I think, sadly, that Mickey is right:
I had a revealing argument with a politically sophisticated friend–call him “Max”– when the “game changer” charge first surfaced. Max’s argument: Suppose it were a scandal sufficiently big to sink Obama. Any red-blooded Times reporter would be proud to publish it and tack Obama’s scalp to the wall. To have taken down a presidential nominee–that would be a professional achievement, maybe a Pulitzer. They’d be high-fiving in the newsroom.
I think my friend is right about the culture of the newsroom–about 45 years ago. As for today, I think he’s living in a dreamworld. Even if the Times had published such a story, Times reporters would certainly not have high-fived the colleague who’d cost Obama the election. Not after two terms of Bush. And I have no faith the paper would even have published it (before allowing the reporter to slink out of the building). In part, that’s because I have no faith that I’d publish it. The old adversarial ethic–I play my role and let the system take care of the moral consequences–rightly went mostly out the window with the ascension of the Sixties cohort.
Yes, the cohort that thinks it won the Vietnam war (not the one to keep South Vietnam to go communist, but rather the one at home against the Amerikkkan fascist pigs who thought that not going communist was a good idea). And now they work to make sure that America never again wins a war, and that people who favor free minds and free markets never win elections.
“Yes, the cohort that thinks it won the Vietnam war”
Would you have been willing to go to Vietnam?
Ah, a pathetic attempt at the fallacious “chickenhawk” argument.
You stay classy (and idiotic), “jack lee.”
I think the Onion nailed this with their somewhat less-than-classy joke story on Obama and the MSM.
I disagree with Klaus. Since there was no game-changer, I think we should imagine one to make the exercise more meaningful. If Obama was caught doing something truly horrible, he wouldn’t seem like Obama to Obama-supporters, and their sense of betrayal would make at least some of them very eager to sink him. This holds true for any political party – although others who have a different view of Obama supporters than I do might disagree, I don’t think I’m saying anything partisan or anything that wouldn’t hold equally true for any politically popular leader caught red-handed. I think the system works.
> Since there was no game-changer
A story that wasn’t reported can’t be a game-changer but that’s no reason to believe that said story wasn’t important, relevant, worth reporting, and might have been a game-changer if reported.
> I think the system works.
What definition of “works” are we using?
“The system” certainly succeeded in not looking at Obama.
Mickey Klaus addressed your opinion in the article: “Let’s assume what’s obvious: The story wasn’t close to a game changer. ” It is fine that you disagree, but I was starting from Klaus’ premise.
My dad went to Viet Nam Jack Lee… so what’s your f*cking point?
If Obama was caught doing something truly horrible
You mean like supporting an organization that commits election fraud?
No, most of his spporters would be happy they didn’t have to worry about him not winning. Democracy doesn’t exactly mean much to those folks.
“My dad went to Viet Nam Jack Lee… so what’s your f*cking point?”
would you have been willing to go? Vietnam was a sinkhole. it sank LBJ it sank nixon. Worst it was stupid.
“Yes, the cohort that thinks it won the Vietnam war”
Would you have been willing to go to Vietnam?
Again I ask, WTF does your question have to do with the others point?
There was no winning Vietnam. The ARVN were corrupt, venal and
unwilling to fight. We needed 2 million men to occupy Vietnam for 10-15 years.
That was impossible commitment, and the only mistake was entering.
I’d like someone who thinks different to demonstrate what victory conditions we could achieve.
“Yes, the cohort that thinks it won the Vietnam war ”
I believe those were the Viet Minh, who came of age between 1945 and 1972.
The Hippies helped STOP the war, they didn’t win it, nobody wins that kind of thing.
The Hippies helped STOP the war, they didn’t win it
Thank you for once again demonstrating your inability to read for comprehension.