CNN Reporter Doesn't Know The Difference Between A Legitimate Question & Heckling, Defends McCain. Again.
By Nicole Belle Saturday Apr 05, 2008 12:45pm
It is such an indictment on the pathetic notions of journalism from a journalist--especially when it comes to dealing with media darling John McCain--that CNN reporter Jim Acosta can't even recognize a legitimate question being asked of a presidential candidate and characterized it as being under fire from a heckler. Many thanks to C&Ler Jerald, who caught this little tidbit during the interminable "CNN's Ballot Bowl" this weekend for us.
Download | play 
Download | play (h/t Heather)
At an appearance at an Episcopal high school in Alexandria, Virginia during his Biography tour, a student calmly and rationally pointed out the rather obvious political overtones to the assembly (despite it not being portrayed as such to the student body, evidently) and asked what McCain's intent was being at her school. Oooh! That's so harsh! The nerve of that student! Rush her to Gitmo now! Seriously, to Jim Acosta, that's heckling.
ACOSTA: But it was earlier this week in Alexandria, Virginia, where he [McCain] visited a high school—a uh, high school…Episcopal high school in Alexandria, Virginia--where apparently a student there started heckling the Senator and John McCain then had to respond. So here is John McCain responding to what appears to be a student heckler earlier this week in Alexandria, Virginia:
STUDENT: We can see that this isn't completely absent, uh, political motivation isn't completely absent, yet we were told this isn't a political event. So, what exactly is your purpose in being here, not that I don't appreciate the opportunity, but I'd just like some clarification.
MCCAIN: I knew I should have cut this thing off. [laughter] This meeting is over. [laughter] Um, this is an opportunity and part of a series of visits that I'm playing...paying...we started in Mississippi, uh, where my family's roots are back to the middle of the 19th century, to here. We're going from here to Pensacola, Florida, to Jacksonville, Florida, and a couple of other places where...we're going to Annapolis, where I obviously attended the Naval Academy. And it's sort of a tour where we try to not only emphasize the values and principles that guided me and I think a lot of this country in the past, but also portray a vision of how I think we need to address the challenges of the future, and a lot of that is in retrospect, but a lot of it is also advocacy and addressing certain challenges that face the nation. I hope that attendance here was not compulsory.
ACOSTA: So there you have it, John McCain, who is no stranger to incoming fire, able to handle that heckler there...
Dude, did you just liken that question to being in a combat zone? Hang it up, Acosta. You're just an embarrassment now.
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I love it when they spin what they've just shown and ask "Who are you going to believe? Me or your lying eyes?"
That girl has more guts and better journalistic integrity than Acosta does.
That was heckling??? Acosta's a fucking idiot and should be working over at Faux News! He probably resented the fact that the student was actually doing a better job at journalism than he and his idiot coleagues seem capable of doing these days!
Why doesn't Acosta just kiss McCain's butt? How pathetic! Questioning the motives of a teenage girl? What a shill! What the Hell?
These "journalists" are buried really high up McCain's behind.
It's going to be a long summer people. With coverage like this, I think i'll drink some Draino!
Acosta should have been there to tell the audience: "Look, you can only ask McCain how he projects such a macho image, and then fawn all over him when he pulls his Rambo impersonation."
One of the best questions ecar, and it's called heckling, well we need a national heckling corps maybe we can change the forth estate to the Heckler estate.
P.D. @ 6:
Isn't Draino a Florida Republican birth control method?
John McCain is facing a major health care crisis. Not so much his own, though unanswered questions abound about the Republican presidential nominee's bouts with skin cancer. No, as the Boston Globe details, it is the feeble McCain health care plan itself which is terminally flawed.
For the details, see:
"John McCain's Health Care Crisis."
What a f**ing joke!
"Heckler"? "No stranger to incoming fire". Seriously are you a journalist or McCains hagiographer?
ChrisM70 @ 2:
Hear hear
McCain's hagiographer. Hmmm, I like that! St. McCain's hagiographer...
This characterization of the girl as a "heckler" is so over the line that Mr. Acosta cannot claim to be a journalist. Obviously the girl was not "heckling"---she was handed the microphone which she handed back when she asked her question. And her question was legitimate---this is obviously a political event and attendance was mandatory for the students.
When a reporter regards any remotely unpleasant question, regardless of how legitimate and politely asked, as "heckling" then there is no hope for any journalistic integrity from that reporter.
Yeah, Otay, and a glass of bleach! Sad, huh.
Something tells me that this "Rediscovery" Tour will wind up as a documentary featuring McCain as the all encompassing great leader of western values and virtues.
Heck it may even be produced by Ben Stein:
http://www.expelledexposed.com/
BALLOT BOWL ?????
Per Webster
Heckle: To disrupt a speaker with impertenant questions. To badger.
So asking McCain the reason for his visit was impertenant? That was badgering? Have a clue Acosta.
galmud @ 11:
I think the kid articulated the question too intelligently for the adults to understand so the adults resorted to name calling.
Our fourth estate should be reclassified the fifth wheel estate.
Wow. Caught him, didn't she? I don't know how anyone can possibly believe this little 'series of visits' has no political motivation. Let's see - it is an election year, he is the apparent Repub candidate, he is traveling and speaking to various groups about things like "values and principles" and our country "address(ing) the challenges of the future"... looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.
The fact a high school student respectfully makes this observation when it had never been mentioned in our media says a lot about the current state of that same media. Sad.
give the reporter credit, did you notice how articulate he spoke , even as McCains jissem was running down his lips , now thats talent
Boy the media sure does love McCain. Tune into any station and you get the story line of how great he is.
I am still asking. When will McCain release his and his wife's tax returns?
Plus, when will McCain release his health records?
What is he hiding?
Corruption? Cancer?
Heckler?
Does that mean someone spoke off-script?
So, There you have it. A CNN reporter, no stranger to the truth, doing a terrific job objectively informing the public.
Remember when the news was Reality TV?
I think maybe Acosta was responding to some producer talking in his earpiece, thus his use of the word "apparently" to describe the heckling. I don't think he'd seen it.
What a great question by the girl, and such a lame-ass answer. Did you notice the Freudian slip when he said "playing" instead of "paying" visits which ended up really answering the girls question is spite of his rambling bullshit.
John McCain, who is no stranger to incoming fire,
Yes- he dodged that question like a pro.
Plus it was mandatory for student to attend is the last I heard.
I'm looking on the CNN website now for how to contact the "Ballot Bowl" producers and tell them what I think of Jim Acosta calling the questioner a "heckler" and demanding he make an on-air apology. Any help here?
That intelligent young woman's question would never have made it onto the screen if she hadn't been...what do you call it?... "heckling."
Someone should heckle Jim Acosta for about six straight months so he can get an idea of what the word means. How do people like this get to be national reporters?
Damned liberal media.
Did CNN use the title "Ballot Bowl" before Obama's much televised attempts at bowling?
Or is this title supposed to carry the subliminal message that Obama can't compete?
Like "Bowling for Ballots" .. and Obama loses ..
Even without the Obama angle it's a horrendous title for Election Coverage.
Ballot Bowl
In addition to republishing what people like Acosta report — as in sort of letting the donkey bray — and letting them demonstrate their own foolishness, why don't we actually treat them like subjects who deserve coverage? I mean, call them up, interview them, question them about what they just said or did?
"Mr. Acosta, this is John Hawk, I'm a reporter with the Masonviile Jar. In reporting about a person who asked a question at a McCain event in Alexendria, you characterized the person as a heckler. Why was that?"
"Well, John was it? I wasn't there, but someone told me he was heckling McCain. I viewed the footage."
"You weren't there?"
"Well, no. I mean I was there, but didn't hear what the guy actually said. I just viewed the footage. That's why I was careful to say 'apparently' a student there."
"Do you know if it was a man or a woman?"
"Well I understand it was apparently a student."
"No, I mean, was the questioner a man or a woman?
"What difference does that make? He or she was starting to heckle?"
:"You say 'starting' to heckle. How long did the heckler heckle, do you know."
"Well, it may have been an accusation or a question, I don't know, but the person definitely was challenging McCain, in a confrontational way."
"So you don't know if it was a man or a woman, one or more questions, the beginning of a series of heckles or just one, and you didn't actually hear the question, right?
"No that's not true. It was a heckler."
"What isn't true?
"Whatever you're saying I said."
"What is your basis for referring to the person in Alexandria as 'apparently' a student who 'started heckling?' Why use the word 'heckle?'"
"Look, heckle, question, whatever. If you'd been there, you'd know. Look, I don't have time for these kinds of questions. Are you through, because i really do have to go."
Click.
I, like McCrazy.........................................................this is a trick comment......................................am a citizen of a fascist corporate run quasi country.
He attended the Naval Acadamy?
Oh yeah..Thats when he graduated 2,986 out of 2,988 ... Those were his glory days...
Why aren't the reporters genuflecting? The messiah McCain has entered the building!
i'm still waiting for the "heckling" part....huh? that was IT??
he mcfeeble, you are a nasty old man!!!!!!!!!!
now that is heckling
why is mcbush getting such a pass from the press
If he used the word Heckle once it would be kind of stupid, but for him to repeat it not two but three times was laughable. It was like he was getting assaulted by a little girl and the screaming for help.
Yeah, cnn stinks. But then again, we all knew that.
That's just pathetic of Acosta. Well, you know teenagers can't possibly have anything serious to say, so the kid must have been a heckler.
Acosta, et. all in the media have to pump up McCain to keep up the false view of a neck-and-neck race with the (D) candidate. It's all about ratings, if McCain is seen as an increasingly senile flip-flopping hot head then CNN and all the other news networks won't have the level of ratings they want for the fall election season.
