Quote of the Day
[Guest post by DRJ]
From ABC News:
“I can’t say I understand the rules of the media and I’m not sure they do either,”
… said Howard Wolfson, former Hillary Clinton Communications Director, on how mystified he is by “the failure of the national media” to aggressively pursue the National Enquirer story on John Edwards’ affair to the extent it pursued allegations about other candidates.
Of course, Wolfson already knows the mainstream media is often all-too-willing to follow Gary Hart’s unwritten rule of politics:
“It will come as a surprise to many people that there are rules in politics. Most of those rules are unwritten and are based on common understandings, acceptable practices, and the best interest of the political party a candidate seeks to lead. One of those rules is this: Do not provide ammunition to the opposition party that can be used to destroy your party’s nominee. This is a hyper-truth where the presidential contest is concerned.”
Wolfson also told ABC News that, had Edwards’ affair been exposed earlier, he would have dropped out of the Presidential race and Hillary Clinton “would have won Iowa, and Clinton today would therefore have been the nominee.”
— DRJ
Ammunition? Protecting Democrats? The national media?
The hell you say!
trentk269 (3d3bfe) — 8/11/2008 @ 12:59 pmI think Wolfson’s making far too optimistic a case for Hillary’s de facto winning the Dem primary if Edwards had dropped out at that time. However, it provides more grease for the mill for HRC’s supporters at the convention to make trouble, if they so desire.
Dmac (874677) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:08 pmI’ve got to say, I can’t understand the rules of the media either. Although apparently The National Enquirer got it partly correct. Are we to say that we trust them through the years over Fox,Cnn,Msmbc.
I’m expecting plenty of jokes here regarding CNN and MSMBC, please spare me and think of this logically DRJ and company.
Oiram (983921) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:27 pmThe unintended irony of Hill/Bill’s Wolfson whining about how another Dem lying to our faces about an affair is just too rich.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:41 pmOiram – Given MSNBC and CNN’s track records, they only aspire to be tabloid journalism.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:42 pmOiram,
I’m listening. Could you please amplify on your point?
DRJ (9d1be2) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:46 pmIrony aside, Wolfson is probably right about Iowa. Edwards should re-direct his delegates to vote for Hillary.
Icy Truth (9779ca) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:46 pmIt’s a good quote. But not the best.
Vermont Neighbor (a066ed) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:49 pmVN – Once Baracky stopped the oceans from rising, I didn’t think we had to wait anymore.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:54 pm“One of those rules is this: Do not provide ammunition to the opposition party that can be used to destroy your party’s nominee.”
SHOCKA!!!!!
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:55 pmIf HRC had decided to devote more resources in the last week in Iowa, would she have been able to pull out NH? IIRC, she flew the coop and basically ceded Iowa to BHO.
JD is soooo correct about the irony here. Too delicious.
Ed (841b4a) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:59 pmI’ll have to link his high school photo if I can find it.
He’s angled from everyone, dead center, and the preening is really obvious. Obama BT. Before the teleprompter.
Vermont Neighbor (a066ed) — 8/11/2008 @ 1:59 pmdMAC @ #2…
Another Drew (f60308) — 8/11/2008 @ 2:20 pmA small correction on Americana…
The saying is “grist for the mill”…
The biggest irony here is that Clinton and Edwards would have been forgiven had they just been honest. We are a really forgiving society. They chose to lie.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/11/2008 @ 2:21 pmOf course, Wolfson already knows the mainstream media is often all-to-willing to follow Gary Hart’s unwritten rule of politics
How do you make a case that the “mainstream media” downfield blocks for Democratic office-seekers from a Gary Hart quote about Hillary Clinton’s “3 am Call” ad?
How many MSM outlets have this below their masthead:
Enquirer Editor David Perel told FoxNews on July 25th that “it has videotape showing Hunter entering the room where she met Edwards, and shows Edwards leaving the same room.”
Generally, editors who brag about that degree of proof ultimately are required to produce it.
Last March, the Enquirer implied Obama had a gay church choir director murdered to squelch stories of a sexual relationship. In its March 17 edition, the Enquirer’s sister tabloid Globe ran a story claiming that a Minnesota man it identified as Larry Sinclair said he had a gay sexual encounter with Obama.
Are news editors who fail to chase down tabloid peephole scandals *all* politically corrupt? If so, how many were in the bag of GOP moneyed interests as the Enquirer “blew the lid” off various Bush indiscretions?
http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/63426
steve (249beb) — 8/11/2008 @ 2:46 pm“‘The saying is “grist for the mill”…’ ”
Thanks for the clarification, AD – I realized I was mixing my metaphors as soon as I posted that. Got mixed up somewhere between “sauce for the goose,” and a few others.
Dmac (874677) — 8/11/2008 @ 3:00 pmLast March, the Enquirer implied Obama had a gay church choir director murdered to squelch stories of a sexual relationship. In its March 17 edition, the Enquirer’s sister tabloid Globe ran a story claiming that a Minnesota man it identified as Larry Sinclair said he had a gay sexual encounter with Obama.
I doubt that the Enquirer “implied” Obama ordered a hit on the choir director, but I’m willing to examine evidence supporting your assertion. OTOH, the Globe features what the Enquirer used to put on its own cover when I was a kid — rumors with headlines in huge letters with small print reading “pals say.” The Globe has suggested that Condi Rice is having an affair with W, and that the marriage is all but over. Nobody believes that schtuff. As for Larry Sinclair — sleazier than Edwards on steroids — I’ve been all over my Freeper friends who want to make something of nothing.
L.N. Smithee (d1de1b) — 8/11/2008 @ 5:24 pmsteve,
The MSM did not pursue the Edwards story. Even they admit it. Don’t you wonder why that happened? Either:
A. It’s an amazing coincidence that the MSM universally ignored or downplayed this story; or
B. It’s due to a bias that causes the media to avoid uncomfortable investigations of Democratic politicians.
I have no problem if you want to believe A. I believe B.
DRJ (a5243f) — 8/11/2008 @ 5:41 pmI believe B (a bias that causes the media to avoid uncomfortable investigations of Democratic politicians.)
Was the NYT’s investigating Spitzer especially “comfortable?”
The Dallas Morning News – endorsing Bob Dole in ’96 and Bush twice – is hardly apt to “avoid uncomfortable investigations of Democratic politicians.” Yet, only the day following Edwards’ mea culpa did they bother to look into why local resident Fred Baron bought a $3 million house in Santa Barbara for Rielle Hunter.
Either:
A. The National Enquirer and its sibling, the Globe, are deemed right less often than wrong; or
B. Editors robotically spike “uncomfortable” stories following morning DNC conference calls.
My guess is A. Coupled with being feeble and ineffectual.
steve (249beb) — 8/11/2008 @ 9:28 pm