Posts Made By: James Brown

Originally Posted by Darian Rachal

Jim, I'm curious, which "news source"(MSM) do you think gives the most reliable/worthwhile information? To what do you attribute Fox dominating CNN in the ratings? 

Hi Darian:

The BBC without question.  Seriously, their reporting on the US is much better than the domestic offerings.   I think the news from AP, the WSJ, and the NYT are the best.  I love NPR for anything but politics.  Their political "reporting is so biased as to be useless.  No one has balanced political reporting though.  

I think Fox crushes CNN because of demographics.  Old people tend to watch TV and they tend to be conservative, so they gravitate to Fox.  Young people get their political fix on line or (puke) from social media.  Young people tend to be liberal.  CNN is targeting a smaller audience for traditional TV political coverage than Fox is.

Jim    

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Here's CNN's reporting in their article:
"Haley said that while she believed under the Constitution that states have the right to secede from the rest of the country. When asked if she would support the seccession of South Carolina, which was the first state to secede during the Civil War, she said she did not think “it’s gonna get to that point.”
“The Union, I think that they do,” Haley inaccurately said. “I mean, the Constitution says that".
Now, one could argue that's a notch below Marjorie Taylor Green's statement on President's day that called for a "national divorce" in the united states wherein red states become autonomous from blue states but the messaging and the dog whistling to the base is the same. At least one Republican governor of arguably the most conservative state in the county, Utah, condemned Greene's statement and "the hatred" it conveys, but the base isn't listening to him...

As usual, the devil is in the details.  CNN manipulated you.  Again (see the 2016-2019 big lie).  In 1869 the Supreme Court ruled (in the context of the civil war and I see war bond repayment obligations) that unilateral secession was unconstitutional.  https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/74/700/

This is hardly common knowledge.   Looks like the Supremes also confirmed that secession with consent was perfectly acceptable under the Constitution.  Would you let the Dakotas go if they asked nicely? 

More importantly, what was Haley taking about all those years ago?  Unilateral secession or something else?  The quote above is gibberish.  You don't know anything about the context, because the CNN article is devoid of context.  Not surprising.

At worst, this is a Haley gaffe from decades ago.   Gaffes are disqualifying you know, but at least she never claimed to fight a tough guy named Corn Pop.  But CNN has spun this gaffe, or misquote into evidence that this candidate is a white supremacist and in your words a secessionist.   Wow.  That some unbiased reporting there.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Haley whistling to her base in her own words:
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/02/22/kfile-nikki-haley-civil-war-confederate-history-month-ip-vpx.cnn

Did anyone else click this link?  This is the best you and CNN got?  CNN cherry picks three quotes from a 13 year old interview and presents them out of context.  Then the talking heads act as if her comments are beyond the pale.  People like Rod lap it up.

What does Haley say that was so egregious?   Basically she supported the confederate flag as being a symbol "tradition" not a symbol of "racism."   James, Greg, Darian, and our other southern friends can tell you Rod, that this was not an uncommon point of view in the South 13 years ago.  Hell, I think it is a defensible, but extremely out-of-favor point of view now!   Lots of not-racist Southerners felt that the confederate flag was a fine symbol of their heritage in 2010.  

Guess what, many of these confederate flag supporting people were not and are not racists!  Sure, the events and evolving sensibilities between 2010 and 2023 have caused many people like Nikki Haley to rethink their position on the confederate battle flag.  Even CNN acknowledges that she took the flag down in 2015 as governor.  If this is the best CNN can come up with, I'm optimistic for Haley's chances.   She won't carry CA and NY of course, and CNN will never see her victory coming.  It will be extrordinarily fun to see the election night coverage.  Just gotta get the nomination, that will be the hard part.

Here is a better link:  https://nikkihaley.com/

I hope the attached picture does not trigger you too much Rod.  Now, I'm definitely going to pour a glass of bourbon and spin some Lynyrd Skynyrd or Molly Hatchet vinyl  tonight to celebrate! 

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Haley whistling to her base in her own words:
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/02/22/kfile-nikki-haley-civil-war-confederate-history-month-ip-vpx.cnn

Speaking of CNN, are you interested in defending Don Lemon?  I'm sure you saw or read about his egregiously sexist Nikki Haley comments?  

