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From Gingrich to Romney to Tebow -- Why is the media so out of touch with America?
By Liz Peek

Published January 20, 2012
FoxNews.com


Newt Gingrich instantly brought the crowd to its feet last night at the last debate before Saturday's all important primary in South Carolina. What was the multitude cheering? Not his stance on tax policy, or on abortion, but rather his acid assault on the �elite media.�

Gingrich expressed outrage that moderator John King of CNN would lead off the evening by asking about potentially damaging charges made by the Speaker�s second wife in an interview with ABC News's "Nightline."

The audience howled its approval as Gingrich tore into the �destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media�� As ever, the former Speaker was brilliant, evading the problematic topic of his personal indiscretions and simultaneously punching a white-hot button launching an assault on what Sarah Palin describes as the �lamestream media.�

Why are so many Americans hostile to our biggest media outlets? Because almost all the major networks and newspapers in this country are operated by liberals while three-quarters of the country describe themselves as moderate or conservative.

This is not a figment of fevered right-wing imagination. A UCLA-led study of major newspapers, TV and radio stations in 2005 concluded that �there is a quantifiable and significant bias� to the left.� Numerous record-keepers have documented that more than 80% of reporters vote for Democrats.

It�s real, it�s there, and it�s infuriating.

It�s especially infuriating when it impacts the way the media presents � and Americans then view GOP candidates.

In this cycle, President Obama is vulnerable � on our continuing high unemployment in particular and because people increasingly view him as not sharing traditional American values. The sympathetic the media is worried. Consequently, they have launched an all-out offensive against GOP candidates, especially targeting front-runner Romney and surging Newt Gingrich.

When it comes to Romney much of the withering criticism has nothing to do with policy, but focuses instead on the former Massachusetts governor's apparently infuriating wholesomeness.

In the New York Times last weekend, this irritation was on full display. Columnist Maureen Dowd makes fun of the young Romney�s affection for �The Sound of Music� (what is it about that musical that so annoys the left?) and disregard for The Grateful Dead.

She describes him as living in a �non-drinking, nonsmoking, suburban, uxorious bubble with Ann, revolving around Mormon rituals, Mormon couples, and the Mormon credo of strong, heterosexual, traditional families.� (In case you wondered, that�s meant to be a criticism.) �Uxorious� means having an excessive fondness for one�s wife � something that Ms. Dowd finds unacceptable.

She should know that rampant divorce and children born out of wedlock cost our country an estimated $112 billion in 2008; chances are the recession has driven that figure above $150 billion. Heads up- there are worse things than the enduring family.

In the same paper, Lee Siegel describes Romney as �the whitest man to run for president in recent memory.� In case that one leaves you scratching your head, Siegel explains that he means �the countless subtle and not-so-subtle ways he telegraphs that he is the cultural alternative to America�s first black president. It is a whiteness grounded in a retro vision of the country, one of white picket fences and stay-at-home moms and fathers unashamed of working hard for corporate America.�

He derides Romney for being �implacably polite, tossing off phrases like �oh gosh� with Stepford bonhomie.� In other words, shame on Romney for his decency, for having been happily married to Ann for decades and for earning a living. More important, shame on him for imagining that a great many Americans might aspire to do the same.

Are these columnists and the rest of the "mainstream media" really focusing on the concerns of American voters? The very voters who fear taxes will go up because of reckless handouts to public employee unions, see their tax dollars squandered on bankrupt Solyndra, worry that ObamaCare will limit our health care choices, see their kids� schools failing to ready them for college or for the workplace, watch as the national debt soars to unprecedented levels, see job opportunities blown because Obama wants to court environmentalists? No, memo to Maureen Dowd, most voters are not worrying that Mitt Romney is too attentive to his wife.

The media does not limit its snark attacks to GOP candidates. Take Tim Tebow. Like a number of GOP candidates, Tebow espouses traditional values and is a devout Christian, inspiring ridicule on both counts.

Andrew Sharp, a contributor to SBNation.com, wrote before last week�s playoff game �instead of an icon to hard work and humility or a football player that's fun to watch play football, for a week at least, he's the walking, kneeling reminder of just how completely f**king insane America can be sometimes.�

What really drives Sharp nuts is that 43% of Americans trace Tim Tebow�s success to divine intervention ��the insane fans who think he's Jesus Christ in a flak jacket.�

Yes, Americans may have gone a little loopy over Tebow, but so what? These are tough times, and if people find inspiration in a clean-living, spiritual and charitable young man who can occasionally pull off surprising wins, bully for them and for him.

The media has focused on Mr. Romney, since he is in the lead, and because he is viewed as most likely to attract the all-important independent voters who elected Mr. Obama but who are deserting him in droves. That focus could shift, if someone else clinches the nomination. What will not shift is the incessant ridicule of GOP values and standards from the left.

Let us hope voters are not swayed.

issac;
I hope this finds you and yours well thus far in 2012 Bob.

While I know it's small consolation to my US 'Fire friends, if anything your MSM is the picture of reason compared to our government funded CBC media up here.

Our eldest daughter did a high school project for the advanced English class she is in on a CBC report on the usefulness of our wonderful firearms registry.

My involvement was only to show her where the actual numbers could be found - from another branch of the Federal Government no less - and she proceeded to ventilate the premise of the entire article.

While I forget just now what adjective she used to describe her teacher's reaction to it, he was somewhat taken aback by the lack of truthful information.

Sadly it was no surprise to anyone at our house, but at least now one other Canadian might be questioning the "party line" we're being fed daily.

