Media Bias

00Publius Contributor - Business - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - History - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture

Preparation: Recession, Depression, or Panic?

November 14, 2008 by

-By Don Boys, Ph.D.

It was a fantastic year when the stock market boomed and major U.S. companies made huge profits in domestic and foreign markets. New technology totally changed many industries, and financial pundits told us that we were on the edge of a new level of prosperity. Politicians, business leaders, and economists told us that the future was incredibly bright. No, that was not in recent years but in 1929! From May of 1928 to September of 1929, stocks jumped forty percent! In fact, trading in 1929 was more than twice that of 1928.

Newspaper headlines on Oct. 24, 1929 (Black Thursday) screamed, “Wall Street in Panic as Stocks Crash.” President Hoover (not “President Roosevelt” as our newly elected VP declared!) assured the American public that it was only a little correction, but the prosperous became paupers overnight. The best stock on Wall Street was General Motors, selling for 73 and after the crash, it fell to eight!

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Censorship - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Free Speech - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Buffalo News Supporting Silencing of Righty Radio Talkers

November 13, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Douglas Turner of the Buffalo News wants conservative radio talkers silenced. He calls them “virulent,” “violent” and “coarse” and hopes that starting January 1 the “work of flushing” them will begin. Turner fills his little anti-free speech screed with claims and a few examples of how rotten he thinks righty talkers are and how they need to be shut down, yet can’t seem to find a single cross word to say about the “coarseness” of lefty talkers. In other words, it is plain that “coarseness” or “one-sided” radio isn’t really a concern of his. Only eliminating the free speech of the right is his goal not any leveling of the playing field.

Naturally, his is filled with prosaic generalizations. Turner assumes that all conservative talk show hosts “were fond” of addressing Obama as “Hussein,” his middle name. Yet, Turner offers no list of those that did. He says righty talkers are “violent” but does not offer a single example to prove the allegation. It also seems that Turner can’t understand why radio hosts that call themselves conservative would be “one-sided.” Curiously, he didn’t excoriate Alan Colmes, Randi Rhodes, or Al Franken for being “one-sided.” (I know… Imagine that, huh?)

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - History - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Media and Academia, Historical Illiterates du Jour

November 13, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

To show how foolishly hyperbolic the Old Media and the ignorati in our universities are, the Associated Press issued a dire report that breathlessly informed us all that Barack Obama is facing a “nation in crisis” and it’s all “just like Lincoln and FDR.” The AP even gets an historically illiterate university professor to sonorously declare how Obama is “one step away” from Lincoln and FDR. But a review of our nation’s real history shows that the America Obama will inherit is in nowhere near the state of crisis that Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt had to deal with. But, in the end, this isn’t about real reporting or true historiography but about pumping Obama up and trying to shoehorn him in among what are considered by many our greatest presidents before he’s even taken office.

The absurd hyperbole and wild stretching of the historical record to give gravity to Obama’s reign is transparent for its effort to force readers into imagining that Obama should be given a mandate to do anything he wants. I’d suggest that the reason this foolish overestimate of our state of national “crisis” is being ladled out to an unsuspecting public is because the AP realizes that Obama did not get a mandate vote and the AP fears that Obama might face more resistance than it would like to his starkly socialist policy proscriptions. So, the AP is trying its best to break down those barriers beforehand.

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00Publius Contributor - Business - Communism - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Thomas Brewton

The Auto Bailout

November 13, 2008 by

-By Thomas E. Brewton

Classic socialism in action.

Socialism is characterized by ignoring the free marketplace and empowering intellectual planners to control the economy with a cocoon of regulations and directives. In Europe (and today in China) economically moribund companies are designated national champions and kept alive at taxpayer expense, even when they can’t compete in the free market without government subsidies.

This flows from socialist governments’ belief that full employment can be maintained only by massive deficit spending. J. M. Keynes, the economics guru of the the New Deal era, opined that it would be suitable government policy to hire men to dig holes one day, fill them up the next day, then re-dig them and refill them ad infinitum.
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00Publius Contributor - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Google - Inernet - Media Bias - News - President - Scott Cleland - Society/Culture - Technology

An Unrepentant Google Basically Taunts DOJ/State AGs to File an Antitrust Suit in the Future

November 13, 2008 by

-By Scott Cleland

Google remains its own worst enemy

After dodging a certain DOJ antitrust suit from the most lenient antitrust enforcer in the modern era by withdrawing from the Yahoo ad agreement, Google’s CEO essentially spit at DOJ/State AG prosecutors by publicly and gratuitously saying: Google would have beaten the DOJ in court, nothing has changed, and that they were happy they reached out to Yahoo.
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00Publius Contributor - Flight 93 - Islam - Islamofascism - Media Bias - News - Religion - Security/Safety - Warner Todd Huston

Flight 93 Update

November 13, 2008 by

Tom Burnett Senior: “We have an Islamist design here that can’t go forward, please.”