Several women's groups have called for Lemon's removal.  https://weareultraviolet.org/pressrel/ultraviolet-urges-cnn-to-suspend-don-lemon-from-political-coverage-after-lemons-sexist-ageist-remarks-on-nikki-haley-women-politicians-in-their-prime/

He got a wrist slap from CNN, and issued a tepid non-apology.  You OK with the way this was handled?  CNN is going to be the gift that keeps on giving for the Haley campaign.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Compared to the constant propaganda of Faux News and other right wing media, Lemon's idiotic comment is a drop in the bucket. At least he apologized for it. Compared to what has transpired on Faux, this is a minor transgression. 
Where's Haley's response to this?
"Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) touched a nerve across the political spectrum this week with her call for a “national divorce” that echoed the nation’s history surrounding secessionism."
"Greene’s call for the U.S. to be split into two nations of red and blue states has infuriated members of both parties, while giving Republicans an unwanted headache."
"Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) labeled the idea “evil,” and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) tweeted that “Secession is unconstitutional. No member of Congress should advocate secession, Marjorie.”
"But neither House GOP leadership nor rank-and-file Republicans in the lower chamber have responded."
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3870038-greene-stirs-up-political-storm-with-national-divorce-comments/
Haley's lack of a response as well as that from GOP leadership provides tacit approval of Greene's inane and insane ideology...

Right. This is the mother of all logical fallacies.  I don't see you on this board denouncing every insane or inane thing that slips from the lips of crazy Ds like Maxine Waters.  Nor would I expect you to!  Silence is not tacit approval dude.  Are you sure that you and Richard are not the same person, typing under two separate accounts? 

It may very well be that the D strategy in 2024 will be to paint every R candidate, no matter how serious and weighty, as some sort of blend between MTG and Trump.  Go for it.  It will certainly play well on CNN.  We can discuss the results of this strategy in November of 24.

Not sure you saw Lemon's "apology" by the way.  What a smug bastard he is.

Jim

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Maxine who?! I mean, compared to the traction that Greene gets, not to mention her ambitions as a VP mate with Trump, her policy proposals need to be taken seriously and loudy condemned. 

Cool, to the best of my knowledge everyone condemns MTG's "divorce."  Literally no one who is serious takes MTG's blather serious.  I don't know if she even considered her comments serious!  I don't follow her at all, unlike you.  She certainly does give you something to get worked up about though, so I guess her life has purpose.

About the traction...  On CNN maybe.  You understand how this proves the original point that CNN and Fox are equally adept at spin, lies, and partisanship.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

No, they are not equally adept on spin, lies, and partisanship. Not even close. Here's Greene having her secession ideas promoted in her interview with popular Faux propagandist Shawn Hannity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzQ-CFK-pYg&t=469s

Of course they are.  One random example that popped into my head, see below.  Do I need to post 500 clips of CNN propagating the Russian collusion lie?  Do you reckon Chris Cuomo was playing it right down the middle in all those interviews with his brother?

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/02/21/jussie-smollett-attack-don-lemon-sot-ctn-vpx.cnn

Originally Posted by James Brown

Of course they are.  One example that popped into my head.  Do I need to post 500 clips of CNN propagating the Russian collusion lie?  Do you reckon Chris Cuomo was playing it right down the middle?

https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/02/21/jussie-smollett-attack-don-lemon-sot-ctn-vpx.cnn

Another example:  I suppose CNN employee Donna Brazille was just doing good journalism when she leaked the freaking town hall debate questions to her pal Hillary Clinton?

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

I'm not seeing your problem with this clip. He's acknowledging people had problems with Smollett's story from the beginning. He's acknowledging his association with him. What do you want to do, call for him to be tarred and feathered, too?  

My problem is that this piece was not journalism, it was pure advocacy.

Lemon' defense of Smollett when he knew better was only political hackery.  (i.e. "They shouted this is MAGA Country" )  No punishment necessary.  He should be figuratively tarred and feathered for his sexist comments about Haley.

Originally Posted by James Lacey

Sean Hannity and other Fox News personalities routinely coordinated with the Trump White House to tailor their messaging. How do we know this? From the evidence gathered by the Jan. 6 committee. What happened to Sean Hannity? Nothing. From what I can tell, Fox News cares very little about ethics in journalism. I'm not saying CNN is a shining beacon of objective journalism, but they are head and shoulders above Fox in the ethics arena. Chris Cuomo was fired because he was improperly entangled with his brother's political team. As far as I know, we never see this happen at Fox. Their star personalities are never subject to ethical standards.

As usual James, your posts make sense.  Maybe more people have been fired from CNN, but that does not seem to change their hiring practices!   You have not addressed the Russian collusion lie (story) that CNN beat on for years.  It was literally the centerpiece of their news coverage for at least two years!  No one was fired for that.  The Russian collusion lies is arguably as bad, pervasive, audience/profit motive driven, and damaging to our civic institutions as Trump's stolen election lie.  There has been no reckoning for the collusion lie at CNN, the NYT, or WaPO. 

Of course CNN coordinates with the White House too!  Or maybe it is vice versa in the case of Fox and CNN, and the White House coordinates from them.  If CNN is more ethical than Fox, it is shades of grey, not "head and shoulders."

What do you think of CNNs coverage of Haley so far?