Superb video of mainstream media pundits smirking and disinforming the public about Ron Paul and his supporters...
For some reason, I find the George Stephanopoulos smug comment on ABC News at the end that Ron Paul can't possibly win - made directly to Ron Paul - the most irritating. If for no reason other than to see Stephanopolous's reaction, it would be great for Ron Paul to win at least the Republican nomination. There would be many good and profound results from that, and among them - no place close to the top of the benefits but still among them - would be once and for all exposing the damage the mass media do to our democracy, and the power of voters to overcome it.
Thanks to Lee on MySpace for bringing this video to my attention.
Meanwhile, my student Mike Plugh e-mailed me about the following New York Times article about Ron Paul today, written by Katharine Q. Seelye and Leslie Wayne. It's a fair, factual, intelligent essay on where the Ron Paul candidacy stands now, and how it got there.
As I've noted before, it's interesting that the print press by and large has been doing a much better job of reporting this election campaign, and in particular Ron Paul's candidacy, than the mainstream broadcast and cable media. Certainly, some of the television coverage of Ron Paul - Alan Colmes on Fox, Tucker Carlson and sometimes Chris Matthews on Fox - has been objective, but more often than not we get Stephanopoulos, Hannity, and their snide misrepresentations.
Possibly there is something about text - whether online or on paper - the encourages fairness and accuracy of reporting.
Whatever the reason, the election of 2008 is so far shaping up as the traditional paper press, and the Internet's, finest hour.
2 comments:
Radio was the major media in the 40s. A good radio voice, as with Roosevelt, was a requirement for political success. Kennedy (remember poor Nixon) was made by T.V., and it was perfected by Reagan, but now the internet is the political media, and it is now, as evidence in Ron Paul's rise in political effectiveness reveals, the media which will soon replace t.v. Newpapers are the oldest technology, and remain effective, but for instant reference, the internet prevails. Stephanopolos has no reason to be smug, and that's why he is irritating. Paul will win.
In my opinion, there are two problems for Ron Paul to overcome, and both can contribute to his image problem in major media.
First, he's not a typical Republican. He doesn't strike home to the true Conservative heart of the party, and for that he is basically prosecuted by what could in other circumstances be his own people. Hardcore Republicans are afraid of what he could possibly do to the "image" of the party. Conservative media is therefore given an incentive to undermine him in order to promote more "ideal" candidates.
Second, he's not a typical Republican. But he's enough of a Republican to scare off those who swear by a need for change and read this belief as a need to elect a Democrat in order to inhibit the power of the Republican party. The fact is, to some people, electing a Republican President will undermine any idea of progress (socially, politically, internationally) that the prospect of removing Bush can provide. Liberal media is therefore given an incentive to sway their viewers toward a candidate that would hit a reasonable percentage of the objectives while still maintaining a liberal party support.
RP is in a tough spot - if one could tear away the tunnel vision that partisan identification creates, I would predict RP would be a runaway favorite among the younger generation of voters. But that isn't possible, so he and his campaign gurus will have to come up with the next best solution to get him elected. What is that? If I knew, I'd be working in politics.
To put my views in some sort of context, I'm a 23 year old college graduate who has not voted in any state or national election in the time I've been legally able to vote (mostly because of a lack of viable choices, in my opinion). I do not consider myself affiliated with any party. My social views are fairly liberal (anti-censorship, pro-gay marriage, pro-choice, pro-immigrants' rights). I do see a need for enhanced national health care and social programs, and for enhanced international responsibility and restraint.
And I just hope we as a nation don't eff this one up.
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