Parsing Vindicated
When does the time come when the job description for the media once again includes correcting falsehood or misinterpretation (intentional or otherwise). Yesterday in Iowa Barack Obama, repeating a sentiment he has offered many times before, stated that the results of the Iowa caucus had vindicated his faith in the American people. Since that time, John McCain has mangled the meaning of Obama's words, to in some way indicate that Obama lacked faith in the American people before that occurence. So, let's parse this out a little bit. From the Mirriam-Webster definition of vindicated:
(1): confirm , substantiate (2): to provide justification or defense for : justify c: to protect from attack or encroachment : defend
Obama states that he had faith in the American people and implies that others did not- now, I'm adding this part myself, but I feel comfortable inferring the implication that Obama had faith while others (myself included) did not have faith that a majority white populace would vote for a black presidential candidate. So when, in Iowa, they did just that they vindicated or provided "justification or defense for" Obama's faith.
Now, I have certainly thought a number of negative things about John McCain, but I have never thought him stupid. So, I can only assume that he is knowingly and intentionally mangling the meaning of Obama's words in order to attack Obama's patriotism. This is not a surprise- John McCain is apparently in the last days on the bad end of a change election. He's going to say anything that might change the game in a hurry. I understand that. What I do not understand is why it would be that in reports on these attacks running all day on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, the Washington Post and the New York Times, not a single reporter has bothered to point it out. I do not understand how journalists can stand by while a candidate looks at something that is blue, and screams "look- it's red," and rather than saying "no, it's blue" just comment on how hard the candidate is giving it to the other guy... "Wow. Did you hear that Bob... he says it's red. That hurts..."
There are many things I hope to look forward to in the coming administration. I think my fondest hope is that, perhaps, it might be an administration that won't villify the press for their very existence... and that perhaps that may mean that the press will do something they've been afraid to do for a long time... call it like it is rather than like one side would like it to be. Perhaps then, whatever faith we may have in the fourth estate will be... wait for it... vindicated.
(1): confirm , substantiate (2): to provide justification or defense for : justify c: to protect from attack or encroachment : defend
Obama states that he had faith in the American people and implies that others did not- now, I'm adding this part myself, but I feel comfortable inferring the implication that Obama had faith while others (myself included) did not have faith that a majority white populace would vote for a black presidential candidate. So when, in Iowa, they did just that they vindicated or provided "justification or defense for" Obama's faith.
Now, I have certainly thought a number of negative things about John McCain, but I have never thought him stupid. So, I can only assume that he is knowingly and intentionally mangling the meaning of Obama's words in order to attack Obama's patriotism. This is not a surprise- John McCain is apparently in the last days on the bad end of a change election. He's going to say anything that might change the game in a hurry. I understand that. What I do not understand is why it would be that in reports on these attacks running all day on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, the Washington Post and the New York Times, not a single reporter has bothered to point it out. I do not understand how journalists can stand by while a candidate looks at something that is blue, and screams "look- it's red," and rather than saying "no, it's blue" just comment on how hard the candidate is giving it to the other guy... "Wow. Did you hear that Bob... he says it's red. That hurts..."
There are many things I hope to look forward to in the coming administration. I think my fondest hope is that, perhaps, it might be an administration that won't villify the press for their very existence... and that perhaps that may mean that the press will do something they've been afraid to do for a long time... call it like it is rather than like one side would like it to be. Perhaps then, whatever faith we may have in the fourth estate will be... wait for it... vindicated.
