Media bias: Wendy Davis vs. Ted Cruz
Well, we know all about that sort of thing. But it’s not that usual for Politico to notice, and publish an article about it:
When a Democrat like Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis filibusters against abortion restrictions, she is elevated to hero status, her tennis shoes become totems. When Cruz grandstands against Obamacare, he is a laughingstock in the eyes of many journalists on Twitter, an “embarrassment” in the eyes of The New York Times editorial board…
Yes, the difference between filibustering and grandstanding plays a part. Equally important is the fact that Cruz’s theatrics are frustrating members of his own party. But, part of the disparity in coverage is due to the fact that the mainstream media, generally speaking, don’t admire Cruz the way they admired Davis ”” or rather, they admire him only insofar as he makes for tragicomic theater, whereas they admired her on the merits.
Cruz is getting the Sarah Palin treatment by the usual suspects.
If Cruz were filibustering for assisted suicide and euthanasia they’d be swooning over him.
G Jourbet:
See this, from a couple of days ago.
Paul in Boston:
They’d be especially swooning if he were advocating assisting his own suicide.
Nobody knows what’s really coming. Could be soft socialism with super technological advances that pays for our food, clothing, shelther, health and happiness?
Sound reasonable?
Not quite. We have forgotten why we are here, a reason which is not related to the here and now. So much fear over pain and death and pain and death will manifest anyway. We’re guaranteeing the maximum amount because we are choosing fear over obedience. God has something to teach us and He can’t do it without pain and fear. For you little pussy wussies, ironically, you’ve got a maximum amount coming.
“Equally important is the fact that Cruz’s theatrics are frustrating members of his own party”
Not sure if you are suggesting that Cruz is grandstanding or not. I don’t think that is the case, and if it’s the likes of McCain and Graham calling it grandstanding, the two of them should replay video of themselves on just about any issue.
It bothers me a great deal that so many of the chin-pullers in the conservative media are calling this an act of self-promotion because it’s “a losing cause”.
This issue, like every other issue that the MSM don’t agree with Republicans on is a losing issue to the Krauthammers and Kristols of the world. The “establishment” republicans actively avoid any confrontation with the media whether they are in power or not. That was true in the past and will be in the future.
When they’re in power, they lose and call it collaboration and compromise; when they’re out of power, they lose and call it the smart thing to do.
They’re losers, plain and simple. And they will always be losers until they grow a spine and stand up for what they believe in. Cruz has been Palinized because most of his party resent his appealing to the conservatives. They don’t like conservatives. And for the life of me, I can’t understand why I should like them.
If they take back the senate, they will simply try to fix and enhance Obama care with more shitty legislation of their own, get harassed by the democrats and media for trying to sabotage it, and then whine about how unfair things are that they’re the adults trying to solve problems.
They’re morons, and so are the conservative media who advise them. They’ve gotten their asses kicked every time they have followed this strategy and never learn their lessons.
After 2016, there will be another 2 years of rolling over and losing, only they will call it “responsible governing”, EVEN if they have majorities in both houses. They need to make sure they have compromised as many conservative principles and silenced as many conservative members as possible, so the media will see them as inclusive and open minded. That will of course convince the all important independents to support their loser candidate in 2018, whose only core principle is to be non-controversial on every issue, and sound as much like the Democrat as possible without being too obvious.
They’ve elevated losing to an art form, and redefined it as sound political strategy.
southpaw:
I’m not suggesting anything by that phrase, because I didn’t write it. I’m quoting Dylan Byers, author of the Polico article. Almost this entire post is a quote.
I know Ted Cruz, who is sincere and smart. The attempt at the Palin Treatment will only go so far, as he has the Princeton and Harvard law diplomas that they claim are the only acceptable evidence of intelligence. I realize that they ignored George W Bush’s Yale and Harvard diplomas, but they got away with that because Bush had played up his Midland-Odessa accent for years, as he ran for offices in Texas, whereas Cruz has the smoother sounding Houston accent, and hit the ground running, with the right words in his mouth. They hate him, impotently. I really like this.
If 19th Republicans had used the logic of today’s GOP establishment we would still have slavery. It was the law of the land; recognized, if not endorsed by the Constitution; and had the blessing of the Supremes in Dred Scott.
Oh, sorry, I left out one more thing. Cruz is described as “extremist,” by the defamation squads. Since when is it extremist to want to eliminate a badly conceived three year old law? Were we all extremists, when we did not have that wretched law?
Keep asking impertinent questions, smiling all the while. It drives ’em nuts!
It didn’t hurt that Wendy is a cute blonde who wore pink sneakers.
Thanks for the advancement, libbers.
Good points k and MA. We should drag Reid to an outhouse and position him under a squat hole. That way he could give as good as he takes.