Blogburst logo, petition

Powerful video of Tom Burnett Senior and Alec Rawls at the August 2nd Memorial project meeting. The clip below is Part 1 of Alec’s new video exposé, starting with Mr. Burnett ‘s appeal to the American people to please help him stop the Park Service from planting a giant Islamic shaped crescent atop his son’s grave.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Congrats to Jake Tapper: Now Senior White House Correspondent for ABC!

November 12, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A richly deserved promotion goes to one of the fairest folks in the Old Media and hearty congratulations from Publius today. Jake Tapper from ABC has been given the plum assignment of Senior White House Correspondent as of this week.

What a great pick by ABC. They couldn’t have found a better guy. Tough, fair minded, on top of the story, web savvy. He has it all. And, at the risk of sounding like I’m playing for the “other team,” not a bad lookin’ fella. OK, that last bit was over the top… but you know. I go caught up in the moment.

So, congrats to Jake Tapper. Imagine, being assigned to the role of Senior White House correspondent at such a time in history! What an opportunity.

Now, some advice, Jakster. Remember how Obama liked to throw people off the plane, how he loved to chuck them under the bus. Remember how Joe Biden punished reporters for their sins during the campaign? Don’t be intimidated, man. We’ve got your back here at Publius. So, if you end up in Obama’s new journalist jail, we’ll try to scrape together some bail money.

And now, we probably just made every other member of the Old Media decide you’re persona non grata because of our praise. Just tell ’em we were off our meds.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

CBS News: Obama Must ‘Win Over’ Media? Is CBS Joking Here?

November 12, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

To answer the question of my headline, no CBS isn’t joking. CBS is actually pretending that the Old Media must be “won over” by a President Obama. It makes one wonder just how much more the press can be in love with The One? As multiple studies have shown, the Old Media has been far more in Obama’s corner than not yet now CBS wants to pretend they are skeptical of Obama? Now CBS wants to act as if they will be tough on him unless he appeases them? I know I said CBS was serious with this report, but it still seems like a joke of epic proportions.

Just catch this absurd CBS headline and subhead: How Obama Can Win Over The Media – MarketWatch Media Columnist Explains What Obama Must Do To Become America’s “Communicator-In-Chief”… I know, I know. When you’ve stopped laughing, you can continue on.

The very beginning of this farce is blind for its inability at introspection. CBS writer Jon Friedman starts his story at what he calls “an election-night party thrown by Time Warner.” But it was not a mere party it was an Obama celebration. At the party, Friedman asks the managing editor of Time magazine what advice he has for Obama and editor Rick Stengel seriously says that Obama must have “a new era of transparency.”

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Vince Johnson

Post Election Blahs

November 12, 2008 by

-By Vince Johnson

Blah #1. Now that the election is over I’m wondering what the News Industry will use to keep their journalists busy. Those reporters who were asked to take early retirement will probably follow Joe Biden around just in case someone asks him a question. They will do this out of habit and an inborn drive to come up with a scoop.

Blah #2. My understanding of the word “enormous” reached new heights when I read the autobiography of William F. Buckley, Jr. I refer to the awesome dimensions of his ego, of course. Despite the vastness, it had something that attracted thoughtful appreciation. Perhaps it was a twinkle from a group of his ordinary genes wishing they could come out of hiding and mingle with the rest of us.

Blah #3. For sixty years whenever I heard the word “scrambled” I always thought of eggs This all changed when the media focused so much attention upon Joe Biden’s untiring efforts to outdo Dan Quayle.
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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Elections - Marie Jon - Media Bias - News - President

While A Huge Crowd Gathered

November 12, 2008 by

-By Marie Jon’

Being politically correct has its rewards. Nevertheless, I must speak my mind without regard to acceptance or reprisals. I feel the need to express my thoughts.

As the huge crowd gathered at Grant Park in Chicago for a historical celebration, others like myself wept. Deep inside my heart, I knew what was to come. I did not see the stature bestowed upon this man who was not worthy of America’s trust.