I agree. Not heckling. Personally, I see "heckling" tho, not so much as related to the content of the question, but the way it is delivered. If you shout and interrupt without a mic, it is heckling to me. Even if it is a "legitimate question." If you ask the same question while people expect you to ask a question, as in with a mic, or recognized by the speaker, then it is not "heckling." My take.
So young, and such an experienced press whore already.
This propaganda against the disorderly (in this case, a perceptive student) goes on every second of every day on the MSWM.
Here's what I'm sending to CNN's "feedback" page (wish me luck):
"Reporter Jim Acosta called a high-school girl a "heckler" because she asked John McCain an uncomfortable question. She was in no way a heckler, as the video shows. Mr. Acosta's characterization goes beyond slant to Orwellian Newspeak. "Ballot Bowl" owes this young lady (and whatever viewers it has left) an apology. On air."
It's fun commenting on the media here at C&L, but we need to do some complaining at the sources when they commit such outrages.
Now we have to treat John McCain with kid gloves? The medias bias is plain for all to see. When he was in Iraq and had to be rescued by Graham and Lieberman. Barely a blip on the MSM. Now, if it were a Democrat. . .
MountainMan23 @ 31:
They've been using it before Obama's bowling alley deal. CNN thinks that unless they put a sports spin on this somehow their audience won't be interested. Hence the 'bowl game' approach. Remember, this is America after all!
Personally, I just wish they would treat us as if we had a brain for once. I'm not holding my breath.
Darth_Romney @ 3:
I have to agree, in what free country would a straight forward, honest question be considered heckling!?! Kudos to McCain for handling it in the serious manner in whic it was asked, but in no way was he "handling a heckler".
Lest we forget, it was the media, people like Acosta who crowned Bush as king and pushed his election, and then closed their collective eyes to all the crap that Bush threw in the faces of the American people. But of course all we heard was about that evil "liberal media" which doesn't exist and can't with the likes of Acosta and his ilk who smother any real opposition to those they have crowned. They are doing it again with McCain and if he is elected we will get more crap thrown in our faces. If we allow that to happen then shame on us, and we deserve what we get.
its very understandable ACOSTA recieved extra helpings of potato salad and ribs at mccains lets get all the news whores together party and it wasnt enough that they all gave john a blow job now guys like acosta have to bend over and expose thier barbecue flavored butt plugs!
As I remember it, McCain was shot down by incoming fire. So I'd have to say he's no stranger to it, but he hasn't exactly had a history of walking away from it unscathed.
lol @ McCain's answer. its not political motivation. its a speaking tour, where he's visiting the places he used to kick it at when he was young, so he could explain to the youth how awesome he is and how they need to make sure to follow in his awesome footsteps. and he hopes attendance wasn't compulsory.
dude, so grandpa wants to rail away at the whippersnappers how awesome things were back in his day. and on a side note, of COURSE attendance was compulsory. even if the principal never said "everyone must attend" if they didn't attend they'd wind up sitting in the office and having stern offside conversations with the principal later. thats how bullshit high school conventions like that work. thats why the entire student body was there.
news flash McCain. most of them weren't listening to you. they were trying to hustle some weekend sex or quietly whispering out plans for small scale after school drug deals. wtf else are you supposed to do when you're a high schooler attending bullshit semi-mandatory assemblies where old guys in suits walk around talking into a mic?
John the Elder @ 47:
better yet! lets not forget these assholes shut out gravel kucinich , and edwards in the debates and ALLOWED you two corporate approved candidates like obama and clinton to vote for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I receive my "economic stimulus tax rebate" next month, I plan to donate every dollar to the most progressive candidates (national and local) that I can find, and probably to the ACLU too. The best way to stimulate this economy is to invest in the election of Democrats who will end Bush's tax cuts for his rich pals, and will create jobs through programs to rebuild our infrastructure, improve public education, and create alternative energy industries.
Who will join me?
She wasn't heckling- she was Acosta-ed.
They're actually trying to characterize John McCain's re-introductory tour as non-political? I guess they had to lie about something.
In other words, McCain's tour is just one huge FEC violation. Thanks Coddle News Network for some more pissant reporting.
Someone either lacks a command of the English language or assumes I do, and it isn't the high school girl.
HECKLER?!? What?
She was very polite.
And her point was valid... She was told that the purpose of the assembly wasn't "political". So she asked WHY they were there?
And her question was shown on CNN in a segment addressing McCain's POLITICAL campaign. And characterized as heckling.
I guess she should have just shut up and been a backdrop for McCain's campaign stop. Scenery shouldn't talk.
Dude, did you just liken that question to being in a combat zone? Hang it up, Acosta. You’re just an embarrassment now.
yes he did, and yes he is! But really, this was clearly a question and not a heckle, and Acosta is clearly an ass and not a reporter.
Funny, I've never seen a heckler given a MICROPHONE before!
What's more interesting is McCain's grumpy attempt at humor. If he doesn't enjoy running for president, he just quit now.
He's going to burst into flames during the debates with Obama.
Imagine McCain elected president:
ACOSTA: Earlier today at the Presidents press conference, John McCain was apparently heckled by one of the reporters. Here he is, President McCain responding to the heckler reporter:
REPORTER: Mr. President, I was told this was going to be a press conference, but I fail to see why we're here outside on the White House lawn at what appears to be a barbecue..
MCCAIN: Well my friend, obviously this is a normal press conference not a barbecue *McCain looks anxiously over his shoulder at Joe Lieberman who quickly signals to security* and you're welcome to ask me any question you want. I would appreciate though if you refrain from somehow implying that this press conference is not serious or legitimate. I can assure you it is.
ACOSTA: So there you have it, John McCain, who is no stranger to incoming fire, able to handle that heckler there...
ChrisM70 @ 2:
AMEN!!
Acosta knows who butters his bread.
I haven't watched Faux news for 5 or more years and CNN for about as long. As far as MSNBC is concerned the only shows I can stand are Kieth and Dan Abrams. Tweety for me is kind of like fingernails on the blackboard. It does seem as though this "Man love" thing for McCain by all of the MSM is grating to say the least. I hope before the Nov. Election the press will start to do their job as spelled out in the 1st amendment and dig into that a#&holes background to let the American public know just what a jerk he really is. However I won't take any bets on that. BTW I wonder what Ted Turner thinks about what has happened to his "BABY" CNN.
That little mole for McCain, Acosta, needs to be heckled so he knows what the fucking word means. What a complete dildo.
That dopelganger should be sued for defamation and slander of that sincere, innocent questioner who put herself out there to ask an important question.
Kudos to that kid for asking McInsane what is probably the toughest question he's been asked so far. It was a fair question: "This is a high school in Virginia, so why the fuck are you here, exactly??" Sounds like a perfectly reasonable question to me. "Heckling"?? - that's just bullshit. This is just the beginning folks. Remember, this early in the campaign back in 2000 even chimpy didn't get this kind of kid gloves treatment from the so called "Liberal" media. What till ya get a load of the bubble they build for President McCain (God forbid!!)
That should read "Wait till you get a load of......."
BillyA @ 21:
WOW! Now THAT'S a visual I could've lived quite happily without! Even as a gay man, the mere thought of John McCain's jizm makes me violently ill!
I wonder how this guy gets to be called reporter?
Wouldn't stenographer be more accurate?
Or propagandest?
Yeah that was brutal, especially the "not that I don't appreciate you being here" part. I'm surprised she didn't get tazed!
At the risk of being off topic, can I explain why this whole "McCain is a war hero" bullshit should be put to rest? Here's why. My idea of "war heroes" are the the poor and working class kids who fought on the ground in Viet Nam, only to return with their bodies and spirits shattered. My idea of a true hero is Max Cleland who, despite the loss of several limbs, has been a true patriot who spoke truth to power, even after being shit on by the people in his own state when they voted for that piece of shit Saxby Chambliss instead of him. McCain? What did he do? Bomb villages from 30,000 feet? He would have survived the war without even a paper cut had it not been for that twist of fate which landed him in the Hanoi Hilton (no piece of cake, admittedly). So I for one don't consider him any kind of war hero.
Does anyone have a good URL link I can use in order to complain to CNN? This is one of the most unacceptable things I've seen all year.
Great question by that student, very insightful.
Follow-up from another heckler...me:
Senator McCain, you claim that your visit here isn't part of a political campaign. During your many years as a senator from Arizona, have you ever before conducted such state-to-state "tours" when you weren't running for president?
Bob Moon @ 63:
Instead of hoping, why don't you communicate your displeasure with the media constantly giving McCain a free pass? If they are aware of it, they will most likely do the opposite just to prove they aren't biased.
That's a hecker?
Nah, Jimmy Acosta's a fukking idiot!
I think there's a fundamental misunderstanding of how corporate media works in the United States. Like every other division, the news divisions of the for-profit companies are supposed to maximize ratings so that they can generate maximum advertising revenue. Remember this key fact: They are in business to make money. They have no other function."
To that end, the goal of propping up McCain is quite similar to what you see quite often in professional boxing, where one fighter is woefully under-matched against his opponent. Since the purpose of boxing is to make money and sell as many pay-per-view subscriptions as possible, the marketing types are out in force to make sure that the fight at least has some semblance of competitiveness.
So, in the case of McCain, were the for-profit media to acknowledge what every person with a brain already knows - i.e., McCain will get KO'd in the first round - then who would pay a dime to watch their coverage of the impending disaster other than those who like to spectate at car crashes or are mesmerized by the suffering of others? That's why they are doing their best to transform John "Palooka" McCain into the "Great White Hope" - quite literally, since presumably the election of HRC or Obama will sound the death knell for white male supremacy (not really, but you know how those people think).
