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MSM helps reinforce Democratic Party discipline,
Rewards Republicans who Break Ranks

Posted by GayPatriotWest at 7:08 pm - February 15, 2009.
Filed under: Big Government Follies,Media Bias

In January 1997 when I worked on Captiol Hill and Newt Gingrich was up for a second term as Speaker of the House, we received word in our office that one TV network (as I recall it was NBC) would feature on its evening newscast (and/or its Sunday talk show) any Republican member who voted against the Georgian’s reelection.

In other words, the supposedly unbiased network would reward any dissension from GOP unity with free air time.

As I read Jim Hoft’s post on what he terms the “Double Cross” of the three Republican Senators who voted for the Democrat’s spendthrift “stimulus” package, I wonder if  the prospect of favorable media treatment impacted their decision to buck their party (and their principles).   By turning on their own party, Republicans almost always earn the accolades of an otherwise hostile (to Republicans) news media.

No wonder, as Jim observes:

At those critical moments, when Democrats need party discipline, they are unanimous. The GOP on the other hand, has a few familiar faces who can be counted on to betray their party time after time.

It seems the media helps reinforce Democratic Party discipline while rewarding Republicans who break ranks.

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14 Comments

  1. This is only surprising if one believes the MSM and the Democratic Party are two separate, autonomous entities. They are not.

    Comment by V the K — February 15, 2009 @ 8:25 pm - February 15, 2009

  2. I caught the opening skit on SNL last night. It was skit about the Republican opposition to Obama …………….. it was totally @#$! humorless.

    Comment by Swampfox — February 15, 2009 @ 8:49 pm - February 15, 2009

  3. When it is a Republican administration the MSM loves “whistle blowers”.

    Comment by Gene in Pennsylvania — February 15, 2009 @ 9:53 pm - February 15, 2009

  4. Of course the media is unbaised- look how they reported how the Stimulus Bill was ‘bipartisan’- as if 3 people crossing over makes a bill bipartisan. They rarely described bills passed by Republicans as such, even when they really were bipartisan.

    Comment by A Conservative Teacher — February 15, 2009 @ 10:24 pm - February 15, 2009

  5. How could the MSM be anything but unbiased when Chairman Obama has George Snuffleupagus et al as advisors?

    Comment by ThatGayConservative — February 16, 2009 @ 5:42 am - February 16, 2009

  6. Maybe the reason the media is reporting heavily on the Republicans that crossed the line is because it’s news?

    Comment by Tang — February 16, 2009 @ 7:15 am - February 16, 2009

  7. Coutnerpoint Tang,

    Why didn’t they report on the 11 then 7 Democrats who crossed the line to oppose it?

    Comment by The Livewire — February 16, 2009 @ 12:16 pm - February 16, 2009

  8. The three Republican Senators who voted for the stimulus bill should be respected for putting country ahead of party.

    Comment by Lee — February 16, 2009 @ 12:21 pm - February 16, 2009

  9. The three Republican Senators who voted for the stimulus bill should be respected tolerated for putting country ahead of party bowing before the the Dear Leader and supporting his trillion-dollar debt expansion/ $300,000 per job pork spending package.

    What y’all really meant.

    Comment by V the K — February 16, 2009 @ 12:35 pm - February 16, 2009

  10. BTW, even the Democrat-dominated CBO says the Spendulus will be bad for the economy. Those who really care about our country’s future opposed the spendulus.

    Comment by V the K — February 16, 2009 @ 12:56 pm - February 16, 2009

  11. Hey, #5… You shouldn’t insult Snuffleupagus that way! :) He rocks!

    Comment by Jeffrey — February 16, 2009 @ 1:04 pm - February 16, 2009

  12. And Lee, pray tell, how is spending hundreds of billions of dollars at t time of record deficits putting country ahead of party when even liberal pundits fault the president for not educating the American people on the “stimulus”?

    Comment by GayPatriotWest — February 16, 2009 @ 3:46 pm - February 16, 2009

  13. Somehow I doubt that that is the case for the desertion. Remember, John McCain was the media’s favorite Republican, but when he was suddenly supposed to be a, you know, Republican, the media turned on him like savages, completely abandoning all that they had together. I would think that such a precedent regarding how the media truly views Republicans would prevent even highly liberal ones such as these three from trying to gain such fragile support.

    Comment by Charon — February 16, 2009 @ 5:14 pm - February 16, 2009

  14. #13 – Excellent point, Charon.

    PS – I love your handle, and I bet Dan will too (being a mythology buff).

    Regards,
    Peter H.

    Comment by Peter Hughes — February 17, 2009 @ 11:09 am - February 17, 2009

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