While many good Americans were confused, I was not. For more than a year, political pundits had focused on Obama’s past political history, his choice of friends, and his quasi-Christian faith. His choice of Afrocentric Black liberation theology reinforced Obama’s disdain for America. He chose the theme of change and made it part of his ongoing mantra because it reflects his own political social agenda.
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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Islam - Islamofascism - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Mixed Signals For Pakistan and India

November 11, 2008 by 5 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

At only five days into his transition period, Barack Obama may have already made several mistakes in his relations with the countries of India and Pakistan that could cloud his relationship with two of the most powerful and influential nations in that part of the world.

Obama’s first odd move was to appoint Google financial adviser Sonal Shah to his transition team. Shah, a well-known 40-year-old economist and Indian American, is controversial in Pakistan for having links to a Hindu nationalist political party as well as a few other extremist groups based in India.

As soon as Obama brought Shah onto his team, tongues in Pakistan began to wag about the “controversial” economist for her connection to VHP-America. The Pakistani news service Daily Times pointed to connections between VHP and a group suspected of sponsoring riots that targeted Muslims and Christians in Gujarat, India.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Islam - Islamofascism - Israel - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Sends Man Linked With Terror Group AND George Soros to Deal With Egypt/Syria

November 11, 2008 by 7 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

News services in Israel are on fire with talk that Barack Obama has just sent a supporter of the terror group Hamas as his envoy to Syria and Egypt to relay news of his policies to come. Last September Israel’s suspicions were heated up about “former” Obama advisor Robert Malley being sent to Syria with a George Soros funded group. It was then claimed by Egyptian sources that Malley was still working as an advance man for Obama which angered Israelis because six months earlier Malley announced that he had held “regular meetings” with Hamas. At that time, Malley’s comment caused the Obama camp to hurriedly distance the candidate from any connection with Malley. But, with the election over, it seems that Obama’s claims that Malley didn’t really work for him are not quite true. It also seems that we already have the very first example of Obama sticking his finger in the eye of our allies in Israel. Naturally, the U.S. press is not reporting this news.

In September of this year, Robert Malley caused consternation among people that stand against the terror group Hamas when he went to Syria to work for a group called the International Crisis Group — a George Soros funded NGO also chaired by other doyens the far left. Some thought that he was secretly there as an Obama advance man, but there is no real proof that he was there in that capacity at that time so the story died down.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Airline Unions Want Obama’s Help Bankrupting Airlines

November 11, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

During the campaign it came to light that Barack Obama had claimed that he wanted to bankrupt America’s coal industry and make all our electrical rates skyrocket. Well, now that he is president elect Obama, airline unions are hoping that he’ll also come to their aid and help bankrupt the airlines. At least, that is what the things these unions want Obama to help them with will do.

The union that represents American Airlines flight attendants recently announced hopes that Obama would intervene in upcoming negotiations and help the unions rollback previous benefit cuts that they’d agreed to the last negotiations. “Perhaps the time is nigh for righting the wage and benefit cuts which have weighed unevenly on the labor groups,” the union said to its members.

With the costs of fuel falling, some analysts are saying that the airline industry might see profits for the first time in a long while, and this has left labor unions salivating to abscond with these profits for themselves.

But, in a still weak economy and with uncertain fuel prices, this is a recipe for disaster. Unions aren’t willing even to let things settle before making a mad dash for the cash and with Obama in office they assume he will force business to bow to union demands, especially where it concerns strikes in the transportation industry, an area that Federal oversight is thick.

This is more evidence that unions would rather see their own livelihoods destroyed than allow their businesses to be profitable.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Frank Salvato - GOP - Media Bias - News - Republicans - Society/Culture

Will Republicans Have the Courage to Hit the Reset Button

November 11, 2008 by

-By Frank Salvato

So, the voters of the United States have spoken. They have chosen – or we have chosen because it is important to treat the presidency with respect, something the Progressive-Left wouldn’t have understood until now – a 47-year old multiracial man, who had a decidedly “Progressive” upbringing, who taught community activist organizations to pressure financial institutions into embracing bad business practices, whose records when in the Illinois Senate were destroyed and who started campaigning for the presidency almost from the beginning of his US Senate career. Congratulations, President-Elect Obama. You pulled off.

