What is Digg?335 Comments
- kdawg1012, on 04/30/2008, -28/+242"If the corporate media had been as diligent about watchdogging President Bush as they have been about watchdogging Reverend Wright, it's very likely we wouldn't have invaded Iraq."
Absolutely true! - benintn, on 04/30/2008, -23/+154We're more interested in talking about Jeremiah Wright than the fact that over 100,000 innocent Iraqi civilians have died in the war. This is so ugly, it's not even funny.
- LKnight, on 04/30/2008, -5/+49Follow the money. There's ratings talking about Obama being tied to a controversial figure, there's no money or ratings in talking about Iraqi or U.S. military casualties... where politics and media come together, always follow the money.
- smacksaw, on 04/30/2008, -14/+52THANK YOU...great article. I'm a Ron Paul supporter who finds himself in the Obama camp and this is dead-on.
I just don't get it. Sometimes the truth hurts. And sometimes controversial ideas hurt. But it doesn't make them any less valid.
I don't know how many people trashing Wright are RP supporters, but I would hope that the similarities were not lost on all of you. It's like the old "kill the messenger" thing. The message is what is important, not who says it. Just because they may not agree in political philosophy doesn't mean they don't see the same problems. Sure, I think RP has solutions while Wright has rhetoric, but it's a cultural thing.
Anyway, I can no more condemn Wright than I can condemn Paul, unless Paul changed direction. Even now, Paul has a book that just came out and Wright supposedly will release one very soon. Paul is in the news promoting what he said and so is Wright. The difference is that Wright is using someone else negatively to promote what he said. The real issue that no one is discussing is that instead of clarifying what he means he is using misunderstanding of what he said to his own self-promoting advantage.
I think that's the bigger difference between Paul and Wright. Each can point out a problem, but Paul doesn't go out of his way to offend people. My problem with Wright isn't what he says as much as how he's saying it these days. He's better than that. He has to be if Obama can be a man of character. You don't learn character from your pastor if they don't have some to begin with. - Binxy, on 04/30/2008, -3/+31McCain has already gladly accepted the endorsement of Rev. Hagee who claimed Katrina hit New Orleans because of excessive sin and a Gay Pride Parade. As well he (McCain) has called Rev. Ron Parsley a spiritual guide -- Parsley is another religious charlatan who believes you can "pray away the gay". So, to answer your question: what we have learned is it's news if a Democrat lists a "nutjob bigot" as someone who they find inspiring and is not news if a Republican candidate does the same.
- chrissku, on 04/30/2008, -5/+32The media is responsible for giving people the idea that Hillary is still in this. I'm a white guy and I must say....it sure seems like the media is trying to keep the black man down. It's been relentless attacks on Obama. Hillary has been caught lying numerous times and has not faced this type of scrutiny.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -22/+48The fact that Obama, Hillary, and McCain are the best candidates that America can find is a sad statement of American politics as a whole.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -7/+28It's a shame what they did to RP.
- Binxy, on 04/30/2008, -7/+26For goodness sakes, we are in a war, the economy by any standards is going down the tubes (despite whether you call it a "recession"), the working class is fast becoming the working -poor, the middle-class is overburdened with taxes and under-served by the government (just look at our crumbling infrastructure, the endemic problems confronting returning troops ); access to health care is being rationed according to income (whether we call it that or not), big corporations, investment banks and hedge-fund managers (among others) have plundered our economy and sent jobs overseas, while the corporate control of our media has meant every issue presented to the public has a pro-business, pro-administration slant-- and ultimately what they give us for coverage of one of the most contested, interesting, important elections in the history of this nation is uninterrupted coverage of what one candidate's minister says and derisive descriptions of the other candidates laugh.
My only hope for America is that the majority of voters are ignoring all of this BULLS**T and seeking their own information on the REAL issues from the internet, from their neighbors, from their families, from discussions with their peers. I believe this election will be the final nail in the coffin of news media as it now exists and if not then we all deserve the consequences that follow. - smacksaw, on 04/30/2008, -5/+23It's a shame what they're doing to Obama. I think that's a lot of the reason why I find myself defending Obama, a man who politically I have much less in common with than I do RP. I don't like the idea of the system holding down people who actually call attention to the real issues instead of diverting our attention to invented problems, like Iraq's WMDs.
I don't want to see them do to Obama what they did to RP. - WasabiBomb, on 04/30/2008, -2/+20I wonder what magical force makes you think that investigating a potential candidate's pastor is more important than making sure we're going to war for the right reasons.