Thus, be not surprised. If McCain had a snowball's chance in hell of competing the media would be harder on him. Remember, it's not personal, it's just business.
Man, I wouldn't even classify that clip as garden variety MSM spin. That was an out and out, deliberate distortion of fact by a so called "reporter". "Incoming fire"?? WTF!!!??? You're comparing being asked a somewhat pointed but not particulary disrespectful question to being under enemy fire!!!??? Really???? Jesus Christ! Is it expecting too much for these overpaid media babblers to maintain at least a modicum of perspective???
chuck @ 18:
Hey Acosta; here's what heckling sounds like:
"Mr. Acosta, you're a worthless hack, a sad sorry media whore that for some reason feels compelled to defend McCain against non-existent attacks.
You're in the bag, you're bought and paid for, your GOP talking points are showing. Loser."
That's heckling.
And they're saying that Barack is being treated with kid gloves.
VietVet67 @ 80:
Yeah, I have to laugh everytime I hear that one. It's as funny as when you hear the wingnuts ranting about the "Liberal" media.
Are you sure this isn't 'The Bigotry tour' instead of the other thing?
Andre @ 72:
Dude. Really? This is one of the most unacceptable things you've seen this year? Mukasey revelation lie?, Yoo memo?, Report on civilian deaths in Irag, US soldiers killed in IRaq reaches over 4000, and thats just a few in the 3 months of this year. Not meant to bash you but man get it together and stop over dramatizing something thats been going on since newspapers were first printed and start to get outraged by the real shit you should be outraged about.
geneHUSSEIN214 @ 71:
I concur and suggest that in fact, napalming whole villages would fall under war criminal, not war hero.
Micel Sims @ 83:
True, Micel, there are other, more egregious outrages, but we're not talking about those right now. This thread has to do with the latest example of the kind of kid gloves treatment being accorded McCain by the so called "Liberal" media.
The girl was being rude and obnoxious. It was McCain's alma mater and he was on his Biagrapy tour. Does anyone honestly think she didn't already know exactly what his reasons for being there were?
If she didn't, and I was her dad shelling out big money to send her to a school like that with John McCain as one if its more noted alumni, I'd be asking for my money back from the bursar's office.
Why is it it wrong to call someone a heckler who asks a stupid question, or at least a rude one that she already should know the answer to? Because the event was described to be non-political but had 'obvious political overtones'? Everything this man does and says now will have political overtones.
Another reach.
Liberal bias? Haha, yet another lie of US Society. What's liberal at all about making McCain look good? Or Clinton or Obama for that matter?
I can't wait to see the republican spin on this:
"Liberal bloggers today took CNN and the fair and balanced Jim Accosta to task today over a recent CNN report claiming that Mccain was heckled by a student. Well we all know that the student was really a plant for the loonie lefties and couldnt possible have been a patriotic American student. Real Americans don't heckle Republican presidential hopefuls because of the Patriot act. If they do they run the possibility of being sent to Gitmo as a terrorist. At the very least this heckler should be sent to family values classes, children shouldnt disrespect their elders."
We should start checking Burson Marsteller's payroll for journalists on the take.
Uh, nothing wrong with that question Mr. Reporter. It is a political event. Idiot.
Biography tour?? All you have to do is Google his ass.
Your reaching Nichole, becoming desperate, it was just an analogy, anyway, as a support of BO you can't really keep getting on the MSM media or giving McCain a pass, I mean, HELLO!
.
Jim Acosta = PAID PROPAGANDIST!
.
VietVet67 @ 91:
I'm out of Vaseline.
I don't think Acosta even saw the video he was describing. He's not a journalist and can barely lay claim to be a "news reader" since he stuttered and stammered during this segment. But it's pretty pathetically obvious that he's reading crap written by someone else and passing it off as "on the spot" reporting. it's doubly pathetic that the moron who wrote the script either didn't view the video the script is about or, seeing it, just flat out didn't care.
The obvious conclusion to draw from all of this is that CNN has told its "journalists" (ROFLMAO) to paint McCain as a fighter and to paint his opponents -- even high school girls -- as smart ass hecklers. Shame on CNN, of course -- but will anyone at the network or on any network (are you listening Keith and Rachel?) call them out on this?
galmud @ 11:
Eh?
It's only heckling when you don't have a pre-written, pre-vetted, committee approved answer on your teleprompter.
Here's the question they gave her to ask:
Mr. McCain, your campaign seems to have the momentum of a runaway freight train. Why are you so popular?
VietVet67 @ 91:
True. Amazing how many people don't bother to do even that.
Amzing too how a this senile old man has the whole media bamboozled into thinking he's a great guy that needs no further vetting. How the hell does he do that with advanced stage dementia?
ysbaddaden @ 94:
Only you, ysby.
But funny.
Just another quick thought. Isn't heckling a cherished American value
The Bostonians at "The Boston Massacre" where heckling British soldiers. One of the reasons we are America instead part of Canada.
