Posted on 09/04/2004 6:06:11 AM PDT by ejdrapes
Conservatives are not in the habit of sitting down to the morning TV-news shows to get a boost, and they certainly wouldn't have felt a boost this morning. President Bush's speech was a second, maybe third or fourth, thought today. It might be understandable: A major hurricane is pressing on Florida, and a dramatic school-hostage crisis in Russia may be ending in gunfire. But even after all that, the networks were more enthusiastic doing an autopsy on the Kobe Bryant case than discussing the Bush speech. On the Friday after Kerry's speech, the Kerry-Edwards ticket scheduled a rally in the middle of morning-show time to gain maximum exposure. NBC's Katie Couric interviewed the two candidates, and the show replayed the interview in its third hour. When they did get around to the campaign today, the networks spent half the time with CBS's Bob Schieffer and NBC's Tim Russert explaining how passionately Democrats wanted John Kerry to get up in Ohio at midnight and howl at the moon that Bush and Cheney were a duo of draft dodgers. They didn't seem to find it at all strange that the first instinct after bringing in Clintonites such as Joe Lockhart was to start swaggering about the other guy's draft deferments. Last night, while many pundits (including some on ABC, MSNBC, PBS, and Fox) praised the Bush speech, the network reception was still quite different from the reaction after the John Kerry speech in July. Some quickly pulled out their rapid-response Democratic talking points. On NBC, before he grew misty about his last convention, Tom Brokaw eagerly noted how "there was no mention of WMD and already the Democrats are out with a response sheet saying there was no mention of North Korea, no mention of Iran or Osama bin Laden." Tim Russert couldn't help elaborating: "The Democrats are also now pointing out, Tom, no mention of unemployment, no mention of out-sourcing." The sharpest double standard emerged on CBS. Just before Kerry came into the hall in July, CBS reporter Byron Pitts sounded like a breathless Kerry aide with gauzy spin about how Kerry would courageously march through the delegates (with Secret Service detail) and how before every important event Kerry will "make a sign of the cross, then kiss the St. Christopher's medallion his mother gave him as a child." Plus, Kerry always keeps with him his "Vietnam dog tags" as a reminder he's "been down, but he always finds a way to get up." Last night, before Bush emerged, White House correspondent (and anchor wannabe) John Roberts grew snarky as he noted that Bush would reheat the warmed-over "compassionate conservative" phrase even "though some critics would probably say it's a mantra that rings pretty hollow considering some of the policies that his government has pursued in the last three-and-a-half years." After Kerry's address, Pitts touted a sappy story about how Kerry's mother urged him to have "integrity" on her deathbed. Last night, Roberts remarked after Bush's speech that "He seems to have completely forgotten about Osama bin Laden." Isn't it funny when reporters think they're being profound by noting that a political candidate doesn't mention his weaker points? Byron Pitts wasn't about to come on after Kerry's speech and say, "Dan, Kerry tonight did not mention his billionaire wife's refusal to release her tax returns. He also left out any mention of gay marriage winning over the judges here in Boston." The MRC staff's award for the oddest comment of the night went to Peter Jennings after the Bush speech. Explaining the removal from the convention hall of two protesters who heckled President Bush, Jennings was baffled: "What they could be charged with, other than political expression, I do not know." Please remember that if ever someone breaks into ABC News and starts heckling Jennings in mid-newscast. Speech? What Speech?
The networks curbed their enthusiasm.
They would have misrepresent his words, criticize the content, and generally denigrate the man.
Better to discuss Kobe and Frances.
Meaning: We're going to hope you forget this whole thing happened.
Also, various TV channels that night had said (over and over again) "John Kerry! Midnight rally! In Ohio! A Response to the President! Stay Tuned!"
Then Kerry came out, made bad jokes, slurred his words and appeared drunk, screwed up basic facts and looked lost. Within 5 minutes two channels (that I know of) had switched to other news: "Leeeeeet's go cover something else ..."
Huge media bias this year. Huge. They know their way of life is over after this election cycle. They are on the dustbin of history.
Explains why Fox News had much higher ratings for the convention than the MSM networks. The MSM continues to become irrelevant.
I've been saying this for years. Who gives a nat's wit about these soap-opera reports? OJ, Kobe... and whatever irrelevant "stories" in America's MSM. Even FNC covers this tripe. People can read this sensationalism in the bird cage liners sold at the supermarket.
...We're going to hope you forget this whole thing happened...
So, we just keep those email lists with the reports that the media ignores running.
I just wish I had a few democrats on my list.
Our battle is with the MSM. Why doesn't Bush say so? Kerry is just the media's ill chosen dummy which is why one may think that they will try to replace him if it becomes obvious that he will not replace Bush.
Sure is for me.
We have talk radio on all day, at night watch FOX and get the news from FR, Real Clear Politics, etc.
I now don't even know what ABCNBCCBS etc. are spewing.
And, I then email things I feel my email list might not see on the above networks.
Agree with the new ways of getting news now. Although I occasionally enjoy watching Katie and Matt squirm having to report good Bush news. The liberal talk radio network is also amusing in small doses as well. Love to hear their whining.
The first should be a mandatory allocation of network prime time to candidates for federal elective offices.
The second is even better. Establish an FCC fairness standard for all political broadcasting.
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