Please Change This Headline
This is my first blog entry on TPM, and I'm afraid it must be brief.
Will someone please second my motion to have the editors change the headline about the AIG bonuses: "Obama admin won't block AIG bonuses despite tough talk."
Whatever your opinion of the AIG bonuses, the tough talk, or the policy underlying all of them, this headline is loaded and highly misleading.
If you actually read the WSJ article linked from the TPM headline, you'll see that the president's people are hedging about rescinding the bonuses, since a lot of them have already been disbursed, but are nonetheless looking to recuperate the money through other channels.
What's the problem with that? It might not be as satisfying as knowing that Geithner et al. were smart enough to block the bonuses in advance, but recovering the money and imposing tougher restrictions on AIG would appear to match talk with action.
TPM is frothing a bit too much today.
Will someone please second my motion to have the editors change the headline about the AIG bonuses: "Obama admin won't block AIG bonuses despite tough talk."
Whatever your opinion of the AIG bonuses, the tough talk, or the policy underlying all of them, this headline is loaded and highly misleading.
If you actually read the WSJ article linked from the TPM headline, you'll see that the president's people are hedging about rescinding the bonuses, since a lot of them have already been disbursed, but are nonetheless looking to recuperate the money through other channels.
What's the problem with that? It might not be as satisfying as knowing that Geithner et al. were smart enough to block the bonuses in advance, but recovering the money and imposing tougher restrictions on AIG would appear to match talk with action.
TPM is frothing a bit too much today.
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Your points are well taken. Our leaders need to be held accountable and they're certainly not going to get it right every time. But to stoke the flames with overstated outrage (see my recent post) is not productive and confuses the conversation.
March 17, 2009 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Entirely agree on your points on overstated rage. But then there's the separate problem when cases well deserving of rage, and lots of it, get confused when the details don't match the sentiments. I want those bonuses gone, too, but using that WSJ story to editorialize that Obama is matching his tough talk is just reaching.
March 17, 2009 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for this. Good first blog. Appreciate.
Keep 'em comin'.
March 17, 2009 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
yes. some TPM headlines are becoming like Huffpost headlines. You click on them and the article or video they lead to is not as "advertised".
I don't know that there's anything that pisses me off more than taking the time to click on a link to a story and having to discover on my own that the headline mischaracterized the whole thing.
The reason I like TPM is because it rarely sensationalizes--it ought to stick to that strength.
Credibility is a terrible thing to waste.
March 17, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Headlines might bother you but trust me, most people are already firmly behind the notion that obama has let this happen and will blame him.
Now I know its not polite to tell the truth here about obama and if I ever read replies to my comments I might be offended.
But this is the beginning of the failed presidency.
Once the majority of people equate all these bailouts to just helping the rich while they suffer there will be no way for obama to put those pieces back together.
I predicted a 10 point drop for obama favorable over this.
What is clear to me is the republicans have decided to be critical of every thing obama does.
Also the media is willing to follow in step like the shills they are.
Expect dems to break with the party line on all the coming major legislature.
You see...there is no price to pay for taking on obama and in fact he rewards and backdowns only to his opposition.
Open your eyes people.
We are at the start of a complete breakdown of the presidency.
March 17, 2009 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Always appreciate the courage of the truth tellers. Look forward to talking again in 4 years.
March 17, 2009 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow. It's the first 50 days of 4 years. Nice to see a few folks hysterical enough to make me look semi-sane :-).
March 17, 2009 1:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any good brew heads with a froth... but I was taken aback by it myself when I read the actual article, that headline seemed a bit sensational. and noticed it has changed.
Yellow journalism at TPM? Heaven forbid!
March 17, 2009 1:12 PM | Reply | Permalink