She should buy herself a sweatshirt with HECKLER on it.
Gawd I feel so fat. Don’t take my picture. But enjoy these.
You know you really have the young people when surrounded by guys in suits not one spitball. Were talking HS seniors here.
Its amazing to walk around in the histories and look at the pictures. The Chris Dood portrait caught my eye and I couldn’t look away. Dad’s got his picture in the histories now to.
Ok lets blow this popstand and get down to some serious chopping. I’m talking Gold Card and pearls to choke a horse.
I'm not spamming her blog but the stupid is burning through the earths mantle.>
http://www.mccainblogette.com/index.shtml
dennis @ 86:
Well first of all you should ask for your money back if you went to college because you can't see whats going on. The girl knows what macain is doing more than you.. She knows Macains not calling it political event but we all know it is a political event. The girl was smart and asked a smart question to Macain who thinks he's getting one over on the populace by not calling it a politcal event when it is.
The fact that you didn't get this calls your intelligence into question you dolt.
This further proves how completely in the tank the press is for McCain. We are in trouble.
STUDENT: We can see that this isn’t completely absent, uh, political motivation isn’t completely absent, yet we were told this isn’t a political event. So, what exactly is your purpose in being here, not that I don’t appreciate the opportunity, but I’d just like some clarification.
Ooh, break out the tasers!
dennis @ 86:
C'mon, Dennis, you're just being contrary for the sake of being contrary. There was nothing rude about her question at all. I'm sure that you feel all the people asking Chelsea about Lewinsky are perfectly fine too. Or Chris Matthews asking Barack Obama how he felt about having a white mother.
The event was promoted as a compulsory, non-political one to HIGH SCHOOL students, the event had clear political overtones and she pointed it out. How is that rude or stupid? Dennis, one of the things I like about you despite your ideological differences with me is that you're intellectually honest. You have to admit that this was a ridiculous characterization (no stranger to being under fire? Jesus Christ on a popsicle stick, if that's being under fire to McCain, he would never want to be interviewed by me, because he'd spontaneously combust and I'd take pains to be polite) of being heckled. You are a bigger heckler of me on this site (and I still like you) than that girl was to McCain.
chris @ 92:
First of all, it's NICOLE, not Nichole. It's written on the byline, for crying out loud.
And is English your second language? This post made me wonder.
I realize it was an analogy, which is why I wrote "Did you liken...". Again, a grasp of the English language is helpful before you accuse someone of reaching.
The rest of the post is really not intelligible enough for me to comment on other than to tell you that if this clip doesn't show how the media gives McCain a pass on everything, your cognition skills really aren't up to a standard where I feel it is useful or productive to discuss it with you. Go back to your Ayn Rand and let us all know how we're all missing the importance of the free market.
May be time to start heckling the journalists instead, maybe they will remember their job is to report, not spin.
You go, Nicole!!
geneHUSSEIN214 @ 71:
I agree. The word hero has been cheapened by politicians and the press. In an effort to "make up" for the way Viet vets were treated by a few on their return to the US, everyone who makes it through basic or boot camp is now called a hero. 99% of the men and women serving are just doing their duty - there is a 1% minority with a legitimate claim to hero.
I served three years - not a hero. Did what I was told to and got decent fitness reports. No more, no less.
John McCain was shot down and captured. Not his doing, not heroic. The gunner who got him was closer to being heroic. He survived imprisonment neither distinguishing himself nor dishonoring himself (let's not stoop to the level of the Swifties) and returned to the US to end a rather routine career.
John Kerry and Bob Kerrey, OTOH, were and are highly decorated heroes, but look at what a bunch of chickenhawk Texans working with Karl Rove did to the former.
dennis @ 100:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEe4zMBQlaQ
That was bad. The guy didn't even watch the clip he was introducing. At the very least, there should be a public apology from from CNN to the high school student who asked the question.
For now on all valid,unscripted,challenging questions directed at McCain will be referred to as "heckling".
INSeAnhanNITY @ 108:
If t"reporters" want to spin they should get a job at the State Fair making cotton candy.
It probably be more nutritious too.
Came here from Digby's, would just like to point out on this thread as well that McCain's alma mater is on the list of preppiest schools in the nation in The Official Preppy Handbook. But, IOKIYAR.
dennis @ 86:
Hi Dennis,
The school told her it was a non-political event, and she saw a stump speech. She asked for clarification. I think every sane high school student reaches a point at which they see all the "adults" around them eating shit sandwiches and saying they are steak tartar. She asked a very polite and astute question as to why they billed this campaign rally as "non-political."
chris @ 92:
Nicole (and many others on the site) have been careful not to endorse any candidates.
And what is your point regarding Obama? You think endlessly harping on a third-person link to Farrakhan or "black nationalism" is giving Obama "a pass."
