Posted on 10/08/2004 11:13:19 AM PDT by FlyLow
As the days dwindle down to a precious few leading up to November second, the big three branches of the Liberal election machine have kicked into high gear. Charges have been leveled by the political, entertainment and news divisions. Tales of galloping woe fill the crisp autumn air as accusations of repression, suppression and downright aggression emanate daily from the Left.
Out on the hustings, at the obligatory Democratic pander-stop at a black church in Cleveland, John Kerry said, "We're seeing efforts by the Republicans, unfortunately, in various parts of the country to suppress votes and intimidate people, to do things that bring back memories that are pretty bitter in the American mind from the year 2000. We're not going to let that happen because the memories of 2000 are too strong. We're not going to allow one million African Americans to be disenfranchised."
Leaving the irony of a Democrat recalling black voter suppression in the South behind for the moment, I would remind Mr. Kerry that out of the 25 Florida counties that had the highest 'ballot-spoilage' rates, 24 were supervised by his own party. It seems they do a better job of registering dead folks than teaching the live ones to vote.
Not to be outdone by the candidate himself, his Hollywood contingent piped up with more tales from the GOP dark side. America's yenta, Barbra Streisand, (web site) explained helpfully that it is in fact, George Bush's fault that the media will not explore the "facts" contained in Dan Rather's forged National Guard documents:
"The media's attention is diverted from the real story because we now live in a time where the fear of revenge by this administration sends a chill through the corporations that control our media and overwhelms the press' responsibility to investigate, educate and hold our leaders accountable." The climate was apparently not too chilly to divert CBS producer Mary Mapes when she spent the last five years trying to nail Bush--and all she got was those lousy forgeries.
Also weighing in was actress Cameron Diaz, who contributed this deep thought: "If you think that rape should be legal, then don't vote." And out on his 'Vote for Change Tour,' where Bruce Springsteen is bravely defending the nation from President Bush, he explained his mission; "It's an emergency intervention." I don't know about the rest of you but I'll sleep more soundly tonight knowing that these two are Americans.
In another emergency intervention, Dan Rather's comrades crawled out of their foxholes to defend (website) him this week. In his best 'all for one, one for all' mode, Peter Jennings said, "I think the attack on CBS is an attack on mainstream media, an attack on the so-called 'liberal media.'"
"There's a political jihad against Dan Rather and CBS," said Tom Brokaw without a trace of shame. "We know a mistake was made, but it's been blown out of proportion. It's an attempt to demonize CBS news. It's a demagoguery unleashed on the Internet. It's a very painful process, but we need to leave it to CBS to deal with the investigation. This was a mistake. It was not a political attempt (by CBS) to unseat the president." How Brokaw knows this is unclear but rumor has it that a certain Miss Mapes told him so.
Speaking of demagoguery, Liberal dinosaur Walter Cronkite, (web site) also fired back at the right-wing pajamahadeen; "I cannot understand how the Internet should have gotten so entirely oblivious to the whole theory of libel and slander. How is it possible for these people to get on the air with any allegation they want to make, any statement they want to make as if it were true, as if they were journalists which they are clearly not? They are scandal mongers."
Scandal mongers though they may be, I am unaware of any of them who stepped in front of a camera and declared that the Tet Offensive--where enemy casualties outnumbered ours nearly 50 to 1--was a "draw;" a lie which led to the loss of more American lives by emboldening the enemy to fight on after that huge defeat.
In any case, these new allegations of repression, rape, bullying and cyber-jihad are a refreshing change from the usual Liberal charges of poisoning the environment and the starving of children and the elderly. The message changes but the messengers remain the same.
The new twist is that 'old media' has now overtly joined the chorus of prominent Democrat politicians decrying the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy's pernicious attempts at muzzling them. And if George W. Bush prevails in November, the silence from these groups should therefore be deafening. You think?
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Lisa Fabrizio is a columnist who hails from Connecticut. You may write her at mailbox@lisafab.com.
