CNN Misquotes Lindsay Graham in Story About Joke About White Men at Male-Only Clubs
CNN (falsely) reports on Lindsay Graham making a joke about white men at male-only clubs:
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is toying with the idea of a presidential bid, joked in a private gathering this month that “white men who are in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency,” according to an audio recording of his comments provided to CNN.
Here’s the false part:
In the recording according to CNN, Graham is heard saying: “I’m trying to help you with your tax status. I’m sorry the government’s so f——- up. If I get to be president, white men in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency.”
Nope. That implies that the two quotes were strung together — that the first quote is the context for the second. But that is clearly not the case. Here is what the story should have said:
In the recording according to CNN, Graham is heard saying: “I’m trying to help you with your tax status. I’m sorry the government’s so f——- up.” Graham also says: “If I get to be president, white men in male-only clubs are going to do great in my presidency.” The context for these quotes was not supplied by the Democrats who supplied the recording to CNN.
The video below captures the three quotes the way CNN presents them — the same way, I assume that CNN received the quotes from the Democrat operatives who provided them. Namely, separated and out of context.
Without the context, you can’t even know what the “joke” is.
You’re not going to hear anyone talk about this, because Democrats hate Graham for being a Republican, and almost every Republican or conservative I know hates Graham for his amnesty and other self-righteous RINOisms. This is not about defending Graham. It’s about defending accuracy. CNN did not engage in it.
Ding.
Patterico (9c670f) — 10/31/2014 @ 7:31 amCNN has kind of a track record going on that whole not being accurate thing.
elissa (a5ecea) — 10/31/2014 @ 7:36 amEven ‘in context’ I don’t get the joke. Unless the joke is Mr. Graham himself…he is laughable…
Georganne (e37667) — 10/31/2014 @ 7:53 amI don’t get the joke either. How does the context help?
carlitos (c24ed5) — 10/31/2014 @ 7:56 amAh, after a re-listen, it’s just a politician trying to do comedy and failing.
carlitos (c24ed5) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:02 amMr. Graham certainly doesn’t do much to help the long-held notion that male-only clubs are a place for married men to hook up with other men.
Graham is Crackers (6af3a8) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:15 amTeacher: Two negatives make a positive, but two positives don’t make a negative.
Student: Yeah, right.
It’s called sarcasm.
nk (dbc370) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:18 amThat’s the real joke. Why would any reliable news source accept anything form an “operative” of any party without checking out the source, the context, the intent and the reason they’re being given said “info”? They are being set-up. CNN just looks foolish. And the “joke” wasn’t funny, it wasn’t a joke.
Hoagie (4dfb34) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:29 amAbout the only place one now hears the old dictum “may the best man win” is in black and white movies. Fairness was at one time a fundamental American value, but no more. It has been replaced by vague concepts of “social justice” and winning at all cost. To an old timer, or simply one who embraces traditional values, the current election cycle is beyond sickening. Barack Obama didn’t give us cultural decline; cultural decline gave us Barack Obama.
You’re right, though. It’s hard to feel sympathy for a Republican so willing to accommodate that decline.
ThOR (130453) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:36 amThOR, that’s my favorite quote of the week. Thanks.
Hoagie (4dfb34) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:42 amMore Democratic spying at gatherings.
I wonder what they would say if somebody secretly recorded some Democrats. (the recent quites by Obama and Hillary were openly recorded and not by Republican operatives – one was broadcast on the radio and the otehr was at at a rally)
The comment about the male only clubs might have been a response to a question which he didn’t want to answer directly.
