Sunday, February 24, 2008

Liberal Media

This morning Liane Hansen hosted one of the most misleading discussions on the 2008 elections that I've heard to date. She was talking to Mindy Finn and Joshua Levy about the stunning turnout of young voters in this primary season. Finn is weighing in for the right ("a Republican strategist, and former director of e-Strategy for Mitt Romney" according to NPR's website) and Joshua Levy weighing in for the non-partisan techPresident.com ("a company that tracks how the 2008 presidential candidates and their supporters are using the Internet" according to NPR). And who is representing a liberal, Democratic perspective?

The discussion is all about how energized and active youth voters are. But wait, I've been following the primaries, and what I've learned is that the turnout among Democrats hugely surpassing that of Republicans. Secondly, the amazing youth turnout is a phenomena of the Democratic primaries (especially the Obama campaign), not the Republicans. I thought maybe I had imagined these facts, so I went poking around CNN's results pages. Here's some of the numbers:
  • California: total votes - (Dem.) 4.375 million, (Rep.) 2.51 million ; (Dem.) 16% were 18-29 yrs. old, (Rep.) 10% were 18-29 yrs. old.
  • Wisconsin: total votes - (Dem.) 1.09 million, (Rep.) .403 million ; (Dem.) 16% were 18-29 yrs. old, (Rep.) 11% were 18-29 yrs. old.
Similar numbers can be seen in South Carolina, and in Florida where the DNC disallowed the Democratic vote, and yet the Democrats still outpolled Republicans and the 18-29 vote shrank to 7% for those inspiring Republicans. Maybe it's McCain's 100 year plan or his Bomb Iran singing skills that fails to rally those silly young people. Really a fair report would try to uncover what it is that is motivating the flood of young voters to support the Democratic candidates (and what is keeping them from the Republican cause.)

Further maddening was Liane Hansen's failure to challenge Finn's description of the New York Times report as a "smear story" or to challenge her to back up the following ludicrous claim: "A majority of the right is getting behind John McCain, and if not specifically getting behind him, at least going against the efforts that they see by the liberal media to crush him." Wouldn't it be great to hear a reporter (that's you Lianne) say, "What liberal media? Name some specific examples of liberal bias against the Bush administration, the Repubican candidates, the war in Iraq, the torture of detainees, etc."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

And who is representing a liberal, Democratic perspective?

Yeah, that's what I was wondering. And then the unquestioned attack on the "liberal media." It's really pwecious to see NPR pwotecting their "straightshooting" narrative.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone else here the part where Auntie LiAnne talked to the newpaper editors? The doofus from the Amarillo TX paper (who opened by saying, "We were red before red was cool") recited the Bush talking points...and he actually said the cliches verbatim- "Cut and run"; "If we withdrawal the terrorist win," - he wasn't even clever enough to reword them. But the kicker was, at the end of his spiel he pretty much said that people in his community are for the war because it keeps jobs and work coming to the local helicopter plant. I screamed at the radio. But why should I be surprised that money trumps death and morality. Isn't that the American way?

It was just so crazy that he got to say these things without challenge! I was so pissed at the helicopter statement. Needless to say that was the end of NPR for the day. Blech!! (And I'm still pissed).

Anonymous said...

Yep, heard the Amarillo mercenary...um...editor. Wasn't that cute? Red before red was cool! Oooh! And the other editor in Ohio (presumably "the liberal") praised the military in such a nice fair and balanced way.

Porter Melmoth said...

Indeed, all this reprehensible abuse of the airwaves is more proof positive of the Foxification of 'public' broadcasting.

I pity the non-critically-thinking listeners out there, who fancy themselves as progressives, while they let this insidious propaganda wash their brains with sulphuric acid.

Anonymous said...

Blecch. I am convinced I can get more redeeming value listening to fingernails on a chalkboard - and it's less irritating too! Thanks, dear gang, for your intrepid monitoring of this pathetic outlet where I seldom dread to tread any longer.