McCain can't even keep straight who's on who's side in
VietnamIraq, and he's the candidate with "foreign policy" expertise according to the MSM."Biography tour." That has got to be the lamest campaign gimmick of all time.
Fits John McCain perfectly though, since it's all about his favorite subject: John McCain.
Too bad he has no ideas for governing the country and cleaning up the ungodly mess his fellow Republican George W. Bush has made.
Tip---->> Hecklers aren't handed microphones.
Old Billy Hussein @ 116:
Hey O-Bill. I see your point, but I still think she knew the answer to that. I haven't gone over the text of what McCain said there, but of course it was a political event in that cameras were there and it would be broadcast on the political cable shows. I'm not arguing that point. Maybe I'm wrong; maybe she did ask it in a nice way. I think of the two guys in the balcony on the old Muppet Show when I think of heckling, and she definitely didn't do that. Just seems to me though, asking a distinguished alumni of the school you are attending 'just exactly what are you doing here?' seems to me a little on the rude side.
In any event, the college kid who asked Chelsea about her dad's affair got called a whole lot worse here, but I thought that was a little on the rude side too.
"The Biography Tour" sounds more like Madonna than Grandpa McWar.
{{{86 dennis Says}}}: The girl was being rude and obnoxious.
==========================================
I will hope and pray (even though I'm an atheist) you don't have children to fuck up.
Hope our press can get its balls back once the bush and christofascist vises are removed. I am not however holding my breath.
This so-called "journalist" should be working at Faux.
MountainMan23 @ 16:
TOILET BOWL
Acosta...What a dumbass???
This is hilarious. It's on par with the domestic Chinese media's handling of the Tibet protests.
"Why do humans and their rights hate China?" /snarkity snark.
Darth_Romney @ 3:
You're right there! I do believe if Christ Almighty walked into that meeting and asked McCain, "Why did I let you survive a POW camp?", Acosta would accuse Jesus of being a heckler.
Acosta is a Media Ass-Kissing hack.
Mr. Hussein Pelicano @ 76:
Strangely reminiscent of the stirring words of Don Vito Corleone.
Student:
The Christine and Denise Hanky-grabbing Club:
Me thinks the press is fawning over McCain for all the usual reasons - access, now and in the future. They think he'll be Potus. They are stepping all over themselves to curry favor which potentially leads to special access - in their narrow minds. Objectivity be damned.
seevee @ 25:
Exactly! My immediate reaction was "could he have come up with a more rambling response?" I guess if you respond that badly, the question that prompted you automatically looks like "heckling."
Crappy News Network at it again...
Edwin Hussein (a boo$h booer) @ 122:
Two beautiful and wonderful teeenage daughters, Edwina. If you'd like to hear about them, I'd be glad to give you my email address. Both of them, a freshman and a senior, would've worded the question better.
But I was probably wrong here; calling her a heckler by the CNN guy was probably too harsh. Calling her rude and obnoxious was probably too harsh on my part too. Every high school has students like I imagine her to be, probably wanting to ask a better question that was probably too political for that forum- I'm guessing she was told to keep any questions temperate given the occasion- and was a little put out that the forum did have political overtones- thus the question. I used to roll my eyes at fellow students when I was in high school. Now those are the ones though that I want to go talk when I go back to my high school reunions.
You're welcome ;)
Nicole Belle @ 107:
Nicole- Sorry, didn't go back through all the posts and missed yours before. But as I told a couple posters before this one, you are right, the girl didn't deserve to called a heckler. And I shouldn't have said she was rude or obnoxious. I like you guys too or I wouldn't post here and if any of you told me to go away I'd do that too. It's the posts that set me off most times, not the blogging or the stuff you guys write. And I'd actually love to hear you interview McCain- be careful though, he's a former POW and a war hero.
No, I don't particulary like the questions Chelsea is getting about her dad's affair. I know enough about Hillary's role in that and I don't particular care to hear Chelsea's answer to that question nor do I think her thoughts on it are 'fair game' or even pertinent right now. I didn't know about Chris Matthews' question to Obama about his white mother- don't like that one either.
I hope you know a good percentage of my heckling is done somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Just trying to keep everyone on their toes is all. Fair and balanced. I probably hold a lot more liberal views than you think or that I let on, certainly more I would guess than the vast majority of posters here have conservative views, which from my perspective is just about zero.
Good line to Chris, who I'm about to offer some coaching if he'd accept it, about Ayn Rand. The guy who first convinced me to slog my way through Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead moved out to California to work for Countrywide Capital Markets. I wonder how he's feeling about the free markets right now.
Are we to understand that this is a Senatorial trip at taxpayers expense, rather than a campaign event at McCain campaign expense? It's too bad the corporate media does not do as good a job questioning McCain as a high school student does.
Too bad McCain didn't answer the question.
This is just another example of bad communication, bad producers and bad on-air "talent."
Here's how this went down.
