What we all must remember is that every media source bases their content on ratings. It does not have to be based on fact, or be accurate, if a program makes the executives lots of money, they’ll put it on the air.

Media is not peer reviewed until after the fact. Unlike scientific papers, no one is there to catch any of the things that reviewed journals do.

I check both Fox and CNN daily (mainly because they have the best mobile websites.. msnbc mobile is terrible), but because they both report different things. I then do research on my own when there is a statement made about certain facts. The news can give facts, but rarely does it interpret them properly.

If you’re implying that Nixon was a racist or manipulated race to win elections, then you actually are ignorant.

Read the first ten or so chapters of Aitken’s “Nixon: A Life” and maybe you’ll come away sounding a bit smarter.

I already told you that I will not be conscripted into obsequious formality just because you see something vaguely offensive. I apologized for my last paragraph for being a rant, not for its content – and if you didn’t know that simple fact then you’re clearly an idiot.

“If you hate Glen[n] Beck and FOX News so much then why do you behave like them? ”

Well, at least you admit that they have a problem. I would hardly argue that I behave like them in certain, and more salient, respects. Admittedly, in other respects my behavior can be explicitly far worse – I can say what I want to say (ex. – my vulgarity) whereas all on Fox News cannot. But that is beside the point. The reason that I can behave (if I wanted to) like Fox News is BECAUSE I’M NOT A F*CKING NATIONAL NEWS OUTLET YOU F*CKING MOMO. The good lady, Ms. Mayer, pointed out that millions of people watch Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC to get their news. I hardly think that my comments (on a 3rd party political website run by students no less) even gets a glance. Fox News has to be objective in their coverage. I only should be. Evidently Fox News cannot live up to that expectation especially in daytime news coverage.

And yes, clearly I was arguing with generalizations. Arguing with generalizations is convenient, not necessarily ignorant (although you really can’t have one without the other). We can get as recursive and unpractical as we want tallying every single Republican’s racial preference, but I have other things to do, as I’m sure you do too. Let me be plain and say, because you apparently do not have the necessary I.Q. to see the obvious, that many Republicans are tacitly and tendentiously racist (although, for your brain’s sake, not all). I know many Republicans and a great majority of them are unabashedly racist and tout this as a good element of the party. I can’t tell you how many times I heard the consensus of my Republican acquaintances, especially Conservative Republicans, express clamored disgust at the thought of a bi-racial couple. You look at any of the Tea Party protests and an overwhelming majority of them the attendees are white; crudely judging 95% to 5%. But this is only circumstantial evidence.

I should start with the disclaimer that the Republicans of today are not the Republicans of 20-30 years ago. The latter were much more moderate. They never tried undue the ’safety net’ policies of the New Deal. The former, however, radicalized as they are, are making any and all attempts to roll back most of the policies of the New Deal bringing us back to their glory days when income inequality was at an all time high. Unapologetic, bold, and full of equanimity these new Republicans exploited the fears of whites across the nation gaining seats in the Senate and, in 1980, the apogee of control of our democracy, the White House. Starting in the mid-late 70’s this radical group enacted policies that hurt labor and the poor directly, which were overwhelmingly black. Reagan’s policies were an arcane dog-whistle to racists everywhere.

http://www.issues2000.org/Celeb/Ronald_Reagan_Welfare_+_Poverty.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/opinion/19krugman.html

“The G.O.P.’s own leaders admit that the great Southern white shift [of the 60's] was the result of a deliberate political strategy. “Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization.” So declared Ken Mehlman, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, speaking in 2005.

And Ronald Reagan was among the “some” who tried to benefit from racial polarization.

True, he never used explicit racial rhetoric. Neither did Richard Nixon. As Thomas and Mary Edsall put it in their classic 1991 book, “Chain Reaction: The impact of race, rights and taxes on American politics,” “Reagan paralleled Nixon’s success in constructing a politics and a strategy of governing that attacked policies targeted toward blacks and other minorities without reference to race — a conservative politics that had the effect of polarizing the electorate along racial lines.”

Thus, Reagan repeatedly told the bogus story of the Cadillac-driving welfare queen — a gross exaggeration of a minor case of welfare fraud. He never mentioned the woman’s race, but he didn’t have to.”

————————————————-

Dear Tim,

That’s up to debate. I will admit that CNN is much less liberal than MSNBC. CNN has Lou Dobbs who is a closet Republican. But yes, this is totally useless knowledge.

If you had the time to look back and “apologize” then you had the time to censor yourself. If you hate Glen Beck and FOX News so much then why do you behave like them? Your immature hypocrisies are what anger me about your post. You sit and claim that Republicans are ignorant, but you argue with broad generalizations that only makes you seem ignorant. Prove that all Republicans are racist. Where is the evidence you claim to have?

Your response encompassed everything that you hate about FOX News. The difference being it came from you, so you do not see the issue with it. The fallacies, ad hominum attacks, straw man arguments, vulgarity were all rehashed in your comment. Thank you for the “Comic Gold” in this thread.

You’re absurd – unless, of course, you can tell me why my last paragraph, or, as I stated, rant is absurd.

Dear RMichael,

I’d like to challenge you on your claim. In my last paragraph I did apologize for and did acknowledge that it was a rant although it was not an ‘uneducated’ one as you say. In these discussions I don’t have to be nice and formal, and neither does anyone here. I will not be conscripted into saying anything less than what is necessary. And, as I stated, if you watch the Palin-Hannity interview, they were “practically sucking each other’s d*cks.” My effusion that Republicans are assholes has a basis in reality; it’s not some ethereal concept that was vaguely assembled and packaged as fact a la Glenn Beck.

“This entire article was wrong because you have pointed out that Republicans are “assholes.””

Rightttt………..

I’m impressed you made it past the first paragraph in. You know the counterargument is going to be intelligent when they have to open up with “Holy Christ” to illustrated a point.

@Alex C

That was one of the most crude and uneducated responses I have ever read in my life. “Sucking each others d*cks” had no place in this discussion. Well done. Your personal attacks bring more credibility to your argument. Yes. I know understand exactly what you were trying to say. I’ve seen the light. This entire article was wrong because you have pointed out that Republicans are “assholes.”

That last paragraph is absurd.

You know, there was once a time when most people thought that the planet was flat. You could successfully argue with your logic that those people were onto something through their sheer numbers.

I should explain that poorer and rural “folks” (<- did you catch that Mr. David Edwards) that have satellite TV don't even have access to MSNBC and cannot afford any extended packages which which would include it. Unusually, in all basic cable and satellite packages Fox News is always included, but MSNBC is not. This renders any objective viewer calculation as stymied. Case closed.

What we all know is this: Fox News leans right, CNN leans center, and MSNBC leans left.

Considering that we have probably the most liberal administration in office, of course the media that is sways tendentiously right will offer the most hard-lined questions. The Bush administration was thrown consecutive softballs from Fox News – how obscenely ridiculous was the Hannity interview with Palin? I don't know how further a 'independent' news source could have been more accommodating. They were practically sucking each other's d*cks. Here, get your vitamins and watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU90Z6VBEk0

I agree with what Beth said about watching Fox News. It's comic gold. There's nothing quite like sitting back, cold beer in hand, watching escapees from Bellevue (like Glenn Beck who can't spell "oligarchy") present the most mentally deranged 'news' that gives the Onion a run for its money.

And yes, Van Jones was right – Republicans ARE assholes. Not to mention (and yes, the evidence backs me up) ignorant, racist, and prone to religiosity and other such conspiracy theories. These are the same financially and/or mentally piss poor Republicans that would actually benefit under Obama's plan. Almost all of the Republicans in Congress are genuine radicals – their utopia vision for America is one where there is a full repeal of the New Deal, where we take away unemployment insurance, social security, civil rights (remember the 60's southern switch from Democrat to Republican after Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of '64), lower the tax rates at the top – or more laughably implement a 'flat tax,' provide private school vouchers so that the children of racists can attend racist schools, and force drug addicts to "hear and accept the word of our 'lord jesus christ' when looking for treatment which will undoubtedly be faith-based. Conservatives want life to be made most easy for those on top because, of course, they are the most productive members of society, who also, of course, earned it through hard work and ingenuity, not, y'know, fixing prices or inheriting anything.

Wow, sorry for the rant, but…

… Fox News one of the ways to bring this 'amazing' utopia from firmament to fruition.

See "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdochs War on Journalism"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXNvDD13hoY