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Jun. 6, 2007 Tuesday evening's Republican debate provided a tell-tale example of the perspective much of the mainstream media brings to its political reporting. Host Wolf Blitzer posed the following question to one of the candidates, Representative Duncan Hunter of California: "Congressman Hunter, I want you to weigh in, because Arnold Schwarzenegger, your governor in California, has become very popular out there by bringing in independents and moderates, and trying to forge a consensus among Republicans and Democrats in your state. Shouldn't the GOP nationally be following the Arnold Schwarzenegger example in California?" There is certainly no crime in asking challenging questions of those who are seeking the highest office in the land; however, Mr. Blitzer's question (and by all accounts it was his own concoction) on its surface reflects a common leftward view--the idea that Republicans in general need to move to the center to appeal to a broader base and become "electable". The inquiry also appears to be myopic in that Duncan Hunter, as well as the rest of the candidates, are running for national office not governor of California, a state which leans significantly to the liberal side of the political spectrum. It is absurd to suggest that because Schwarzenegger has become more popular in moving more to the left in California, that Republican candidates should do the same to do better in national elections. In no way is California indicative of the national electorate. Even more, there appears to be a built-in assumption in Blitzer's query that Republicans are in trouble because they have drifted too far right; this is another flawed assumption of the liberal media. And, since when does the media hold Arnold Schwarzenegger up as being the paragon of the ideal Republican candidate? Much of the media went out of its way to discredit him when he initially ran for governor, now he is a liberal hero? Republican politicians, in general, are at odds with much of their base because they have become too liberal--spending too much and expressing undue permissiveness on the issue of illegal immigration. It is interesting how the media and Democrats apply a different reason for the "decline" of Republican popularity depending upon the circumstances. Is it because of the Iraq War and the nation's impatience with it? Is it the Republicans' "culture of corruption," a phrase coined by Democrats and echoed in the press? Are Republicans really too conservative? Missing in these explanations, at least to the Wolf Blitzers of the world, is the idea that the current batch of Republicans--even President Bush--are too liberal. The mainstream media cannot even fathom this possibility; it does not compute. The media regularly chides and cajoles Republicans for being too "extreme". Conservatives are often described in this manner in media outlets, usually about the time some liberal newscaster or reporter hints that the person is just out of touch with mainstream America, which to the media consists of the population of Manhattan, Los Angeles, San Francisco and a few counties in Florida. Do we ever hear Wolf Blitzer, or other media types, suggest that Democrats have become too extreme? Were Democrat candidates, in their debate, asked why they don't move more to the center to appeal to more voters? Are there no "extreme" Democrats? Why does the press not ask Democrat politicians if they should be more like Zell Miller or other more conservative members of that party? To the left true compromise consists of conservatives moving to the left and liberals staying right where they are. This fact is demonstrated quite clearly in Blitzer's questions, especially when combined with the knowledge that the question is rarely, if ever, asked of Democrats. Democrats faired relatively poorly in the 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 national elections. Heck, they did not do so well in congressional elections dating back to 1994. Yet, did the popular press ever state that Democrats would do better by becoming more conservative? What explanation did the media provide for all of those adverse elections for the donkey party, other than voter incompetence or election fraud, which seem to be the standard excuses of the left each time elections are lost. These pompous types also conveniently ignore the fact Democrats won many congressional races last fall by running more conservative candidates; again, it does not compute. To Duncan Hunter's credit he responded to Blitzer's editorialized inquiry with a flat "No" followed by his own explanation of what needs to be done stating, "...I think we need to move away from the Kennedy wing of the Republican party." In other words, Republicans need to be more conservative to be more successful. Well stated, Representative Hunter. If only Wolf and his peers actually understood your response; unfortunately, it just does not compute. ------------ About the author: Ed Abraham is a concerned citizen living in flyover country, U.S.A., who happens to be truly disgusted by the loss of common sense in our society and is doing all he can to try to reinstall it. Email: eabra@myway.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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