Return of the Librul Media: Halperin wanks on about 'disgusting' pro-Obama bias
By David Neiwert Monday Nov 24, 2008 9:30amWe knew even before the election that the right was going to be trying to delegitimize Barack Obama's and the Democrats' electoral victory, since it would be their only hope of hanging on to their own few rapidly vanishing strands of legitimacy, not to mention relevance.
Well the whole "ACORN used fraud to win" meme that was originally favored in this role didn't pan out so well, given the size and breadth of the victory.
So now they're going for the tried and true: The Librul Media Made Us Do It. That, after all, was the underlying meme in that phony Zogby poll intended to make Obama supporters look stoopid. It's looking like a desperate grasp at the strawman.
Mark Halperin, the onetime ABC News honcho now writing for Time, was out there yesterday doing his best to help. He told a crowd that the media bias in Obama's favor this election was overwhelming:
"It's the most disgusting failure of people in our business since the Iraq war," Halperin said at a panel of media analysts. "It was extreme bias, extreme pro-Obama coverage."
Yeah, all that media silence about Jeremiah Wright, while they couldn't seem to stop talking about Pastor Hagee -- that was so biased! ... What's that? That's not what happened? I guess Halperin has me confused.
Now, it's probably true that the media coverage tended to make Obama look like a principled, thoughtful leader, and McCain look like a gimmick-driven hack willing to say or do anything to get elected. But then, that might be because McCain's campaign itself -- from taking on an unqualified dimwit like Sarah Palin as a running mate to dragging out Joe the Plumber at every stop -- made him look that way. As Colbert says, reality does tend to have a liberal bias.
But I have to say, Halperin's line that this was "the most disgusting failure in our business since the Iraq war" is a real piece of chutzpah.
Because when there was a chance for the media to do something about properly informing the public about the Iraq war, Halperin -- who had the reins of one of the three major network's news operations at the time -- did nothing. The media's coverage of the war, particularly during the critical runup period, was in fact a historic case of misfeasance that has had disastrous consequences for the nation. And Mark Halperin was a major player in that failure.
But then, we all pretty well know what's going on here -- after all, Halperin largely revealed his own bias back when he went on Hugh Hewitt's radio show and sucked and begged for Hewitt's respect as someone who really, really wants to get the conservative point of view across. Eric Boehlert had the definitive rundown, including this keen bit of Halperinesque wisdom:
As an economic model, if you want to thrive like Fox News Channel -- [if] you want to have a future -- you better make sure conservatives find your product appealing.
Halperin's become a predictable spewer, in fact, of right-wing talking points. He even does them one better -- he'll spew memes that not even the most obsequious Republican will touch. After all, he was probably the only pundit in all of America who actually thought McCain won that third debate. And he somehow thought that McCain's gaffe about forgetting how many houses he owned was actually the worst moment of the campaign ... for Obama.
As far as staying in front of the curve, though, he's got a problem. Witness, for instance, his extended homage to Karl Rove, published in 2006 ... just when it started becoming apparent that the GOP's resident "genius" had in fact screwed the party over for many, many years to come by saddling it with a legacy of disastrous policymaking.
I expect Halperin thinks that all this sucking up still makes his work more marketable. Yet I've got a hunch his old vision of his future, is looking a little, ah, anachronistic these days.
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And Halperin says Drudge and Hugh Hewitt are comparable to Cronkite.
Total tool, this guy.
PLEASE! :-)
Meanwhile.........my stock in Pampers, Huggies, and Luvs diapers has gone up a thousand-fold.
You lay down silently allowing Bush and his crew to fuck you and your Country in the ass for eight years because it was job security. Now your "new job" is to rail on Obama with right wing talking lies of somehow the MSM was "easy" on Obama(ignoring Rev. Wright, guns and bibles, elitism, Obama's a Muslim, terrorist, un-American, etc.).
Thanks Mark for proving yet again that you just can't ever trust a whore.
They were quiet about convicted felons G Gordon Liddy, Charles Keating. All the convicted ceo's and the pardoning of convicted felon by his pal George. Failed to mention how the over paying of the war would eventully crumble our economy and the worlds but not Halliburton nor Exxons. Than last but not least How Georgie won the Iraq war for the terrorist by letting them watch us crumble as a world power too broke to fight anymore, to broke to protect the psuedo-democracy we created in Iraq. The Bush regime of crooks have lossed to the terrorist and made our troops look bad
You got the terminology right, David - "wanks on". These hacks in the media love to stroke themselves...