We, as a people, chose Obama, questionable theology and all, to be president over an increasingly inclusive, reach-across-the-aisle, established war hero who proved his love of country through bone-breaking torture at the Hanoi Hilton. We chose Obama, questionable political ideological belief system and all, over a seasoned Senator with a proven track record of getting things done and a man the mainstream media used to adore before he dared to run against the “First Black President,” even though Obama really isn’t all that “Black” (a genealogical examination of Obama’s family line indicates he is 50% Caucasian, 43.75% Arab, and 6.25% African corresponding to the demographic of his Great-Great-Grandparents: 8 Caucasians, 7 Arabs and one African).
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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Obama: Only Four Days, Already Two Broken Promises

November 10, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

It has only taken four days into his transition period to discover what Barack Obama’s idea of “change” is. Sadly, we find out that the “change” he had in mind was that of changing his mind on campaign promises because it seems as though he is already stepping back from two of them. By his pick for Chief of Staff he has obviated the new bipartisan Washington he claimed he was to orchestrate and by hiring a lobbyist for head of the FCC as well as signaling that he is softening his resistance to other lobbyists he is stepping back from the idea that lobbyists will be on the outside looking in with his new administration.

Obama’s first broken promise is the fingering of old Clinton administration hack Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff. This pick does not bode well for the claim that he is interested in a less rancorous administration because Emanuel is widely known as a pit bull for the left and is not new to Washington in any way. His intemperate language and hard-charging style is not the sort that one would expect for an exercise in bipartisanship. Neither is Emanuel’s close connection with the corrupt Chicago political machine or his long-time connection to the Clinton Administration.

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00Publius Contributor - Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Media Bias - News - Patriotism - President - Republicans - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Conservatives, Obama’s Win is Your Fault

November 10, 2008 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

With that headline you may think I am employing hyperbole. If so, you would be wrong. I am absolutely and positively blaming the conservative movement for the rise to the presidency of a man that adheres to a socialist ideology. In fact, in this day and age, I might even blame conservatives for the continued existence of this man’s ideas altogether, though that might be a stretch. No, more directly, conservatives are at fault for the singular fact that many millions of Americans saw no reason not to vote for a socialist. They mistakenly imagined his ideas were still just as American as anyone’s. These voters haven’t the first clue that their vote stood four-square against true American ideas. Unfortunately, conservatives are at fault for this rampant inability of our fellows to understand what is an American ideology and what isn’t. Sadly, we have allowed several generations to pass without being educated as to why Barack Obama’s basic political creed is blatantly socialist.

Leftism got its start in America before the turn of the 20th century but in 1960 a conservative grass roots movement began to form around what later became the 1964 candidacy of Barry Goldwater. His campaign biography, Conscience of a Conservative, captured the minds of hundreds of thousands of Americans yearning for a return to American principles. After only its first few short years the book that bore Goldwater’s name had sold over 3 million copies and has by now gone through dozens of printings.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Spokesman Says ‘Obama Ready to RULE on Day 1′

November 10, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The co-chair of Barack Obama’s Transition Team, Valerie Jarrett, appeared on Meet the Press this weekend and used, shall we say, an interesting word to described what she thinks Barack Obama will be doing in January when he’s officially sworn into office. She told Tom Brokaw that Obama will be ready to “rule” on day one. It’s a word that reflects the worst fears that people have for Obama the “arrogant,” the “messiah,” that imagines he’s here to “rule” instead of govern.

Jarret told Brokaw that “given the daunting challenges that we face, it’s important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.”

Someone needs to get to Jarrett and inform her that American politicians are not Kings and do not “rule” from office. But if this is the attitude of Obama’s transition team, what does The One himself imagine he is about to unleash? Could the fears that Obama thinks he is being anointed America’s King be far off with this sort of talk flying about?

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Dan Scott - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Republicans - Society/Culture

The Opposition Response

November 10, 2008 by 6 Comments

-By Dan Scott

Barack Obama gave his press conference outlining his general plans, which include everything from a stimulus package to extending unemployment benefits to bailouts for virtually everyone and their brother, along with other Democrat priorities. He called for quick action by the lame-duck Congress to implement these plans before he even takes office. The GOP seems to be either still in shock or simply mesmerized by the imperative of we must do something so let’s go along otherwise we will get blamed for being bipartisan or not being relevant. The lack of response is to say the least is shocking and reflects either incompetence on their part or a lack of courage by simply laying low to see what shakes out. Since Obama is bound and determined to follow the Democrat path of redistribution of wealth instead of wealth creation to solve the current economic crisis, and the GOP it seems is willing to shirk it’s responsibility as the opposition party, we as conservatives will give the response instead.

