Byron York: The real bias of 'Game Change' (GOP base filled w/hatred, racism & xenophobia)

The Washington Examiner ^ | March 10, 2012 | Byron York, Chief Political Correspondent

[2ndDivisionVet]

Several critics, most of them conservatives, have complained that Game Change, the new HBO movie made from the best-selling 2008 presidential campaign book, portrays Sarah Palin as profoundly stupid. And it does. Those critics have also complained that the picture sometimes portrays John McCain and his top advisers as deeply craven. It does that, too. And then there's the fact that Game Change, the movie, focuses on a negative portrayal of Palin while ignoring the dramatic and divisive primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton that made up the biggest part of the book. So there's a lot of bias to go around -- not a surprise in a picture made by the same Hollywood writer-and-director team that produced Recount, the pro-Gore HBO version of the 2000 election.

But perhaps the strongest bias in Game Change is not about any particular politician, or even its choice of characters. At its core, the movie's message is that the Republican base is filled with hatred, racism, and xenophobia. In Game Change, the McCain-Palin decision to attack Obama for his ties to the former 1960s radical Bill Ayers -- even as the GOP ticket stayed away from Obama's relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright -- brings out the ugliness in the hearts of Republican voters. And those Republican voters are really awful people.

In the movie, McCain is portrayed at his best when he rejects the suggestion from some aides to tie Obama to the fiery minister best known for his "Goddamn America!" declaration. "John, if there ever was a time to run a Rev. Wright ad, this is that time," McCain adman Fred Davis tells McCain in a scene early in the movie. "It's the single best weapon we've got."

"I'm going to run a f--king campaign that my kids can be proud of," McCain answers angrily. "And that precludes attacking a black reverend."

So it didn't happen. Later, McCain's resolve is tested as he falls farther and farther behind Obama in the polls. "We've got to make this about Obama," campaign manager Rick Davis tells McCain in a meeting. "We've got to get tough, and we've got to get negative."

"If we go this way, Rev. Wright is still the best play we have," adds Davis.

Again, McCain rejects all proposals to bring up Wright. "Any of you ever been accused of having a Negro child out of wedlock because your adopted daughter was born in Bangladesh?" he asks the advisers. "And then, when she was 16 and Googled her name, I had to explain to her why President Bush's henchmen called her a bastard when she was 10 years old." (The moviemakers are referring to unsubstantiated stories from the 2000 South Carolina primary in which McCain accused George W. Bush of dirty campaigning. I wrote a long piece for National Review on the lack of evidence for such claims; it's not available online, but an excerpt is here.)

As the scene plays out, Davis tries to humor McCain. "South Carolina, that was an ugly primary, but this isn't the same thing," Davis says. "I mean, Rev. Wright really did say those things."

"That may be true," McCain answers. "But there's a dark side to American populism. Some people win elections by tapping into it. I'm not one of those people."

Rejected, Davis tries Plan B. "Okay, so what about Bill Ayers?" he asks. "Obama began his career in the living room of a domestic terrorist. Domestic terrorist -- nothing to do with race."

McCain thinks for a moment. "Okay," he says. "Ayers is fair."

So the campaign goes after Ayers, with Palin playing the lead role. As the movie portrays her accusing Obama of "palling around with terrorists," Palin adds that she is "just so fearful this is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America."

That's when the hatred in the Republican masses is unleashed. "He's not a Christian!" one person yells. "He's a socialist!" screams another before Palin leads the crowd in a chant of "USA! USA! USA!" And it's not just the Republican hoi polloi; Palin gets a similar reaction from a well-dressed crowd at a swanky GOP gathering.

A moment later, McCain is on the stump, asking "Who is the real Barack Obama?" "A terrorist!" someone yells. Another shouts, "He's a Muslim!" "He's a socialist!" says still another. And more: "He doesn't represent us!" "He hangs out with people who hate our country!" "Send him back to Africa!"

And finally, the awful climax: "Kill him!"

"We've got to tone the rhetoric down," top campaign aide Steve Schmidt tells a stunned and depressed McCain.. "It's gotten out of control. You can't even mention Obama's name any more. The crowd gets too hot."

"This isn't the campaign I wanted to run," McCain says sadly. The movie portrays him trying to tamp down the hatred, but it's too late.

Here's a question. Did anyone yell "Kill him!" at a McCain-Palin rally? There was one report of that, from the Washington Post's Dana Milbank, who said he heard it at an event in Florida. There was also a local reporter in Pennsylvania who said he heard it at an event in Scranton. But the Secret Service, whose agents were present at the rallies and were charged with protecting candidate Obama as well as McCain and Palin, investigated both allegations and found no evidence that either outburst actually occurred. "The Secret Service takes this sort of thing very, very seriously," noted the liberal web publication Salon on October 16, 2008. "If it says it doesn't think anyone shouted 'kill him,' it's a good bet that it didn't happen." The outburst portrayed in Game Change as the very essence of the hatred in Republican hearts -- well, there's no good evidence it ever happened.

