In the 2000 Presidential campaign, a microphone picked it up when George W. Bush leaned over to Dick Cheney and whispered that he thought Adam Clymer was a "major league asshole." By the end of the day, the various networks and news agencies had it plastered everywhere, as a lead-in, with reporters and pundits sternly declaiming GW for his "meanness and nastiness."
Yesterday, John Kerry made a very serious allegation with the statement, "these guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group that I've ever seen," and no one made a peep. It's true that ABC, CBS, and NBC played the clip, but they certainly didn't lead with it, and ABC avoided offering a value judgement about it. NBC, on the other hand, merely tagged it as "harsh", and CBS passingly suggested that it demonstrated the "dark side" of politics.
Think about that.
Then think about this: if Kerry makes allegations of that nature, shouldn't he be expected to provide real, substantial, material proof? Oh -- but he hasn't any, has he? Besides, next week he'll be claiming that he and the President have always been the best of chums.
posted by Linda on March 11, 2004 04:46 PMAs far as I am now concerned, all these politicans are asshats...
Posted by: Ethne at March 11, 2004 06:53 PMActually, it received a great deal of media attention over the entire week, including long segments on all of the cable news channels, and a few days of coverage on the networks. Also, Kerry later said who he was referring to, and given the lies in the ads that Republicans and Bush have been running, I don't think he needs to provide evidence... it's already been provided. (Examples on the blog).
Posted by: Strange at March 14, 2004 05:24 AMStrange,
You don't actually believe that Kerry is sincere in his stunned disbelief that GWB has "started this negative campaigning", do you?
Kerry has been bashing Bush for months and months with the most vile, petulant and unStatesmanlike rot imaginable. Bush releases three ads -- one of which mention Kerry by name, and addresses issues -- and Kerry is pretending to be all gut-wrenched with flabbergasted righteous agony at how he's being unfairly "attacked". There is no word for this other than maybe "SuperCallousFlabbergastedExtraAdultPrecosious(ness)".
Okay, that's not a word. But, if your guy keeps whining that what he's been long dishing out is finally coming back his way then you're backing the sorriest excuse for a leader since Theodosius Chamberlain.
Considering the fact that the Bush attack ads have been deceptive and, in most cases, not provided substantive attacks of Kerry (so he owns a boat!), while the attacks against Bush during the primary campaigining were all about his policies, I don't feel so bad in recognizing the assymmetry between political ads (Kerry) and shameless attack ads (Bush).
Posted by: Strange at March 18, 2004 10:54 PM