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Wallace Demonstrates Flaky Journalism
America Talks ^ | 6/26/11 | David Zublick

Posted on 06/26/2011 11:42:41 AM PDT by AmericaTalks

On his program Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace asked his guest, presidential candidate Michele Bachmann if she was a flake.

Bachmann seemed perturbed by the question, and rightly so, and then proceeded to answer the question with coherence, grace and dignity. She responded by saying "well, I think that would be insulting, to say something like that, because I'm a serious person". Bachmann pointed out that she has been married 33 years, is a lawyer, has a post-doctorate degree in federal tax law, worked in the U.S. federal tax court, has five children, raised 23 foster children and opened a charter school for at-risk youth.

"I've also been a state senator and a member of the United States Congress for five years. I've been very active in our business. As a job creator, I understand job creation. But also I've been leading actively the movement in Washington, D.C., with those who are affiliated with fiscal reform," Bachmann said.

Wallace's question was an ugly example of shoddy journalism, the kind of "gotcha" question reserved for Republicans, and especially Republican women, in what can only be described as a double standard set by the mainstream media that gives liberals a pass.

Wallace asked the question because in some circles Bachmann is perceived as gaffe prone. To be fair, she has made a few mistakes, but has come a long way since the "anti-American" comment in November of 2008.

But where was the media when Barack Obama, while campaigning for president in 2008, said he had visited "57" states, referred to a "bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor", declared that Memorial Day honors "an unbroken line of fallen heroes - and I see many of them in the audience here today"?

Yes, political candidates do make embarrassing remarks on the campaign trail, but once elected, every speech, every move will be without flaw, because should something go awry, the media will be all over it, such as when Obama picked the name of a dead hero as a live Medal of Honor winner, referring to a military medic as a "corpseman", and botching a toast to Queen Elizabeth II, right?

Maybe not.

Wallace did offer one of those back-handed apologies on the Fox News website, the kind where one says "if anyone was offended, I'm sorry".

That's not good enough. This was a hit job on Bachmann, one for which she should be insulted. But journalists should also be insulted, as should every American. There is no place in the news media for this kind of attack.

And although we have come to expect this sort of thing from the talk hosts at MSNBC, or the writers at the Huffington Post, one would expect better from a Sunday morning news and analysis program, especially one on Fox.

Shame on you, Chris Wallace. That question was flaky journalism.

Listen to America Talks Monday through Friday at 6 pm Eastern Time and Saturdays at 9 am Eastern Time at www.blogtalkradio.com/americatalks and at www.americatalks.com.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bachmann; chriswallace; flake; fox; foxnewssunday; journalism; michelebachmann; wallace
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To: Waco

He should be fired...he is no better than the old man..just hides it better..


21 posted on 06/26/2011 12:22:42 PM PDT by Hojczyk
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To: AmericaTalks

She should have said: No, I am not Obama. Note to pubbies; whenever the propaganda media ask a question to denigrate you or conservativtism just respond with No, I am not Obama or use another prominent democrat name.


22 posted on 06/26/2011 12:25:22 PM PDT by Nuc 1.1 (Nuc 1 Liberals aren't Patriots. Remember 1789!)
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To: bigbob
Has Wallace, in all his years as a journalist, ever referred to a male politician as a flake?

I doubt it.

23 posted on 06/26/2011 12:28:12 PM PDT by CaptainK (...please make it stop. Shake a can of pennies at it.)
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To: AmericaTalks
Has anyone stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, Wallace was making fun of the side who thinks she is a flake? I see this moment, through her well thought out answer, as a setup to get back at the flakes who constantly degrade her.

Wipe that chip off your shoulder and look at it from that standpoint for a moment.

24 posted on 06/26/2011 12:35:17 PM PDT by carolinacrazy (Bow to your sensei.... BOW TO YOUR SENSEI...... www.jackassdemocrats.com)
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To: Magic Fingers
was a OBGYN...bet he has not given a pap test or delivered a baby in more than 30 years...

so he may still be CALLED Doctor Paul...but please don't give him credit of being a OBGYN..use past tense...

the guy is in his late 70’s..over the hill so to speak...

25 posted on 06/26/2011 12:35:35 PM PDT by haircutter
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To: gov_bean_ counter

She gave a longer answer. You are just doing what you always do, which is troll any thread that involved Bachman, and contribute your usual half-truths and nonsense.


26 posted on 06/26/2011 12:36:31 PM PDT by Carling (At some point, those surrounding Obama have to realize that they are working for a psychopath)
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To: gov_bean_ counter
How else should she have answered the ridiculous question, troll?

"well, I think that would be insulting, to say something like that, because I'm a serious person". Bachmann pointed out that she has been married 33 years, is a lawyer, has a post-doctorate degree in federal tax law, worked in the U.S. federal tax court, has five children, raised 23 foster children and opened a charter school for at-risk youth.

"I've also been a state senator and a member of the United States Congress for five years. I've been very active in our business. As a job creator, I understand job creation. But also I've been leading actively the movement in Washington, D.C., with those who are affiliated with fiscal reform," Bachmann said.

27 posted on 06/26/2011 12:40:28 PM PDT by Carling (At some point, those surrounding Obama have to realize that they are working for a psychopath)
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To: AmericaTalks

“has a post-doctorate degree”

She didn’t really say that, did she?


