After the generally good notices (as compared to MSNBC’s) received by the Fox News Team (Hume, Wallace, Goler) for moderating the Republican Presidential Debate last night, it’s particularly ironic that Fox News has been left off the recently-published list of network moderators for the Democratic debates. Of course it’s no surprise. The Democratic candidates – led by John Edwards, as I recall – have been falling over each other to prostrate themselves like so many Islamists at the feet of moveon.org, et al, promising never to be tainted by the “unclean” Fox.
What does this mean?
Well, it obviously attests to the extreme need for ideological purity on the part of the Democrats, even in an era when such purity has clearly shown itself to be fake (cf. Bill Clinton, whose actual policies may be seen to be to the right of George Bush’s from a conventional perspective.) More than that, however, it signals a kind of breakdown in the democratic process in which one side or another can refuse to submit to questioning from its opponent.
You could call that “stonewalling” or perhaps, more pejoratively, “censorship”. But I think there’s a simpler word – cowardice.
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13 Comments
1. Terrye:Plucka plucka plucka….the big chickens.
May 16, 2007 - 5:07 pm 2. Mike K:The obsession with Fox News is odd and probably a good indicator of the Democrat mind. The thought police are back.
May 16, 2007 - 8:29 pm 3. Lem:These so called “debates” on TV resemble more and more so called “reality” TV.
Everything is the opposite of what it purports to be.
The debate is about being “telegenic”. The issues are an abstraction.
May 17, 2007 - 6:32 am 4. jedrury:Only political junkies hyped up on the impending demise of the America watch these absurd dog and cats shows. Those junkies already know who they are voting for. It is May, America is 18 months away from the election. Most importantly, “it is “Idol” time, so pass the pizza and turn off that political garbage, honey!!! Where are the nachos? ”
Candidates now get recognized by the books they write, the movies and tv shows they perform in and their face time on “Meet the Press.” Chuck Hagel and Joe Biden can do all the face time they want with Tim but they are non starters. Hillary can do all the fundraising she can, but her negatives are 41% when last published. America will not turn the big house in 2008 over to the fresh faced sophomore named Obama. John Edwards has been on stage too long.
It is Rudi or McCain.
May 17, 2007 - 7:00 am 5. markus:As a Democratic voter whose main issue is how the evenutal nominee will respond to the Republican attack machine, I’d like to see them go to bat against Brit Hume or whomever. (Tony Snow perhaps?). It’s stupid to exclude them.
May 17, 2007 - 7:12 am 6. Insufficiently Sensitive:This is a clear demonstration of how much the Democrats take for granted their ‘ownership’ of the MSM, and their confidence that they’d face no probing questions when in an MSM forum – which generally resembles a beauty contest combined with low comedy.
By comparison, they own a cringing fear of facing interviewers from Fox. Their 2006 election victory was wholly manufactured by posing as centrist non-Republicans. They have no ideas for governance beyond posing as the biggest populists on their block, demonizing the Bush administration (very successfully done by their wholly-owned MSM) and promising more of your money to the groups whose votes they need to buy.
The second Republican debate on Fox subjected the candidates to penetrating questioning regarding governance and foreign policy, repeated as necessary when responses were evasive. The Media Blog has on its site a fine comparison of the Republican ‘debates’ before MSNBC and Fox. One can’t take MSNBC seriously after seeing this comparison.
So it’s no wonder the Democrats go to such lengths to demonize Fox News. It might hold them to account, instead of swooning over their posturing.
May 17, 2007 - 7:36 am 7. markus:Sensitive –
May 17, 2007 - 8:27 am 8. jedrury:Russert is tough on Dems wouldn’t you agree? Certainly, many who sit down with him loaded with soundbites rather than arguments come off looking phony or foolish.
I agree with Markus and Sensitive.
Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity offer slanted opinions but I don’t say that about Hume who has a twinkle in his eye especially at the end of his show when he adds a little humorous ending.
MSNBC is patently liberal sans humor with
May 17, 2007 - 8:31 am 9. Charlie (Colorado):Keith Ober-fuehrer and the loud mouth political equivalent of Jim Cramer; Chris Matthews who fancies himself as so inside and yet is abusive to interviewees and guests a like. His sense of Washington importance and arrogance oozes from every pore like too much garlic.
The obsession with Fox News is odd and probably a good indicator of the Democrat mind. The thought police are back.
See also the attempts to re-impose the Fairness Doctrine, which Kucinich and others have made clear are specifically intended to shut down conservative voices.
May 17, 2007 - 9:42 am 10. Lem:Democrats are running the house like girls night out w/ Paris Hilton.
Lots going on and nothing to show for it.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0507/4046.html
May 17, 2007 - 1:04 pm 11. Terrye:The Fairness Doctrine is so absurd. Can you imagine the reaction if the Democrats try to shut down Rush because no one wants to listen to some liberal run his mouth on the radio. Wusses.
May 17, 2007 - 1:40 pm 12. Barry Dauphin:The fact that they can stay away from being questioned by a news organization suggests a need to play to the base and the netroots which will come at the expense of appealing to the public at large. This is ultimately not a recipe for electability. This will eventually come to be seen for what it is, namely cowardice under the aegis of moral preening. In many ways it is why an Edwards cannot get elected, as that characterizes his whole campaign.
May 18, 2007 - 3:19 pm 13. Harley:“Prostrate themselves like so many Islamists…”
Nice. Excuse me while I dust off a “march in lockstep like Nazis” rejoinder.
I guess the flip side of triumphalism (remember the good ol’ days?) really is anger.
Enjoy!
May 19, 2007 - 10:28 am