First off, an analogy will be helpful in helping describe what the proper response is to get the economy out of the current tailspin. When a pilot loses control of a nose diving plane that goes into spiral, the intuitive response of a novice pilot is to grab hold of the controls and fight the spin to regain control of the plane. This is precisely the wrong thing to do, the proper response is either to steer in the direction of the spin or to let go of the controls and the plane will right itself by doing exactly the opposite motion that a pilot would direct it. This same principle of recovering from a spin also holds for a car by turning in the direction of it and not applying brakes.
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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

ABC Reignites ‘Troopergate’: Officer Portrayed as Victim, Palin as Guilty

November 9, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

ABC Still Attacking Gov. Palin

On its Blotter from Brian Ross Blog, ABC News is trying to re-ignite the “Troopergate” issue by portraying Alaska state trooper Mike Wooten as a victim of “threatening phone calls.” And, in reporting this new aspect of the story, ABC waits until the last sentence of the story to mention that Governor Palin was deemed innocent of charges of ethics violations in trying to be rid of Trooper Wooten even as 90% of the story pounds home what the supposed charges against the Governor were. Further, ABC misrepresents the charges against Wooten as a simple “she said” argument by Palin and fails to mention that he was actually found guilty of many of them.

In fact, this whole report subtlety makes Governor Palin look like the bad actor in this situation and garners sympathy from the reader for Trooper Wooten. In the first paragraph, the piece talks of Palin’s “harsh allegations” and states that he has been “taken off patrols recently for his own safety” because of “threatening phone calls.” The report mentions that both Wooten and his union are whining that he cannot get over time pay since he’s stuck on a desk job “for his own safety.” Looks like ABC thinks Trooper Wooten is a victim here.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Elections - Media Bias - Nancy Salvato - News - President - Race - Security/Safety - Society/Culture

The Oath of a Citizen

November 9, 2008 by

-By Nancy Salvato

The United States of America has in one fell swoop rejected the status quo and elected the first black president. Now that the minorities in this country have seen one of their own elected to the highest office in the land, hopefully we can finally put the race issue to bed and discontinue the Balkanizing of America. Although we have our differences, these differences should not be what identify us. There should not be a hyphen in front of or behind the word American. Profiling should be left to those who investigate crime.

Although I chose to support McCain-Palin, I feel none of the angst that my Democratic brethren expressed at President Bush’s election. I am willing to accept America’s choice in the next leader of this free country. To be perfectly honest, I am relieved that the sky did not fall, Chicago did not succumb to rioting, and there is a relative sense of calm in the air.
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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Race - Republicans - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Remember How Whites Were Too Racist to Vote Obama?

November 8, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On November 5, the Associated Press put out a story on how the so-called Bradley Effect theory is now finished. You’ll remember the Bradley Effect as the effect that was sure to defeat Barack Obama because all whites are secretly racists and, therefore, wouldn’t have voted for the man when it came time. You’ll also remember that just about every wire service and every paper was filled with discussion about all those hick, racist whites and every TV tongue was wagging about it. But, now that this mythic theory has been proven a bust, will the Old Media say much to correct the record?

So, what about it? Are all whites secret racists with the Bradley Effect having proven they won’t vote for a black man, or is it a great humbug now proven faulty? The AP, for its part, comes down on the side of the later. The Bradley Effect is kaput. Several other sources, including NPR and The New York Times, also celebrate the end of the soundness of the Bradley Effect. In fact, quite a few Old Media sources seem happy to kill the Bradley Effect as a sound theory. How could they not? After all, Barack Obama got more votes than the “first black president,” Bill Clinton. It all seems like sunny days are here again. But…

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Energy - Europe - Islam - Islamofascism - Israel - John Armor - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture

President Obama: How Bad Will It Be?

November 8, 2008 by

-By John Armor

Let us take two sources – the statements made by Barack Obama as a candidate and the lessons of history – combine them and make some predictions. The results are not pretty.

These three results — a new World War, a new Great Depression, and permanent damage to the Constitution – are given in decreasing order of damage to the United States. That happens to be the reverse of their odds of happening. Though to me, as a student of the US Constitution, the last item is still critically bad.