Wanks on sounds like something a superhero might say before going into action.
Wanks on. Wanks off.
Buh bye lying Conservative hacks.
.
The last 8 years was the most disgusting pro-Bush campaign EVER waged by the media...
... I guess it's not bias if it's gift wrapped and tied with a big red (R) bow, NO?
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all the damage done in Iraq by the Bush contractors, halliburton, KBR and Blackwater. What about the soldiers who were electrocuted in shower stalls built with American tax dollars that were borrowed from China? When the media digs out and makes those issues topic #1, I'll start to listen to the Mark Halperins of the world! BAST@RDS
I want to know how Hugh Hewitt's lap dog got a job in media? And shouldn't he be fetching Hugh's shoes or something? Groveling for a scrap and slap from Hewitt?
I picture a typical right wing spokeperson as something like a Gestapo lieutenant: "You vill report as ve want, undt mit our point of view." Enough whining already!
I discount ANYTHING coming from the Drudge cabana boy. He is irrelevant in this era, a "get along go along" fake journalist isn't needed. Get lost.
Uh...most of the media is owned by five news groups: Disney, News Corp (FAUX), GE, Verizon and AOL none of whom are known as flaming liberals.
Up and comers include such groups as Sinclair who will come out and lie to their listeners to further a conservative argument.
...To see a top dog in the MSM equate equal coverage with unbiased coverage. And sad to see him do it in such a biased way.
This should be journalism 101. If A is good and B is bad, its not bias to report that A is good and B is bad.
I thought maybe the video would show Halperin giving a more measured analysis than David described. But it doesn't. Halperin isn't providing a cogent critique - he's whining like a sore loser.
he mentions the "pro-Obama" bias that he claims existed during the primary contest with Hillary Clinton. The 'librul' media wanted a McCain v. Hillary contest because they wanted McCain to win and they thought he would beat Hillary. When Obama's stock started to rise they all denounced him as an empty suit because he scared them, especially this douche-nozzle.
According to Wikipedia, Halperin was born in '65. Which is to speculate, he came of political age during the Reagan administration, bought into the GOP's reactionary world view, and never wised up. I'd be willing to bet that he still endorses the right wing canard that the "media" played a pivotal role in the "loss" of Vietnam.
and never thought for a moment of buying into Reaganism. I do know many people who did, though- and most of them were born long before me.
On edit: Here's a Reaganite for you: Jerry Rubin.
And you do realize that those of us born in '65 couldn't vote in 1980, when the vast majority of our elders kicked Jimmy Carter to the curb, right? And who do you think it was educating those my age- those my age?
Sorry, Long Tooth, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree here. Halperin, imo, goes along to get along. Look at that quote:
As an economic model, if you want to thrive like Fox News Channel -- [if] you want to have a future -- you better make sure conservatives find your product appealing.
Reads to me like Halperin wants a shot at the wealth (oh, the irony) accessible to those who were born before us. Folks my parents' age (born in '45 and '46) could work the line at GM and afford a house, a boat or camper, maybe, with no worries. Not so us. Likely never us. That Halperin baldly projects a cynical approach to gaining wealth is indicative of Halperin, though, and any segment of society aspiring to wealth, born in any year.
When I was young, Reagan came to our high school to give a speech at 2PM (school let out at 3PM).
We were given the option of staying for his speech, or going home an hour early.
I went home. I have never regretted the decision.
halperin wanking on the media:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MLBfwblps8
Psych Op campaign against the United States Citizens that was revealed by the N.Y. Times during the campaing season. It would have been a devasting disclosure against Bush/McCain if the media would have done its job but the "liberal" media just sat on its collective fat-ass.
The Liberal Media Myth is now growing to geometric proportions under the blantant lies of idiots like Halperin. Everyone needs to register (and become a member) for email updates from Media Matters. You will be amazed at the amount of Conservative Misinformation that is routinely given to the public by the so called "Liberal Media."
...are in dire need of a Fairness Doctrine enema.
Noam Chomsky talks about the election
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/24/noam_c...
