Wash. Post says Foley, Vitter and Craig belong to the only party that votes their "values"

[NNN0LHI]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200710150006?f=h_top

Wash. Post advanced myth that social conservatives are only constituency who vote their values

Summary: In an article on an upcoming event sponsored in part by the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, The Washington Post called the conference a gathering of "{v}alues voters," and uncritically reported its claim that it is "the largest gathering of values voters from across the nation" -- joining other media outlets in advancing the myth that social conservatives are the only political constituency that votes their "values."

Reporting that an upcoming event called the "Washington Briefing," sponsored in part by the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, will "feature appearances by all eight major Republican presidential candidates," The Washington Post claimed, in an October 15 article -- "Values Voters to Meet GOP Candidates" -- that "{i}t's a Values Voters weekend in Washington" and uncritically reported the event's claim that it is "the largest gathering of values voters from across the nation." At the end of the article, after reporting that " Dobson also has a dim view of the candidacy of former senator Fred D. Thompson (Tenn.)," the Post added: "Values voters can decide for themselves whether Thompson could be their Great Hope; the Washington Briefing also includes a straw poll."

By adopting the label "{v}alues voters" used by the sponsoring organizations, the Post joined other media outlets -- as documented by Media Matters for America -- in advancing the myth that social conservatives are the only political constituency that votes their "values." Conservative columnist George F. Will wrote in his May 18, 2006, Washington Post column, titled "Who Isn't A 'Values Voter'?" that the phrase "values voters" "is used proudly by social conservatives, and carelessly by the media to denote such conservatives." He added, "This phrase diminishes our understanding of politics. It also is arrogant on the part of social conservatives and insulting to everyone else because it implies that only social conservatives vote to advance their values and everyone else votes to ... well, it is unclear what they supposedly think they are doing with their ballots."

Similarly, on the October 7 edition of ABC's This Week, Will stated: "{T}here's a vanity in this group right now -- they call themselves 'values voters.' I have news for them: 100 percent of the American electorate are 'values voters'; they vote their values. And this kind of semantic imperialism that they have when they say, 'We vote values' -- everyone else votes what?' "

[jojo54]

1. Values??? What values???

There are no values, moral or otherwise, in politics anymore. They're ALL fricking hypocrites!!

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. I agree entirely: The Republican Party votes their values

And their values S T I N K !

:hi:

[Blackhatjack]

3. But Repub Pres Candidate Duncan Hunter says "When Repubs are caught in scandal they resign and leave

.... and Demcrats make their members Committee Chairmen.

Of course there is no truth to either allegation Hunter made.

[Supersedeas]

4. the Whorington Post at it again