Daily Howler on Kristof

[realFedUp]

http://www.dailyhowler.com/

Kristof explains Bush's brain....his casual
relationship with truth and no need to pander...
oy, Nick we thought you were still somewhat
rational.

snip

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2004

STOP EXPLAINING: Major scribes constantly try to determine who the candidates “really are.” Quite often, their spirit is willing but their method is weak—a point Nicholas Kristof puts on display in this morning’s New York Times.

Is George Bush a liar? Kristof says no. Then he offers a “charming” example:

KRISTOF (10/27/04): Let me offer an example—not from Iraq but from Mr. Bush's autobiography. In it, he tells a charming little story involving his daughters in 1988, on the eve of the presidential debate between his father and Michael Dukakis.
The “charming little story” comes from the book published by Bush during Campaign 2000. Kristof’s column includes his account of Bush’s charming tale—you can read it there if you like—but let’s move right to brass tacks. According to Kristof, the charming story, which involves George Bush senior, is factually inaccurate in at least several ways. Bush describes his father engaging in charming conduct—conduct he actually didn’t quite engage in. And Bush is wrong about when the incident occurred—and this second misstatement of fact also makes his story more pleasing. In short, Bush told a heart-warming story about his dad—a story which was factually inaccurate. But that doesn’t make him a liar, Kristof says (we agree). Here’s his more nuanced assessment:

KRISTOF: The current president's hyped version of the incident reflects his casual relationship with truth. Like President Ronald Reagan, reality to him is not about facts, but about higher meta-truths: Mom and Dad are loving grandparents, Saddam Hussein is an evil man, and so on. To clarify those overarching realities, Mr. Bush harnesses ''facts,'' both true and false.

snip-

PANDER-BARE: Nor is Bush a panderer, Kristof says. Here’s part of the way he knows it:

KRISTOF: In fact, I'm convinced that Mr. Bush is not only smarter, but also a better man than his critics believe. Most important, he's not a panderer. While Mr. Kerry zigs and zags on trade and Middle East policy, Mr. Bush has a core of values and provides genuine leadership (typically, I believe, in the wrong direction, by trying to reshape America and the world according to a far-right agenda).

continued

[TimeToGo]

1. Good one

[whistle]

2. A good discussion earlier in a DU thread....

<link> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=81459&mesg_id=81459&page=

[realFedUp]

3. Thanks, just saw it in Editorials.