The bespectacled rodent like Halperin's calm demeanor belies the vicious partisan nature of his remarks.I find his kind more despicable than the Limbaugh/Hannity types due to the added element of treachery involved.Halperin is willing to disgrace himself(and his Father)and jettison any ethical or moral principles he may have ever possessed all in pursuit of the all mighty dollar.I hope the money is enough Mark because if you have any conscience at all you will look back over your life with self loathing regret.
As for media bias, from where I sit it`s way more than a little frustrating -
McCain's affiliation with G. Gordon Liddy, whose activities as Ayers's contemporary were at least as despicable, and arguably much worse. Like many of the would-be terrorists that have made the news since 9/11, the Weather Underground members were bumblers, to say the least. Liddy's activities continue until the present, and McCain has publicly praised him and his values. What's more damning?
Was it ever covered by the new????Hell no……..
And of course, the news didn`t even mention the fact that McCain was one of the Keating Five, for which McCain now even refuses to apologize. Has this gotten any play on the news? Hell no……….
Palin has been MARRIED to a man who belonged to an Alaskan secessionist group that really did say "Down with America" on its website. (Not once, like Reverend Wright in the heat of passion, but as an actual foundational principle.)
Was it ever covered by the new????Hell no……..
While American soldiers died in Iraq the news media kept BushCo`s lies alive!! They cared more about covering Britney Spears…….
Mark Halperin and the likes are nothing but a bunch of whiners, and they are the type of morons that are trying to run this country down the tubes. Every time I watch fox’s new I feel like I’m watching state controlled Nazi propaganda.
Rinse and repeat.......
I think that inside of us lurks a deeply buried anger at the cold world we live in and to keep this bottled up is madness so we might as well choose the madness of speaking out over the madness of silently lying to ourselves and that when enough of us speak out and when we find enough ways to channel our frustration into creativity and imagination we can make of this old world a new world and all people will create it together.
-from the 1976 movie Network
Ever since Halperin said "Matt Drudge rules our world", he's about as low as pond scum in my book.
Halperin is pissed because his Republicans lost so badly and so decisively in this election, and that his boy, Drudge, was pretty much marginalised because of real issues, the kind of stuff that Drudge doesn't cover.
Senators and Congress people today!?? Certainly not asking questions about the Citi bailout and from where is the money coming...what are the reponsibilities of the Officers/Executives--bonus /sold assets/pledged assets / how did they spend the cash China gave them/ Is the Saudi 1/3 interest in Citi at risk???
When can we fire Paulsen and all the idiots that have been struck mute on this --like Pelosi/Reid!???
... is an asshat.*
Has Halperin been right about anything?
Hearing him talk about the biggest mistake since the run-up to the Iraq War is nauseating. He was one of the biggest cheerleaders, and he was flat wrong. It doesn't make any sense to say, "you guys are as wrong about this as I was about that."
There were real journalists who questioned the run-up to the Iraq war, but they were shouted down by Halperin, Judy Miller, Sean Hannity and the fucko-republicans in Congress.
The giant corporations that control/own the M$M are constantly engaged in forwarding and promoting a librul agenda; a librul agenda which actively works to undermine the power of coporations . . .
DUMBEST TINFOIL-HAT CONSPIRACY THEORY EVER!
This is just another "False Equivalency" arguement
Just because Obama got good press does not mean that McCain should have been matched story for story with equivalent good press.
One ran a brilliant campaign, the other lied, fumbled, and just generally ran the most screwed up campaign in modern history. Halperin thinks the press is bad because they reported what actually happened - although I think they were way too nice to McCain, especially were Palin was concerned.
As for Halperin's so-called "proof", the two bios on Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama, I just don't see how the press could have been honest and made McCain look as good or better.
One of them committed multiple felonies and used her husband's senatorial power to get away with her crimes, and the other was Michelle Obama.
And we all know that if it were the other way around, if Cindy had been the one who pulled herself up from a lower-class childhood to a law degree from Harvard and a successful law career and it had been Michelle who had lied, cheated, abused employees to get her illegal drugs for her and then used her husband to avoid responsibility, Mr. Halperin would have been screaming bloody murder. No amount of good works would have been enough to wipe away the stain of such egregious criminal behavior.