Certainly it's not included in the book Game Change, on which the movie is mostly based. That's not to say that a few people didn't yell insults at McCain-Palin rallies. Game Change authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann wrote, "At rallies across the country, there were jagged outbursts of rage and accusations of sedition hurled at Obama. In Pennsylvania and New Mexico, McCain audience members were captured on video and audio calling the Democrat a 'terrorist.' In Wisconsin, Obama was reviled as a 'hooligan' and a 'socialist.'" There were rumors and stories of all sorts of things being yelled at the rallies; the authors stuck to what they knew. And of course, anyone could have gone to bunches of McCain-Palin events and never see or hear anything of the sort.

But that's not a story the moviemakers wanted to tell. To hear them tell it, Game Change is a scrupulously fair account of the Republican side of the 2008 campaign. "It has a very evenhanded tone to it," director Jay Roach said recently. There's no reason to think they don't believe that -- but it doesn't make it true.

[2ndDivisionVet]

This is what we get by surrendering the media, Hollywood, academia and the literary world to the Left.

[ClearCase_guy]

The noble John McCain.
The stupid Sarah Palin.
The wise Steven Schmidt.
The godlike Barack Obama.

Modern American Fairy Tales.

[onyx]

It's NOT about a particular politican?

But for still trying to destroy her, the smearing movie would have NEVER been made!

[LibLieSlayer]

Freddy Kruger Nightmares!

LLS

[Sarah Barracuda]

Libs have tried for almost 4 years now to destroy Sarah and they have failed every single time. Gee for someone supposedly so irrelevant they sure do spend a lot of time talking about her, making BS movies about her, and trashing her every second..if she were so irrelevant you would think they wouldn’t even bother..they are scared to death of her, scared to death that she will run for President and WIN. I bet “Game Change” tanks tonight, only flaming far left kooks will watch that garbage

[Gene Eric]

HBO worships Leftwing #####. I see no subscriber benefit unless you’re... a Leftwinger.

HBO’s recent movie regarding TARP was a shameful portrayal of the two Parties: Democrats virtuous, Republicans moronic.

[nhwingut]

This is what we get by surrendering the media, Hollywood, academia and the literary world to the Left.

Exactly. No matter how many issues we are right on. No matter how many think tanks and Tea Party groups we form, the left owns the narrative via Hollywood and the media.

Until we change that and/or push back harder, we will continue to break even against a ideology that should get crushed in a center-right country.

[kik5150]

“Republicans are stupid...I hate Republicans....Republicans are stupid.”

Whoopi Goldberg as portrayed on Southpark. Life imitating art.

[PhiloBedo]

FWIW; Sarah Palin: The Undefeated and Atlas Shrugged pt. 1, are on Netfix, now.

It’s the first time I’ve watched either, and they are both very good films.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Look folks, The left, the liberals, the Democrats with Obama heading the pack tried to do in Rush Limbaugh this past week and cleanse the “contraception” from Obama’s back. Neither ploy worked. Mr. Limbaugh is stronger then ever, and will continue so!!! And....ditto for the “real” Sarah Palin!!! Game Change, friends is what has happened to and is happening to the Obama media. They are not effective, and can no longer fool the American public or voters. The latest Rasmussen numbers show both Romney & Santorum, as of today, besting Obama in the upcoming POTUS race.

Now I am not blowing the horn of victory for either of these good gents, what I am alluding to, is that with each passing day, the mantra and final goal, of the majority of voters is 2012, is “ABO”, Anybody But Obama!!! Meaning, voting folks will vote for any human being, as long as it not Obama!!! The “Palin” flick will stoke the attack fire even more against Obama and his dirt bag ilk from Hollywood and the media!!!

Our side has finally grown some backbone and....with Rush, Sarah, Laura, Mark, Sean, Greta, and the Breitbart troopers, etc., etc, etc. on an endless attack against American Hater, and would be destroyer of the USA, Obama, we have nothing to fear or worry about!!! Attack, Attack, Attack!!

And.....whoever the GOP POTUS nominee is....you folks are going to see a GOP Campaign you have never witnessed in your life. And....most of all, we, the people, got get to work and bring Obama and his Democrat Party ilk down politically and then flush them down the toilet to the forever obscurity cesspool, where they rightfully belong for eternity!!!

[BfloGuy]

This is what we get by surrendering the media, Hollywood, academia and the literary world to the Left.

What are you gonna do? We all wanted to go out and make things.

[ADemocratNoMore]

Please bear with a somewhat lengthy post, but perhaps this might interest a few of my fellow Freepers. This is an example of what were up against. Also note that the media uses the type of people referenced here as “experts.”
I sent the following letter by snail mail to...

