Rasmussen poll: Reporters are trying to help Obama win

This is the same argument as the New Yorker not getting credentials for Obama's trip.

Even if you are honest in your response to questions, some people will always believe you're lying, because they don't want to believe otherwise.

 

Again -- when 88 or 85 percent (or whatever the exact number is) of a certain group votes the same way in four consecutive presidential elections, there is at least some evidence that someone is lying about how "moderate" they are.....

 

It does have meaning because it gives credibility to the common perception -- among true moderates and Americans who are in the mainstream -- that the media is indeed left-leaning and there is a distinct liberal bias in the way things are written and reported.

 

Why is someone who votes for a Democratic president/governer/senator automatically a liberal? Why can't they be a moderate?

Again, some people will never take an honest answer at face value, because they don't want to believe.

 

Is there a left-matters blog at the Washington Post?

What is the left's answer to Glenn beck on Headline news?

Does holmes ever get to speak, or does he just wipe HANNITY's booty?

How many lefty front-page stories were there on the run up to the Iraq war?

Why did major media outlets agree to run W's economic .... I'm .. trying .. not ... to .... laugh ..... plan in 2000 without an independent outside source?

Al Gore invented the internet ... case closed.

Those great moderate Americans gave us 8 years of George W Bush, maybe we need a truly educated electorate like Jefferson envisioned but the GOP has attacted education outside the walls of gated communities and given us the "just shop, everything is okay, we got it covered so don't worry about the man behind the shotgun or that guy tapping his foot in the stall to your left."

Liberal media my liberal ass!

 

I think I understand what Zag is trying to say, and while not artful, he's mostly correct.
The public's perception of the newsroom and paper overall is colored by the editorial page.
If the editorial page leans left, the paper is liberal. If it leans right, conservative.
I don't think that's fair, but we aren't talking about reality, we are just talking about perception. Most serious reporters, who disagree with their paper's editorial stances, tend to say they have nothing do with the editorial page.
I also think most newspaper types, by both training and inclination, tend to be skeptics and that doesn't jibe with the Republicans incredibly successful trait of staying on message.
Also, the truth has a well-known liberal bias.
The other thing I would add is that while they may not realize they are doing it, reporters might be self-editing just to avoid the tag of being liberal.
And one final thought, I think as a rule, most reporters tend to go after those in power. The Republicans have the White House and when Hillary was the front-runner, the press corps went after her. And I seriously doubt that someone like Al Gore says "damn liberal media." If you look at the current coverage and note the trends, you will see that many who supported Obama at first are beginning to write pieces that are going after him.

 

Just as a thought-exercise:

The American press is essentially centrist. The American "mainstream" Zag describes is so far right - compared to the electorate in any other First World market-democracy - as to be reactionary.

 

It all comes down to what is the definition of a moderate?

One of our political columnists -- who was a politial writer for about 18 years until he was promoted within the past six years -- defines himself as a moderate and gets pissy if he is called a liberal.

Yet, He has voted Democrat in the last five presidential elections.

Yet, He is pro-abortion (but not for the partial birth stuff).

Yet, He is a strong supporter of gay marriage.

Yet, He is a strong union guy and he often writes of evil capitalists and corporations.

Yet, He absolutely believes in the green movement and most of its kook conspiracies and scare tactics.

Yet, He is big on bashing "tax cuts for the rich", which is the most liberal talking point going I think.

Yet, He is, just from reading his own words, a big supporter of Obama and Hillary's health care pacakages......

But hey, he goes to church and he believes that our country's value system has gone down the tubes and he occassionally rips the MTV generation for having no morals so I can see his point, he is a moderate!!!!

I mean -- come on, is he really a moderate?

 

He's no less a moderate than you are a libertarian.

 

Holy Christ -- I'll ask again -- what is your position with the Obama campaign?

You are way gone, my friend, way, way gone.........

 

I agree with your second point. But I think it's irrelevant to this conversation.

 

You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better, but you are dead wrong and you know it.