Based on his repeated comments about Iran and Pakistan, Obama will coddle our sworn enemy, Iran, and will invade and antagonize our shaky but critical ally, Pakistan. Yes, I know we have done cross-border raids into Pakistan’s lawless border territory. But we have kept those in the lowest possible profile to avoid antagonizing a critical ally whose population is mostly Muslim and who possesses working nuclear weapons.
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00Publius Contributor - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Family - Gay Marriage - Gays - Inernet - Media Bias - Morals/Sex - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

12News, Florida: Marriage is ‘Controversial’ In Florida

November 7, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A short section of the run down of the winning and losing Amendments in Florida contained a perfect example of liberal slant. In this case, a Channel 12 News piece reports on the passage of Amendment Two, an assurance that marriage shall be defined as between one man and one woman only. (For a full definition of Amendment Two, see Ballotpedia.org)

As far as News 12 is concerned, Amendment Two is “the most controversial, but it sure doesn’t seem like the people of Florida agree with channel 12 — which is a bit of a controversy in itself there.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - Michael M. Bates - News - President - Race - Society/Culture

Why the race was lost

November 7, 2008 by

-By Michael M. Bates

Castro this week described Obama as “more intelligent, cultured and levelheaded than his Republican adversary.” The American people agreed. So let the finger pointing commence. In no special order of consequence, here are a few probable reasons for the GOP loss:

  • The candidate. John McCain wasn’t conservatives’ first, or even fourth, choice for nominee. Infinitely preferable to Obama, he nonetheless carried too much baggage for many in the party’s base. Legislative liaisons with Teddy Kennedy and Russ Feingold on matters like immigration and campaign finance didn’t inspire confidence. Neither did McCain’s late conversion to tax cuts. Not discussing the Jeremiah Wright connection, a sensible basis to question his opponent’s judgment, was unwise. Bringing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to the ticket did help a lot. People who dislike her would never have voted for the GOP anyway and she was a huge asset to the campaign. McCain’s estrangement with the rank and file never fully healed. When the Republican Party stops serving as a vehicle for conservatism, it falters.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Warner Todd Huston

ABC’s Stephanopoulos Calls Dick Morris a ‘Liar’ About Rahm Emanuel on WLS Radio

November 6, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

**UPDATE*** With Audio Link

WLS AM 890 in Chicago hosted an in studio visit from ABC newser George Stephanopoulos this morning in the 8:30 segment. Host Don Wade played an interesting Dick Morris sound clip for Stephanopoulos and then asked for his response. That is when Stephanopoulos came right out and said “Dick is a liar.” There was no equivocation, no weasel words, just a straight out “liar.”

The discussion was focusing on Obama’s request to Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-Illinois), a former Bill Clinton senior advisor, to become the new Obama chief of staff. Host Wade was questioning Stephanopoulos as to how the candidate of “change” could go back in time to an old Clinton hack and asked if Emanuel was a good choice for the position.

First, however, Wade played a clip of Dick Morris. In the clip, Morris was recounting a time when President Clinton called him on the phone and yelled at him for the fact that a Clinton focus group had become news when the group was supposed to be a secret. Morris claimed that Clinton demanded to know who Morris had told of the group. Morris claimed that he only told Stephanopoulos and Rahm Emanuel and no one else. Morris said that he asked Clinton, “Can’t I trust you senior staff”? Morris then claimed on the sound clip that Clinton said he couldn’t and that if he told Stephanopoulos and Emanuel he may as well have sent out a press release about it.

After the clip was over, host Wade asked Stephanopoulos if, in light of the tape of Morris claiming that Emanuel was untrustworthy, if Emanuel was still a good choice for Obama’s Chief of Staff?

To that Stephanopoulos said the “L” word, outright calling Dick Morris a liar.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Elections - Islam - Islamofascism - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

The ‘Rigid’ Obama — Will He React to ‘Change’ Well?

November 6, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Originally Appeared in Human Events 11/03/08

The L.A. Times’ Peter Nicholas had a rather revealing piece about Barack Obama that causes yet another concern about the candidate of “change.” Is Obama the sort of man that can, himself, actually handle change?

A president must be flexible enough to meet the ever-changing world, but is Obama that man? Is Barack Obama nimble enough to react in tough situations?

After reading Nichols’ piece one has to wonder.

