A Standard Assertion
Mar 19th, 2008 at 8:34 am by Susie
Richard Cohen gets some things right and some things wrong in today’s column about Reverend Wright. But let’s ignore his views of the current matter. When journalists advance this Standard Laughable Claim, we try to swing into action:
COHEN (3/18/08): But a presidential candidate is not a mere church member, and he operates in a different context. We examine everything about him for the slightest clue about character.
When it comes to presidential candidates, “We examine everything about him for the slightest clue about character.” They make that Standard Claim all the time. Who knows? They may even believe it!
What does the “press corps” actually do? As E. R. Shipp noted in March 2000, they invent different “roles” for the “characters” in their “drama,” then proceed disgracefully from there. For example, does anyone think that the press corps has “examined everything about John McCain for the slightest clue about character?” Does anyone remember the way they “examined everything about Candidate Bush for the slightest clue about character?” Bush’s DUI emerged at the end of Campaign 2000 because, for all their early growling, the press corps hadn’t bothered to check his record in Kennebunkport. Meanwhile, why was CBS still exploring (and bungling) the Air National Guard story during Campaign 04? Because, with very few exceptions, the nation’s big news orgs took a total pass on the story during Campaign 2000.
Instead, they spent their valuable time inventing bogus tales about Gore.
We examine everything about them for the slightest clue about character? In fact, here’s what they actually do: They invent “demon tales” about those they dislike, and recite “hero tales” about those they prefer. Despite this, Cohen’s claim is perfectly standard. They get to keep making this ludicrous claim because career liberals—our side’s house-broken “lovable losers”—keep accepting the things they do.
And then go read what he has to say about a liberal media that attacks Newmax as a source, but has no trouble accepting what Matt Drudge says as truth.
