It’s [media bias] something that’s hard to prove or disprove, so you just run with it — reality be damned.

Actually, Tom, it isn’t hard to prove at all. It just requires some intellectual honesty. When 90+ percent of journalists self-identify as liberals, bias is inevitable. When Democrat candidates – in election after election – get a) more coverage and b) more positive coverage, bias is evident. Simply look at what the US media has done in the past week since the Palin pick was announced and then compare/contrast that to the same media’s treatment of Obama for the past year. There is absolutely no comparison to be made.

And remember: Obama is the one who’s running to be President…not Palin.

Your bringing up Obama’s church is actually a perfect illustration.

And for a cite that not only sneered, but ATTACKED the people of Obama’s church as American-hating racists, you have no ground to stand on here

Spin it however dishonestly you want, Bishop’s quotes above are damning. Those are the actual word’s of Jeremiah Wright, the leader of Trinity.

…you take a view examples and blow it up to smear and entire congregation of people.)

Tom, I think that quote clearly displays that you don’t attend a Protestant church. And if you do, then you are being patently dishonest intellectually.

Unlike in the Catholic church, Protestant pastors aren’t assigned or appointed to a church. It’s pretty much like any other vocation – the pastor applies for the job and the church’s congregation decides yay or nay. And, as with any job, you’re sometimes not going to get a good match. That’s why most Protestant churches also have mechanisms in place for getting rid of pastors who do not live up to or promote the ideals of the congregation. And it happens all the time.

The Trinity congregation had Jeremiah Wright at it’s helm for decades, with full knowledge of his beliefs and teachings. And they chose to keep him as their pastor. That indicates clearly that, at the least, the congregation did not find his views offensive enough to remove him as the pastor – ip so facto, the Trinity congregation illustrates an implicit endorsement of his views.

So now let’s take a look at the media’s treatment of Wright scandal.

First, they tried their best to completely ignore the story. It was only after right-wing bloggers – followed by Republican politicians – refused to simply let this be hidden from the American public that the MSM paid any attention to it all. Now, let’s imagine a leftist blogger releasing video of Sarah Palin’s pastor of twenty years saying “God damn America for gays and abortion and blacks!”: do you really think that the MSM would give it the same shoulder shrug? Ignoring the story for more than a month?

Then, when Wright’s comments broke through, Obama stated that he’d never heard him say stuff like that; that white people were just misinterpreting a cultural difference; that he couldn’t just dismiss Wright or comdemn him; and then proceeded to introduce his own grandmother to the bottom of the bus. The MSM’s reaction? “Well, that’s good enough for enough us! In fact, Obama just gave the most inspired speech on racial issues since MLK! Let’s move on!” Again, do you think Palin would receive the same “nothing to see here” treatment?

Then, Wright comes back for round 2 – very conveniently, I might add – and proceeds to say the exact same things that Barry had previously dismissed as a “cultural misunderstanding”. This time, however, Obama is “disgusted” and “outraged” and “hrrmph!” and states that he’s leaving the church. Now, considering that there was no substantive difference between Wrights earlier and later comments, a rather glaring question is screaming to be asked:

“Senator, you state that you are digusted and outraged by Jeremiah Wrights latest comments; however, there’s no real difference between Wright’s current comments and those that you earlier called a “distraction” and “out of context”. Care to explain?”

Tom, do you remember hearing that question from anyone in the MSM? I certainly don’t. What do I remember? “Well, that’s good enough for us! And now, with his condemnation of these horrible comments, this matter is finally closed. Whew!!! Now, on to some real news. There’s a rumor circulating that John McCain had an affair with a lobbyist! More at 11!”

The bias is glaring and truly disgusting, Tom. It’s why I have such a deep and abiding distrust of your side. I see, very clearly, the depths to which your ideological partners will go to in order to gain political power. And they are more than willing to use the exact same tactics of smear, intimidation, and persecution that one finds in any third-world leftist sh!thole. And here in the West, the end result of giving too much power to leftist bureaucracies is beginning to become more and more evident…whether you’re talking about children being arrested in Britain for calling Scientology a cult or Mark Steyn’s recent trip through a Canadian Star Chamber.

As Alexander Hamilton warned in the Federalist Papers:

…a dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History will teach us that the former has been found a much more certain road to the introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.

“Some integrity remains on the Left, but precious little.”…

Instead we got yet another repetitive Palin story. Yawn.

May we conclude that Tom Shipley is guilty of selective quoting out of context in order to justify a misleading conclusion?

a capella on September 3, 2008 at 12:22 PM

In other words, he’s a typical liberal.

MarkTheGreat on September 3, 2008 at 2:08 PM

OK, I will admit that seeing the video, it was more of a joke on her part.

Tom_Shipley on September 3, 2008 at 1:17 PM

I’m not surprised to see Tom_Shipley admitting he was wrong, which is hardly a typical thing for a leftist to do. He does not troll, and he tries to get people to engage with him. He’s flat wrong to say that Palin has “MUCH less” experience than Obama, but I suspect that, as with the what’s-the-VP-do? business, he’s repeating something he heard, but has not yet investigated.

Tom_Shipley, you’re better than that. Do you have any support for your assertion that Obama has more experience than Palin?

As far as me visiting Obama’s church, why don’t those who are making the American-hating, racists claims visit the church first making those claims. Again, like the redneck thing, you take a view examples and blow it up to smear and entire congregation of people.)

Tom_Shipley on September 3, 2008 at 1:17 PM

I’ve been to churchs like the wrong rev. wright’s. his isn’t the only church like that. and I’ve been in the company of a few NOI types, I wouldn’t go to their ‘church’, and their disdain and hatred for white people, and this country is obvious.

you’d be surprised how prevalent the wrong rev wright’s theology is in black churchs.