A producer or intern saw the clip, labeled it as a heckler and passed it one. Show producer speaks into on-air talent's ear piece telling him to introduce clip of 'McCain Handling Heckler in Alexandria, VA.' On-air talent does so without even watching clip, making himself look like an idiot.
Notice how he doesn't use an personal pronouns or identifiers? He never even watched the clip. Simply bad TV production. Someone was relying too much on their R/TV interns.
The next time someone complains about Fox News' biased reporting, I'm showing this clip.
All the bulls*** aside with regard to the "heckling", a more telling observation had to do with the manner in which McCain tried to answer the questions. Do you notice how he never addressed the young lady's point? McCain's response was classic three-brain manipulation between he, the audience and the questioner. When he began by trying to illustrate the scope of the tour and the places he'd been, he was targeting the mammalian part of the audience's brain, filling them with images of exotic or romanticized places. When he initially mentioned that he should have "cut it off here", he was attacking the questioner's reptilian brain and delivering the message, "you shouldn't have asked that". And when he spouted off about the number of events he was attending and invoked the US Military academy; as well as being confused as to the "voluntary nature" of the event, he was speaking to the audience's neo cortex-cortex in an attempt to use information to impress and disassemble in order to move away from the charge implicit in the question.
Except for Dr. Paul, Russ Feingold and perhaps Senator Hegel from Nebraska, if you listen for the three-brain theory when a politician speaks, you can almost always find the techniques used to control your thought process.
RJF
Apparently the McCain campaign is handing microphones to hecklers! That's very big of them.
That girl is much more articulate than the reporter, and has a firmer grip on reality as well.
CNN needs to fire that moron yesterday.
Vinny Hussein @ 38:
Try doing this: go to the CNN Web site and give them your opinion under "Contact us." It might help them get the message across to reporters like Acosta, who can't tell a heckler from a questioner freely given the microphone and politely asking her questions. I think Acosta's repeating the word "heckle" three times was a method taken from Faux News, where they stay on message so relentlessly you'd think they had been programmed like the courtiers in "The Emperor's New Clothes." We can see for ourselves, Acosta! We don't need you to tell us what we can't see!
Wonder how he would characterize a question about the Keating Five Scandal.
McCain's supposedly wandering all over the country telling charming old man stories about his childhood history, let's talk about his adulthood history for a while, how about it, Lobbying Boy? Let's REALLY "get to know you".
No one should attack McCain's "Rainbow Tour". I guess young women with brains need to just sit there and look sweet rather than ask questions or heckle their elders. I think that Acosta has a strange reporting style anyway. His black leather gloves that he had on Sunday were scary. His campaign coverage is more painful than a toothache. The ballot bowl should be just called the "crock" that it is. Old is not always better but in this case the reporters of the past could teach these "shells" (or shills) more than a thing or two. Reporting does not equal whitewashing or idolatry or even acquiesence. It's supposed to be about the truth.
I have to admit, over the last few weeks, I've basically been glued to CNN, MSNBC and a little bit of FOX News.. I limit my time on the latter because the conservativism on that channel will literally choke the life out of you. That, and I don't like Sean Hannity.
But I just watched the Jim Acosta clip and it is just amazing to me how the media and journalist in particular see things the way they want to see them! It's incredible! If that young lady was "heckling" John McCain, then I guess she should have just shut her mouth and said nothing. I personally found her question to be legitimate as well as articulate. But I agree with the commenter cleo above too, in that John McCain's campaign coverage has been a tough pill to swallow. #1, he's boring as all get out, he has freakishly short arms (something my mother pointed out to me, now I can't get past it..) "he's the son of admirals... the grandson of generals.." OMG! Make it stop! And the icing on the cake was finding out that he voted against the MLK holiday, not once but 4 times! I swear, I've started turning the channel whenever he's on now, I can't bear to hear him talk.
"where my family’s roots are back to the middle of the 19th century"
ISN'T THAT JUST ABOUT THE TIME JOHN "THE REPUBLICAN" WAS BORN ?
what a pussy reporter..... the student was in the right (of course).....
..... and John "the republican" McCain didn't have the nutz to just answer it
Chanel @ 144:
That was very nice of your mother to point that out to you. Perhaps for Mother's Day you could maybe research how he got those short arms and return her the favor.
You're right in your post, it is amazing how people see things the way they want to see them.
Thank you for sharing.
dennis @ 146:
Hey, you kid; git off'n mah lawn!
~McPreznitwannabe
Yeah, I feel better now, Jim. This is exactly what I want in a president: a man who can own ANY high schooler. Thank god I the likelihood of McCranky winning is pretty low, otherwise I would have to fear for all kids between the ages of 13 and 18 getting a sound tongue-lashing!
Piffle. Nice work, Acosta.
dennis @ 120:
LOL
I don't have much to add here except that there is never a bad time for a Big Lebowski or Muppet Show reference.
Bonkers Hussein @ 149:
No doubt, Bonkers. Both classics. The Swedish Chef still cracks me up.
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