The Gerund Thing

Commentary ^ | Oct. 3, '08 | Jennifer Rubin

[T.L.Sink]

Biden had a lot of facts wrong, starting with his Constitutional citation (didn't he learn anything while bullying all those Supreme Court nominees?). He didn't tell the truth when he said Obama never offered to sit down unconditionally with Ahmadinejad, he fibbed about the clean coal line, and Palin, not Biden had the gist of Gen. McKiernan's comments on Afghanistan. But those weren't the real problem. The real issue is that Joe Biden talked, acted, and performed like a guy who has been a senator for 36 years. Palin didn't. And right now Americans hate just about everyone in Washington.

[T.L.Sink]

Everybody in the Beltway laughs at the gaffes and buffoonery of Joe "blowhard" Biden. But last night the great "eperienced" foreign policy expert did something much more damaging. He either lied or exposed his own ignorance of serious foreign policy matters. Carl Rove on Fox cited TEN factual errors. Not differences in interpretation of events, but FACTUAL errors. I flipped the channel for post-debate analysis and heard the liberal windbags like David Gergen of CNN talk about how "substantive" and specific Biden was in contrast to Palin. Campbell Brown was her usual strident, bitterly sarcastic and biased self and grudgingly admitted Palin did OK because she was "scripted." Biden, who has been wrong on every major foreign policy decision beginning with his opposition to the First Gulf War, was treated by the liberals as though he were the reincarnation of Talleyrand and Lord Palmerston. It just proves once again that many liberals don't want their agenda upset by those damn facts!

[Darkwolf377]

David Gergen ...Campbell Brown...

SO glad I don't have cable...or even broadcast TV. My TV is for DVD play, and I get news online or on radio.

I think this explains my normal blood pressure.

[T.L.Sink]

I know what you mean but I like to keep up with the latest spin of the “enemy.” I didn’t bother checking out MSNBC because they can’t even be taken seriously with shills and idiots like Olbermann and Matthews.

[Darkwolf377]

From my vantage point as a non-TV watcher, it seems to me from what I've been able to observe that CNN and MSNBC have just tossed away even the thin lie that they are TRYING for objectivity. The lib journalists there just can't stand the idea that FOX even exists--THEY are the ones who determine objectivity, how dare FOX have an alternate point of view?

Of course, they never stop to think that if they were truly objective their coverage would be the same as it was years ago. Instead, over the past year or two they've both turned into DNC organs--in MSNBC's case, the equivalent of a booby hatch telecast each night.

[alexander_busek]

Jennifer Rubin is wrong about this being about the gerund thing.

It's the dangling participle thing that is really gonna decide this presidential election.

The split infinitive thing may heavily influence the coming senate elections.

Regards,

[21twelve]

Good take on it. Except I was expecting gun porn. ;)

[T.L.Sink]

You’re right about CNN but they do have some programs on that are worthwhile - like Lou Dobbs. It’s hard to imagine more bias than CNN but MSNBC manages to do it. Look, as much as we may disagree with them there are some intelligent and rational liberals who can articulate their views. And that’s why I say MSNBC is the very worst and can’t be taken seriously. Because what goes on there isn’t even liberal bias expressed coherently or rationally. Olbermann, Matthews, and Maddow (a recent arrival) are so bad that even some liberals are embarrassed by them (like Tom Brokaw). It’s not even biased commentary - it’s trash and character assination masquerading as “news.”

[Darkwolf377]

Look, as much as we may disagree with them there are some intelligent and rational liberals who can articulate their views.

Of course, and your post is right on.

I actually used to read far more of the liberal press than conservative. Lately, though, I simply can't stomach the Boston Globe or other leftist sources--they simply don't care for honesty anymore.

In the past I had to grudgingly read the Globe or the NYT because like it or not they DID have the best world news, more in-house reporters, etc.

Now they have destroyed their credibility.

MSNBC just seems like a cable access channel.

[T.L.Sink]

Yeah, never thought of that!

[T.L.Sink]

Great point! I’d forgotten some of those grammatical distinctions.

[Kickass Conservative]

Everybody knew that Sandy Berger was the kind of guy who would forget he stuffed Classified Documents into his pants. He was just a clumsy sort of guy with unlimited National Security Clearance. You know, like all of us.

Those Rats sure are harmless little fuzzballs aren't they?

It must wonderful to be a Democrat. You never get prosecuted for committing an obvious crime, you can lie on National Television and not one reporter calls you on it, you can call your opponents Nazis and Bigots all day long while nobody cares and you can vote to go to war and then act like you didn't know what you were voting for to avoid any responsibility.

[T.L.Sink]

Years ago I used to subscribe to the Sunday Times. Their editorial page was always liberal. Fine. But they lost the very important distinction between hard news and editorializing. Now you find commentary and bias in the hard news columns. Also, things like the Jason Blair scandal and the publication of top secret classified military information to the world made me realize that the once great Old Grey Lady had gone beyond the pale. I think “Pinch” Sulzberger has ruined the Times. And judging from their serious loss in circulation and income I’m not the only one.

[T.L.Sink]

Absolutely! And your example of Sandy Burglar perfectly illustrates that.

[mavfin]

Newspapers? TV? My wife watches Fox (used to be CNN), but I pretty much get my news here and one other place that’s pretty centrist, but you don’t find far-left tripe on it.

[Jimmy Valentine]

"reincarnation of Talleyrand"

Talleyrand never cared which side he was on so long as he was in a position if power.

One of the reasons that Napoleon I referred to him as "Sh8t in silk stocking."

Works for Joe Biden too, I think.

[T.L.Sink]

Exactly! One of the best biographies of Talleyrand is by Duff Cooper. It may not still be in print but if you can get it, it’s a gem! The remarkable thing about Talleyrand is that with all the changes in regimes he stayed in power and always landed on his feet! One of the most remarkable foreign ministers and diplomats in history. Regards,

[T.L.Sink]

I hear you. I do get the Washington Times “National Weekly Edition.” It’s an excellent summary of the news and has commentary by the best conservative writers. The good thing about it is you don’t have to wade through all the fluff of a daily edition. All meat. I recommend it.