Posted by Dick Farrell
on February 10, 2008, 8:50 pm
75.185.180.220
OK, it?s the media?s fault. There, I said it. Blame us for everything. It?s our fault that Britney Spears is in meltdown. It?s our fault that so many people are in debt up to their eyeballs and are losing their homes. It?s our fault that we haven?t seen the sun around here in weeks. You might as well blame us for global warming, too.
Whenever I hear someone blame the news media (or something or someone else) I can?t help but believe that they?re engaging in his/her own little cover-up. All of us have shortcomings of one sort or another and we generally don?t like to believe that?s it?s something that we did that brought us down.
The great golfer Jack Nicklaus blamed everything ? the course, the wind, whatever ? but himself after a bad round. And that?s OK. The blame game is a coping mechanism that we learn to use as children. Ever blame your sister or brother for something you did? Come on now. Fess up.
That?s why I totally understand why Dennis Kucinich is now blaming the media for his failed presidential bid. It was nothing he did or didn?t do. It was the media?s fault (wink, wink).
His platform:
1. Get out of Iraq now.
2. Universal health care.
3. Impeach Dick Cheney.
Certainly that?s oversimplifying, but I think it?s a fair summation of the Kucinich stump speech. In both 2004 and 2008, Kucinich polled 1 or 2 percent of the vote in the primaries he entered. His candidacy never caught on with the general population despite his celebrity status in northeastern Ohio and with Hollywood stars.
In an editorial last week, we took issue with Kucinich?s theory of defeat. In effect, we said that he should blame himself, not the media.
Since then, we?ve been assailed by fervent Kucinich supporters, some of whom were kind enough to leave their names. Others just lambasted us anonymously. Here are a couple of examples:
?Once again, the media will never take responsibility or become accountable for their actions. The media does not understand that to them ?freedom of the press? means freedom without taking responsibility for their actions. The media will continuously pick our candidates for us. They feel it is their role to set and make policy even though they are not elected to do so.
?At least Fox News is honest about it. They are a propaganda wing of the Republican party and make no bones about it. They want to drive public opinion and shape policy. That is not their job and not what Jefferson had in mind when he wrote the First Amendment.
?Apparently the media had a problem with Dennis Kucinich?s message. It was dangerous to ratings and advertising dollars to allow alternative ideas and thought in the mix. The fight between Hillary and Obama and Romney and McCain bring ratings, thus advertising dollars.
?Don?t let the truth get in the way.
?Go to www.opensecrets.org and find out whom media companies contribute to. The media has investments in candidates. Congratulate yourselves.?
And then there was this:
?Yes, actually, it WAS the news media who consistently and thoroughly ignored Dennis? campaign. Articles of impeachment against our vice president were introduced by this man and yet there was barely a mention of it by the major news organizations. Your comparison of the coverage of Dennis? campaign versus the coverage of the McCain is laughable.
?No matter how McCain?s numbers plummeted, we at least HEARD about it. The talking heads did, in fact, go on and on about his campaign being dead in the water but at least he was being talked about! He was not un-invited to any debates. And McCain was always included in the list of candidates being talked about and polled about. If the major news organizations really wanted to be fair and balanced, they would report on ALL the candidates running for president ? not just the ones who support the corporate point of view. Dennis' views really are in line with the majority of Americans. Maybe if more of us were given the opportunity to learn about his stance on the issues, things in this country would actually change for the better.?
So, for the record, we are now taking responsibility for Dennis Kucinich?s failed presidential bid. Certainly it was our fault he failed to attract mainstream America?s support for his plans, which included one that would have Congress devote time, energy and money on the process of impeaching the vice president, who leaves office by law in a little more than eight months.
Yep. It?s our fault. Sorry, Dennis.
(Wink, wink.)
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