Free Ride, My Ass
Writing by Tim on Tuesday, 22 of April , 2008 at 9:29 pm
With the PA primary looming and only two Democratic actively sucking up media attention like sponges in ugly suits, all eyes and crosshairs are on Clinton and Obama. So, of course, I am not going to say a damn thing about them.
John McCain, however, having been crowed winner of the Republican primary by Fox News, has not been getting the kind of coverage the Democrats have. And why would he, after all? There is no bitter competition or debates moderated by that god-awful Anderson Cooper where old-hat Republicans can have a “My hard-on for Reagen is bigger than yours!” contest in front of Air Force One, the Reagen widow and Arnold Fucking Schwartzennneeeggeeaafaahahhafffrggggg. I’m sorry, I seem to have momentarily gone into some sort of seizure there.
There is a specific point I’d like to address. Every week or so someone in the media circu(s?)it throws around the notion that either Hillary or Barak is getting a “free ride” from the media. And they’re right, in a way. For example, while Obama maintains that he does not take any money from oil companies, nobody questions him regarding his loyalty to nuclear energy, which, in case you were wondering, is unquestioning. And remember Hillary’s tragic tale of how she dodged sniper fire in Bosnia? It’s common knowledge that it never happened, but nobody, not even the Republicans, jumped down her throat like rabid, lung-hungry squirrels about it. Even Bill Clinton has gone on his what can only be described as weird-ass rants about Obama being the 5th Horseman of the Apocalypse and has gone largely unchallenged, if not a little giggled at.
However, the person who is getting a real free ride from the media is McCain, and this is nothing new. One issue decidedly avoided is the man’s temper. McCain is known as a short fuse, and this goes back to his presidential run in 2000. When questioned about it, he is allowed the dodge, and bring in some analyst or correspondent who decidedly replaces “temper” with “passionate.” McCain regularly misnames nations and organizations, leading to a famous speech given in Iraq where, after mentioning the words “Al-Queda” so many times it made his “handlers” (I still find it hilarious that high ranking politicians all have people called handlers… boosts my confidence right up) reminded him that the newsreel friendly term was “Religious Extremists.” He was allowed to slide on the “100 more years in Iraq” quote, which the supposed left-wing media ignores and the right-wing media (yes, there is a difference) treats as a joke. And we all remember his call to arms against Iran.
Yet fellow Republicans call him “liberal,” and “too soft.” The guy wants to level an entire nation, but then again, compared to someone like Dick Cheney or Mitt Romney, that is liberal.
All of this goes unchallenged by any media. Even little things, like his promise to keep his war record out of advertizements, then sticking that tape of him in a Vietnamese prison in no less than two commercials. I don’t know about you, reader, but when I think of the characteristics of a person I want as president, competent enough to stick to his word for five goddamn minutes is one of them. So the next time you hear about the Democratic candidates getting a free ride, yeah, they are to an extent, but also remember that if they don’t say some stuff about Obama and Clinton, imagine what they aren’t saying about McCain.
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