As the presidential race continues, the spinelessness of TV news journalists (print media has been much better) becomes increasingly apparent. You would think that reporting facts and lies about facts would not be a particularly difficult thing to do. Instead, facts have become nearly irrelevant as the media has kowtowed to political spin.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-begala/the-mccain-palin-lies-and_b_125240.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-begala/the-mccain-palin-lies-and_b_125240.html
I would like to see the television journalists only reporting the facts. Yes everyone has certain biases, but, the journalists should be as objective as possible when asking the candidates different questions. Journalists being objective would be a breath of fresh air to me.
David Walker
Are you really saying that since Gov. Palin at one time supported the bridge that she's not allowed to take credit for changing her mind and eventually making the executive decision to kill the project? You're saying that's a lie, comparable to saying the moon is made of an absurd substance, and that the media is guilty of being too lenient on Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain -- as evidenced by a popular liberal TV pundit quoted on a popular liberal blog? I'm beyond confused, and I offer this link in response.
I'm all for a politician changing his or her mind. In fact, I think the "flip-flopping" thing gets overplayed. If someone changes his mind based on new information, developing a wiser strategy, etc., then by all means a change in position is welcomed.
But in this case, Palin has never explained why she changed her position or even acknowledged that she changed it.
The "Bridge to Nowhere" support/opposed thing isn't really my main concern, but I think it points to a bigger issue. To me it reflects the increasing disregard by the media to ascertain and report facts. TV news networks simply repeat whatever either candidate or his pundits are stating rather than determine the veracity of those claims.
And such journalistic cowardice and/or negligence, gives either party free reign to say whatever they want and pass it off as fact.
Consider this quote from an article in today's Washington Post:
"John Feehery, a Republican strategist, said the campaign is entering a stage in which skirmishes over the facts are less important than the dominant themes that are forming voters' opinions of the candidates.
'The more the New York Times and The Washington Post go after Sarah Palin, the better off she is, because there's a bigger truth out there and the bigger truths are she's new, she's popular in Alaska and she is an insurgent," Feehery said. "As long as those are out there, these little facts don't really matter.'"