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Bush "Divisive," But Dean a Uniter Who "Brings People Together" (Media Bias Alert!)
Media Research Center via e-Mail | December 29, 2003 | Brent Baker

Posted on 12/29/2003 7:06:08 AM PST by PJ-Comix

George W. Bush campaigned in 2000 as a "uniter, not a divider." But in what may be a preview of the prism through which the networks will see the 2004 presidential campaign, ABC's Terry Moran on Sunday described Bush as a divider, labeling him a "divisive President" and a "divisive figure." CBS's Bob Schieffer similarly portrayed Bush as a divider, calling him "a polarizing politician," who though as Governor did bring people together, now "seems to have become someone that you either love or you hate." But Schieffer hailed Democratic candidate Howard Dean as a uniter.

Hosting Face the Nation, Schieffer trumpeted how Dean "is a hit at this point" because "he seems to be the first Democrat who's found a way to bring new people into the process here. He's found a new kind of participatory politics....Dean has gone into the Internet and begun to bring people together."

Moran filled in on Sunday for George Stephanopoulos as host of ABC's This Week. As if it's solely President Bush's fault that some people don't like his policies, in formulating questions, during a segment with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Leon Panetta, Clinton's former Chief-of-Staff, Moran twice tagged Bush as "divisive.'

Moran observed: "For many Americans, this is a divisive President. Is he vulnerable in the manner in which he seems to polarize people's opinions?" (Panetta chimed in: "I think that is the case.")

Moran soon repeated his theme: "This President on the world stage. When he was elected, I think few would have expected him to be, within three years, the dominant figure in the world, a leader that everyone else has to reckon with essentially. And there as well, it's hard to argue with the notion that he is a divisive figure."

Over on the December 28 Face the Nation on CBS, regular host Bob Schieffer, during a roundtable with Time magazine's Karen Tumulty, Washington Post reporter Dan Balz and New York Times columnist David Brooks, admired how Dean is bringing people together, citing a left-wing New York Times columnist as the source of his insight:

"I tell you, this is not, what I'm going to say is not an essay on why I like Howard Dean, but it's, I would say this is why I think that Howard Dean is a hit at this point, and that is he seems to be the first Democrat who's found a way to bring new people into the process here. He's found a new kind of participatory politics. In this television age, where we kind of took the campaigns out of the community and put them on television and made television kind of a passive event, Howard Dean has gone into the Internet and begun to bring people together.

"I think the story we have missed. I think Frank Rich of The New York Times may be the first person who caught on to this. It's not that he has raised money on the Internet that's been important to Howard Dean, but the fact is, he's brought these people together. They now feel like they're part of his campaign. They're talking to each other. They're driving places, to campaigns, where he's not even there. They feel like a part of it. It's almost like the old ward heeler politics back in Chicago, where people felt they were a part of something. And he's the first person in a while who's done that, and I think whether you like Howard Dean or hate Howard Dean, you have to admire him for doing that. And in the long run, I think that's very good for politics."

Minutes later, however, Schieffer expressed concern about how Bush is a polarizer: "Let me ask you, Karen, because I know your magazine did, kind of did an issue on this, and that is George Bush as a polarizing politician. George Bush ran -- and George Bush as Governor was the kind of politician who did seem to bring people together -- but yet he seems to have become someone that you either love or you hate."

Maybe that's at least partly attributable to how the news media portray his policies and hold him, not those who dislike him, responsible for how some dislike him.


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; georgebush; howarddean; mediabias; mrc
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"I tell you, this is not, what I'm going to say is not an essay on why I like Howard Dean, but it's, I would say this is why I think that Howard Dean is a hit at this point, and that is he seems to be the first Democrat who's found a way to bring new people into the process here. He's found a new kind of participatory politics. In this television age, where we kind of took the campaigns out of the community and put them on television and made television kind of a passive event, Howard Dean has gone into the Internet and begun to bring people together."

Hey Bob Schieffer! Why not just drop your completely phony attempt at pretending to be unbiased and drop to your knees to plant a big juicy kiss on Howard Dean's buttcheeks.

There has rarely been a president more willing to accomodate the opposition than Bush yet this is STILL not good enough for the lamestream press who label him as "divisive" while the nutty AND divisive Dean is labeled a "uniter." What universe do these lamestream types exist on? Certainly not ours.

This Media Research Center report was received via e-mail and will appear on their website later today.

1 posted on 12/29/2003 7:06:10 AM PST by PJ-Comix
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To: PJ-Comix
Of course, your assumption is that someone, anyone, watches the show...about the only reason to tune in the ABC program is to see Geroge Will's facial expressions..he looks like he's sucking lemons....I bet if Fox would give Will his own Sunday show...he'd walk in a second..
2 posted on 12/29/2003 7:11:01 AM PST by ken5050
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To: ken5050
I bet if Fox would give Will his own Sunday show...he'd walk in a second..

Paging Roger Ailes! Please pick up the yellow courtesy telephone!

3 posted on 12/29/2003 7:12:34 AM PST by mhking (It's in your home state...it's outside your front door...and it's going to eat YOU up!)
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To: PJ-Comix
Baghdad Bob is correct, Dean has united all the kooks, loons and crazies on the nut fringe left.
4 posted on 12/29/2003 7:13:33 AM PST by cynicom
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To: PJ-Comix
Moran soon repeated his theme: "This President on the world stage. When he was elected, I think few would have expected him to be, within three years, the dominant figure in the world, a leader that everyone else has to reckon with essentially. And there as well, it's hard to argue with the notion that he is a divisive figure."

Leave it to Moran to tell the truth (dominant figure in the world), then to color it with his broad brush of lies ("divisive figure").

Given his ever present and palatable hatred of the President, a statement like this is no surprise.

