Our press is out of control

[dsc]

Here is yet another example of our press pimping one of its narratives.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1619574,00.html?xid=site-cnn-partner

Clinton's national-security expertise should be no small advantage in an election that may well take place in the midst of a war. But it is likely to take a backseat to a more prominent question about experience--whether eight years as First Lady qualifies one to be President of the United States. And to a more cosmic experience-related question than that: whether, after 20 years of Bushes and Clintons in the White House, we want to keep trading our most precious office back and forth between these two extremely strange families. In fact, it's entirely possible that "experience" may be more of a disadvantage than an advantage in 2008.

end of quote

This one combines two of the press' favorite narratives. One is the dynasty factor. Of course you will search in vain for any such story when Bush was running, this despite the fact that there would have been a Bush on the GOP ticket in every single election from 1980 to 2000 save the 1996 election. But there was no talk of dynasty. No wait, there was. Gore was the person who was supposedly a dynasty. We heard about Gore's priveledged make up and his life in a hotel room. Bush, the son of the President was just a humble oilman. But now, now we worry about a dynasty. It couldn't be that this now cuts against a Democrat. Nah, it must be coincidence.

The second narrative is the supposed strangeness of the Clinton family. Yes, Bill Clinton had an affiar and Hillary Clinton forgave him. That is the sum total of the alledged strangeness. Hillary's parents were solid Republicans married to each other for decades. No booze hounds, no addicts, no theives. Just solid citizens. Bill's natural father died before he was born and he was raised by his wife's second husband whose name he took. Bill's natural father did father a second child before he met Bill's mother. The Clinton's child, is by all accounts, an accomplished, pretty, thoroughly decent young lady. No booze, no drugs, no thefts, no crimes of any sort. This is a strange family? Are you kidding me?

I have no idea who I am going to vote for in NC's primary. I don't even know when NC's primary will be (they are considering a move to Feb). But we need to stop parotting the latest right wing meme from our insane press corps. Vote against Hillary if you must. But do so because of real policy differences and not johnny come lately dynasty concerns or concerns about how strange her family is.

[ananda]

1. any year as a Bush..

.. should be an automatic disqualifier for anything.

[kimmylavin]

2. Incidentally

Hillary Clinton HAS been serving as a Senator, for goodness' sake! How's THAT for experience?

These people make me nuts...

[Lobster Martini]

3. No one ever mentions that Giuliani has never...

been elected to any office other than Mayor of NYC. What a dumb article. This, incidentally, is the writer who published Primary Colors anonymously and denied having written it.

"...a more prominent question about experience--whether eight years as First Lady qualifies one to be President of the United States. Perhaps being the Senator from New York does?

[BlueManDude]

4. The emergence of Chris Matthews - who may be insane - as the most influential pol "journalist"

is all you need to know about the coverage of the presidential election.

This election will be vapid, empty and address none of the challenges facing the next president. Instead, as usual, it will be about "character" - as defined by the Republican Party.