Stalin, The Nazis And A Serial Killer

Whenever I am reading news articles, I always expect there to be some sort of biased spin on the story. Very few times have a read a story and been utterly shocked at how biased it was. An article I read today is probably at the top at that list. The article is titled,

Stalin, The Nazis And A Serial Killer: The Villains Right-Wing Media Compared To Eric Holder

That title is enough to make just about anyone stop what they're doing to read it. Once I started, it became very apparent at the spin to the left. 

Upon further reading, you come across multiple titles, including:

Al Qaeda and Joseph Stalin 

According to the article, former Congressman Allen West "...claimed Holder was a "bigger threat to our Republic" than terrorist Ayman al-Zawahiri" in a fundraising email. They then have a link to a separate news outlet collaborating their story. At the end though is another link that shows a video of former Congressman West explaining what he said although the article down plays it. 

The article then goes on to say that Rush Limbaugh "...called Holder a "Stalinist" for announcing that the federal government will recognize same-sex marriages in Utah." Again though when you actually look at what Limbaugh said, it can be seen that it was taken out of context. 

LIMBAUGH: Eric Holder, the Attorney General of the United States says that the federal government will recognize same-sex marriage in Utah for the purpose of federal benefits despite the Utah governor's directive not to, pending the Supreme Court's review of the state's ban. So the states, when you've got people like Holder and Obama in office, it doesn't matter what governors do, it doesn't matter what the people of the state want. What Holder and Obama want is what's going to happen. Holder does not have this kind of power or authority but he does if nobody's going to stop him or challenge him.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: You have the Attorney General engaging in executive actions, executive orders. Just as if Obama were to do it. Stalinists, folks.

It is truly amazing that the list goes on and on and on.  While the resignation of Holder in the middle of mid-term election season is a big deal, this article is directly aimed at Conservative news pundits, not those actually running for office. I guess if you are having trouble discrediting those running for office, the next best thing to do is to discredit those who are supporting them.

New Campaign Strategy

I was bouncing around different news media websites and I stumbled across a Conservative news outlet called Red State. On their main page, an article caught my attention, "Of course the Attorney General opening will be a campaign point", is what the headline read. At first, I thought that this was going to be another one sided topic that was spun to the extreme right. After reading the article, I can say that I was throughly impressed.

An issue as large as having the Attorney General resign right before a pivotal midterm election makes you think what the ulterior motives are to the decision. The author of the article, Joe Cunningham, does a great job at writing the article from a neutral perspective, analyzing the intent and next steps for both sides. While the article does close out with a bit of a spin to the right, 

"If this was a move that was meant to be used in the actual campaign season, it is possibly the dumbest yet. But, at this point, Democrats’ only option might be to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks. “Obstructing GOP wants the country to be without a Justice leader!” would be uninspiring and, frankly, absurd given we haven’t had one in six years"

it was significantly minor in comparison to the non-biased majority of the article. 

Bridgegate?

Bridgegate? I thought this issue had already run it course through the scrutiny of the media, but I guess not. This issue still has no standing the Chris Christie was behind it and seems to only still be around because of the "word on the street" that he is considering a Presidential bid in 2016. I wonder, if Christie announced that he was not going to be running for President, how quickly would this "scandal" disappear? It has become monotonous at how long this has been going on. What is the reason the left will not let go? Are they intimidated  at the thought of Chris Christie taking a shot at the Presidency?

People are Packages?

As I was scrolling through my twitter feed, killing time, I could help but notice a headline that read "Republican Congressional Candidate: Government Should Track Immigrants Like FedEx Tracks Packages."  Seeing this, I couldn't help but click on it to see what this outlandish claim was about. As I read the article, it became clear that the title took the text out of context. Barbara Comstock, a Virginia Republican congressional candidate, in a debate with Democratic challenger John Foust, said “I think immigration should be done by legislation, not executive action. I think first and foremost, we need to stop playing politics with this and secure the borders... Fedex can track packages coming in here all the time; we can track people who are coming into the country. And we can do that right.” Although this comparison doesn't really seem to make sense, the headline is definitely a biased attention grabber that shows how the media can attempt to sway voters opinions in an election to replace a retiring Congressman.

Utilizing the Campaign Megaphone

Massachusetts is in a heated race for their Senate seat that is up for grabs this November. Previously written off by many of his Republican colleagues, Scott Brown is on the hunt for the seat currently occupied by Democrat incumbent Jeanne Shaheen. While Scott has seen a surge in support over the past weeks, he is gaining support from a source that is supposedly "Fair and Balanced." 

In recent months, Fox News has repeatedly helped Scott Brown promote campaign proposals related to border security, ISIS, Obamacare, and veterans affairs. For example:

• On July 28, Brown released an ad attacking President Obama and Sen. Shaheen over border security. He appeared on Fox Business the next day to promote the ad.
• On August 29, Brown announced he was calling on Congress to pass legislation against Americans who join ISIS. He appeared on Fox News that day to announce the effort.
• Brown has been holding events called "Obamacare Isn't Working." He has called repealing the health care law the "number one" issue for voters. The events involve businesses and individuals criticizing Obamacare as purportedly hurting the state. At the same time, Fox has hosted him to discuss the law, and aired a one-hour special in August featuring business and individual criticism of the law in New Hampshire. The Brown campaign has since incorporated the special into their campaign events.   
• In May, Brown called for then-Veterans Affairs secretary Eric Shinseki to resign and alleged Shaheen isn't supporting veterans. Brown appeared on Fox News at the same time to discuss his efforts.    

Media Matters

This is a prime example of how a candidate can utilize resources to help with their campaign. It is statistically proven that the incumbent holds a strong advantage when going for reelection so as can be seen, utilizing resources is a great way to build a following.

Herman Cain Said it Best

PAY ATTENTION! Herman Cain makes a valid point on his radio show segment called "News Nugget". Just two months out from the mid-term elections, over one third of voters are unaware of who holds the majority in the House of Representatives or the Senate. What will it take for American voters to wake up?

This blog is going to look at the media and the influence that they have in politics. With the upcoming midterm elections in November, it is a perfect time to look at how the media takes events and spins them one way or the other. Used as a tool by politicians seeking re-election or first time election, this will be a perfect time to analyze the way that the media is used in politics.