Anyway Bob, it's to the point at our house that we double check the weather network as even they seem to have an ulterior motive some days!

All the best to you and your fine family in the remainder of the year sir.

Regards,
Dwayne

You'd be the perfect spokesman for what makes Canada great.

I could learn from you.

Nah,too late.

You're one to be admired,though.

That so many so easily throw their support towards Gingrich for his not so believable indignation over a question of his moral failings just reaffirms my belief the GOP base are about as smart as the Dem base.

issac;
Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it very much.

The intentional misinformation and partial information is a bit of a pet peeve with me - as you may well have ascertained...

In our usual "how can we survive without our precious registry" reports, the MSM dutifully repeats the party line given by the extremely left leaning Association of Police Chiefs stating how many times a day the registry information is accessed by rank and file LEO.

What they don't say however, is that when the LEO calls in a location, the registry information is automatically generated along with other information pertaining to that location.

We have family friends in LEO in various agencies in Alberta and BC, so we get to hear the "real deal" from time to time.

An Edmonton Police Services officer did an independent survey of said rank and file LEO which indicated something north of 94% ignore the registry information results!!

Oh yes, they find it very useful indeed.

I could go on of course, but that would only be preaching to the choir - who hopefully have the sermon memorized enough to quote it in time of need.

Thanks again for the kind words and all the best to you folks this year.

Regards,
Dwayne

When he saw how the audience reacted he should have continued on about how they covered for Clinton, John Edwards, and gave Brobam a pass.

Newt led the charge couple years back with (paraphrased) "It's time to expose and root out the liberal, secular left".

I said he's right and it's going to take force and direct talk.

Now he's leading he charge against the corrupt media and their deliberate left slant on everything (something I've complained about since CNN started airing).

More direct talk required. STRONG language! No beating around the bush. No more defending attack after attack and never counter with facts. No more letting the double standards and hypocrisy slide as though of no consequence. NO MORE MR NICE GUY!!!

It's time.

As I have oft opined, the media in America functions as the propaganda arm of the dhimmicrat party. They are, for the most part, liberal partisans and communist warriors in the current cultural and political wars in America.
I believe a free society needs a free press, but then the press becomes a biased, active participant in the fray, we no longer have a free press.

Yeah Sam and the MSMs self righteously maintaining that they onlyn report the NEWS ignoring the fact that they alone say what the news is.

Ol' Newt is a creature of the media, and his outrage at his own ox getting gored is laughable.

When I take time out to listen to news, I want them to tell me what happened, I will form my own opinions.

Now days they want to pre form my opinion during the one sided left wing or right wing news, this = left wing or right wing propaganda. It is insulting to see their attempt to program the audience with propaganda, right or left.

Just tell the facts about events, so the audience hears truth.

I spend most of the summer and fall in Canada and I only get the CBC at the cabin. I concur that there is even more of a liberal bias at the CBC than the worst U.S. liberal media. When Jack Layton, leader of the NDP (liberal socialist) party passed this summer, the CBC went to almost complete coverage of his passing and funeral for an entire week.

What a blessing DVD's are at a remote location.

You can trace it back to the liberal professors in the colleges. The high schools taught that everybody needed to go to college, that put they where they could be further indoctrinated. miles

Go to Google News and look at the "Top Stories" on the upper left. Mitt Romeny has been #1 for six monthes...even on days when almost nothing is written about him. ABC (?) doing a "personal" attack on a candidate just before an election? There is no credibility in the media.

Of course, I see it on a local level every day too. Seldom does a day go by when I'm not asked about some news item, that has been reported which is supposedly "important", which is either exaggerated or false. Just like here at the 'fire, most people don't care about fact or truth...it's either too boring, or just not what they want to believe.

Maybe. More likely you trace it back to money. Everybody wants the "scoop", even if they have to manufacture it. Conflict sells.

locally, we had that communist Cornell West speaking at UF on Friday past, joined by his sycophant running dog, Tavis Smiley.
The local news outlets were orgasmic in their praise for both of these slime weasels. From the coverage, you would think Jesus Christ himself had graced our town.
The big push for their speeches was praise for the occupy movement, and why every American should be on board.
I know there was a counter demonstration by some local Conservatives, but not a one of them was interviewed, or even seen on the TV coverage.

One thing I get extremely frustrated with is the media not calling out Hussein on his bold faced and blatant lies.

This aspect of the POTUS's character not being brought to the attention of the American public at large is a crime.

walt501;
I'm sorry that you had to witness that bit of our social engineering at work.

On behalf of Canadians who didn't worship at the feet of Mr. Layton (there are actually quite a few of us it seems, based upon the last election results ) - I'd like to apologize for the CBC's ridiculous behavior.

On a lighter note, the CBC does give reasonably accurate local weather forecasts so they aren't COMPLETELY useless, though very close to that....

Well, being a Canuck, I must go now and fire up the tractor to plow out the yard and the neighbors places too.

All the best to you in 2012 sir.

Regards,
Dwayne

I don't hold Fox in any higher regard than the rest of the MSM, they're all in the same boat.
Left slant or right slant is still a slant. Less guilty than the next guy is still guilty. Journalists (so called) are some of the lowest scum on the face of this earth.

Time to post this again.

True, but you can also blame the family breakdown. Two poeple working means the kids are raised by somebody else, and more often than not, that somebody else is an institution. Everything is done for the kids, and they expect more of the same as they age. Add the expanded role of ALL media in a young person's life, and there you have it. We are not raising our own kids anymore. They want to be cared for indefinately. They have lost a sense of originality and character.