This is very Soviet: to accuse your opponent of the very crimes you are committinng. Never before have I seen the American left drop the pretense of not being fascists. Signs and property are being vandalized for the overwhelming need of the left to create a climate of fear for those who dare to dissent.
Democrats are street fighters, Republicans are usually reserved, so much so it has come as a huge surprise that they are fighting back - with ads - at all.
PRESIDENT BUSH WILL LEAD AND KEEP AMERICA SAFE - JOHN FONDAKERRY WILL NOT - HE VOTES AGAINST AMERICANS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS - HE HAS NO FOREIGN POLICY NOW DUE TO THE OIL FOR FOOD PROGRAM.
It would be sweet. The only thing Kerry could do would be to accuse Bush of doing it first.
W is the Peoples' President.
Kerry is the Elite Establishment's President.
Pass it on....
John F. Kerry has stepped out of the shadows and has boldly revealed himself as a power hungry, anti-American socialist. As in the Vietnam era Kerry is stirring up peoples' emotions and trying to divide America for personal gain, but now it's far more serious because Kerry has grown in political stature, he's an experienced rabble rouser who's running for President. What's worse, he's now picking at the scab of the extremely divisive 2000 Election. Kerry would love to foment another civil war because he'd win on two fronts; he'd get to see America torn apart and weakened from a box seat in the White House.
Signs and property are being vandalized for one reason only: This is President Bush's fault! John Kerry and John Edwards have a Plan to prevent the vandalization of signs and property.
If I recall it correctly, Cronkite described Tet as an American defeat rather than a draw. Either way, he was lying through his teeth and deliberately hurt the American efforts there.
Walter believes that a degree in journalism somehow sanitizes the stench created by the scandal mongers who read the news at CBS, ABC and NBC.
Hmm! We are almost in agreement. Maybe the thought that "It's Bush's Fault!" menas that a little vandalism is justified as upright civil disobedience?
No legitimate Demorat president since Truman.
Kennedy got in through vote fraud in Illinois and Texas.
Johnson got in through the murder of Kennedy, and asserting that Goldwater wanted a war in Vietnam.
Carter got in by claiming he was a southern conservative.
Clinton: Heck, where do you start?
Good point.
Dear Walter Concrete, We know about libel and slander out here on the net. We have had excellent examples of it over the years from YOU and your forged "documents" and blatant lies! If you'd had your way, we would all be referring to each other as "Komrade" - that is, the few of us that survived the cold war would have done.
Listen closely, in numbers too big to comprehend, we are sick of you and your cohorts demanding respect for your attempts to be KINGMAKERS in national politics!!
One semester and it was clear that these people, profs and students, were some of the dumbest people on earth. Changed plans.
I majored in accounting when I was in college, and my profs were always laughing about the "journalism" majors. One always said "at least you guys are learning something that employers want, unlike the acting and journalism majors"
"GOP Stifles Free Speech"
Oh I'm sorry. Thought this was a CFR thread.
Walter Cronkite says: "How is it possible for these people to get on the air with any allegation they want to make, any statement they want to make as if it were true, as if they were journalists which they are clearly not?"
What makes a journalist? Education? Walter had almost none before going into the news business. He has no degree, only "attended University of Texas" 1933-35.
Experience? He worked for newspapers and UPI until 1948, when he started working on TV -- a medium that was barely started at that time. How did he do it? Just DID it.
Exactly as the Internet journalists are doing now. They are pioneering a new medium. Some of them, I am sure, have more education. As to experience, I would submit that they have FAR more experience in the world they are reporting on -- the world of the 21st Century -- than Mr. Cronkite does.
His youth, fame, and passion belong to a time long past. No wonder he is bitter.
I know a hugely successful photographer from Boston who said the same thing. He told me that he hated photo journalism school because it was steeped in "yellow journalism". He dumped that field and became a successful wedding and commercial photographer.
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