No fair taunting the troll. You are making its head spin.

HawaiiLwyr on September 3, 2008 at 12:43 PM

Probably not, Tom is usually a drive by troll. He drops one hate bomb, then runs and hides.

Libs have “cherished principles”??? What might those be?…

4shoes on September 3, 2008 at 12:29 PM

Control, unlimited access to other people’s money, …

May we conclude that Tom Shipley is guilty of selective quoting out of context in order to justify a misleading conclusion?

a capella on September 3, 2008 at 12:22 PM

In other words, he’s a typical liberal.

His response was, of course we are elitist. We know more than you guys, and besides, we deal in reality, while you ignorant morons want to do things like force children to work 12 hour days, in unsafe conditions for next to nothing. All to line the pockets of big oil and big auto.

It went on this way for several more paragraphs, letting everyone know why liberals were entitled to lead the rest of us ignorant hicks.
———

So yes, liberals do believe, deep down, that they are both superior and entitled to rule.

When most of the criticism of her is about her A) lack of experience (which she does lack… she has MUCH less than Obama, which you guys have attacked for the past year)

Tom_Shipley on September 3, 2008 at 1:17 PM

Again, no, she does not have less experience than Obama. Obama has never been a mayor or governor, has never been in charge of an armed forces unit, has never dealt with tribal groups in his region, has never served on any committees of note, nor done a thing to root out corruption, particularly in his own party.

And I will emphasize:

Sarah Palin will not be taking the oath on inauguration day if the Republicans win.

The executive experience of the former is nowhere near as relevant as that of the latter. Lack of experience is Obama’s problem, because he is running for president. Sarah Palin is not.

My main problem with Ed’s post — and many from the right-wing noise machine — are that the “media” and left are attacking Palin because of what she represents. Or that she “scares” them. When most of the criticism of her is about her A) lack of experience (which she does lack… she has MUCH less than Obama, which you guys have attacked for the past year) B) specific issue like troopergate.

I will say I don’t/didn’t support the conspiracy theorists looking into the Palin’s really the grandmother theory. You don’t push stuff like that, you don’t make a 17 year old girl the focus of hearsay like that. And you just generally don’t focus on people’s family like that (as Obama correctly pointed out).

I just don’t see much evidence of this “redneck” thing. I did see gawker thing from above, but that’s one post on one site. It seems to me it’s much like the “media bias” meme. It’s something that’s hard to prove or disprove, so you just run with it — reality be damned.

As far as me visiting Obama’s church, why don’t those who are making the American-hating, racists claims visit the church first making those claims. Again, like the redneck thing, you take a view examples and blow it up to smear and entire congregation of people.)

Note also the sneering at Palin for attending the University of Idaho

I anticipated this one:

If they go after her for lack of an elite education (she is a University of Idaho graduate), they take the Seven Houses off the table. It undermines Obama’s packaging as the agent of change; like the sitting President his supporters despise, he has degrees from two different Ivy League institutions. In fact, a majority of Presidential nominees from both major parties since Carter (the last Naval Academy graduate to be nominated) have at least one Ivy diploma. Only Dole (Washburn University, Topeka: MIAA), Mondale (University of Minnesota: Big Ten), Reagan (Eureka, IL: IIAC), and McCain (Navy) have missed out. Who represents “Change”?

While we’re at it, let’s not talk about the candidates for President. Let’s look at Democratic Vice-Presidents who became President due to the death of the latter in office. Lyndon Johnson graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers’ College, and Harry Truman never earned any college degree at all. So no looking down your noses at an Idaho Vandal, please. Between Sarah and her husband Todd, the Toby Keith Democrats should come over in droves.

They claim to represent and/or champion blue-collar America, and yet the moment someone outside the elite enters the highest levels of political contest, what do they do? They sneer at her humble beginnings, they sneer at her community, and they sneer at her values — all of which embody the middle-America, suburban identity.

Who exactly is sneering at this? You’re just making stuff up again, Ed.

And for a cite that not only sneered, but ATTACKED the people of Obama’s church as American-hating racists, you have no ground to stand on here. The right is the side who are hatefully stereotyping in this race. Please spare your false indignation over made-up accusations.

Tom_Shipley on September 3, 2008 at 11:07 AM

Oh Tom, you are so sad. I’m not sure why you even bother.

Well, I said take all the time you want, Tom. However, do you have a quick summary yet? No?

It’s almost like this is a rhetorical question or something…

MadisonConservative on September 3, 2008 at 12:03 PM

No fair taunting the troll. You are making its head spin.

Finally, Governor Palin was forced to issue a statement. She had no choice. She advised the salivating media of her teen daughter’s pregnancy. And that’s when we finally surrendered our all of our most cherished principles.

Libs have “cherished principles”??? What might those be?…

EconomicNeocon on September 3, 2008 at 12:17 PM

May we conclude that Tom Shipley is guilty of selective quoting out of context in order to justify a misleading conclusion?

Last night, Fred Thompson said that Sarah is the first VP candidate in our nation’s history who can field-dress a moose … except for Teddy Roosevelt. Works for me. Go, Sarah-cuda! Go McCain/Palin! Send the dims back to their dark little corners.

Here’s the quote from Palin.

As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?

Tom_Shipley on September 3, 2008 at 11:31 AM

Try the full quote. If you listen past that, you hear her talk about how she likes to be productive and she hasn’t seen that from Washington.

Here’s video of the CNBC appearance that produced the quote. That part begins at about the 3:00 minute mark. Before that Gov. Palin gets grilled about the “troopergate” issue and holds up very well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiVPWHLpEjk&NR=1

A woman who 20 years ago as aspirations to lead Sportscenter, not the free world.

What’s wrong with that?

Are you honestly claiming that unless someone has wanted to be president all of their lives, they aren’t worthy of the position?