In What Respect, Charlie?
In the wake of Mitt Romney’s devastating failure to act remotely presidential in response to some international incidents, his campaign (and some in the right-wing reactionary commentariat) has shifted into “blame the media” mode, and is running now against, e.g., the New York Times, CNN, and the Washington Post.
This is a traditional Republican meme as reliable as Reagan hagiography, deficit spending, and tax cuts.
I wondered this week whether the McCain/Palin team had begun running against the media as early as September 12, 2008. Luckily, GLOW-area Democratic activist Adama Brown was quick with some answers:
@buffalopundit Think it was either September 11th with “In what respect, Charlie?” or the 24th, when McCain suspended his campaign
— Adama D. Brown (@AdamaDBrown) September 13, 2012
@buffalopundit Plus Sept 11, 2008 was the same day she talked about seeing Russia from Alaska. 9/14 was when Tina Fey killed it on SNL.
— Adama D. Brown (@AdamaDBrown) September 13, 2012
@buffalopundit So a pretty good case could be made that the last two Rep campaigns self destruction both started on the 11th.
— Adama D. Brown (@AdamaDBrown) September 13, 2012
Because the Republican mindset nowadays is such that any challenge – any attempt to check facts – any pointed, relevant question of anything at all is an “attack” and proof of some left-wing media cabal set on hurting Republicans and helping Democrats.
This only works if you consider, “do you agree with the Bush Doctrine?” to be a slanted leftist Marxist attack. This only works if you consider, “what insight into Russian actions, particularly in the last couple of weeks, does the proximity of the state [of Alaska] give you?” to be a hack job set up to embarrass McCain.
These aired on September 11, 2008. At the time, Obama was down by a few points. The conventions had just ended, and this was Sarah Palin’s first major interview. She did not acquit herself well here, there, or anywhere.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaSECfQqty8]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGSJCDw3ZBw]