28 posted on 06/26/2011 12:43:42 PM PDT by MontaniSemperLiberi (Moutaineers are Always Free)
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To: Magic Fingers
He’s an OB-GYN.

He's also a kook. And a geek.

One wonders about the reason he chose that area of medicine.

29 posted on 06/26/2011 12:46:43 PM PDT by humblegunner
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To: MontaniSemperLiberi

Witness the crumbling narrative...


30 posted on 06/26/2011 12:46:43 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (JMO but I reserve the right to be wrong...)
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To: AmericaTalks

Another example of the bozos in the “news media” making themselves the news. This won’t be about Bachmann the candidate tomorrow. This will be about a metrosexual pixie in the “news media” calling a presidential candidate a flake.


31 posted on 06/26/2011 12:47:30 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (When the going gets tough, the tough check themselves into "rehab".)
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To: AmericaTalks

I have known for years that Wallace is a liberal. He tried to hide it, but he did not fool me for a minute.


32 posted on 06/26/2011 12:48:29 PM PDT by repub4ever1 (Capitalism is not perfect, but it beats all other systems hands down.)
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To: AmericaTalks

I’m not a Chris Wallace fan, sometimes his smirk really gets to me....but I noticed on this clip, he wasn’t smirking with that twinkle in his eye, like he did a couple of snarky times with Sarah Palin, and he did qualify his question with that is the ‘rap’ you have gotten in the Washington crowd, seemingly holding himself outside the crowd for some reason...and it was a good moment for Michelle Bachmann to say she is insulted by it, and then strut her stuff, which she did beautifully, as always. I will give Wallace that little bit of credit.

Michelle always conducts herself well, and very graceful...she’s certainly somebody to reckon with, and I bet Wallce knows it. It didn’t come off as boorish to me which would have been a really serious mistake on his part, as he must realize now.


33 posted on 06/26/2011 12:56:37 PM PDT by RowdyFFC
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To: humblegunner

I don’t care if he’s a kook and a geek, he’s not a chiropractor.


34 posted on 06/26/2011 12:56:37 PM PDT by Magic Fingers
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To: carolinacrazy

The fact that I, and others, see it differently than you do doesn’t lead to your conclusion about anyone needing to “wipe that chip off your shoulder.” That’s insulting.

Since you may not understand that your reply is insulting, it could explain why you don’t think Wallace’s question was insulting.


35 posted on 06/26/2011 12:58:38 PM PDT by lonevoice (Where the Welfare State is on the march, the Police State is not far behind)
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To: gov_bean_ counter

“Thanks a lot. Requested removal. Will repost...”

No problem...I’m not a fan of his, I just knew he wasn’t a chiropractor...and I do like a couple of them ;-)


36 posted on 06/26/2011 12:59:59 PM PDT by Magic Fingers
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To: gov_bean_ counter

“I have a post doctorate degree in federal tax law from William and Mary”

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday/transcript/rep-michele-bachmann-talks-earmarks-obamacare-and-gay-marriage-sen-kyl-debt-talks?page=3

Holy cow, she did say that.

She has an LLM degree from W&M. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Bachmann#Early_life.2C_education.2C_and_early_career

“M” in LLM stands for “Masters” and a Masters Degree is PRE-doctorate degree.


37 posted on 06/26/2011 1:05:21 PM PDT by MontaniSemperLiberi (Moutaineers are Always Free)
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To: AmericaTalks

Like O’Reilly, Wallace is a leftist working where he makes himself look like Will Smith in a black suit/black tie:

“I make this look good”.

Both have hosted John “I’m just a [rabid] comedian” Stewart and want to be taken seriously by the intellectual crowd that keeps one foot on both sides of the continuum for control.

Congrats, Mr. Wallace. You’ve had your sister Soulja (whatever) moment and you’re officially NOT Alan Colmes.


38 posted on 06/26/2011 1:06:46 PM PDT by sayfer bullets ("...and if it stops moving, subsidize it." - RR)
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To: tcrlaf

She and Palin are called stupid flakes by the biased media.
I wonder when Wallace will ask this of one of the male candidates?
Had I been Michele I would have asked Wallace...” did you ask 0bama if he was a flake when he said he visited almost all 57 states? or when he called the USMC Marine Corpse or the Navy Medical personnel Corpsemen or even this past week when he referred to a young soldier to whom the MOH was presented posthumously to his parents, if he was a flake when he mentioned that he presented it to this fine young man alive before the 10th MT Div?”


39 posted on 06/26/2011 1:07:44 PM PDT by celtic gal
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To: tcrlaf

She and Palin are called stupid flakes by the biased media.
I wonder when Wallace will ask this of one of the male candidates?
Had I been Michele I would have asked Wallace...” did you ask 0bama if he was a flake when he said he visited almost all 57 states? or when he called the USMC Marine Corpse or the Navy Medical personnel Corpsemen or even this past week when he referred to a young soldier to whom the MOH was presented posthumously to his parents, if he was a flake when he mentioned that he presented it to this fine young man alive before the 10th MT Div?”


40 posted on 06/26/2011 1:07:53 PM PDT by celtic gal
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