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Why Marginalizing the Radical Right is the Right Thing To Do
The White House has shifted the stragety of trying to rize above the fray to directly addressing the radical right's rhetoric, specifically Fox News and conservative commentators like Rush Limbaugh. Conservative leaders, and strangely many liberal-moderate commentators, have begun to criticize the White House for its decision to, as many have described it, launch a war against Fox News.
The story of Obama's war on Fox News has been one of the leading stories on Fox News, which has used it as a means of justifying their claim that there are the lone voice of "fair and balanced" news in all of media as well the only outlet willing to criticize the president. Glenn Beck devoted much of his recent episodes to the story, leaving of course enough time for his latest Obama conspiracy theories: volunteering.
Conventional Washington politics said that president Obama should have stayed the course and not directly addressed Fox News' faux-news coverage, and continue to childish practice of ignoring the pink elephant in the room; whilist ideologues like Limbaugh and Beck continued their onsualt against not just the president policies but the president himself. The argument goes that when the White House engages in such a direct attack it diminishes the respect for the Office of the President; however, such an argument is, frankly, conservative bulls--t.
For many observers of Fox News there is little to no respect for the current president, in fact many passionately believe that he does not belong in the White House, or the country for that matter.
More importantly it is important for the established media that is criticizing the White House for addressing what Fox News has been for a long to acknowledge that Fox News has propped itself up as the talking-point machine for the conservative conspiracy-theorists. And this had a clear impact on the president efforts so far. Not in terms of advancing the discussion by including true conservative ideals into the legislation, but rather by obstructing both progressive and conservative ideals about the role of government in the health-care from being discussed.
It is impossible for the nation as a whole to engage in a civil discussion about Obama's policies if Fox News and its cohorts have deceived a vocal portion of the electorate into believing that proponents of health-care reform want to kill our nation's elderly. The policy of simply sticking our heads into the sand and hoping the scary voices will go away has not worked--and historically never has, and likely never will.
In the age of the 24hr news cycle, twitter, and thanks to Sarah Palin, Facebook, every moment that the administration allows the message to drift off course into the realm of conservative paranoia is a moment that the administration has not only wasted but also likely allowed conservative paranoia to derail reform.
Obama made it clear earlier this year that he would call out those who mislead the public with falsehoods and fear. The established media should not be surprise that the administration now has finally decided to put those words to action. Then again this is Washington, D.C., so maybe being susprised to find a Democratic with some backbone is a bit unconventional.
The story of Obama's war on Fox News has been one of the leading stories on Fox News, which has used it as a means of justifying their claim that there are the lone voice of "fair and balanced" news in all of media as well the only outlet willing to criticize the president. Glenn Beck devoted much of his recent episodes to the story, leaving of course enough time for his latest Obama conspiracy theories: volunteering.
Conventional Washington politics said that president Obama should have stayed the course and not directly addressed Fox News' faux-news coverage, and continue to childish practice of ignoring the pink elephant in the room; whilist ideologues like Limbaugh and Beck continued their onsualt against not just the president policies but the president himself. The argument goes that when the White House engages in such a direct attack it diminishes the respect for the Office of the President; however, such an argument is, frankly, conservative bulls--t.
For many observers of Fox News there is little to no respect for the current president, in fact many passionately believe that he does not belong in the White House, or the country for that matter.
More importantly it is important for the established media that is criticizing the White House for addressing what Fox News has been for a long to acknowledge that Fox News has propped itself up as the talking-point machine for the conservative conspiracy-theorists. And this had a clear impact on the president efforts so far. Not in terms of advancing the discussion by including true conservative ideals into the legislation, but rather by obstructing both progressive and conservative ideals about the role of government in the health-care from being discussed.
It is impossible for the nation as a whole to engage in a civil discussion about Obama's policies if Fox News and its cohorts have deceived a vocal portion of the electorate into believing that proponents of health-care reform want to kill our nation's elderly. The policy of simply sticking our heads into the sand and hoping the scary voices will go away has not worked--and historically never has, and likely never will.
In the age of the 24hr news cycle, twitter, and thanks to Sarah Palin, Facebook, every moment that the administration allows the message to drift off course into the realm of conservative paranoia is a moment that the administration has not only wasted but also likely allowed conservative paranoia to derail reform.
Obama made it clear earlier this year that he would call out those who mislead the public with falsehoods and fear. The established media should not be surprise that the administration now has finally decided to put those words to action. Then again this is Washington, D.C., so maybe being susprised to find a Democratic with some backbone is a bit unconventional.
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The WH and therefore the Dem Party have decided to take the course you outline here.
Why not? Other members of the MSM have been chastising the WH for doing this. And I do not understand why.
TO PRETEND THAT FOX NEWS IS NOT A PROPAGANDA MACHINE OWNED BY MURDOCH TO FURTHER REPUB CAUSES IS IDIOCY!!
Good post!!!
October 21, 2009 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Murdoch supported Hillary. As far as propaganda goes, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN all are mouthpieces for the Obama administration. This administration can not tolerate any criticism and will go to great lengths to silence or punish anyone that crosses them. Look what happened to 'Joe the Plumber'. Look how Rush was smeared with false quotes to keep him from buying a sports team - just as a vindictive move from MSNBC and CNN because he opposes their idol. This blatant attempt to silence opposition, the collusion between the media and the administration to sway public opinion, all of it are unprecedented.
And scary.
October 21, 2009 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
The administration can and has tolerated criticism, from both the left and the right. What folks like Rush and Beck do is not criticism, it is fear mongering.
And they have not tried to silence the opposition at all. The administration even said that they would continue to appear on Fox News, just that it acknowledges that Fox News is not a news outlet but rather a talking-points dispenser.
Why is it that any news station that does not claim that Obama is not born in America, wants to kill our grandparents, and wants to turn us into communist is labeled as being in bed with the administration?
There is no reason to exaggerate what the administration is doing in putting Fox News in its place.
October 22, 2009 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
The quotes you are complaining about were taken from a book by Huberman who claims that he has a source. So it comes down to whose word to you believe -- lying drug addict Limbaugh or Huberman.
The quotes were used in good faith, existed before Flush Limbo's bid for a sports team and co-existed with statements Limbaugh had made in the past on national TV.
"Limbaugh said on Thursday he stepped down late Wednesday from the show "Sunday NFL Countdown" to protect the network from the uproar caused by his statement that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.
McNabb said Wednesday that he didn't mind criticism of his performance, but was upset that Limbaugh made his race an issue and said it was too late for an apology. "
Limbo's willingness to insult people of color came back to bite him. So sad.
October 21, 2009 10:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, he claims he has a source. Well, that settles it. Of course, I have a source that says Obama is a Kenyan born Muslim space alien that eats human babies, so that must be true also. I mean, it's not like all of Limbaugh's shows are taped and so proving he made a certain statement would just involve doing some research. Oh wait, yeah they are.
As far as the comment on McNabb, are you aware that the NFL for years had the habit of making young black QB's into wideouts, because they thought (1) blacks weren't smart enough to be a QB, and (2) that the largely white fans wouldn't support a team with a black QB. So it was the NFL that had a racist past, and Limbaughs comment was directed at the fact the NFL and the media desperately wanted to distance themselves from that past and so were not judging McNabb on his real performance. He was an ok but not great QB, just like Vick.
October 22, 2009 9:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Trying for Limbo's level of credibility with your quip? I'd take the word of two strangers I never met over Limbo's any day of the week. Ask any doctor.
IF you tried to explain away all the instances of Rush's racism you'd be at it a long time. It's one of those situations where the pattern tells.
October 22, 2009 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink