Democracy Has Prevailed.

June 19, 2012

Both sides don't do it

While you can find any number of examples of protesters, celebrities, etc. being less than respectful of a U.S. President, as well as a lesser number of examples of journalists aggressively questioning a U.S. President at a presser, during an interview, or just yelling questions out as he walks by, here's what you don't see:

You've never seen a Democratic member of Congress yelling out "You lie!" during a State of the Union address given by a Republican President:


You've never seen a Democratic Governor out in public wagging their finger inches from a Republican President's face:


And, you've never seen some lefty reporter screaming at a Republican President in the middle of a major speech (or any prepared remarks):


Yet, somehow the Teahadists simply can't or won't control themselves around this President -- not enough to display even the most basic, minimum level of respect for the Office of the Presidency. (Much in the same way that they can't help but bring out the Confederate flag at their protests no matter how bad it makes them look.) I guess there's just something different about Obama...

6 comments:

EdHeath said...

To be fair, Michael Moore would love to be the first lefty reporter (or sorts) to scream at a Republican President during said President's major speech or any of his prepared remarks. We are currently short of Republican Presidents, but I will just bet it is on Moore's bucket list.

On a slight reframing of the title of your post, Aaron Sorkin talked how he didn't find much a of a liberal bias in network/cable TV news (in researching his new show http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/06/back-to-you-aaron-sorkin-returns-to-television-with-the-newsroom/), instead he found a news bias towards "balance". Sorkin sees that as a reluctance to call out Republican lies. I don't know whether this fear of saying that there is no real debate in science about climate change (or evolution, for that matter) is a fear of the Tea Party or (more likely) the money now lining up behind the Republicans. But the cowardice of the mainstream media to actually report the truth makes the United States look like more of a joke than usual, and carries racist overtones.

I don't know if Slate, Politico, Vanity Fair, the Atlantic or the New Yorker would officially be considered liberal publications, or if the left would be willing to claim them. I have seen accusations of that from conservative cmmenters, but then those same commenters defend climate denial-ism, which says all I need to about their judgment. Salon, Mother Jones, Daily Kos, Current TV, Free Speech TV and essentially the Huffington Post are another matter, all leaning hard left. MSNBC? I dunno.

But the willingness of the right to dismiss all news organizations as in the bag for Obama - besides Fox, the National Review, the Wall Street journal and all other right wing media, this is an international joke. And the refusal of the mainstream media to defend itself from these charges only adds to the joke.

Social Justice NPC Anti-Paladin™ said...

And, you've never seen some lefty reporter screaming at a Republican President in the middle of a major speech (or any prepared remarks):
Epistemic Closure
Breaking: First Black President, It Turns Out, Was Ronald Reagan
Interrupted mid-sentence.
Now you can move on to the defense of "You're confusing interrupting and speaking truth to power. It's a common mistake made by those without journalism degrees."
Video of news reader Brian Williams poking finger at George W. Bush

Maria said...

Ed,

I do think they fear being labeled as liberal which is why they do the "both sides do it." thing.


HttT,

OMG! Reagan was asked questions by the press at the end of his statement at a press conference in the press room! That has certainly never, ever, ever, ever happened before! Jesus you're reaching!

And, yeah, Williams was definitely wagging his finger and screaming at the Bush -- oh, wait, I have eyes!

EdHeath said...

Maria, and yet, conservatives relentlessly label the entire mainstream media as liberal, they don't give credit for the "both sides do it thing" Maybe cable news is afraid of independent voters. Or maybe that their corporate overlords will fire the existing reporters and replace them with Fox News reporters.

HTTT, you are linking to Ace of Spades and Hotair? But those are conservative websites. How can they be reliable sources? Are you trying to feed us conservative propaganda?

Campaigner1 said...

Are right-wingers so irrational they can actuaclly look at the Brian Williams/George W. Bush interview and somehow see Mr. Williams poking the President with his finger?

In the midst of a friendly and informal interview, Mr. Williams gestures off to the side with his hand while conversing, then retracts his arm.

Do wingers even live in the same dimension the rest of us do?

Campaigner1 said...

Sorry for the "actuaclly" typo.

Serves me right for not proofreading before I hit "enter".