Politico hasn’t published an article exposing media bias. It has published an apologia for media bias, one that tries to justify it by characterizing the left’s filibusters as, “on the merits”, while the right ‘grandstands’.
southpaw,
“establishment” republicans are only ‘losers’, if one’s premise is that they support conservative principles. Other than lip service, their behavior consistently and repeatedly indicates that they emphatically do not support conservative principles.
Instead, they support the maintenance of the financial status quo, i.e. the interests of their big donors and their own reelection. As long as they are reelected and maintain the highly regulated capitalism favored by their big donors, they have and are successful in their primary goals. That, by any definition does not qualify for being categorized by a ‘loser’ label. They may be fairly labeled liars and betrayers of the public trust but not losers.
Rubio’s recent behavior is a perfect example. Protesting now against ObamaCare but simultaneously sponsoring comprehensive amnesty for 11-33 million ‘undocumented democrats’. Opposition to Obamacare supports his reelection and does not threaten his big donor’s interests, whereas clearly he believes that comprehensive amnesty supports both his big donor’s interests and supporting his reelection. (loses conservatives but appeals to Hispanics and liberals) Rubio used the Tea party to get in the door but obviously perceives his future reelection and career to hinge upon a broader appeal.
Geoffrey Britain:
Of course, it’s not the perfect article. It’s not the one I would have written (which would have been perfect :-)). But it does indeed expose media bias, to a certain extent, and to an extent that surprised me.
Michael Adams,
His intelligence, pedigree, and content of his position aren’t a defense if they strawman Cruz like they strawmanned Bush. They can do anything they want to a strawman.
Cruz needs an activist popular movement to raise him with the tide. Without that, his efforts will be contained and he’ll be marginalized.
neo,
We can agree 😉 that had you written the article it would have been far more objective in its POV. Byer’s article is IMO apologia, as the extent of its critical analysis consists of agreeing that the media support Davis and not Cruz. Any criticism of the MSM’s coverage of Cruz is at best implied but far from objectively critical of the leftist/liberal media of which Politico is a part. We’ve seen this type of occasional ‘breaking in the ranks’ before, invariably the writer’s very brief objectivity is quickly subsumed within the usual ‘progressive’ narrative. With very few exceptions (David Mamet) they reveal themselves to be entirely incapable of following where the truth leads. As group think, social acceptance and ideology are the altar at which they worship.
Eric,
Cruz has the support of millions of conservatives and certainly the Tea Party but activist popular movements can easily be contained and marginalized. The Tea Party, most recently characterized on the floor of the Senate by MAJORITY LEADER Sen. Harry Reid as “fanatical and extremist” is the most recent example of a movement being marginalized.
Consider this; to win national election, low-information voters must be persuaded but how can that be accomplished when their access to objective information is denied? Why should 2014 or 2016 be any different than 2008, 2010 or 2012?
It’s a virtual cast iron certainty that the MSM offered far more coverage of Reid’s patently false accusations than Cruz’s factual argument. I’d venture to guess that FOX aside, when the major networks did show Cruz, it was him reading “Green Eggs and Ham” rather than his substantive points.
Leftists have managed to thoroughly ‘rig the game’ and liberal gullibility is leading the nation ever faster toward the cliff’s edge of dissolution and ruin.
All right, some moderation;
oh, i’m so afraid. Someone might say something bad about me. Ohhh. i’m so afraid.
GB was and is a “give up” troll.
Neo- just asking. I didn’t think so
Geoffrey Britain- agreed on most points. No doubt that Boner and the rest of the Karl Rove squad are making a good living of pretending to stand for conservative principles, while voting their districts as much pork as possible, and claiming it’s what they were sent to do. Witn But ultimately, going along with Democrats in most districts is a losing strategy, as they end up losing to real Democrats, because their conservative bases finally throw in the towel.
It’s not bias.
We are in a war for civilization. The other side is fighting accordingly. Their propaganda department does what they should do – if they want to win, and they do.
This far into this struggle it boggles the mind why anyone on our side would still be complaining that a devil acts demonically. It’s what devils do. Shall we complain that the scorpion stings? It’s what they do.
We need to beat them, not complain about them.
Southpaw sums the GOP up in a nutshell:
“When they’re in power, they lose and call it collaboration and compromise; when they’re out of power, they lose and call it the smart thing to do.
They’re losers, plain and simple.”
Mike:
Of course it’s bias, in an information war. That’s what propaganda is.
As a Texan, I can’t tell you how happy I was to vote for Cruz after years of RINO senators from my state.
Randy- as a Texan, I am too.