Sammy Finkelman (d22d64) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:53 amthere’s the problem: CNN stands for “Contains Nothing Newsworthy”
the MFM ceased being a “reliable news source” decades ago…
redc1c4 (589173) — 10/31/2014 @ 10:33 amas for Grahamnesty, i find it amusing that he’s being hung out to dry by the same people he’s cozied up to and carried water for all these years.
his reward for years of treasonous disservice to the conservative cause is to be stabbed in the back by his erstwhile “allies”, just as he’s stuck it to us.
if he expects any sympathy, i suggest he look in the dictionary, where he will find it located between “5hit” and “syphilis”. he can then eat one and catch the other, while waiting for the one in the middle… it’s in the mail, Ms Lindsay, you whiny little mendoucheous twatwaffle.
redc1c4 (589173) — 10/31/2014 @ 10:39 amThOR: Fairness and “may the best man win” were never the rule in politics. Look up how Rachel Jackson was treated if you have any doubts. In fact, the crucial difference between the early/mid 19th century and today is not that politicians acted morally in a way they do not today, but that the media made to attempt to be impartial. Every newspaper was partisan, and proud of it.
Even the Constitution of 1789 was not adopted without some finagling and dubious dealings; maybe that should have been a warning of things to come in the long term.
kishnevi (acc65c) — 10/31/2014 @ 12:28 pmredc1c4, your comments are out of line. Mr. Graham appears to be of average height and weight and therefore does not deserve to be called “little”.
Mark Johnson (aa1dda) — 10/31/2014 @ 12:39 pmThe snippets were taken from a meeting at the Hibernian Society, a male-only club in Charleston. He was trying to be funny. I’m surprised the Hibernians let someone get away with recording.
Still not all that funny, and as a South Carolinian, I’m happy that we have Tim Scott is running to keep his seat so at least I know who I’m voting for in that election. I suppose I will hold my nose and vote for Lindsay, although I’m tempted to vote for Thomas Ravenel for spite.
mrs mac (3088ef) — 10/31/2014 @ 1:28 pm“there’s the problem: CNN stands for “Contains Nothing Newsworthy””
I thought it stood for “Clinton News Network.”
Mike K (90dfdc) — 10/31/2014 @ 2:15 pmwhat a nasty bigot he should do the right thing and resign I think
he’s ruining halloween
happyfeet (a06270) — 10/31/2014 @ 2:55 pmWith the ubiquitous cell phone, any conversation, even one alone with yourself, can easily (and even inadvertently) recorded.
htom (9b625a) — 10/31/2014 @ 5:04 pmWow, you have the context? Please share it.
I don’t know, carlitos. What IS the context?
Patterico (9c670f) — 10/31/2014 @ 5:56 pmHere I do a whole post about how the context is missing, and people still think the video shows the context.
Patterico (9c670f) — 10/31/2014 @ 6:42 pmRespected bloghost – methinks your comment #21 did not have sufficient context …
Alastor (d6077c) — 10/31/2014 @ 6:47 pmStupid one liners like Lindsay’s do not need context. They need slinking off into oblivion, sometimes along with the person who uttered it.
kishnevi (3719b7) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:00 pmThe actual context is a monologue typical of some clubs.
The ‘white men’ line has NOTHING to do with the tax comment, which may have been to an individual. It fits with the comments about Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists.
It’s self-depreciating humor, followed by poking at others who may be present. No, it’s not comedy club caliber. Ever been to Rotary or other organization luncheons like that? They don’t expect ROFL material from serious guests.
You don’t have to like Graham to understand, you just have to not be an idiot.
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It is obvious this was edited. CNN should have asked for the whole recording. That would have been responsible. CNN gave up that long ago, though.
Estragon (ada867) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:11 pmHe was a jag but he’ll always be a jag off to me.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/31/2014 @ 8:36 pmWhen did CNN ever engage in accuracy – within living memory?
askeptic (efcf22) — 11/1/2014 @ 3:38 pmIt sounds like he’s just saying he’s going to be the first openly gay president.
James Matherson (71fd8a) — 11/2/2014 @ 4:34 amIs CNN really trying to make a scandal out of his personal choice?
James Matherson (71fd8a) — 11/2/2014 @ 4:34 amRe: Sam Finkelstein
James Matherson (71fd8a) — 11/2/2014 @ 4:38 am“I wonder what they would say if somebody secretly recorded some Democrats”
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We know what they would say if someone unearthed audio or text from Hilldog’s university archives that made Hilldog look bad.
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/11/trading_places_its_time_to_trim_the_debate_moderators_role.html
narciso (ee1f88) — 11/2/2014 @ 5:50 am