairness, his attempt to soften the blow to his colleagues) prevents journalists from telling the truth, which is the entire mission of journalism.


I disagree with Gov. Granholm that Democrats aren’t as good at pushing the media about the pervasive influence of conservative framing (Jay Carney does it all the time). The reason conservative bleating about bias is so effective is that many journalists feel a certain consciousness of “guilt,” a buy-in to the notion that the media really might have a “liberal bias.”
The defect in this thinking is that liberalism, in the classic sense, is an absence of bias, whereas conservatism is necessarily biased, is, by definition, a narrowing of thought. A Democrat can favor a tax cut if it’s what’s best for the country, or a tax increase if it’s best for the country. A conservative can only do one of those things. A Democrat can (and most do) personally oppose abortions, and try to reduce the number of abortions through education and access to contraception, or by supporting legislation that restricts abortion access. A Conservative can only do one of those things.


The press needs to realize that when conservatives whine about “liberal bias,” what they’re really complaining about is an absence of conservative bias. Until they do, things like the plainly obvious GOP sabotage of the economy will continue unchecked.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/politico-...bstructionism/

[craighickman]

All of that is on point, Ti-Amie.

[Ti-Amie]

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, widely considered to be one of the favorites to be the Republican vice presidential candidate, has not been vetted by the Mitt Romney campaign, according to a report.

Rubio has not been asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire or turn over his financial history, according to ABC News.

Though it is possible that Rubio could still be asked to submit to the thorough investigative process, Romney began his search nearly two months ago, making it appear unlikely that the senator will be requested to take part.

Rubio, 41, has played coy throughout the process, refusing to confirm or deny whether he was being questioned by the GOP campaign.

However, due to the secretive nature of the vice presidential vetting process, his non-denials were interpreted as tacit admissions that he was being considered.

Neither Rubio nor the Romney campaign immediately commented about the ABC News report.

Rubio was bandied about as a popular running mate choice because he potentially could help deliver Florida, a key swing state, and he could appeal to Latinos, an ethnic group with whom the Republicans have struggled.

Romney has frequently praised and campaigned with the popular Sunshine State senator, further fueling talk that Rubio could become a permanent addition to the team.

The ex-Massachusetts governor was also quick to position himself with Rubio last week when President Obama announced his decision to grant nearly 1 million illegal immigrants immunity from deportation.

Rubio is considered one of the GOP’s leading lights on immigration - though he abandoned his own bill on the issue when Obama issued his executive order.

Rubio’s negatives include his relative inexperience - he was elected to the Senate in 2010 after 10 years in the House of Representatives - and claims that he exaggerated stories about his family’s escape from Cuba in order to gain sympathy from voters.

If Rubio is indeed out of the mix, many GOP insiders believe Ohio Sen. Rob Portman tops Romney’s secretive list.

Portman, who also hails from a swing state, is considered a strong - if slightly dull - campaigner and he and Romney have an easy chemistry.

Portman has not acknowledged if he being interviewed. Other Republicans rumored to be considered for the vice presidential slot include New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/elec...#ixzz1yFljgtJC

[Moose]

(The top 3 Democrats in the state of West Virginia will not attend the 2012 Democratic Convention. Never heard of party leaders skipping their own show. Imagine it has happened before (probably back in the days of the Dixiecrats), but all three top officials?)


Manchin, Tomblin, Rahall to skip DNC
By Eric Eyre
June 18, 2012

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, Sen. Joe Manchin and Rep. Nick Rahall plan to skip the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., this summer.

The trio of West Virginia Democrats will not be part of the state delegation that will formally vote to renominate President Obama, according to a convention delegation list released Monday afternoon.

The decision to stay home comes amid pressure from state GOP leaders who have called on the Democratic incumbents to declare whether they support Obama. All three Democrats face re-election battles.

Manchin and Tomblin in particular have sought to distance themselves from the president, who is highly unpopular in West Virginia. In the state's May 8 Democratic presidential primary, federal inmate Keith Judd won more than 40 percent of the vote against Obama.

