Self Proclaimed Yellow Dog Democrat Ken Burns Denies Political Bias in His Documentaries

NewsBusters ^ | September 13, 2014 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

Tomorrow evening begins the first of Ken Burns' 14 hour documentary on PBS, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History. The good news about this documentary is that we can be sure it will be free of any political advocacy since Burns has no bias and.....

Huh? Am I kidding? Of course I am. The fact is despite Burns' laughable denials, he is a bitterly partisan Democrat to the extent that he gave a speech  in 1998 in which he declared himself to be a "Yellow Dog Democrat." The speech was also chock full of scathing attacks upon Republicans which makes his later denial that he is only a Democrat because he inherited that political party from his family even more hilarious. And now a documentary in his own words about his politics, Ken Burns: Why I Am a Yellow Dog Democrat:

[miss marmelstein]

No one that I’ve ever met who came from a left wing ideology as a child EVER, EVER outgrew it - with the exception of David Horowitz and a handful of others. Conservatives often “outgrow” it - because they go on to college.

[awelliott]

His “Civil War” series was a massively biased misrepresentation of history.

Stone cold truth right here....

[awelliott]

He’s a married fag, Yoda. He trots around a Reggie Love person at interviews I’ve heard.

That's nearly as shocking as the "yellow dog demotard" part...

[SkyDancer]

If he did, the Bush's would be portrayed like scum sliding across the floor leaving trails of slime.

[minnesota_bound]

Democrats. The party of the KKK and slavery and Jim Crow laws. The head of the klan in congress Robert Byrd had to die just to get him out of congress!

[Chode]

a Self Proclaimed Yellow Dog saying it's not bias... the fool might want to look up the term yellow dog then

[Mike Darancette]

Theodore and his children are what made America great.

[Fightin Whitey]

He’s a married fag...He trots around a Reggie Love person at interviews I’ve heard.

Damn. What a fine, withering bit of description that is.

Would that we had great numbers on our side willing and able to speak so clearly.

[driftless2]

Burns is sort of typical liberal....half interesting, half pretty stupid. Take for instance his recent documentary on America’s national parks. Burns made the incredibly stupid assertion that national parks was America’s best idea. No, not the U.S. being a democratic republic, or freedom from kings and queens, or no inherited rights. Yes, national parks (which I love to visit) is America’s best idea according to Burns. Even a number of liberal historians in the doc. disagreed with Burns about that.

[Flintlock]

Does he mention the fifteen-to-FIFTY THOUSAND American POWs held by the Germans, ‘liberated’ by the Reds and then SENT TO THE GULAG—never to be heard from again after WWII??
Thanks to FDR and the ‘uncle Joe’ he could ‘handle’?

Just asking.

[miss marmelstein]

I wither very well! Both inside and outside, sadly.

[Mike Darancette]

You actually got through that whole thing?

I think "The Civil War" was the greatest masterpiece of history ever televised. I read all of the source history books used in the program and found that very little license was taken. Going in I had no idea of all that happened at that time and was deeply moved that America endured that crucible to become as great as she is.

Pick your poison as to the right or wrong of that war but this movie was history at it's finest.

[Pontiac]

The party of the KKK and slavery and Jim Crow laws.

Not to mention high taxes, profligate spending and oppressive regulations.

The Democrats solution to everything is to raise taxes to punish their enemies, spend money to reward their friends and regulate prosperity in to non-existence.

[miss marmelstein]

I don’t understand a documentary about national parks. I mean was it endless photos of rest rooms and canteens and the occasional pretty vista?

[driftless2]

It took my Democrat born and raised pappy two years before he died at the age of 93 before he declared he was an independent. My mother until the day she die stayed a committed Democrat. And both were socially conservative Catholics who believed in hard work and earning your way through life.

Yet both never gave up their childhood belief that the Republican Party was the party of the rich and privileged. Nothing I said to them ever made a dent in their belief that the Democrat Party was the party of good people who cared. Not even when the Democrats became the party of abortion on demand, homosexual marriage, and Bill Clinton did they change their belief about the saintliness of Democrats. I used to kid them they both believed FDR was still the president.

[miss marmelstein]

Democrat politics is akin to homosexuality - a refusal to grow out of adolescence.

[Dr. Sivana]

Yet both never gave up their childhood belief that the Republican Party was the party of the rich and privileged.

Yup. My 97 year old grandmother was the same (passed away in 2008). If you provide arguments, she would talk about how tricky the Republicans are.

[Dr. Sivana]

I tried watching the baseball documentary for a little bit. Who do they get for “experts”? Mario Cuomo and Billy Crystal. Heck, I am from Connecticut, and I CANNOT do the New York-centric view of the world. Surely he can do better than a failed radio host and a guy who played a pathetic pervert on a soap opera.

[LS]

On a better note, it looks very good that we will get full funding for “A Patriot’s History” Episode 1, “Titans of Prosperity”. Go to www.rockinthewallstudios.com under Projects for the trailers.

[vetvetdoug]

His "Civil War" series was a massively biased misrepresentation of history.

I had to barf every time it aired. There were many falsehoods put forth in that series that have been taken to heart by the ignorant. Ironic that very few people do their homework and rely upon biased movie makers for their information.