Friday, October 24

Blame the media III

Now they're writing comedic parables:

Sarah Palin and the Pope [Lisa Schiffren]

So, Sarah Palin's advisors decide that it is time for her to meet a bunch of serious world leaders. They head to Europe, where, first up, she has an appointment with the Pope. The Pope and some of his Cardinals invite her for a boat ride on the Tiber. As they are sitting in the gondola talking, a wind starts up and blows the Pope's hat into the water. Palin looks around and realizes that no one is going to do anything about it, so she calmy rises, takes off her her high heels, and steps off the side of the boat. Instead of diving into the water, however, she walks across it, to the hat, picks it up and walks back across the water to the boat. She climbs in, hands the Pope his hat and continues discussing whatever it was they had been talking about. The Cardinals are open mouthed in astonishment at what they have just seen. The news media, in nearby boats are busy discussing among themselves how to report it. Headlines the next day at the New York Times, The Washington Post and the networks all blare: New Revelation: Sarah Palin Can't Swim.

Do they really believe that this is the reason their hero is failing? Is it like how in 2005 the only problem with Iraq was that the media "wouldn't report the good news" ?

Republicans have taken the art of denial to surprising levels. It goes like this:

1. Media reports reality
2. Republicans don't like reality
3. Republicans deny reality and attack the messenger

Now it's true that the media leans left. This will always be the case, because educated people like the journalists themselves lean left. But there is no "vast media conspiracy" to systematically portray an anti-Republican reality that can be meaningfully blamed for their many ills.

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