Is Pigford At A Media Turning Point?
[Guest post by Lee Stranahan]
There’s been a lot of media fallout from Andrew Breitbart’s appearance last week on the Fox Business News show Stossel where he confronted Pigford mastermind Al Pires. I’ve already pointed out how Media Matters prevaricator Adam Shah deceptively edited the piece by removing any reference to the black farmers who have been trying to expose Pigford fraud for over a decade. It seems like MMFA actually helped give the story more exposure.
Two things happened that I consider fairly significant.
First, the story was covered last night on The O’Reilly Factor, bringing the story of the Pigford fraud to Bill O’Reilly large audience for the first time. O’Reilly seems to understand that there’s a real story here and although there are certainly points I would’ve made differently had I been a guest (hint hint) the exposure is great.
The other thing is happened is that some large liberal sites have begun to pick up on the story. I’d already mentioned Raw Story but now add Crooks and Liars to the mix. Looking at the statistics on the site it seems that about 8000 people over there watched the C&L edit of the original John Stossel piece.
Now, Crooks and Liars is a site where readers really hate Andrew Breitbart. The headline of their story was " Breitbart gets pwned by ‘Pigford’ attorney, targeted in his latest smear campaign” so they don’t even pretend to be objective in any way.
But a funny thing happened. The performance by Al Pires was so bad that a number of commenters on C&L were actually forced to look beyond their Breitbart hate and realize that Al Pires was actually the one who was ‘pwned’ in this appearance. Here are a few of examples of comments…
It looked like Breitbart did the slapping at the end and I hate the the guy. The lawyer had to sit there and take a beating at the end and that is just a fact.
And
How do you get that Pires came out looking good here? He answers serious questions with insults and when the subject of whether he lied about his compensation comes up he ends the interview. he made Breitbart look sane and reasonable. No mean feat.
And
I’m all for watching Breitbart get the hell knocked out of him, but honestly It looked like they won to me. I see these kinds of posts quite a bit. There are always claims that someone got pwned or really showed them what was what. Really, Stossel and Breitbart won that. That lawyer was effectively set up to look like a money grubbing, snake oil salesman.
I want to see the left beat the lies, but really… this was a huge loss. He presented no real facts and always looked like he was desperately trying to deflect accusations of fraud by Breitbart. I just don’t understand how anyone saw that clip as a "win for the left."
If the right is good at anything, it’s making us look like exactly what they want the narrative to be. They are masters of that.
I consider this a turning point that might actually make a few people on the left start to notice the story and realize that there’s more to it than the lies they are being spoon fed by the USDA and left-wing media.
– Lee Stranahan
Great post, Lee. I really do hope people in general will begin to wake up to the massive fraud. And even the extreme-left can’t ignore it anymore.
Liked this comment @ the C&L link:
“We” (liberals) liked what Pires said, but honestly, the audience watching that show saw a hippy liberal defending fraud and getting beaten by Stossel.
Sure it’s fun to watch Brietbart take some honest criticism, but the show’s audience just didn’t see that, IMO. I’m not sure I saw it.
no one you know (325a59) — 5/11/2011 @ 6:09 amLee,
I believe your pal Andrew Brietbart knows Bill O’Reilly. You should get him to reach out and inform O’Reilly’s research staff that you’d be a knowledgable guest from the port side of the political spectrum, who’d like to discuss the matter with him or make yourself available to debate other guests as well.
O’Reilly prides himself on presenting both sides of view, and considers himself to be objective. My sense is that he’d jump at the chance to discuss the matter with an informed, old school liberal like yourself.
just my two cents
Bob Reed (5f2db5) — 5/11/2011 @ 7:15 amMy Regards
This just proves that jharpy and Hax Vobiscum are unrepentant racists.
JD (822109) — 5/11/2011 @ 7:24 amJD
Why did they overturn Palins tax? Why are you an unrepentant tax raiser enabler?
Why wont you nswer the question is raising taxes a good thing?
EricPWJohnson (c0a978) — 5/11/2011 @ 7:28 amSeek professional help. Quit ruining threads with your irrational hatred and idiocy.
Breitbart to be indicted any day now.
JD (85b089) — 5/11/2011 @ 7:39 amFantastic work. Your story is on its way. In fact I think it’s time for a wooty woot woot.
Vermont Neighbor (6d8a47) — 5/11/2011 @ 7:44 amWoot!
Woots & Measures committee (352bcf) — 5/11/2011 @ 7:47 amEdited with Lee’s permission for a small error.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 5/11/2011 @ 8:56 amEricPW
Why do you support raising property taxes?
Why did you lie about the Duke Lacrosse Players?
Why am I an islamophobe?
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/11/2011 @ 9:25 amThey overturned Palin’s royalty tax because it was getting in between Michelle Mybelle and her tamales.
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/11/2011 @ 9:28 amMy guess is the author of this has to cover everything he said in a veneer of ‘but I know they are wrong’ just so the censorship happy websites of the left don’t think he’s disloyal enough to be erased.
