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The Liberal Media and Republican Personal Responsibility

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Yes_Minister

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Do Republican politicians blame media coverage for almost any problems and scandals that may arise? Are they giving themselves a get of jail free card and trying to absolve themselves of personal responsibility?

Rumsfeld seemed to think the media wasn't painting a rosy enough picture of the situation in Iraq when he was running the Department of Defense and Trump seems to claim any news story he doesn't like is fake news.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...4fc804-1a31-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html

Eight Times Donald Trump Blamed The Media For His Own Mistakes

How can the Republicans be the party of personal responsibly if so many Republicans do everything they can to avoid personal responsibility and then shift blame to others, like the media?
 
It used to be that Democrats were the most powerful evil force in the world, responsible for everything that went wrong. Now Trump, genius that he is has shown us that the real villain is the media.
 
Yes_Minister said:
Do Republican politicians blame media coverage for almost any problems and scandals that may arise? Are they giving themselves a get of jail free card and trying to absolve themselves of personal responsibility?
Click to expand...

Of course. That has always been a theme of the Trump campaign. And as we see on DP, his strategy worked. Trump supporters immediately dismiss anything negative they hear about Trump because it's from "media" and immediately start attacking anyone who says something that is not a dismissal of that negative thing.

It would be surprising if other Republicans take note.



It also fits largely with the overall conservative theme from the last 10-15ish years, which is that they are upright righteous individualists and the only reason they ever fail at things is that the evil fascist liberals have victimized them again. The anti-media theme is simply a variation on it. Now it's the evil fascist media victimizing them.
 
How many conservatives does it take to change a light bulb?

20 house republicans to investigate the Democrats' role in the the burning out of the old light bulb.
5 conservative talk show hosts to report on the evil liberal conspiracy against light bulbs
1 President to tweet about the fake news story concerning the light bulb.

The light bulb was already changed by the janitor, who is an independent.
 
bearpoker said:
It used to be that Democrats were the most powerful evil force in the world, responsible for everything that went wrong. Now Trump, genius that he is has shown us that the real villain is the media.
Click to expand...

Genius? Jealous of his vagina grabbing? Were you a graduate of his banned and sued university?.
No tax returns yet?
 
YorkshirePete said:
Genius? Jealous of his vagina grabbing? Were you a graduate of his banned and sued university?.
No tax returns yet?
Click to expand...

Okay, I know I'm obtuse sometimes, so I'm hoping you'll help me out here. What on earth is your point?
 
Yes_Minister said:
Do Republican politicians blame media coverage for almost any problems and scandals that may arise?
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When every molehill is a labeled a scandal then the one shooting the camera to make it seem like a mountain is at fault not the accused. As the issue is not with an obscure molehill or even genuine debate about issues but with the sensationalism that is misleading the American people about the state of reality.

Are they giving themselves a get of jail free card and trying to absolve themselves of personal responsibility?
Click to expand...
No, they always state their defences. They just also bring issue with a media that takes such statements and instead of framing them in a debate turn it into a narrative between framed straw man restatements of what they said and democratic talking points.

Rumsfeld seemed to think the media wasn't painting a rosy enough picture of the situation in Iraq when he was running the Department of Defense and Trump seems to claim any news story he doesn't like is fake news.
Click to expand...
When the reports you hear everyday are different from those being reported ones first instinct is to yell “fake” or "skewed". When you genuinely believe people are being mislead, it is right and good to call it out to encourage further examination of those narratives. IF they are true they can't stand up, but instead we see them fall time and time again like a house of cards.

How can the Republicans be the party of personal responsibly if so many Republicans do everything they can to avoid personal responsibility and then shift blame to others, like the media?
Click to expand...
That is a disingenuous comparison. They are not a blaming some obscure third party but a collective of people bent on taking their statements shaping them to a preferred narrative which fits their own agenda. The media is an active player in these "scandals" from beginning to end and are fully responsible for how they shape stories, how much attention they give a detail or in what they choose to refrain from showing in the picture.

If the News was reporting the truth they would not be afraid of a skeptical audience or their critics. Their lose of trust is certainly exploited by some but as a whole is a mess of their own creation.

Personal responsibility includes standing in ones defence against critics including those trying to slander your reputation by misrepresenting your statements out of context or as shaping your actions/words into a false narrative. Personal responsibility includes standing up for oneself and ones ideals!
 
The greatest Trumpian danger to the Republic is His Orangeness' talk of Fake News and demonetization of the press.

When his administration falls and the Democrats take power once again, I am concerned that the far right will rise up in violence. If so, they will be destroyed in violence.
 
Yes_Minister said:
Do Republican politicians blame media coverage for almost any problems and scandals that may arise? Are they giving themselves a get of jail free card and trying to absolve themselves of personal responsibility?