- MrErr, on 04/30/2008, -3/+20May God save us from our media and the common man's love for deception.
- Binxy, on 04/30/2008, -6/+23I doesn't "contaminate" a person to listen to people say things they disagree with. Also, you can still admire someone that holds some opinions that you yourself don't hold. I don't agree with everything MY preacher says and does and yet I still go to church. Obama and his family going to that church for 20 years means nothing except that they have been seeking to worship God the best way they know for 20 years, a fact I applaud.
- ScienceDoc, on 04/30/2008, -2/+19This story won't die because CNN needs ratings. They invent the news that people want to hear and report the message corporations give them.
- rozzlapeed, on 04/30/2008, -4/+20Clearly, you missed my point. While I have seen no evidence to suggest that the US manufactured HIV, I HAVE seen and read a great deal of evidence that Al Qaeda's mission statement specifically underlines our stationing of troops in Saudi Arabia, our military support for Israel against the Palestinians, and our enforcement of the U.N. sanctions against Iraq that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians as the primary motivation for their attacks on September 11th. The two topics are not even on the same plane of reality, yet the media are eager to put them both in the same class of extra-special-crazy ideas.
- MikeFallopian, on 04/30/2008, -1/+15It's convenient and easy to blame "the media" as if it were some single entity, but the reality is that the American people are more interested in hearing about Wright than about Iran's nuclear program. The 24-hour cable news networks give people the content that they want - no one is forcing CNN and FOX down everyone's throats, they could just as easily pick up a copy of the Economist and get insightful political news and commentary. The media is only fixated on Wright because the people are.
- saska, on 04/30/2008, -4/+17I dugg you up for specific points, but I don't think it's even remotely possible to equate Paul and Wright. One is a preacher with a phenomenal education and understanding of the experience of African Americans in the past in America, but who resists improvement when the rubber meets the road. The other is a strict Constitutionalist who has plenty of opinions I disagree with, but who does not use his position in the legislature to advance his personal opinions.
- KathrynMac, on 04/30/2008, -2/+14So you're saying as long as McCain is just lying to get elected (simple politicking), that's good. But, trying to find Christ in the largest African American church in Chicago is bad? Niiiice.
- theaceoffire, on 04/30/2008, -3/+15An urban war that everyone now admits had nothing to do with the CAUSE of the war.
- rozzlapeed, on 04/30/2008, -8/+20First, RTFA. Take special notice of the Youtube clip in the middle of the page, followed by a series of quotes, all referring to Ron Paul. Also, it may be good for you to pay attention to just how much of an effect Ron Paul supporters are still having in the Republican primary. If Obama still manages to win the general election after the Wright controversy, it will likely be thanks, in large part, to Ron Paul supporters doing everything they can to repeat what happened in Nevada over the weekend in order to spoil McCain's campaign.
- dinot, on 04/30/2008, -3/+15You believe Obama is a anti-American Muslim terrist, so your opinions are very important to me. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
- oakhilltop, on 04/30/2008, -6/+17And why doesn't anyone talk about Mc Cain's Rev Hagee? Talk about wacko's
- johnhummel, on 04/30/2008, -3/+14And - what? You put up two quotes. OK - so we have two guys. One saying "I'm going to be loyal to a man who helped bring me to Jesus, even if his views of the world I now find outdated."
The other man stabbing him in the back saying "Well, you know, he's a politician. So - what do you expect?"
Am I missing something, or are you posting this as a "Hah - he disowned him! Hahahaha!"
My father in law once told me "John, your kids are very well behaved. Unlike your sister-in-law, who once brought home a ***** to get me pissed off."
I told him I didn't want to hear that language, especially around my children. Now, I don't disown the man - he came from another time, a place where that language and attitudes were normal. But he's still family, and he's mostly a good guy. But if he had kept talking like that around my children, you bet I'd stop inviting him over, and start "disowning" him.
Obama didn't throw his former pastor under the bus - he pointed out where he was wrong, pointed out the good he had done, then said "OK - let's talk about real issues so we can fix the problems we still have." Only after his former pastor finally kept on saying the things that bothered people did he say "OK - enough. I defended you, I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Now, you're on your own. Have fun." - inactive, on 04/30/2008, -4/+15Why won't this story DIE??
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -4/+15To be fair, the rest of it wasn't that great either.
- GhostyBoy, on 04/30/2008, -1/+10I'm a Paul guy and to be honest from what I've seen I agree with a lot of what Wright says as well.
