29th Street Ballroom
Media Too Easy on Bush
RECEIVED Fri., Nov. 5, 2004
To the editor,
After the 2% victory "mandate" claimed by the Bush team, many pundits have rushed to judgment on why he won. My own take is that the single most important reason is the free walk the "liberal media" gave him for more than two years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A combination of patriotism, lazy reporters, and news networks worried about access, combined to turn an inarticulate (and unelected) politician into a media persona. This persona was in turn used for blatant demagoguery. Fear became his running mate.
About a year ago, the media grew a spine because of the problems in Iraq, and criticism from Democratic primary candidates. But by then, the false hero image was set in people's minds.
Fear of terrorism has now been used as a device to turn the U.S. into a theocracy. Will the national media, including the Statesman, report the news? Or will they return to being Bush's microphone?
After the 2% victory "mandate" claimed by the Bush team, many pundits have rushed to judgment on why he won. My own take is that the single most important reason is the free walk the "liberal media" gave him for more than two years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A combination of patriotism, lazy reporters, and news networks worried about access, combined to turn an inarticulate (and unelected) politician into a media persona. This persona was in turn used for blatant demagoguery. Fear became his running mate.
About a year ago, the media grew a spine because of the problems in Iraq, and criticism from Democratic primary candidates. But by then, the false hero image was set in people's minds.
Fear of terrorism has now been used as a device to turn the U.S. into a theocracy. Will the national media, including the Statesman, report the news? Or will they return to being Bush's microphone?
Paul Robbins