I'm so tired of these lying hypocrites. And just because Obama won does not mean these people should be allowed to get away with these kinds of lies and smears.
Halperin needs to be busted every time he opens his yap and spews this shit.
isn't there some dominatrix somewhere who'll change this pathetic sop, give him a bottle and put him to bed.
His whining is really starting to get on my nerves.
David Vitter could make some recommendations, I bet!
http://www.taylormarsh.com/images2/Cheney_dom...
ABC, Halperin's former employer, is owned by Disney. CBS is owned by Westinghouse. Fox is owned by Rupert Murdoch. NBC is owned by General Electric. So Halperin is saying that these networks are going to act in a way that is markedly opposed to what their owners perceive (rightly or wrongly) as their own interest? Yeah. Right.
If a corporation acts against its best interests (aka profits), it's breaking the law.
Which is why we need much stronger PUBLIC MEDIA. Public media has become quaint in the U.S. There's no doubt that it's better than corporate media, but it's been fazed out.
We need PUBLIC MEDIA with TEETH. Like BBC in Britain. Like ABC in Australia. Like CBN in Canada. Not backed by contributions, but backed by the full strength of our taxpayer dollars.
That, my friends, is the ONLY protection from the narrow viewpoints of the corporate world.
I would like to associate myself with Scarabus' and Bamboozled's comments (politician impression).
Even MSNBC, which people seem to think is the liberal version of Fox News, starts off the day with 3 fucking hours of Morning Joe.
Joe Scarborough is a filibustering gasbag who needs to be euthanized by his own methane.
What equivalent does Fox News have? None, because even the corporations (GE) who want to profit from "anti-Fox" sentiment need to keep selling corpocratic bullshit. Fuck religion, it's now corporate media that are opiating the masses.
He must be really sad that his Daddy, John McCain, didn't win the election. Being a liar who campaigned without ideas from the gutter was no reason for him to lose or to get unfavorable press coverage. In little Markie Halperin's world (and Deborah Howell's) the way to get favorable coverage is to run a terrible, dirty, vacuous campaign that relies on personal attacks, lies, distortions, and moronic attacks (e.g., Obama is a Marxist or socialist).
The true shame of the MSM is not found in any supposed negative coverage of McCain, but in the fact that Halperin has and continues to have a job in the MSM.
Future reference texts may well list Halperin as a synonym for "hack."
How many times did the Obama campaign suggest that McCain was not "one of us'?
How many times did the Obama campaign suggest that McCain was not a "real American"?
How many times did the Obama campaign suggest that McCain was friend of terrorists?
How many times did the Obama campaign suggest that a vote for McCain was a vote for the destruction of Israel?
My favourite line. Seriously, we need to establish, once and for all, that there is a difference between FACT and SPIN. That there's a difference between NEWS and OPINION.
I'm so tired of this notion of liberal bias. It's pure Nazi-style propaganda.
When Bush gave his speech after 9/11 and told everyone to do their bit for America by going shopping, not one person in the "liberal" media pointed out the idiocy of his comment. They were cheerleaders.
When Bush flew onto the aircraft carrier and proclaimed "Mission Accomplished," nobody in the "liberal" media pointed out that this was an obviously staged bit of propaganda. They were cheerleaders.
Obama was slammed continually. Palin was glorified as the Second Coming. McCain had every opportunity to win people's hearts and minds. He blew it, horribly.
If this, "It was extreme bias, extreme pro-Obama coverage." is true,
then WHY did Obama have to pay millions for 30 minutes to speak to the people on TV the night or two before the election?
I remember well that I couldn't catch site of Obama during the election season unless I went to HIS SITE ON THE INTERNET WHERE the front page carried the day's speeches and activities, following his own campaign because NO NEWS GROUP WOULD DO IT.
Piss on the mainstream media. They really suck and their out put is worthless. I don't watch them anymore.
Nobody paid any (serious) attention to Halperin's reporting during this election cycle. The man does not matter anymore.
http://northstarchronicle.wordpress.com/2008/...
CNN is this Canadian's only source of mainstream American snooze and I can tell you first hand (as a junkie), that its slant has been central/right for most of the time I've spent watching it for the past 10 years.
If you ever need a pharmaceutical/snake oil for anything which ails however, CNN's advertisers are there for you.
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