Ramblings' Journal

ABC News continues cheerleading for Ketchup Boy

ABC News' political unit produces a daily newsletter called "The Note," which today makes an idiotic claim.

Forget the fact that that we still can't find a single American who voted for Al Gore in 2000 who is planning to vote for George Bush in 2004. (If you are that elusive figure, e-mail us and tell us who you are and why: politicalunit@abcnews.com.)

Don't forget that "The Note" jumped off of the fence of impartiality back in February when they admitted that they are liberal, and actively working for the defeat of President Bush.

Like every other institution, the Washington and political press corps operate with a good number of biases and predilections.

They include, but are not limited to, a near-universal shared sense that liberal political positions on social issues like gun control, homosexuality, abortion, and religion are the default, while more conservative positions are "conservative positions."

It still has a hard time understanding how, despite the drumbeat of conservative grass-top complaints about overspending and deficits, President Bush's base remains extremely and loyally devoted to him -- and it looks for every opportunity to find cracks in that base.

More systematically, the press believes that fluid narratives in coverage are better than static storylines; that new things are more interesting than old things; that close races are preferable to loose ones; and that incumbents are destined for dethroning, somehow.

So, contrary to the constant carpings about impartiality, keep in mind the ultimate agenda of the Washington press corps in general, and ABC News in particular, as admitted by their own staffers: They want Bush out. Period.

Posted by mhking at August 11, 2004 01:28 PM