- jamlarso, on 04/30/2008, -2/+11as a graduating Journalism student who is embarrassed to be joining the same field as these hacks, i couldn't agree more. it blows my mind how inept the msm can be at times. the next generation of journalists that are graduating now are well equip to work online and buck this broken system. we scare the old boys at the top and they should be scared. we are hungry and i predict a power shift in the media back to the people in the next decade... maybe, if my peers (and i) get off our asses.
dugg for the awesome lead - purplelantern, on 04/30/2008, -1/+10Leave! OBAMA! ALONE!!!
Why can't you Leave! OBAMA! ALONE!!! - StarlessKnight, on 04/30/2008, -2/+10George W. "Bankruptcy" Bush was elected as President twice. What EXACTLY about "bankruptcy" constitutes judgment that he should have been elected?
Hillary R. "Misspoke" Clinton "mistakenly" repeated the Bosnian sniper fire story several times and said she was simply tired. What, exactly, about that constitutes judgment? Judgment expecting the American Public wouldn't learn about her blatant twisting of factual events that she, herself, experienced and could have easily (as in easier than stealing candy from a baby) verified before she started *repeating* her "story?"
John "I've been eagerly anticipating Hagee's endorsement" McCain's judgment concerning a man that is, evidently, well-known for being in the "intellectual" company of such lovely "philosophers" as Pat Robertson ("That hurricane..." "That Earthquake..." "That tornado..." "I call upon the Almighty Lord to SMITE the evil gays")?
Interesting how not one of them is perfect. Strange how only one of them is getting their story plastered across multiple news channels for several hours at a time as though they're the only one with ANY questionable "judgment" at all. - Binxy, on 04/30/2008, -3/+11No. This is not big and Obama is not stuck. It is trivial. I am not responsible for the opinions those who are my friends, co-workers, preachers, whoever, express and neither is Obama. The media is being bashed for continuing to focus on the trivial and salacious to fill air time and sell ads.
- smacksaw, on 04/30/2008, -2/+10Well, I get wordy because these articles bring up a lot of inspiration for me, but I hope I can refocus on this point: Both Paul and Wright are speaking honestly about problems facing the US and Americans today. They might not be the most reasonable, the best orator, etc. But unlike most other people who are in charge of our fate, they're at least bringing up the ACTUAL issues.
I don't think we can fix things if we cannot first identify them as problems. Our defining political moments of recent time is failing to identify the threat of Islamo-terrorists and 9/11. It's failing to understand the nature of Iraq. It's empowering Iran and North Korea through bad policy. It's things like that. We can't even get the topics right...we can't find a solution when we aren't discussing the right topic. - WasabiBomb, on 04/30/2008, -3/+10Again, how is this MORE important than investigating a President who lied to the public to get us into an unnecessary war? How is it more important than the fact that an administration that has not only driven thousands into debt, but also made it hard for them to recover from that debt? How is it more important than than the fact that the Republican administration has racked up the largest debt in the history of the US? How is it more important than Bush's views on torture, and habeas corpus, and due process?
It's not, and anyone with half a conscience can see that. The biggest misjudgment was when Bush was elected, TWICE, to an office that he's dishonored and stained.
I don't give a flying ***** who Obama's pastor was, or what he's said. I care about keeping this country running. Republicans had unfettered power these last two election cycles, and they BLEW IT. It's clear that they can't be trusted to run a government. - WasabiBomb, on 04/30/2008, -2/+9And yet, given all the flak Obama's drawing due to Wright, McCain hasn't distanced himself from Hagee. That's hypocrisy in action, right there.
- lava, on 04/30/2008, -1/+8I don't really care much for bashing "Mainstream Media", but I thought that Obama's press conference would be the biggest news of the day. I expected it to be the main headline across CNN, MSNBC, etc, but no. What happened?
- pintomp3, on 04/30/2008, -2/+9i don't agree with a lot of ron paul's policies, but that interview was just disgusting. he spoke absolute truth while all blitzer could say is "why do you blame america for 9/11?". i don't agree with rev. wright on a lot of things either, but both paul and wright are speaking from a historical perspective when they look at the reasoning behind the attacks on 9/11. it's funny how men like paul and wright are vilified as "blaming america" while people like robertson, hagee, and falwell are not called out for blaming it on the gays. ***** corporate media pretty much dictates this slanted agenda. on a side note, i had to laugh when blitzer called guiliani the front-runner.
