Gross examples of recent mainstream media bias regarding Dick Cheney's selection...
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The ideological labeling of Dick Cheney continued unabated on Wednesday with ABC's Terry Moran relaying how Gore's team is trying to hurt Bush "by painting Cheney as an extremist." Dan Rather called Cheney a "hardline conservative" and though Cheney has a "very conservative" record, Phil Jones threatened it's not a problem now "but this could change as voters learn more about his record." NBC's David Gregory tagged Cheney "an unabashed conservative," before listing some supposedly out of touch views, but a new Zogby poll picked up by FNC and MSNBC showed Bush-Cheney in tune with independents on guns and abortion.
And Wednesday morning Today co-host Matt Lauer saw a contradiction between Cheney's views, including supposedly being "anti-equal rights," and being a "compassionate conservative."
Here are highlights of Cheney coverage from Wednesday night, July 26, on the broadcast networks followed by the Today item:
-- ABC's World News Tonight. Without even a soundbite ABC showed a brief video clip of Bush and Cheney in Casper before going to Terry Moran for a look at Gore's attack strategy displayed during an appearance with Jesse Jackson. Viewers heard Jackson proclaim: "Dick Cheney has an image that is palatable, but Jesus warned to be aware of wolves in sheep clothing."
After some clips of Gore and Clinton talking about how the GOP ticket appeals only to the wealthy, Moran summarized the strategy:
"Gore's staffers say the Vice President is going after Dick Cheney so aggressively because it helps him against Governor Bush, who they note is still not that well known by most voters. By painting Cheney as an extremist they really hope to hurt Bush. That's why the Vice President and his surrogates will make so much of Cheney's conservative voting record in Congress."
Of course, that strategy only works because of the compliant media.
-- CBS Evening News. Dan Rather read two short items on what the two tickets were up to during the day. Rather relayed how before the Rainbow Coalition "Gore called the Republicans the quote, ‘old guard ticket' of quote, ‘big oil, big polluters and price gouging drug companies,' unquote." Rather then showed video of Cheney and Bush at a rally in Casper, and noted: "To critics of his hardline conservative congressional voting record Cheney said today quote, ‘he is genuinely proud of that record.'"
Phil Jones checked in with a look at a political focus group gathered to discuss VP choices. An MD decided of Bush's pick: "I don't think Mr. Cheney did cocaine or got drunk in high school or college and all that kind of thing. Like I said before, it's nice to know there's two guys in the cockpit, at least one knows how to fly the plane."
Jones then warned: "On other issues, Cheney's very conservative voting record, his anti-abortion rights stand and his current connection to a big oil company, not problems right now but this could change as voters learn more about his record."
Was that a warning or a threat?
-- NBC Nightly News. David Gregory provided the only full broadcast network story of the night on the Bush-Cheney appearance in Casper. Gregory showed Bush praising Cheney's small town roots and attacking Clinton's Lewinsky evasions, but Gregory noted, facing reporters Bush was forced to answer critics who say that Cheney "overshadows him."
Over video of Cheney next to Bush at the airport, Gregory referred to how Cheney is "an unabashed conservative with a voting record Democrats compare to that of Newt Gingrich. Today Cheney downplays his record that includes support for the tightest restrictions on abortion, opposition to gun control, a vote against the Equal Rights Amendment for women and against sanctions on South Africa during apartheid."
Following a clip of Cheney saying he might now find some votes he would cast differently, Gregory showed Gore's attack. NBC next ran a piece on how most experts say Cheney's heart surgery is not a problem.
As for Gregory's list of Cheney's out of touch votes, the ERA never had enough public support to gain ratification. And on FNC's Special Report with Brit Hume viewers learned about a new poll putting Cheney in the mainstream on abortion and guns.
During the roundtable segment Hume cited a Zogby poll of 1,008 "independent voters" taken July 6-8. On partial birth abortion, 49 percent would "support candidate who would ban" while 41 percent of independents would "support candidate who would veto ban." Asked "Would you support a candidate who believes doctors should be required legally to notify parents of minors about abortions?" 68 percent said yes versus just 28 percent who said no. And on guns, 69 percent of independents, not the population overall, replied they would "support candidate who wants better enforcement of current laws" over a mere 25 percent who agreed they would "support candidate who wants more gun control laws."
Though Gregory didn't mention the numbers on NBC Nightly News, John Zogby himself appeared on MSNBC's The News with Brian Williams Wednesday night to discuss his findings.
Wednesday morning, MRC analyst Geoffrey Dickens noticed, Today co-host Matt Lauer asked Tim Russert: "As soon as it became clear that Dick Cheney was indeed the man people came out of the woodwork and started challenging his voting record while a member of Congress. And it's a pretty conservative record. Do you think people had a more moderate image of him than is true?"
Russert explained: "That's because of his personality, his presentations, his avuncular approach to life, Matt. But this is the race, the battle to define Dick Cheney and therefore define George W. Bush. The Republicans will say Cheney is reliable, steady, competent and will help us govern. The Democrats will say, 'Not so fast. Before you govern you have to win an election. And let's look at Mr. Cheney's record of anti-abortion, anti-environment, anti-equal rights amendment for women, anti-gun control.' That's what we're going to see play out over the next few days."
Lauer eagerly took up the Gore cause and painted a contradiction between all the things Cheney is supposedly against and Bush's compassionate message: "And when you talk about votes like that, that he made while in Congress, anti-affirmative action, anti-abortion, anti-gun control, anti-equal rights, how does George Bush portray him as a compassionate conservative?"
Tuesday night MSNBC's Brian Williams had pushed a similar theme. MRC analyst Paul Smith picked up on this question to Brent Scowcroft:
"The Governor of Texas is fond of talking about compassionate conservatism. Fond of talking about a big tent. In this choice, he has picked someone whose ideology on, let's say, the issue of abortion is identical to his despite the suggestions and pleas of some including former President Gerald Ford. Do you think it is too limiting, do they run that risk?" |
