It's important to say that I am not a certified left winger. I consider myself a centrist. Which is the purpose of much of my writings is to show that there is bias. That there are a million ways that the media and the right or left spins things. For a long time though, I've been overwhelmed by the right wing. Let's take an example of what I've seen first-hand.
My friend Jayson likes to tell me to watch FoxNews since they're so fair and balanced. But in watching this morning with Jim, I see "Hurricane Ike will be a category 4 storm by the time it hits land." Umm, really? Cause EVERY other news station, nationally and locally is saying category 2 or category 3. So where did this information come from. Then there's the photo they showed of what Houston will look like-post storm....half of it gone. Again, they're the only one predicting eminent disaster...Strange isn't it. The FoxNews hype train doesn't just end with politics, but all facets of society. Go ahead and try and explain it my friend....but really, when you're sitting here, waiting for the storm to hit, and FoxNews is blasting falsities while EVERY OTHER MEDIA OUTLET IS NOT....it really discredits anything that they report.
Anyway, without further ado, (quasi) objective views vs. Right-Wing Spin.
If you are a Democratic male candidate who is popular with millions of people you are an “arrogant celebrity”. If you are a popular Republican female candidate you are “energizing the base”.
If you’re a minority and you’re selected for a job over more qualified candidates you’re a “token hire.” If you’re a conservative and you’re selected for a job over more qualified candidates you’re a “game changer.”
Black teen pregnancies? A “crisis” in black America . White teen pregnancies? A “blessed event.”
If you grow up in Hawaii you’re “exotic.” Grow up in Alaska eating moose-burgers, you’re the quintessential “American story.”
Similarly, if you name you kid Barack you’re “unpatriotic.” Name your kid Track, you’re “colorful.”
If you’re a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fully vetting the individual you’re “reckless.” A Republican who doesn’t fully vet is a “maverick.”
If you spend 3 years as a community organizer growing your organization from a staff of 1 to 13 and your budget from $70,000 to $400,000, then become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new African American voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, then spend nearly 8 more years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, becoming chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, then spend nearly 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of nearly 13 million people, sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you are woefully inexperienced.
If you spend 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, then spend 20 months as the governor of a state with 650,000 people, then you’ve got the most executive experience of anyone on either ticket, are the Commander in Chief of the Alaska military and are well qualified to lead the nation should you be called upon to do so because your state is the closest state to Russia.
If you are a younger male candidate who thinks for himself and makes his own decisions you are “presumptuous.” If you are an older male candidate who makes last minute decisions you refuse to explain, you are a “shoot from the hip” maverick.
If you are a candidate with a Harvard law degree you are “an elitist-out of touch” with the real America. If you are a legacy (dad and grand dad were admirals) graduate of Annapolis, with multiple disciplinary infractions, you are a hero.
If you manage a multi-million dollar nationwide campaign, you are an “empty suit”. If you are a part time mayor of a town of 7000 people, you are an “experienced executive”.
If you go to a south side Chicago church, your beliefs are “extremist”. If you believe in creationism and don’t believe global warming is man-made, you are “strongly principled”.
If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian. If you have been married to the same woman whom you’ve been wed to for 19 years and raising 2 beautiful daughters with, you’re “risky”.
If you’re a black single mother of 4 who waits for 22 hours after her water breaks to seek medical attention, you’re an irresponsible parent, endangering the life of your unborn child. But if you’re a white married mother who waits 22 hours, you’re spunky.
If you’re a 13-year-old Chelsea Clinton, the right-wing press calls you
“First Dog.” If you’re a 17-year-old pregnant unwed daughter of a Republican, the right-wing press calls you “beautiful” and “courageous.”
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