Broke Spectorsky
President and General Manager
WKYC-TV
1333 Lakeside Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Garcia C. Martore
President and General Manager
Gannett Co. Inc.
7950 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, Va 22107-0150

Dear Ms. Spectorsky,

I am quite disturbed by a segment that aired on the Channel 3 news March 7 at 11:09 pm.
It was a conversation between anchor Russ Mitchell and a man identified as Jason Johnson, Political Analyst at Hiram College, concerning the upcoming campaign between Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, AKA Joe the Plumber and Marcy Kaptur for Ohio’s Ninth Congregational District. I have taken the liberty of transcribing the conversation in case you may have missed it.

Russ Mitchell

“Earlier today I spoke with political analyst Jason Johnson to get his take on this unusual match-up.”

Jason Johnson

“I think this is hilarious. I think that John Stewart and the Daily Show should be following this race, I mean Joe the Plumber is as about as relevant in today’s politics as Sarah Palin and that’s not saying very much, so, uh, Marcie Kaptur is the longest serving woman in the House, uh, this is a great accomplishment for her, she’s going to beat Joe the Plumber...”

This is what passes for political analysis on your newscast? This exchange made me wonder just who Mr. Johnson is. It turns out that Mr. Johnson is currently an Associate Professor of political science and communication at Hiram College.
He is a prolific writer and has made his opinions known, opinions such as...

“...Rick or Mitt is going to have to convince the public he is not as crazy as the Tea Partiers in Congress; that he is not as crazy as unpopular Republican governors in swing states like Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida...”
http://drjasonjohnson.com/2011/09/05/odds-of-obama-re-election-better-than-you-think/

“...We all know that the GOP has some loonies and some crackpots...” http://tri-statedefenderonline.com/articlelive/
articles/6638/1/Scary-picture-emerges-from-reflections-of-former-GOP-insider/Page1.html

“...the public would’ve heard sounder arguments than whatever was the GOP talking point on Rush Limbaugh that morning...” http://drjasonjohnson.com/2012/03/04/america-needs-presidents-questions/

It appears that Dr. Johnson is either a mind-reader or has a degree in Psychiatry given that he sees fit to diagnose the mental state of Tea Party Patriots as “Crazy”. Given the degree of invective, derision and scorn directed at Conservatives, it also appears that this “political analyst” is person with an extreme far left political ideology.

I have had issue with Channel 3 News parroting biased and inaccurate news stories from sources such as as Associated Press without doing the basic fact checking that would have allowed such news to be re-written before airing but have ascribed the lack of such actions on the part of local news media to the pressures of the deadline and lack of manpower to devote to investigating a story independently when it has already been handed to the station wrapped up and ready to go.
I have now been forced to come to the conclusion that Channel 3 News cares nothing for the truth when it conflicts with a very pronounced left-wing bias and that this must be acceptable policy with station editorial staff and management.

As I can no longer trust the veracity of any news story that airs on Channel 3 News, I will now tune in at 11:15 to catch Betsy Kling’s weather and the sports segment. Perhaps I’ll be back at 11:00 at some time in the future when the station sees fit to recognize an old adage I learned in my youth, that “you don’t mix politics with business, you’ll loose half your customers,” but for now you can spew your propaganda without me.

[onyx]

In response to the movie “Game Change” focusing on her historic selection as the GOP vice presidential nominee in the 2008 campaign, Sarah Palin says in an email to ABC News that the film doesn’t matter to her.
“I believe my family has the right priorities and knows what really matters,” Palin emailed. “For instance, our son called from Afghanistan yesterday and he sounded good, and that’s what matters. Being in the good graces of Hollywood’s ‘Team Obama’ isn’t top of my list.”

[RobbyS]

A word on Greta. She and Palin have really bonded, which ought to tell one a lot about Sarah. The two women are peers, and it shows that Palin is far from the yahoo that the Left would like us to think she is. Greta is far from being a movement conservative, indeed she reminds me of the liberal professors I had back in college fifty years ago. Really open-minded and willing to treat others with respect.

[ADemocratNoMore]

>what were up against

Missed and apostrophe, should have read “what we're up against”

Also, one letter isn't going to do squat, but it beats yelling at the TV, and if you send it to people high-up in the company food-chain, perhaps somebody will take notice, after all, the news business is a business, unless it's been so totally corrupted (New York Times, MSNBC etc) as to have become nothing more than a propaganda arm of the regime.

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

Yeah, I saw this [*****].

Brought to mind an item that’s puzzled me ever since ‘69.

Exactly what would these libtards do if some of us acted out some....not all, just some....of the names that they’ve thrown around?

Maybe I should call York and ask if he would like to discuss that deal face-to-face.

[onyx]

Oh yeah!!!!!!!
SMILING HERE!!

[RedMDer]

The Undefeated is on cable channel REELZ tomorrow night.

[RedMDer]

Very good!

[RedMDer]

I bet it really irritates the left that Sarah isn’t ruffled by their garbage.