Howie Kurtz Whines The Proles Aren’t Listening To The Media Anymore

You silly, stupid people. What exactly gives you the right to think for yourself and ignore what “The Deciders” have decided?

For once, mainstream journalists did not retreat to the studied neutrality of quoting dueling antagonists.

They tried to perform last rites on the ludicrous claim about President Obama's death panels, telling Sarah Palin, in effect, you've got to quit making things up.

But it didn't matter. The story refused to die.

The crackling, often angry debate over health-care reform has severely tested the media's ability to untangle a story of immense complexity. In many ways, news organizations have risen to the occasion; in others they have become agents of distortion. But even when they report the facts, they have had trouble influencing public opinion.

Before blasting Kurtz, allow me to congratulate and thank him for admitting that the media has taken sides in Palin v. Obama and that they aren’t even pretending to be neutral. At least he got the right.

That said, I’d love to see all the pieces from his beloved “mainstream journalists” debunking the many myths the Democrats threw out during the Bush years. How about relentless attempts at “influencing public opinion” when Obama distorted John McCain’s position on health care during the campaign (a position Obama is now open to adopting himself, sort of)? There aren’t any, because the media was an accomplice to those creations.

Funny how Kurtz is glad that “journalists” have finally gotten into the fight when it comes to saving the failing Obama health plan and presidency.

Here’s a little free info for Mr. Kurtz…people simply don’t trust you guys anymore. There are too many sources of information and the party line doesn’t square with reality as many people know it.

No, the health care bills don’t refer to “death panels” but people know that when you talk about “bending the cost curve down” that means cutting services. Given Obama's creepy science adviser and his less than stellar record on life issues (he never met an abortion regulation he liked, he's supported what amounted to infanticide and he himself openly wondered whether hip replacement surgery for the elderly who were terminally ill was a good use of resources), a lot of people simply don't trust the guy on this issue.

Kurtz and his ilk may decide they will buy Obama’s promises of ‘savings’ through better record keeping and increased testing (which won’t actually save money according to the CBO. How about the media get on “influencing public opinion” about that lie?) but the public is not obligated to do so.

Why should anyone believe Obama’s projections given their miserable rate of failure to date? Just look at their claims of “unemployment topping out at 8%”, deficit projections which just jumped $2 trillion and their shock at ‘cash for clunkers’ running out of money in a week. That’s three areas the administration has bungled their projections and promises yet we should just swallow their projections on health care? Why? Sorry but, “because we are journalists” isn’t an acceptable answer.

Yes, some of the town hall protesters have used coarse language and their understanding of Section19432, subsection 342q4 of the bill may not land them an invite to some think tanks policy retreat weekend but they have the basic framework right and they don’t like it.

Worse still…they aren’t listening to you and your friends. How terribly sad for you all.

posted by DrewM. at 10:37 AM

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