Rumsfeld seemed to think the media wasn't painting a rosy enough picture of the situation in Iraq when he was running the Department of Defense and Trump seems to claim any news story he doesn't like is fake news.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...4fc804-1a31-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html

Eight Times Donald Trump Blamed The Media For His Own Mistakes

How can the Republicans be the party of personal responsibly if so many Republicans do everything they can to avoid personal responsibility and then shift blame to others, like the media?
Click to expand...

I find it frustrating that everything is someone else's fault. I see alot of that going on. Yes in particular with Trump - his grasp on reality seems tenuous at best.
 
Yes_Minister said:
Do Republican politicians blame media coverage for almost any problems and scandals that may arise?
Click to expand...
Any press outlet that puts out a negative story is likely to get attacked. That's not really a partisan tendency.

That said...


Are they giving themselves a get of jail free card and trying to absolve themselves of personal responsibility?
Click to expand...
Yup

There are some cases where the press is unfair, and the MSM does lean a bit to the left. But for the most part, the media is publishing information someone powerful doesn't want the public to know.

For all the screeching about "fake news," the media is much more accurate than inaccurate. Of course, since humans tend to remember negativity more than positivity, it's easy for the few mistakes to be blown out of proportion. Add in some partisanship, which gives people motivation to treat the tiniest of mistakes as though they are devastating condemnations possible, along with fear of the press actually being able to influence events, and you've got people attacking the messenger for political gain.

Again, it's not really partisan. E.g. Obama's administration took lots of steps to thwart transparency, and pressed charges against leakers. Nor are Democrats going to applaud Fox when it reveals true information that reflects badly on Democrats.


How can the Republicans be the party of personal responsibly if so many Republicans do everything they can to avoid personal responsibility and then shift blame to others, like the media?
Click to expand...
Yes, a fine question indeed.

My guess is that everyone, when accused of misbehavior, takes the path of least pain to get out of it. Sometimes, if you're caught red-handed, you fess up. Other times, you think you can fight your way out of it.

And some people are just full of ****.

Yet again, this is not partisan. What might be partisan is that some on the left / Democrats are more willing to try and work with the press, rather than antagonize them. This is in part because Republicans have spent decades attacking the media, and have done everything they can to discredit people who reveal their foibles.

In addition, some Republicans are deliberately courting disaffected voters, who are tired of watching the antics of coastal "elites" (i.e. fictional upper middle class people, mostly white men, with a few token minorities and women) while their own unexamined lives go down the tubes.

At this point, my guess is they think attacking the press is a winning strategy. It can't erase their misdeeds, but it can prevent its rabid supporters from caring, or encourage them to provide rationalizations to ignore the accusations.
 
Visbek said:
Any press outlet that puts out a negative story is likely to get attacked. That's not really a partisan tendency.

That said...



Yup

There are some cases where the press is unfair, and the MSM does lean a bit to the left. But for the most part, the media is publishing information someone powerful doesn't want the public to know.

For all the screeching about "fake news," the media is much more accurate than inaccurate. Of course, since humans tend to remember negativity more than positivity, it's easy for the few mistakes to be blown out of proportion. Add in some partisanship, which gives people motivation to treat the tiniest of mistakes as though they are devastating condemnations possible, along with fear of the press actually being able to influence events, and you've got people attacking the messenger for political gain.

Again, it's not really partisan. E.g. Obama's administration took lots of steps to thwart transparency, and pressed charges against leakers. Nor are Democrats going to applaud Fox when it reveals true information that reflects badly on Democrats.



Yes, a fine question indeed.

My guess is that everyone, when accused of misbehavior, takes the path of least pain to get out of it. Sometimes, if you're caught red-handed, you fess up. Other times, you think you can fight your way out of it.

And some people are just full of ****.

Yet again, this is not partisan. What might be partisan is that some on the left / Democrats are more willing to try and work with the press, rather than antagonize them. This is in part because Republicans have spent decades attacking the media, and have done everything they can to discredit people who reveal their foibles.

In addition, some Republicans are deliberately courting disaffected voters, who are tired of watching the antics of coastal "elites" (i.e. fictional upper middle class people, mostly white men, with a few token minorities and women) while their own unexamined lives go down the tubes.

At this point, my guess is they think attacking the press is a winning strategy. It can't erase their misdeeds, but it can prevent its rabid supporters from caring, or encourage them to provide rationalizations to ignore the accusations.
Click to expand...
The admin is hoping that it can hold the 40% on their side that they need to stave off removal and possible begin building for better things.

If Trump continues to stumble, the outright lying by the admin will increase exponentially.

At that point we will see of what mettle are these American generations.
 
Yes_Minister said:
Do Republican politicians blame media coverage for almost any problems and scandals.
Click to expand...

No. Its the constant lying of the media that has come to a head is all.

Fake story after story is proven to be wrong or just an outright lie and eventually people lose confidence in the ability and professionalism of the media.

In the era where more information is available and the ability to lie without getting caught is limited its tough to be a journalist.

The story all comes out eventually.

