Ted, addressing your questions one at a time:
a) Hezbollah did indeed fire hundreds of missiles at Israel. Most of them landed in unpopulated areas, but the media didn't care about the psychological impact that would have on any nation or people-group. Instead, they focused on Israel's response, which was terribly efficient in leveling entire city blocks. Militarily Israel won, of course, but Hezbollah won overall thanks to public opinion. In this case, though, I don't think the bias in the mainstream media was that blatant, so in my mind they can be excused somewhat.
b) Joe the Plumber, however, was a great example of the media tossing objectivity out the window. Joe asked a very valid question, one that drew a response from Obama that smacked of wealth redistribution. It shouldn't matter whether Joe was really a licensed plumber or not, nor should it matter whether he owed back taxes. The question he asked was perfectly valid, whether you are a plumber, a doctor, a writer, or even a garbage man. And it's a question on many people's minds, not just those who are in trouble with the IRS. This was a CLEAR case of an ad hominem attack perpetrated by the NYTimes and the Associated Press.
Tenchusatsu |
