Time magazine’s James Poniewozik (9/24/12–subscription required) says it’s been “a banner year for the factcheckers,” and yet the facts keep on getting mangled:
Yet the traffic violations keep coming. Scads of fibs, exaggerations and misleading statements have been swept up in the dragnet: a super-PAC ad implying that Mitt Romney was responsible for the cancer death of a laid-off worker’s wife, a Republican claim that Barack Obama was ditching welfare work requirements, a charge by Senator Harry Reid that someone told him Romney hadn’t paid taxes for years, a boatload of statements from Paul Ryan’s vice-presidential acceptance speech.
Poniewozik has some insights into why this is so–notably the segregation of factchecking into its own genre of journalism, rather than routinely incorporating it into everyday news reporting–but he fails to point out one of the biggest problems with factchecking, one that’s illustrated by his own piece.
Time‘s carefully bipartisan illustration of campaign dishonesty.
Look at the list of examples he gives of crimes against factuality: Predictably, there’s two examples from Democrats, two examples from Republicans. Are these examples really equal and opposite? Is a deceptive theme in one campaign’s advertising really the same as a manipulative but not really untrue claim in an ad from a super-PAC allied with the other side? Is a running mate’s convention speech full of whoppers really balanced by a uncheckable allegation made by a congressional leader?
Now, maybe Poniewozik does think these items carry equal weight. Or maybe he could have picked better examples. But what he couldn’t do–without violating the unwritten rules of corporate media–is come out and say, “Yes, every political party makes statements that deserve skepticism, but this year one campaign has been far more reckless with the truth than the other.”
No, the rules require that you find both sides to be just about equally guilty. And as long as that’s true, there’s really no disincentive to lying as much as you can: The worst thing that can happen is that the press will express disgust for you and your opponent both.
Very perceptive! I especially like the notation about “… the segregation of factchecking into its own genre of journalism, rather than routinely incorporating it into everyday news.”
Poniewozik has some insights into why this is so–notably the segregation of factchecking into its own genre of journalism, rather than routinely incorporating it into everyday news reporting–but he fails to point out one of the biggest problems with factchecking, one that’s illustrated by his own piece.
Maybe he decided it needed it’s own Genre because the main perpetrators of falsehoods live in their own world anyway.
One fact does matter.Every promise the Obama- mites made has crashed and burned.Every promise the Rs have made are yet to be seen, as they are not yet up to bat.Is the devil we know better than the devil we don’t?
The R’s haven’t been up to bat yet??? excuse me. Where were you during 8 years of W? And there’s virtually no difference between Romney’s ideas and W’s policies. Not only have the R’s already been to bat, but they struck out big time my friend.
@EFK – great comeback.
michael e – You say, “Every promise the Obama- mites made has crashed and burned.”
Well, except for the 200+ promises kept, which is listed out here:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/rulings/promise-kept/
Research takes minimal effort. You should try it sometime.
EFK that is bullshit.Just as Obama is not Clinton,Mitt is not Bush.Forget the triangulation,of dragging Bush into it.I never voted for Bush.He was no conservative. Spent like a drunken Democrat.That will never be Mitt and Ryan.
TD…..With few exceptions I had to laugh at the list.Honey the good news is I saved this country fifty bucks by wearing cheaper suits as I promised.Bad news is during my presidency I went 5 trillion more into debt.Look I never said he did not keep every promise he ever made especially to those who backed him in his run.Unions come to mind.The promises I speak of are those that mean something.This country is on a death watch.He has made it worse.Nothing is better.There is not one reason under Gods green earth to vote for this man.Have you seen the middles east?He held out his hand in out reach and conciliation there..They bit it off .Disaster after disaster.No room for optimism.His economy…No room for optimism there either.
I have seen the polls this week and they are sad.Those on the growing government dole are voting overwhelming Dem.They have given up.This is the process.More and more on gov assistance and you destroy this country from within.Soon no one can pay for those who are not working.The dog eats himself tail first.
michael e says, “Look I never said he did not keep every promise he ever made.”
No one has said that. You said he hasn’t kept ANY of his promises. From your previous comment: “Every promise the Obama- mites made has crashed and burned.”
“He has made it worse.Nothing is better.There is not one reason under Gods green earth to vote for this man.”
Clearly, you didn’t go through the list of ‘Promises Kept.’ Among the 200+ items are:
– killing bin Laden
– ending Iraq
– making healthcare accessible and affordable for millions
– repealing DADT
– setting up the CFPB (and appointing its head)
– saving the auto industry
– implementing the Recovery Act
– expanding Pell Grants for students
– putting Sotomayor and Kagan on Supreme Court
– providing tax cuts for small businesses and low-income individuals
And so many more. Most would argue these are amazing accomplishments. In addition, there are those promises still in the works (hence, more reasons to vote for him):
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/rulings/in-the-works/
But you go ahead and wallow in your misery by continuing to deny reality. It’s what you do best.
Td
Sorry I did not phrase it in a way that did not allow you to parse my words.But since you were silly enough to actually print out a copy of his supposed promises kept,let me weigh in.Except for the military things that were already in place ,and simply came to fruition under his leadership -you can list damn near everything under the heading STILL TO BE PAID FOR.And guess what…the people who gave you the money want it back now.Outside our embassies in China they are chanting we want our money back.You know the money that paid for free contraception ,and free(ha) healthcare and all the bailouts of our unions?Well they dont like what you have done with their money and they want it back.And they are not buying any more of your worthless bonds.They dont even waqnt your dollars any more.They want to deal in petro dollars.You know gas,oil and coal.Things you hate to even thing about let alone develop.See your bank of America(China)thinks you are crazy with a capital C.So your fed last week started the unfettered printing of money to stop a collapse of all of Obamas dreams and this country.Sir you have a hell of a nerve.Much of your list simply screams “look how much Obama spent of money he does not have and never will.”
CFPB?????Who is protecting the consumer from Obama devaluing their dollar?DADT?????Clinton put it in.Obama took it out.Circle of stupidity,not a victory sir.And your tongue should fall of anytime you say tax cut with this man.Any tax cut comes through gritted teeth as he takes with the other hand.
td we are 17 trillion in dept.Real number closer to 200 trillion.After our divestitures come due you are looking at a real number of 1 Quatrillion(with a Q)That is more money than all the money in the world at this time.Are you waking up to the level of failure?A greater failure that any leader in the history of the world en total if numbers mean anything.His answer/???Spend more…print more….borrow more…tax more.Your answer????Vote him and his dim wit in for another four.You join the sheeple in their march into oblivion.But we are supposed to know you have a good heart.
One thing Mitt can do right now to show us he will change the crashing economy and bring prosperity back to America is to use his pull at Bain to stop them from closing the Sensata plant in Illinois. They are currently packing up equipment to ship to their new digs in China. American workers had the privilege and honer of training some of the new Chinese workers. Mitt doesn’t even have to be inside Washington to get to work on his promises to save the economy! They have asked him to swing by to their vigil but so far he is a no show.