Its best to just be truthful and leave youe own opinion out of it when reporting the news as a professional reporter.

Its not the mainstream medias job to control what people think contrary to what they wish.

 
Visbek said:
Any press outlet that puts out a negative story is likely to get attacked. That's not really a partisan tendency.

That said...



Yup

There are some cases where the press is unfair, and the MSM does lean a bit to the left. But for the most part, the media is publishing information someone powerful doesn't want the public to know.

For all the screeching about "fake news," the media is much more accurate than inaccurate. Of course, since humans tend to remember negativity more than positivity, it's easy for the few mistakes to be blown out of proportion. Add in some partisanship, which gives people motivation to treat the tiniest of mistakes as though they are devastating condemnations possible, along with fear of the press actually being able to influence events, and you've got people attacking the messenger for political gain.

Again, it's not really partisan. E.g. Obama's administration took lots of steps to thwart transparency, and pressed charges against leakers. Nor are Democrats going to applaud Fox when it reveals true information that reflects badly on Democrats.



Yes, a fine question indeed.

My guess is that everyone, when accused of misbehavior, takes the path of least pain to get out of it. Sometimes, if you're caught red-handed, you fess up. Other times, you think you can fight your way out of it.

And some people are just full of ****.

Yet again, this is not partisan. What might be partisan is that some on the left / Democrats are more willing to try and work with the press, rather than antagonize them. This is in part because Republicans have spent decades attacking the media, and have done everything they can to discredit people who reveal their foibles.

In addition, some Republicans are deliberately courting disaffected voters, who are tired of watching the antics of coastal "elites" (i.e. fictional upper middle class people, mostly white men, with a few token minorities and women) while their own unexamined lives go down the tubes.

At this point, my guess is they think attacking the press is a winning strategy. It can't erase their misdeeds, but it can prevent its rabid supporters from caring, or encourage them to provide rationalizations to ignore the accusations.
Click to expand...


That's one part I don't entirely agree with. Yes, individuals on either side of the aisle have employed that strategy, but it really does seem to me that there has been a much more concerted effort to discredit the "MSM" (narrowed to liberal TV/Cable broadcast media calling itself news) from the right in general. It seemed to greatly intensify after "liberal lamestream media" Palin became a temporary GOP darling.

On the transparency front alone, however, Obama was rather guilty.
 
Yes_Minister said:
Do Republican politicians blame media coverage for almost any problems and scandals that may arise? Are they giving themselves a get of jail free card and trying to absolve themselves of personal responsibility?

Rumsfeld seemed to think the media wasn't painting a rosy enough picture of the situation in Iraq when he was running the Department of Defense and Trump seems to claim any news story he doesn't like is fake news.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...4fc804-1a31-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html

Eight Times Donald Trump Blamed The Media For His Own Mistakes

How can the Republicans be the party of personal responsibly if so many Republicans do everything they can to avoid personal responsibility and then shift blame to others, like the media?
Click to expand...

The Republicans don't take personal responsibility for anything; they make everybody else take personal responsibility for everything including the failings of republican leadership and policy. This is an MO that Trump knows all too well and that is why his BS fits so seamlessly.

The way to control the media is deny everything they say and claim to be the victim: it worked for GW Bush, Ronald Reagan and Bush I, though he didn't rely on the tactic very much.

The first rule of propaganda is to claim to be the victim of exactly what you are doing to others. The republicans have been lambasting anybody but themselves for the screw-ups and failings for a generation now, to the point that all they have to show for it is zero leadership abilities and the booby prize of Donald J Trump.
 
akyron said:
No. Its the constant lying of the media that has come to a head is all.

Fake story after story is proven to be wrong or just an outright lie and eventually people lose confidence in the ability and professionalism of the media.

In the era where more information is available and the ability to lie without getting caught is limited its tough to be a journalist.

The story all comes out eventually.

Its best to just be truthful and leave youe own opinion out of it when reporting the news as a professional reporter.

Its not the mainstream medias job to control what people think contrary to what they wish.

Click to expand...


I know you think this is a great scoop, but the loudmouth was yelling so much that it wasn't very clear.
 
It was morning joe so none of it is coherent or clear to begin with.
 
JamesBY said:
The greatest Trumpian danger to the Republic is His Orangeness' talk of Fake News and demonetization of the press.

When his administration falls and the Democrats take power once again, I am concerned that the far right will rise up in violence. If so, they will be destroyed in violence.
Click to expand...

:lamo Are you serious?
 
bearpoker said:
How many conservatives does it take to change a light bulb?

20 house republicans to investigate the Democrats' role in the the burning out of the old light bulb.
5 conservative talk show hosts to report on the evil liberal conspiracy against light bulbs
1 President to tweet about the fake news story concerning the light bulb.

The light bulb was already changed by the janitor, who is an independent.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the Judicial Watch lawsuit, and the ensuing FOX coverage.
 
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