The Harriet Miers Double Standard

[ruggerson]

The media frames it's subliminal messages with a rightward tilt that is truly astonishing.

Think about it.

If Clinton had ever nominated a crony to the Supreme Court, received immediate, enormous criticism from the leftwing in hiw own party, who were unsure if this candidate was supportive of Roe V Wade, and the nomination was killed, directly because of this leftwing assault campaign, the media ramifications would have been devastating.

Numerous headlines blaring: "Clinton Caves In To Far Left." "Clinton Seriously Weakened By Far Left Extremists." "White House Under Control Of Leftist Fringe Elements" would have littered the nations newstands.

Bush, of course, has just in actuality caved into the radical, religious rightwing faction of his own party; what the press euphemistically calls "The Base."

And what are the headlines in the MSM? "Powerful Rightwing Flexes Its Muscle". "Organized, Principled Conservatives Doom Miers." "Conservatives Demand One Of Their Own In Supreme Court Pick."

Nothing in the media reflecting the actual truth of the situation: how a far rightwing, organized religious Taliban effectively slaughtered the nomination.

The mainstream media consistently portrays far rightwing Republican religious extremists as the party's "conservative base," not so subtly imbuing them with near right mainstream credentials, and subliminally making the argument that religious rightwing viewpoints are actually fairly acceptable and mainstream.

On the flip side of the coin, the mainstream media portrays leftwing Democrats as radicals, extremists, out of the mainstream rabble rousers who are threats to the Democratic Party, to the "family" and to the nation as a whole.

We will achieve nothing, absolutely nothing, in the coming years, unless we can constantly highlight this double standard, shout it to the rooftops, expose it to the light of day and force more and more journalists to write honestly and fairly about the current state of American politics.

[femrap]

1. Thought you were going to talk about the double

standard that applies to men vs. women. I can't wait for the day when unqualified women, Blacks and Browns can get away with being as incompetent as the white male. The Michael Browns of the world are everywhere...and isn't he still on the payroll? I guess they call it the "Peter" Principle for a reason.....Maybe someday we'll have the "Patricia" Principle...?

[Jane Austin]

2. My head is flat from banging it against the wall

every time the bush administration does something yet again that would have had the press headlining "White House in Disarray" during the Clinton years.

Specifically, when Colin Powell and the neo-cons were giving opposite assessments of the war situation - - before and during.

The slightest disagreement during Clinton's years was heralded as the iminent collapse of his Presidency.