Earlier today, Dede Scozzafava, the GOP candidate running in New York's District 23 special election next week, abruptly withdrew her candidacy for the hotly contested House Seat. Her decision to drop out was entirely unsurprising in light of the mass revolt of Party support over the past few weeks.
The moderate Republican was initially thought of as the only viable conservative candidate with a chance of winning. The NRCC's candidate of choice set off a storm of displeasure among certain party members setting the stage for a greater intra-party battle.
The GOP has been struggling with identity issues ever since the November elections. Almost a year later and the Party still remains a fractured mess. Ultimately, the crux of the conflict comes down to a question of purity. On one side of the issue are the uber-conservative members who blame all previous problems on the Party's straying from their core principles. On the other side of the debate are those who believe that the path to future prosperity lies in enlarging the party's appeal.
It's disheartening to see moderates, such as Scozzafava being pushed out as "not right enough" for a vocal radical base who represent views far removed from the majority of Americans.
The NY election has become the latest battleground in the war over the GOP's future direction.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Obama vs Fox News and week of nonstop FNN
The Obama administrations ongoing spat with popular conservative news outlet, Fox News, shows no sign of abating any time soon. At least, that was the general impression of events according to the outcome of a recent meeting between Obama advisor David Axelrod and Fox News President Roger Ailes.
The long-brewing conflict has been steadily rising in intensity over the last few months as party relations continue to sour. At the heart of the disagreement is the Obama camp's claim that Fox News has been actively spreading misinformation as the network solidified its position as the voice of the opposition. This represents a marked difference from merely reporting the news through a conservative ideological lens. The accusation strikes to the core of Fox News' identity as a source of genuine journalism.
The administration's response to these assertions has been to extend the "proverbial" cold shoulder to the network. Administration officials have shown little hesitation expressing their criticisms in an open forum. In addition, the President recently opted out of an appearance on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. It's almost impossible to ascertain the direct consequences of these actions considering the network's preexisting penchant for highly critical Presidential coverage.
Having spent barely any time tuning into the channel myself, I'm not really sure where the truth lies. So before making any judgments on the matter, I've decided take this opportunity to better acquaint myself with the conservative behemoth that is Fox News. Over the next week I'll tune into the network every chance I can. This way I can finally gain some much needed context on the topic media bias. Whatever mysterious knowledge I glean during this time, be it inspiring revelations of truth or dark visions of insanity, will be posted to my blog.
The long-brewing conflict has been steadily rising in intensity over the last few months as party relations continue to sour. At the heart of the disagreement is the Obama camp's claim that Fox News has been actively spreading misinformation as the network solidified its position as the voice of the opposition. This represents a marked difference from merely reporting the news through a conservative ideological lens. The accusation strikes to the core of Fox News' identity as a source of genuine journalism.
The administration's response to these assertions has been to extend the "proverbial" cold shoulder to the network. Administration officials have shown little hesitation expressing their criticisms in an open forum. In addition, the President recently opted out of an appearance on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. It's almost impossible to ascertain the direct consequences of these actions considering the network's preexisting penchant for highly critical Presidential coverage.
Having spent barely any time tuning into the channel myself, I'm not really sure where the truth lies. So before making any judgments on the matter, I've decided take this opportunity to better acquaint myself with the conservative behemoth that is Fox News. Over the next week I'll tune into the network every chance I can. This way I can finally gain some much needed context on the topic media bias. Whatever mysterious knowledge I glean during this time, be it inspiring revelations of truth or dark visions of insanity, will be posted to my blog.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sorry Obama, No Olympics for YOU!
Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee chose Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the site of the 2016 Olympic games. The annual contest for Olympic hosting duties usually falls pretty far below my radar this changed however, after the President decided to intervene personally and champion his hometown of Chicago for 2016 games.
The issue came to a speedy resolution after Chicago was disqualified during the first round of voting. The embarrassing defeat could have easily been confined solely to the city of Chicago, but thanks to his own efforts Obama now shares in the loss of face. By petitioning the Olympic committee in person, Obama was in effect, placing the outcome on his own shoulders.
The defeat made Obama, and by relation the office of the president, appear weak both at home and abroad. It's hard to justify such a risk for the minimal benefit of securing the Olympics for America yet again. This outcome only feeds the public's perception of an aloof and unconcerned President. And in today's 24/7 media saturated environment, the appearance of propriety is paramount to successfully implementing one's agenda.
It was unwise for the President to risk the negative publicity when there are so many other serious problems jockeying for his attention. The multitude of crises plaguing our nation allow the President little latitude for time spent on less severe distractions. Whether this is fair to the President or not is beside the point, this is the reality of the moment and not even Obama can afford to ignore it.
Although in this instance my criticism is focused on the President, I feel just as much disdain, if not more so, for the all the celebratory remarks right-wing commentators immediately flooded the airwaves with. It's deeply troubling to see members of the opposition explode into fits of ecstasy the instant Obama suffers any kind of setback. The difference, and reasoning behind this entry's main topic, is simply a matter of expectations. I expect this behavior from the right-wing pundits, but Obama's behavior I hold to a higher standard. It's rare to see the President miscalculate events to such a degree. This is not to say his conduct so far has been flawless, but only that his mistakes of the past are, more often the not, the result of a calculated risk in pursuit of a worthy reward. At least this is the impression I've gotten of Obama's behavior up to this point.
The President has set out on an ambitious agenda with far-reaching implications for the future of our country. Seeing a possible reversal of political fortunes and backed up by an army of angry protesters, the opposition is doing whatever they can to torpedo any proposed legislation. With stakes this high even the the most minute of misjudgments will ricochet across the media landscape in an eye-blink and potentially tip the scales irrevocably in the direction of failure.
The issue came to a speedy resolution after Chicago was disqualified during the first round of voting. The embarrassing defeat could have easily been confined solely to the city of Chicago, but thanks to his own efforts Obama now shares in the loss of face. By petitioning the Olympic committee in person, Obama was in effect, placing the outcome on his own shoulders.
The defeat made Obama, and by relation the office of the president, appear weak both at home and abroad. It's hard to justify such a risk for the minimal benefit of securing the Olympics for America yet again. This outcome only feeds the public's perception of an aloof and unconcerned President. And in today's 24/7 media saturated environment, the appearance of propriety is paramount to successfully implementing one's agenda.
It was unwise for the President to risk the negative publicity when there are so many other serious problems jockeying for his attention. The multitude of crises plaguing our nation allow the President little latitude for time spent on less severe distractions. Whether this is fair to the President or not is beside the point, this is the reality of the moment and not even Obama can afford to ignore it.
Although in this instance my criticism is focused on the President, I feel just as much disdain, if not more so, for the all the celebratory remarks right-wing commentators immediately flooded the airwaves with. It's deeply troubling to see members of the opposition explode into fits of ecstasy the instant Obama suffers any kind of setback. The difference, and reasoning behind this entry's main topic, is simply a matter of expectations. I expect this behavior from the right-wing pundits, but Obama's behavior I hold to a higher standard. It's rare to see the President miscalculate events to such a degree. This is not to say his conduct so far has been flawless, but only that his mistakes of the past are, more often the not, the result of a calculated risk in pursuit of a worthy reward. At least this is the impression I've gotten of Obama's behavior up to this point.
The President has set out on an ambitious agenda with far-reaching implications for the future of our country. Seeing a possible reversal of political fortunes and backed up by an army of angry protesters, the opposition is doing whatever they can to torpedo any proposed legislation. With stakes this high even the the most minute of misjudgments will ricochet across the media landscape in an eye-blink and potentially tip the scales irrevocably in the direction of failure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