5 posted on 12/29/2003 7:15:31 AM PST by mhking (It's in your home state...it's outside your front door...and it's going to eat YOU up!)
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To: cynicom
Baghdad Bob is correct, Dean has united all the kooks, loons and crazies on the nut fringe left.

For all to see, right out there in the daylight.

Isn't it going to be fun to watch?

6 posted on 12/29/2003 7:17:01 AM PST by Thermalseeker
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To: PJ-Comix
Bush "Divisive," But Dean a Uniter Who "Brings People Together" (Media Bias Alert!)

Bush divides the relatively more sane from the wackos. Dean unites disparate wacko groups into a Wackos For Dean movement.

They may as well say that Bush unites people against him and that Dean is divisive for alienating people who support Bush.
7 posted on 12/29/2003 7:17:42 AM PST by aruanan
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To: PJ-Comix
In 2004, we have finally, finally reached another election year. As the year unfolds, it will become clear to voters that after four long years of being forced, divided, hammered, and broken, they will have a distinct choice in candidates and the chance to replace the destructive forces of George W. Bush.

I happened to copy this line from another posted article that has since been pulled...when I first read it, I could have sworn it was written about B. Clinton...until I got to the George W. Bush part....(for those of you who read it, did you notice how the writer never referred to GWB as "President GWB?")

So now it begins. It actually began the day of the election in 2000, when these media phoneys knew through their exit polling that PRESIDENT Bush was likely going to win that day, and they moved into their do-or-die mode to steal the election for Al Gore (REMEMBER FLORIDA?!!!) ... and they've not let up since. Well, I say...bring it on! PGWB may not be the best this country has to offer, but by golly-gee, he's a whole lot better than any of those pukes running on the Democrat side. Most definitely the least of all evils we've got to deal with at this time, IMHO.

8 posted on 12/29/2003 7:18:45 AM PST by nfldgirl
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To: Thermalseeker
What will be funny is how these media whores continue to say we are still a closely divided nation when Bush wins 49 states in 2004.
9 posted on 12/29/2003 7:20:11 AM PST by Bluntpoint
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To: PJ-Comix
Media bias bump.
10 posted on 12/29/2003 7:21:19 AM PST by E.G.C.
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To: PJ-Comix
LOL!!!

This is rich.

Dean is having a hard time simply uniting the Democratic Party.
11 posted on 12/29/2003 7:21:48 AM PST by 11th Earl of Mar
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To: PJ-Comix
There are a number of conservative talk show hosts that screech continually about how people hate and loathe Bush. They are playing into the hands of the dims. I personally think W is trusted and liked throughout this country and around the world far more than the loud mouths think.
12 posted on 12/29/2003 7:22:49 AM PST by tkathy (The islamofascists and the democrats are trying to destroy this country)
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To: Mean Maryjean
So now it begins. It actually began the day of the election in 2000, when these media phoneys knew through their exit polling that PRESIDENT Bush was likely going to win that day, and they moved into their do-or-die mode to steal the election for Al Gore (REMEMBER FLORIDA?!!!) ...

Part of the blatant STEAL attempt by the media was calling the state of Florida for Gore BEFORE the polls in the Central Time Zone Panhandle closed. Dan Blather & Co. claimed it was an honest mistake but how many years have they been covering elections? Think they didn't know that the very conservative Panhandle polls close an hour later than in the East?

13 posted on 12/29/2003 7:25:30 AM PST by PJ-Comix (Saddam Hussein was only 537 Florida votes away from still being in power)
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To: mhking
George F Will could make history is the FOX NETWORK
hired Will as the head to head tv news Anchor.
14 posted on 12/29/2003 7:27:38 AM PST by cars for sale
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To: 11th Earl of Mar
Dean is having a hard time simply uniting the Democratic Party.

True. Schieffer is hailing Dean as a UNITER at exactly the same time that an angry Dean is attacking McAwful for not shutting up the Democrats who are attacking him. Hey Bob Schieffer! When are you going to remove your lips from Howard's buttcheeks long enough to take a look at REALITY?

15 posted on 12/29/2003 7:28:18 AM PST by PJ-Comix (Saddam Hussein was only 537 Florida votes away from still being in power)
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To: cars for sale
Bob Schieffer has been a Democrat Party (and Clintonista) shill for many years. He's been caught in lies several times but just shruggs it off and is still on CBS.
16 posted on 12/29/2003 7:29:40 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: PJ-Comix
The reason that Bush divides is that he has moral clarity.

He distinguishes 'good' from 'evil'.........and the evil folks aren't too happy with that.....

Bob Schieffer, Terry Moran......cases in point??

17 posted on 12/29/2003 7:31:18 AM PST by ohioWfan (BUSH 2004 - Leadership, Integrity, Morality)
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To: PJ-Comix
Antiwar = AntiAmerica

       The media is our enemy

18 posted on 12/29/2003 7:35:22 AM PST by bert (Have you offended a liberal today?)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Bob Schieffer has been a Democrat Party (and Clintonista) shill for many years. He's been caught in lies several times but just shruggs it off and is still on CBS.

I think I remember Schieffer getting in a bit of hot water for acting as a campaign advisor for Algore over dinner. Or am I thinking of somebody else? Refresh my memory.

19 posted on 12/29/2003 7:37:20 AM PST by PJ-Comix (Saddam Hussein was only 537 Florida votes away from still being in power)
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To: aruanan
Bush divides the relatively more sane from the wackos. Dean unites disparate wacko groups into a Wackos For Dean movement.

I, for one, am glad Bush isn't a "uniter". I prefer to know who my enemies are, and the past 3 years has shown just that!

20 posted on 12/29/2003 7:42:15 AM PST by ItsOurTimeNow (Criswell - "And remember, my friends, future events such as these will affect you in the future.")
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