In recent weeks, Manchin and Tomblin have refused to say whether they would vote for Obama.

"Earl Ray's and Manchin's decision to run and hide rather than attend the Democratic National Convention shows a profound lack of leadership," state GOP Chairman Conrad Lucas said Monday.

Tomblin, Manchin and Rahall said they would prefer to spend their time in West Virginia during the four-day convention in September.

"I intend to spend this fall focused on the people of West Virginia, whether that's representing them in my official duties or here at home, where I can hear about their concerns and ideas to solve the problems of this great nation," Manchin said. "I will remain focused on bringing people together for the next generation, not the next election."

Tomblin also has evaded questions about whether he would vote for Obama.

On Monday, Tomblin's camp said the governor has "serious problems" with both President Obama and Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Tomblin opposes Obama's so-called "war on coal," and Romney's proposals to overhaul Social Security.

Rest of story: http://wvgazette.com/News/201206180097

[craighickman]

Raise your hand if you're surprised.

[shtexas]

This is infuriating.

[Ti-Amie]

Raise your hand if you're surprised.

::crickets::

[ponchi101]

I wonder why is it that everything that Obama does is a "war on...". On women, on coal, on business, on capitalism, on classes.
Everything he does is a war. He is not entitled to any opinion because it is immediately a war.

[munchin]

I wonder why is it that everything that Obama does is a "war on...". On women, on coal, on business, on capitalism, on classes.
Everything he does is a war. He is not entitled to any opinion because it is immediately a war.

Seriously! We all know the only real war going on right now is the War on Christmas.

[owendonovan]

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/politico-...bstructionism/

This is the kind of crap that has disinterested me in politics.

[munchin]

Can I ask what people here think about Gary Johnson? I have some respect for him. I won't be voting for him, but I'd go for him before I'd ever go for Mitt Romney. I think he's actually going to be on the ballot in all 50 states, too. He's a little like Ron Paul with quite a bit less crazy.

I'm very curious to know if Moose has an opinion of him.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Johnson

[Moose]

Can I ask what people here think about Gary Johnson? I have some respect for him. I won't be voting for him, but I'd go for him before I'd ever go for Mitt Romney. I think he's actually going to be on the ballot in all 50 states, too. He's a little like Ron Paul with quite a bit less crazy.

I'm very curious to know if Moose has an opinion of him.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Johnson

He's a smart man, and a fantastic debater - I don't buy into the Libertarian line on deep deep military cuts or elimination of international bases (there's definitely room for cuts, but I think he goes far too far). But as I've grown older, I have definitely become more of a fan of the economic conservative/social moderate school, and he fits in there.

And you would never hear him say "I didn't inhale"

[munchin]

He's a smart man, and a fantastic debater - I don't buy into the Libertarian line on deep deep military cuts or elimination of international bases (there's definitely room for cuts, but I think he goes far too far). But as I've grown older, I have definitely become more of a fan of the economic conservative/social moderate school, and he fits in there.

And you would never hear him say "I didn't inhale"

I don't know if he can be pinned down as a social moderate even. He supports same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization, opposes the death penalty and actually acknowledges human impact on global warming. I almost can't believe he stuck with the GOP for so long.

[Vlad]

It seems to me that people have to narrow their scope of what they want their candidate to do best for them; economy, guns, social programs, military, abortion, heath, women's rights, marriage rights, environment, business etc. I don't think any candidate will ever fill the needs/wants of me. I'm lucky if they can fill half. The whole process has to be simplified. Part of the reason this government is so gridlocked is that they have to campaign more than any other part of their job. All this nonsense name calling, reinterpretations, misrepresentations, MSM and the biggest wrench, citizens united has just bastardized the entire process for me personally. They should at least be able to swear at each other.

Right on.

[Vlad]

Seriously! We all know the only real war going on right now is the War on Christmas.