For those of you who don’t like how the media prioritizes the
superficial over the substantive, here is your new go-to video for
everything you hate about cable news. On MSNBC Thursday, Andrea Mitchell was speaking with former Congresswoman Jane Harman
about reviews and proposed restrictions on the NSA debate, but before
they could really get down to the meat of the subject, Mitchell had to
cut away for some breaking news.
Specifically, news having to do with America’s favorite… whatever he is… Justin Bieber.
Yes, just as Harman was about to get into the details of what she
believes proper NSA reform should be, Mitchell cut away because heaven
forbid policy should get in the way of a good celebrity scandal.
A newly released audio recording purports to feature a young Barack Obama saying he believes in government "redistribution" -- a comment that Mitt Romney quickly seized on to claim his opponent thinks "the government should take from some to give to the others."
The tape, posted on YouTube, was a throwback to the web video that emerged in 2008 showing Obama telling "Joe the Plumber" he wants to "spread the wealth around."
This recording purportedly was from a 1998 conference at Loyola University. In it, the young Obama tells the audience he believes there has been "a propaganda campaign against the possibility of government action and its efficacy."
"I think that what we're going to have to do is somehow resuscitate the notion that government action can be effective at all," Obama says. "I think the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution -- because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot."
The broader context of the talk is unclear. But Romney, who on Tuesday faced criticism about some of his own comments in a secretly recorded video, pointed to the Obama recording in arguing that he and his opponent have sharply different views on government.
Romney said there's a "great divide" in the country.
"I know some believe the government should take from some to give to the others," he told Fox News. "I think the president makes it clear in the tape that was released today that that's what he believes. I think that's an entirely foreign concept."
Romney, for his part, has endured a wave of criticism from Democrats over a video showing him speaking at a private fundraiser back in May. In the video, Romney could be heard saying the 47 percent of people who don't pay federal income tax "believe they are victims" and will support Obama "no matter what."
Romney defended his comments in the interview with Fox News on Tuesday -- and then cited the Obama recording to underscore his point that he and the president come at the job with two entirely different philosophies.
"Frankly, we have two very different views about America," Romney said. "The president's view is one of a larger government. There's a tape that just came out today (with) the president saying he likes redistribution. I disagree.
On Tuesday, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell addressed the controversy surrounding the airing of a misleadingly edited clip of Mitt Romney
by not addressing it. Mitchell played the entirety of the clip in
question while being careful not to address the scandal that erupted
after she aired a cut off version of that same clip yesterday. While
Mitchell may view this as sufficient, it is not. Some have celebrated
Mitchell’s holding firm in the face of criticism, but this is a
misguided reaction. What’s more, this episode will not fade in relevance
nearly as soon as it could have if Mitchell had simply apologized up
front.
“Score a victory for the mainstream press over right-wing pressure,” writes Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher on Tuesday about Mitchell’s non-apology.
“Let that be a lesson to mainstream journalists who jump to kill the
right-wing noise whenever they don’t think a report is sufficiently
biased in their guy’s favor. Sometimes, noise is just noise.”
On Monday, Mitchell aired a clip of Romney on the stump that was taken out of context — with the intention, some have alleged,
of damaging the GOP candidate. The clip was edited to suggest Romney
was flabbergasted by the “amazing” touch screen ordering system in the
convenience store chain WaWa. What MSNBC cut off was Romney’s
same-breath praise of the innovative ability of the private sector to
create the no-longer-novel touch screens — that was what was “amazing.”
The blogosphere came alive with outrage. It was a conservative blogger who identified the misleading edit and the story quickly spread across the internet like wildfire.
What was most misleading, however, is the gleeful interpretation that Mitchell and Washington Post columnist Chris Cillizza
offered — that this gaffe was Romney’s “grocery store moment.” They
found this out-of-context quote equivalent to a 1992 campaign stop that
President George H. W. Bush made to a local grocery
store where he was confused by their price scanning technology. That
incident was used by his opposition to paint Bush as old, out-of-touch
and befuddled by even the most mundane aspects of American life.
Christopher notes that even that event was exaggerated; Bush was not
“amazed” by the scanners, but the incident fit a narrative that the
Clinton campaign was actively attempting to establish – that Bush was
out of his depth in the Presidency and a hostage to events. Fair or no,
politics is a blood sport and politicizing that incident was within
bounds.
Just as Romney’s quote, out of context, would be fair game for President Barack Obama‘s
campaign to use and/or misuse as they see fit. They have done as much
before; the Obama reelection team made great hay of Romney’s “I like to
fire people who provide services to me” quote, negating to include that
the quote was within the context of a critique of the mandates within
the health care reform law.
In late April, When Fox News Channel’s Steve Doocy
mischaracterized a statement made by Obama on the campaign trail about
not being born with a “silver spoon in his mouth” and twisted it into an
attack on Romney, he and his network were called out on it. Doocy issued an apology, albeit a passing one, the following day.
While partisans who find Fox News programming revolting and offensive
may have derived a certain amount of glee from Doocy’s backtracking,
few would argue that the story survived his apology. It died a near
instant death.
While Mitchell digging in her heals may satisfy liberal partisan
instincts to find fights around every corner, this is a losing battle in
the end. The trivial episode will haunt the credibility of Mitchell and
her network, where a quick apology – even a disingenuous one – would
have killed the story.
Even liberal commentators can see the forest for the trees on this one. Liberal broadcaster David Shuster tweeted at Mitchell on Tuesday, wondering why she did not address the issue on everyone’s mind, “Andrea, what the hell?”
The correct response to this controversy could not be more obvious.
Why Mitchell avoided quick and painless apology eludes even her former
MSNBC colleague.
When news networks, eager to drive the narrative, overreach and
stretch the truth, an apology is always the correct course. Even if the
individual doing the apology chafes at the reasoning behind it. MSNBC,
and Mitchell herself, should have followed suit — the story would have
died on the vine.
Now, the anger in the blogosphere will only grow and it has yet to be
determined when the anger surrounding this offense will subside. I
would be willing to bet that won’t be nearly as soon as if Mitchell had
just swallowed her pride and said that one simple, little word.
Student of Life, lover of God, Black, conservative Democrat, believer in self-responsibility, traditional values and morals, resident of New York City. Follow me on Twitter at @MrGreyGhost1.
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