Media Taking Note of McCain's Dishonest Campaigning

By TChris, Section Media
Posted on Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 09:38:26 PM EST
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Charles Babington, one of several AP writers who have been criticized for their unfavorable coverage of the Obama campaign, has noticed that major newspapers have noticed that the McCain campaign is truth-challenged.

A New York Times headline accuses the McCain Campaign of distortion:

Ad on Sex Education Distorts Obama Policy

Language in a Washington Post headline is even sharper:

McCain's 'Education' Spot Is Dishonest, Deceptive

[more...]

Lies can be effective:

Surveys already show that most people believe Obama would raise their taxes - a regular McCain claim - even though independent groups such as the Tax Policy Center concluded that four out of five U.S. households would receive tax cuts under his proposals.

But lies can be exposed. As can the liars who tell them. If headlines more regularly call attention to McCain's deviations from the truth, voters might might begin to notice. It happened to Charles Babington, after all.

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Media Taking Note of McCain's Dishonest Campaigning | 6 comments (6 topical)

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On CNN (none / 0) (#1)
by Steve M on Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 09:43:14 PM EST

I just saw Mark Halperin, of all people, call BS on McCain. If you know anything about Halperin, that's pretty telling.

I think most (none / 0) (#2)
by Emma on Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 09:43:20 PM EST

people think he'll raise taxes because our debt is like 40 trillion dollars and it's hard to imagine getting a tax cut. I don't believe I'm going to get a tax cut, no matter what the Tax Policy Center says. When it comes to enacting policy, there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.

: I don't think I'll see a tax cut bcz of what Emma (none / 0) (#6)
by jawbone on Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 10:29:24 AM EST

says, that our debt is so huge that increasing taxes on the the top 5% or so of earners will simply not cover programs being proposed, existing debt payments and deficit, plus the increased costs for the increased effort in Afghanistan (and Pakistan??).
We are in what Poppy used to refer to as "deep doodoo."
Also, who knows what either will do as president? Obama asserts stands, then changes them; I'm pretty sure McCain has done the same. Only difference is that McCain has more of an actual record to look at than Obama has.
It's going to begin with whoever wins saying that, on seeing the real numbers, the news is so bad we are going to have to tighten our belts, etc.

Headlines (none / 0) (#3)
by Ga6thDem on Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 10:01:34 PM EST

don't really help. Ads refuting what McCain has been saying do.

: I agree (none / 0) (#4)
by waldenpond on Thu Sep 11, 2008 at 10:17:13 PM EST

All the polls indicate voters think the media is biased towards Obama at this point. Voters like to vote against the media on occasion. Obama can't rely on the media all of the time, their cheerleading can work against him. I think some of Clinton's strength at the end of the primaries was due to a revolt against the media. Obama needs better ads. It's the only strength in McCain's campaign and a weakness in Obama's.

I predicted the MCM was going to be pro-Obama OR (none / 0) (#5)
by jawbone on Fri Sep 12, 2008 at 09:11:19 AM EST

somewhat hands off re: McCain earlier in the primary season. That it would depend on how much they wanted to remove themselves from supporting BushCo. Pretty clear that now the MCMers* are indeed coming down on the Obama side in their punditry and reporting.

Last night Jonathan Alter sadly, but firmly, told Charlie Rose that this year's McCain is not the McCain he had known in the past. Reminded me of Obama's statements about several of the people he had been close to previously, but this year has had to leave behind. Except that Alter then wondered aloud if McCain had ever been the person he thought he had been, which a step in renunciation one further than Obama took away from Rev. Wright.

I expect more critical evaluations of McCain going forward.

*MCMers--Members of the Mainstream Corporate Media