Obama Lashes Out At Modern Media

[Thump553]

Obama has made an excellent point in the past about the pundits on Faux, MSNBC and CNN hyping the horse race aspects of politics and the negative aspects of the 24/7 "news" cycle (quotes intentional) and these remarks-despite the phony outrage from the usual crowd of Obama bashers, seem more of the same. If the posters in this thread were intellectually honest then they would admit that the present trend of making every single political action the crisis of the century to be obessed over excruciatingly, almost always to forward the agenda of the supposed news reporter is unhealthy to an active and functioning democracy.

Cliff's: too much noise, too little substance is the President's criticism of our infotainment glut.

 

[shiner]

 

[Siddhartha]

YAAOT: Yet Another Anti-Obama Outrage Thread.
YALAOT: Yet Another Lame Anti-Obama Outrage Thread.

You guys have to do better than this lame Anti-Obama crap.

 

[Patranus]

Do you disagree with him? Do you think the modern media is empowering the public with information as opposed to entertainment and sound bytes (and that includes news outlets)?

He disagrees with himself considering he used the very xbox and playstation he claims bombards youth with media to advertise for his campaign.

Just another example of Obama saying look at my right hand while I do the opposite with my left.

 

[spidey07]

LOL! He's pissed because the people are seeing what he's doing. And we flat out reject it.

The president who embraced the internet as a means for campaigning and getting connected with voters. Who then promised such transparency of bills being online 5 days before voted on, debates on c-span, openness! Transparency!

Is now pissed that we see what he's doing. GG Obama. You're done.

 

[Patranus]

LOL! He's pissed because the people are seeing what he's doing. And we flat out reject it.

The president who embraced the internet as a means for campaigning and getting connected with voters. Who then promised such transparency of bills being online 5 days before voted on, debates on c-span, openness! Transparency!

Is now pissed that we see what he's doing. GG Obama. You're done.

You don't understand, it is ok for him to do it because "progressives" are better than everyone else and know what is best.

 

[woolfe9999]

He's absolutely 100% correct about the media. It's 99.9% crap and it is at least 1/3 of what is wrong with American politics.

- wolf

 

[WHAMPOM]

I agree Obama is mixing communication devices with game machines, but,,,,,,wht wss da outrage?

 

[Mani]

If people believed everything from the media, what would they think of the Tea Party?

Not sure what they have to do with this thread, other than to perhaps reinforce Obama's point.

 

[Kappo]

I kind of agree with him to a degree. Yes, we use the digital era as entertainment, but at least it isn't mindless entertainment.

Even here, we chat with each other because arguing about politics is fun and entertaining. Doesn't mean we don't learn anything, but it IS fun.

At the same time, he has a point with information being so easy to come by that people do not bother to actually educate themselves.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Not sure what they have to do with this thread, other than to perhaps reinforce Obama's point.

With the exception of Fox the media hadn't done as you say to Obama. I believe that you would find hard to turn up what you've described in MSM.

Contrary to that, you will find a great deal of negative material regarding the Tea Party. Remember the "assault weapons" being displayed in NH?

Contrast that to the violence in AZ protests which definitely exists. Where was proportional coverage of that?

It seems that skewing happens, but not automatically in the direction you suggest, and as much by omission as commission.

 

[heyheybooboo]

OP is just outraged that Obama thinks his sources are crap - like most of us.

I had an Anus 'flash' this weekend - LOL.

While reading this article on 'Chinglish' I came across the Dongda Anus Hospital.

Maybe there the OP can find the help he so desperately needs




--

 

[Mani]

He disagrees with himself considering he used the very xbox and playstation he claims bombards youth with media to advertise for his campaign.

Just another example of Obama saying look at my right hand while I do the opposite with my left.

If that's the best you got on him, it's pretty weak. For starters, I highly doubt Obama was involved or even aware of the use of the campaign's use of advertising dollars in video games. Secondly, even if he did, it in no way invalidates his premise.

 

[Mani]

With the exception of Fox the media hadn't done as you say to Obama. I believe that you would find hard to turn up what you've described in MSM.

Contrary to that, you will find a great deal of negative material regarding the Tea Party. Remember the "assault weapons" being displayed in NH?

Contrast that to the violence in AZ protests which definitely exists. Where was proportional coverage of that?

It seems that skewing happens, but not automatically in the direction you suggest, and as much by omission as commission.

You do realize that the MSM is not in fact mainstream, right? Fox News is larger in reach than the next several sources of news combined. So by honing in on the "MSM" you are selecting a set of outlets reaching limited viewers - not some broad-reaching "mainstream" narrative. So let's say they are uneven in their Obama coverage versus tea party coverage - it won't make much of a difference as Fox would counterbalance it and then some with their unabashed right-wing agenda and larger audience.