I just read this at Brietbart. A perfect description of history repeating itself:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/24/Obamacare-and-the-Chattering-Class-Its-Deja-Vu-All-Over-Again
sharpie,
Many faults have I but being a troll is not one of them. As for giving up, some would characterize facing reality as such but pray tell, how can one “know thy enemy” if the full extent of the situation we face is rejected?
Know this too, history proves that regardless of dark ages (one of which we now face) in the long run (which can extend for centuries) good always triumphs. For within the seed of evil, lies its own defeat, it is in its very nature for evil to destroy itself. And the progressive left is evil, though most rationalize and justify, telling themselves that controlling others is for ‘their own good’. There are far more “useful idiots” on the left, than monstrous Stalins.
They have no merits, unless you consider evil a merit.
This.
“ultimately, going along with Democrats in most districts is a losing strategy, as they end up losing to real Democrats, because their conservative bases finally throw in the towel.” southpaw
Is it? Really? On a personal level? Other than the ego boost of the ‘prestige’ of being a Congressman, after just 5 years in Congress they qualify for a generous pension and of course a virtual plethora of job opportunities await any former Congressman.
Thus its only a losing strategy IF actually advancing conservative principles is a personal goal. To put that in perspective, how many Republican Congressmen will vote against funding ObamaCare or Comprehensive amnesty? I suspect the percentages will be a fairly accurate barometer of how many Republicans actually support conservative principles because any Congressman who isn’t eager to vote against funding ObamaCare and Comprehensive amnesty is, by no stretch of the imagination, a conservative.
sharpie, 6:33 pm — “We should drag Reid to an outhouse and position him under a squat hole.”
. . . a decent description of what the socialist-in-chief and the U.S. Senate is in the process of doing to us, the citizenry.
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing has happened.”
–Winston Churchill
And for Master Geoffrey:
“Sometimes a man has to grab bull by the tail and face the situation.” 😉
–W.C. Fields
The Left is doing a better job of convincing people that evil exists than I would have been able to do. In that sense, they are necessary, to an extent.
One of the reasons the Left laughs at Cruz and Palin is because of the same reason we laugh at dogs, cats, and pigs acting like humans or in an unexpected fashion.
They don’t consider you humans. They really don’t. So it’s laughable that a pet or junkyard dog suddenly thinks it is its owner, sits on chairs, wears clothing, and thinks it can act civilized. The Senate and filibusters are for KKK Byrd to stomp down on blackies and for whites to get rid of blacks via better abortion rates. It is not for Republican animals to act like their betters.
GB,
I was severely wrong and apologize for my remarks, especially the vulgarity. I was horrified immediately after hitting send.
I heartfully apologize. Of course you’re not a troll nor anything else than a rational commenter. I went off the rails there.
sharpie, 2:31 pm — “I heartfully apologize. . . . I went off the rails there.”
Unfortunately, many/most readers of neo’s blog may not have checked in to see the end of the previous day’s comments.
At least I have noted sharpie’s post.
sharpie, it takes a big person [don’t know whether you’re man or woman] to do what you have just done. I, for one, appreciate what you have done here.
Be well,
M J R
It’s extremely difficult to convince GOP Republicans in DC that their counter parts, the Democrats, are evil. They see them everyday, they recognize the humanity of their opponents and their opponents recognize the greed and humanity of Republicans, but only in face to face meetings in DC.
As one Republican noted about Kennedy’s witch burning of Republican justice nominations, “that’s just what he does, you can’t do much about it”. See, being evil is just the “Democrat thing” like their platform or something. It’s not something you try to get rid of, but “deal with”.
Even convincing fellow Americans, patriots even, that the Left were evil, that Democrats are evil, took more than a few decades.
So how do people expect Republicans on the hill to consider their political foes enemies of humanity? They cannot. It’s not been conditioned into them. For the Left, though, they have been conditioned to consider Republicans as sub human. It makes it easier to deceive them, same for Islamic jihadists.
Republicans can win deals from Democrats, get goodies, and return to their state “victorious”. They do not consider national defeats the same as personal defeats. So if Reid gives them a stick of honey, they’ll take it, even if that means selling out the country. In their eyes, Democrats are equal to Republicans. They do not consider Democrats to be enemies of humanity or enemies of the nation.
Their world view will not change. It would be extremely hard for someone that viewed the Left as evil, and Democrats as part of the Left, to be elected and to hold power in DC. Those who cannot be corrupted by the Left, the Left prevents from holding power, like Sarah Palin. Those that they know they can control, like McCain, they push into the forement and support, like Obama supported AQ in Libya against Gaddafi.
I no more expect Republicans to change their world views than I expected normal Americans to believe me when said the Left was evil and needed to be terminated in 2006 or 2007 or 2008 or 2010.