Robert Parry: Why Big Media Slimes Al Gore

[babylonsister]

Why Big Media Slimes Al Gore

By Robert Parry
October 16, 2007

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has a point when he describes the rabid reaction of right-wingers to Al Gore, with the latest foaming at the mouth over the former vice president winning the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on global warming.

But the Right is not alone in its pathological demeaning of Gore. The major news media, including the Washington Post and the New York Times, have taken their share of unfair shots at Gore, ironically for reasons similar to those that Krugman attributes to the Right.

In his column on Oct. 15, Krugman observed that the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page commented on Gore’s prize simply by running a list of people whom it considered more deserving. A National Review Online article linked Gore to Osama bin Laden because the Saudi terrorist once made a remark about the dangers of global warming.

“What is it about Mr. Gore that drives right-wingers insane?” Krugman asked. “Partly it’s a reaction to what happened in 2000, when the American people chose Mr. Gore but his opponent somehow ended up in the White House.

“Both the personality cult the Right tried to build around President Bush and the often hysterical denigration of Mr. Gore were, I believe, largely motivated by the desire to expunge the stain of illegitimacy from the Bush administration.”

But the major U.S. news media, including Krugman’s own newspaper, appears to have acted with much the same goal, protecting Bush’s legitimacy at the start of his presidency and insulating him from doubts about his competence after the 9/11 attacks.

more...

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/101607.html

[enough]

1. Important points here by Parry. Thanks for posting this. (nt)

[Uncle Joe]

2. Excellent column, however it never answers Why?

I believe the answer is because Al Gore did indeed champion the Internet while he was in Congress, and this threatens the corporate media's one way bullhorn monopoly on information. How many business people out there can feel warm and fuzzy about someone that empowers a competitor to their previously undisputed lock on a market?

Thanks for the thread babylonsister.

[riderinthestorm]

5. I agree, he never does answer why the media chose to participate in the flame fest

starting with the campaign, well before deification of Bush and 9/11.

I'm glad Robert Parry gives credit to Krugman's article for all of these points - cause Parry's doesn't make any new observations. He's just piggy-backing on Krugman's excellent rant.

Not that I care (other than Parry doesn't really answer the question of "why" and doesn't really offer up anything new), I can appreciate any spotlight on the media's shameful complicity in the senseless smear job on Gore and Parry is a good one to do that.

[tom_paine]

6. I think that there are many, many whys to anser this.

Which is true of most every human endeavor, a veritable web of causes and correlations.

Having said that, let me point out tothe three-decade effort to inimidate, bully and parasitize the media into a non-functioning unit (at least for the gathering, investigation, and dissemnitaion of fact one can reasonably trust as being mostly or wholly true).

Bushies have previously called it as being akin to "Bill Parcells working the refs".

A football game is one thing, but wht the Bushies are doing in a historical context is gleitschaltung.

http://members.autobahn.mb.ca/~het/terror_war/gleichschaltung.html

There's one of many answers for you.

[Uncle Joe]

10. I agree with your general assessment, however

if the Germans had the Internet in their day to combat the propaganda of Goebbels and the like, who do you believe would've been a prime target of their wrath? I contend, the leader that championed the technology that would be the antithesis of totalitarian control.

Had the press been bullied or intimidated by the fascists, all the easier for them to castigate the political champion of the technology which was a natural antagonist of their income and social status.

[Samantha]

3. Bush* cannot be insulated from that stain

It takes more than the theft of an election to make a president.

Sam

[Bitwit1234]

4. Any time a democrat has the guts to be the center of attention,

anytime they happen to do something spectacular the right wing pounces. They are trying to fan the flames of bashing and discontent. They can't let a democrat get any praise, that's reserved for Turd-in-Chief.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

7. This is nothing new

if you go to this website; www.dailyhowler.com
He has been tracking this kind of behavior since the late 90's. Al Gore was the victim of a smear attack that seemed largely to be the direct work of the American press corps!

[Done]

8. Why were they against Howard Dean?

Why are they against any genuine progressive?

[Uncle Joe]

11. I believe it was because the Internet was for him. n/t

[Cha]

9. richard cohen will go down in history

as just another asshole who propped g w bush without investigating the real possibilities of its danger..iow, he prolly phoned it in from his barstool.

And this bunch of bushits are finally being exposed as rabid fucking jackals they are. "divine intervention"?, laura, timmy, ghoul? More like the fucking devil won the day..things change, though..and the devil can't hide behind the US corporatemediawhores anymore. Party's Over, Assholes.

Excellent, Robert Parry, thank you..as always! Now is it any surprise that Gore won't run for Prez with the corporatemediswhores waiting for him in packs?

Our country will get nowhere until the mediawhores go the way of the dino-saurs.

[HughBeaumont]

12. If it isn't completely obvious by now . . .

. . . it's the same reason why they're sliming/marginalizing/ignoring (respectively) Edwards, Obama and Kucinich: Candidates that cater to the PEOPLE'S needs aren't part of their plan. Their plan is to guide the voters, through massive publicity, polls and albeit temporary praise, to their shining beacon known as Madam Windsock. It's win/win. If she plays corporate ball (like she has been doing, via her support of Bewsh's wars and free trade) and continues to do so should she win the office, WIN. If she divides the Dem voter base and Ghouliani gets in, WIN. If she wins and fails to clean up Bewsh's mess, say hello to 2012's new King - JEB!

They're picking OUR candidate FOR us. AGAIN.

Gore represents a threat to their plan, especially that of environmentally unfriendly Big Business.