Obama's point is that both of these are bad - information is no longer disseminated by traditional news - people now get their information from their entertainment, be it on Fox's more controversial shows or via their Xbox. This either means they do not get important information, or what information they do get may be mischaracterized or flat out untrue.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

So why was he silent when pro health care reform stories were misleading but then complained about the Right?

Concrete example for you. The "savings" that were projected were based on the assumption that things which were being removed would certainly be added back? I'm referring to Medicare reimbursement cuts. The CBO even mentioned this, yet it was missed by most of the media, and Obama wasn't interested in putting the truth forward.

My point is that he is correct. There's a lot of bull out there, but if the BS is in his favor there's no problem and he's demonstrated that. That makes his words true but hypocritical.

That's my problem with this.

 

[Mani]

So why was he silent when pro health care reform stories were misleading but then complained about the Right?

Concrete example for you. The "savings" that were projected were based on the assumption that things which were being removed would certainly be added back? I'm referring to Medicare reimbursement cuts. The CBO even mentioned this, yet it was missed by most of the media, and Obama wasn't interested in putting the truth forward.

My point is that he is correct. There's a lot of bull out there, but if the BS is in his favor there's no problem and he's demonstrated that. That makes his words true but hypocritical.

That's my problem with this.

I don't disagree, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone, politician or otherwise choose to bring up an issue when it benefits them. Still, I bet if you asked Obama if he's ok with throwing the baby out with the bathwater and losing any benefit gained from misleading media, he'd still opt for the perfect world of truth in media. Don't forget on the HC debate, the most egregious FUD came on the other side of the debate - remember death panels?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I don't disagree, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone, politician or otherwise choose to bring up an issue when it benefits them. Still, I bet if you asked Obama if he's ok with throwing the baby out with the bathwater and losing any benefit gained from misleading media, he'd still opt for the perfect world of truth in media. Don't forget on the HC debate, the most egregious FUD came on the other side of the debate - remember death panels?

In my original post I didn't cite Obama as being the first to use the tactic. Heaven knows Bush did, and manipulated the press as well.

I suppose I find it irksome that someone cries about something then uses it. At least Bush never pretended to be above it on that issue. On different things though? Well, if you don't know me I have a lot of criticism of the past administration. That's another subject though.

 

[Patranus]

I don't disagree, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone, politician or otherwise choose to bring up an issue when it benefits them. Still, I bet if you asked Obama if he's ok with throwing the baby out with the bathwater and losing any benefit gained from misleading media, he'd still opt for the perfect world of truth in media. Don't forget on the HC debate, the most egregious FUD came on the other side of the debate - remember death panels?

What are you talking about?

"This bill will save money"
"This bill will make health care more affordable"
"If you like your insurance you can keep it"

Laughable.

 

[Mani]

What are you talking about?

"This bill will save money"
"This bill will make health care more affordable"
"If you like your insurance you can keep it"

Laughable.

None of those are close to the level of absurdity and complete untruth as death panels.

Edit: and that's not even talking about the other BS spun about health care - that you would not be able to choose your doc, that you would be denied coverage, that the government would cap your benefits, that a bureaucrat would be making decisions that your doctor should, the list goes on and on.

 

[piasabird]

The first thing communists do is try to seize and control the media. Same thing for a fascist, socialist or dictator.

I guess Barak Husain O'Bumma wants a police state!

 

[woolfe9999]

I kind of agree with him to a degree. Yes, we use the digital era as entertainment, but at least it isn't mindless entertainment.

Even here, we chat with each other because arguing about politics is fun and entertaining. Doesn't mean we don't learn anything, but it IS fun.

At the same time, he has a point with information being so easy to come by that people do not bother to actually educate themselves.

Yet the blurring of politics and entertainment is exactly the problem. It's not that politics shouldn't be "interesting." It's that it shouldn't be confused with traditional forms of entertainment - distraction, escapism, titilation. It's highly distortive. There was a time when people followed politics (mostly in print) because it was important, not because it was interchangeable with a soap opera, or a sporting event. Unfortunately, since perception creates reality, infotainement culture has infected our entire political system, from the bottom up.

- wolf

 

[ayabe]

What are you talking about?

"This bill will save money"
"This bill will make health care more affordable"
"If you like your insurance you can keep it"

Laughable.

Ayabe: Stay in the echo chamber long enough and you'll go completely deaf.

Patranus: Huh?

 

[Patranus]

None of those are close to the level of absurdity and complete untruth as death panels.

Edit: and that's not even talking about the other BS spun about health care - that you would not be able to choose your doc, that you would be denied coverage, that the government would cap your benefits, that a bureaucrat would be making decisions that your doctor should, the list goes on and on.

So are you saying that the legislation doesn't contain language that creates panels to decide what care is given?

 

[IGBT]

the obama doesn't want his lies challenged.

 

[her209]

Fox News doesn't want their lies challenged.

Nice!