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00Publius Contributor - Business - Communism - Congress - Dan Scott - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes

The Coming Depression

November 6, 2008 by 6 Comments

-By Dan Scott

Now that it seems Barack Obama has won his prize of being the president of the US, let’s see what that prize entails. Obama has made many promises, bribed (so called refundable tax credit) a significant portion of voters with $500 for their vote, talked a good game, and held close to the vest his unspoken agenda with the blessings of the MSM. Given the exit polling, it is clear none of the truly important issues were even a factor in the race such as energy, terrorism, past responsibility for the mortgage mess, etc. Obama’s victory was one of rhetoric, empty promises and slogans over substance and action backed by a staggering sum of campaign contributions. In short, Obama bought the presidency in a slickly run advertising campaign pedaling hope and change appealing to the lowest common denominator – $500.

If history is a reliable guide and taking Democrats at their word, the current economic downturn with already one quarter at negative GDP will accelerate into another negative quarter thus giving the Democrats and the MSM the bonafide recession they have been claiming the US has been in since Bush took office eight years ago. The reasons for the recession becoming prolonged into a depression will become obvious as we list what Democrats have excitedly talked about doing for quite some time now.

The Democrats are talking up a storm over needing to give another tax rebate in a pump priming effort in order to kick start the economy. Democrats and their Socialist brethren believe government is the center of the economy and thus a centrally planned approach is better than the messy decentralized approach of Capitalism. Where will this money come from, more borrowing, higher taxes or printing money? The Treasury and Federal Reserve are in a bind at this point, if they go to the market place to borrow money in the substantial sums that will be required to fulfill those promises interest rates must rise to attract the over trillion dollars the budget deficit is swelling to this year alone (one of those ugly secrets the MSM kept from telling the public.) The Fed may believe it can dictate interest rates but that must give way to the competition from other countries and financial entities needing to borrow money due to their reduced revenues as well. Interest rates will go up despite the wishes of Democrats, the Japanese learned that lesson the hard way years ago. Rising interest rates increases the cost of doing business for all companies thus an uptick in inflation passed on to the consumer and more unemployment.
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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Obama Thanks The Tanks, Media Was ‘Gracious’ For Barack

November 5, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

**Update** I’ve Been Scolded…

It’s always nice to see someone thank another for their hard work, isn’t it? Well, here at the end of this long, long presidential campaign (it’s been going on since 2004 for Barack and the Old Media, after all), Barack Obama has thanked his fellow campaign members in the Old Media for their hard work as they’ve fronted for him, pushed for him, and willingly dived straight in the tank for him.

AFP has the story of The One allowing the press to kiss his ring one more time. Barack even deigned to make a rare appearance in the back of the campaign plane among his “gracious” sycophants in the press.

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Frederick Meekins - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture

Character, Knowledge & Independent Thought Denounced As Bourgeoisie

November 5, 2008 by

-By Frederick Meekins

Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying that the philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. If the proposals of one pedagogical theorist are implemented, students will in all likelihood never know anything about the figure believed to have uttered such an astute observation.

According to a Daily Mail story titled “Drop middle class subjects says school adviser”, in the United Kingdom, education officials are considering a proposal that would eliminate traditional academic subjects such as English, History, Science, and Geography because these disciplines are “middle class”. In the place of the old curriculum, schools will emphasize a series of “personal aims” such as energy conservation, sustainable development, and personal relationships.
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00Publius Contributor - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - The Heritage Foundation

The Most Fraudulent Election Ever

November 4, 2008 by

-By The Heritage Foundation

According to federal election law, any presidential campaign that participates in public financing is automatically audited after an election. When Barack Obama broke his promise to the American people by forgoing the public financing system, his campaign became the first since public financing became law to have a chance of not being audited. Federal law does still allow the Federal Election Commission to audit a presidential campaign that doesn’t participate in public financing, but at least four of the six FEC commissioners must first vote to pursue an investigation “for cause.” No doubt there is great “cause” to be concerned about Obama’s fundraising efforts.

Late last month, the venerable and independent National Journal tested reports that the Obama campaign’s online fundraising system was built to facilitate fraud. Veteran journalist Neil Munro bought two pre-paid American Express gift cards worth $25 each to donate to the Obama and McCain campaigns online. Munro purchased the cards with cash and then accessed the Obama and McCain campaign websites from a public library in Fairfax, Va. The Obama campaign’s site accepted the $25 donation, but the McCain campaign’s site rejected it . Contacted by National Journal, the McCain campaign explained its system rejected the donation because American Express could not verify that the donor lived at the address given with the online contribution.
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