But perhaps he really does think that the facts are completely hidden, somehow, despite the right having far less media power than the left does. I think Breitbart’s real mastery of information is that he doesn’t even bother to pose as an authority. He never says “because I said so” type arguments. He instead relies on recordings. Always, those recordings seem to really burst a lot of bubbles. Sometimes, there’s good reason to discuss the context of the recordings, but even then I think Breitbart really has the right idea.
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/11/2011 @ 9:52 amDoh Biden
Is raising taxes a good thing? Or could spending be cut?
Please show a quote where I EVER advocated raising property taxes?
JD
Irrational to ask you the question on why you seem to support raising taxes in these troubled times? We have a woman who could possibly be president, who raised taxes unabashed and actually called it an accomplishment (other than Pelosi)
If its moving the goalposts to ask then so be it
EricPWJohnson (c0a978) — 5/11/2011 @ 9:53 amI do not agree with Palin’s royalty tax did but it’s all of a sudden convenient your acting like a conservative when you have hurled the word islamophobe around like a shuriken.
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/11/2011 @ 10:08 amI do not support raising taxes in these troubled times and to claim that I do makes you either stupid, or a liar. Or in your case, both.
JD (306f5d) — 5/11/2011 @ 10:15 amIf you oppose islam your a tax and spend fascist wingnut in Eric’s mind.
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/11/2011 @ 10:15 amI am off to an international investment seminar.
JD (b98cae) — 5/11/2011 @ 10:16 amYou know, it’s one thing to note that Palin has a lot of political liability in swing states, and it’s scary to consider Obama benefiting from them. But Palin’s clearly one of the good guys. She is one of the most closely scrutinized politicians in American history. Everything about her life has been intruded upon and litigated.
She reformed a state with rampant corruption, and some of that corruption involved oil companies. The fact is that states need spending and taxes. Real conservatives do not pretend any spending or taxation support proves someone isn’t really conservative, and it’s interesting that some who do bash Palin for this are actually supporters of much more ‘moderate’ Republicans.
It’s not sincere or about politics. It’s some kind of personal thing that I don’t quite understand, but recognize.
What does this have to do with Pigford? We need to get beyond our petty differences, when the issue is clear enough.
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/11/2011 @ 10:17 amDustin,
Breitbart here has a strong loyal following. Palin, if she runs – Is andrew going to use his tireless energy and investigate what she did and didnt do in Alaska?
Correct me if I’m wrong but Andrew is a staunch advocate of the TEA Party and Palin is considered a prime choice by many of those organizations for the highest office
Will Andrew be true to his self in being the objective – let the cards fall where they may – invesitgator and why has this woman recieved propaganda posts from her staff and supporters on his website as contributors?
Is this a conspiracy, no – does Andrew vet or have a duty to vette every person who contributes private political holdings – no
but is he going to allow wholsale political ads in the guise of investigative journalism go on on his website?
Guess thats the point..
EricPWJohnson (c0a978) — 5/11/2011 @ 10:36 amBreitbart and I still like Palin despite her not being the perfect governor why don’t you vote 3rd party if it bugs ya so much.
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/11/2011 @ 10:53 amDohbiden
We need a candidate who’s truely conservative and – and – can beat Obama – and – have those coatales to win a 60 seat majority
Can you imagine a debate where Sarah has to defend raising taxes and spending – regardless – if you dont believe me – but all of the attacks on her have benefitted her because they were false and intensely personal – generating sympathy for her actually – but a cold matter-of-fact attack on her record conflicting with her endless facebook tomes – well thats wishfull thinking that the Soros runper room is going to let that slide
EricPWJohnson (c0a978) — 5/11/2011 @ 11:00 amYeah the lefty MSM attacking her for so called raising taxes is pot calling the kettle black.
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/11/2011 @ 11:09 amWTF DOES YOUR IDIOCY HAVE TO DO WITH PIGFORD ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
JD (b5a780) — 5/11/2011 @ 11:54 amCorrect me if I’m wrong, but O’Riley said Bush folded on these settlements. I believe Pigford I was under Clinton and Pigford II was under Obama.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/11/2011 @ 11:55 amEricPW – Why do you always fail to mention Palin cutting spending when oil revenues dropped. Tax and spend liberals do not act that way. Conservatives do.
Please take your Palin hate to another thread.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/11/2011 @ 11:56 amThe only conservatives who want absolutely no taxing or spending are absurd. I see no problem with expecting Palin to defend her record, which isn’t perfect, but is great. My problem with her record is that it is short, and I think we all know her real liabilities have nothing to do with her accomplishments.
You have some kind of problem with Brietbart and Palin that I don’t think you’re actually discussing directly. You’ve found things to mention that you think undercut these folks, but it’s not your real beef, or you wouldn’t support people like Rick Perry, etc. And JD’s asking the right question. What does this have to do with Pigford?
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/11/2011 @ 12:13 pmEh.
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/11/2011 @ 12:35 pm