- damnitkitty, on 04/30/2008, -6/+12throws*
it's* - Clydesdale, on 04/30/2008, -4/+10Buried as sh*t.
- XxtraLarGe, on 04/30/2008, -1/+7That's where he got it wrong. The rank and file of the Republican party not only discounted Ron Paul, they did their best to make sure that nobody else got to hear from him either. In that sense, the comparison between Ron Paul & Rev. Wright is was off the mark.
- inactive, on 04/30/2008, -2/+8John Hopkins University School of Public in an extensive on the ground empirical survey:
"But the major U.S. press rarely considers a most basic measure of that impact: how many Iraqis have been killed. When they do mention the toll, they consistently ignore or malign two major statistical studies, the first conducted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and published in the prestigious British medical journal the Lancet (10/11/06), and the other released by the British polling firm Opinion Research Business (9/07). Both indicate that over a million Iraqis have now been killed. Yet an Associated Press poll in February (2/24/07) that asked Americans how many Iraqis have died received a median response of less than 10,000.
The Johns Hopkins study estimated that, as of July 2006, 655,000 Iraqis had been killed, about 600,000 of them violently and at least 30 percent directly by coalition forces. It updated an earlier study (Lancet, 10/29/04) that estimated that 100,000 Iraqis had died during the first year of the war. An extrapolation of the Johns Hopkins estimate of violent deaths done by Just Foreign Policy (9/18/07) currently stands at over 1.1 million.
Both Johns Hopkins estimates of Iraqi deaths have been largely ignored by the U.S. media, as FAIR has noted (FAIR Action Alert, 3/21/05, 3/21/07; FAIR Media Advisory, 12/16/05)."
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3321
See also:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=19326§ion ...
http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releas ...
Put that in your neo-con pipe of lies and smoke it! - hipnerd, on 04/30/2008, -0/+6I don't think there is any moral equivalence between Wright and the KKK. He has some views I disagree with and feel are misguided, but nothing that makes me think he is a hateful human being. He thinks the government created AIDS and says "God Damn America" occasionally.
Well, he grew up while black men were still being lynched for looking at a white woman the wrong way while the rest of the country remained silent. He saw National Guard troop sic dogs on black men for the crime of asking for equality under the law. He saw how our government used black men as a lab rats, letting them wither away from syphilis while intentionally withholding treatment for more than 30 years.
After all that, he volunteered to serve his country as a Marine during the Vietnam War, a war that Dick Cheney wrangle five separate deferments to avoid; a war that George Bush Sr. pulled strings to make sure that his privileged son did not have to serve in (or learn lessons from); a war that ultimately proved as useless and futile as the war we are pursuing now.
That's the world that Reverend Wright saw growing up. And while I cannot agree with his current beliefs, it is not difficult for me to understand how -- after all he had seen as a young man -- Wright 's perception of how our government treats blacks may have been permanently colored for the worse. - Akronos, on 04/30/2008, -1/+6There's a difference between Ron Paul supporter and Ron Paul himself. Come on, you should know this.
- ostracize, on 04/30/2008, -2/+7Because the media told the public to reject them.
- Hetman, on 04/30/2008, -0/+5Because he didnt.
- lomein987, on 04/30/2008, -0/+5Because he didnt.
- oldhick, on 04/30/2008, -1/+6No argument there. They ALL deserve a lot more ***** then they're getting. Unlike most diggers, I don't give one candidate a pass and ***** on the others. They all get ***** on.
- Dragular, on 04/30/2008, -7/+12Regardless of which party or wing you're on, you have to agree with that.
- WoollyMittens, on 04/30/2008, -0/+5I don't know. Did Britney Spears slip a tit again or something else that's regarded as more important.
- br0ck, on 04/30/2008, -1/+6Wright himself said that Obama followed his own path and beliefs and that he was not Obama's mentor. "I talked about how rare it was to meet a man whose Christianity was not just “in word only.” I talked about Barack being a person who lived his faith and did not argue his faith. I talked about Barack as a person who did not draw doctrinal lines in the sand nor consign other people to hell if they did not believe what he believed. Out of a two-hour conversation with you about Barack’s spiritual journey and my protesting to you that I had not shaped him nor formed him, that I had not mentored him or made him the man he was, even though I would love to take that credit" Jeremiah A. Wright , letter to NYT, 3/11//07 http://thepage.time.com/text-of-letter-from-wright ...
- ngmcs8203, on 04/30/2008, -2/+7And what magical force invited Wright to council the Clinton's when they were having their "marital differences"?
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