- Joined
- Aug 27, 2005
- Messages
- 43,602
- Reaction score
- 26,256
- Location
- Houston, TX
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Conservative
I'm not a fan of Breitbart, and generally am not fond of entrapment situations. That said, as I've said on all sorts of issues, the world isn't black and white. There is a different level of dislike with regards to directly misrepresenting yourself as a specific person and something eneric.
For example, in this case, if the person just put himself forth as a wealthy republican donor rather than attempting to impersonate a specific person I'd have less of an issue with his action. Still not "no" issue, and I wasn't completely without issue with Breitbart's guy either, but I think pretending to be a specific factual person is a bit worse than a more generalized deception as you're not just assuming a new identity but stealing someone elses essentially.
I think often you have to look at what is being uncovered as well, as again things don't function in a vacuum. For example, if what he did on the phone regarding donors was an actual legitimate breakage of the law (and not just some left wing blogger speculating it MIGHT be) then I have far more issues with him because he actually did something illegal. On the flip side, a lot of what he said is as likely to be bluff and bluster as legitiamte strategy and until he actually ATTEMPTS it its not something I would get upset about. This is in part why I'm not fond of these type of styled "stings" when its just to get information, because the fact the information is being gained in a fraudulent way causes the legitimacy, hoensty, and seriousness of things it finds out to be called into question thus making it more useful for propoganda than any kind of honest reporting.
But that's exactly what O'Keefe did, in that he made himself out to be someone he wasn't. As for Breitbart, I see what he did as just as bad because he dishonestly edited tape to make it appear that something existed where it really didn't......but I think pretending to be a specific factual person is a bit worse than a more generalized deception as you're not just assuming a new identity but stealing someone elses essentially.
You know, I am kind of surprised here. I was expecting the hyperpartisan Liberals and Conservatives to assert that what their guys did wasn't as bad as what the other guys did. I really didn't expect it from you. In fact, you are about the last person I expected it from, so I am surprised. You and I don't see eye to eye on a few things, but I respect you as a poster who can be brutal but honest. I have to chalk this up to the fact that maybe you didn't express your point of view as well as you could have. The fact that you are not happy with what O'Keefe and Breitbart did tells me that. But, the way I see it, dishonesty is dishonesty, and there are way too many hyperpartisan assholes, on both the right and the left, who have the gall to call themselves reporters, when they are actually..... (let me coin a new word here) .... Scrivenetutes. :mrgreen:
Last edited: