Media Bias: 1992-2008

By the 1980s, the press dropped the mantle of objectivity and openly aided the Democratic Party. Up until this point, they tended to side with East Coast Elites such as the Roosevelts, Rockefellers, and Kennedys. The Right got tired of being attacked and being muffled, so they fought back using alternative media.

The press began to be challenged by right wing talk radio during the 1990s. They did not like it. The alternative press began to set the agenda. For example, 60 Minutes investigated the Vince Foster suicide in part because of Rush Limbaugh. Right Wing talk also helped elect a Republican Congress in 1994. (This is not to be taken to mean they elected the congress; Clinton blunders and GOP strategy had more to do with it).

While right wing radio concentrated on Clinton and his scandals, the mainstream press downplayed and ignored many Clinton scandals. They’d mention them and then excuse them. Dan Rather actually apologized to Clinton when asking a question on Whitewater. The press love affair with the Clintons would end however after Bill was safely re-elected.

After safely re-elected, the press began to take on Clinton. They were embarrassed and felt they did not need to be in the tank any longer. The Lewinsky Scandal put them over the edge. When pushed about a certain intern, he shook his finger at the press. They did not like that and they went into a feeding frenzy.

Once the press realized Clinton was heading toward impeachment for obstruction of justice, they began to rally to him. Democrats on the hill were very close to marching to the White House and demanding Clinton fall on his sword, and the president was impeached for obstruction of justice, but the press and the Dems managed to frame the debate and deflect the real issue of obstruction of justice. They claimed it was “just sex.” It was not. The cover up led to obstruction. Obstruction of justice was same thing that forced Nixon’s resignation. However, Clinton did not have Nixon’s decency and stayed on. (Had Clinton resigned, Gore would have become president and would have been unbeatable in 2000. In the end, supporting Clinton in 1999 essentially meant supporting Bush in 2000).

Instead, George W. Bush became president. During the 2000 campaign, the press parroted Democratic talking points and openly backed Gore’s demand for multiple recounts. (Gore lost several recounts and still managed to claim he won, but that is another story). Bush became the center of resentment in the press and in the leftbot blogosphere. The press spent eight years misrepresenting much of Bush’s War on Terror and some even openly supported the Arab terrorists. Meanwhile the left discovered blogs. This became a counter to right wing radio and became influential.

By 2008, the press was completely in the tank for the Democrats. First, they supported Hillary, but turned on her when they felt it was safe. They turned to Barack Obama. Obama is a dynamic speaker, but lacked the resume needed for the presidency. That did not matter. They went after their favorite Republican, John McCain, with impunity. The New York Times even published a false story about McCain (and Giuliani as well). The press became a wing of the Democratic Party themselves. Obama was perfect. He was liberal, biracial, and has Eastern credentials. It will be difficult for the GOP to beat Obama in 2012 as he is the incumbent and the media is will campaign for him regardless of his record. (Interestingly, Pew Research reported that Fox News was the only outlet with balanced coverage during the 2008 campaign).

So there we are. The media went from elitists to liberal elites. They originally supported those they felt worthy (i.e. East Coast credentials). During the Vietnam Era, they began going after the GOP and threw objectivity out the window in 1980. By 2008, they dropped the appearance of objectivity altogether and now are as reliable as Pravda was during the Cold War.