Mike Allen's Right Wing Bias

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Thu May 28, 2009 at 09:48:51 AM EST
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Via Brian Beutler, in Politico, Mike Allen writes:

[T]he media's left-of-center bias is rarely more apparent than during court fights. The coverage running up to the pick was slanted heavily toward the notion of how "pragmatic" Obama's legal views are and how unlikely he was to pick a liberal.

(Emphasis supplied.) Only a right wing ideologue could write about the Media's left bias. As for court fights, the fawning over John Roberts, whose credentials on paper were incredibly inferior to Sotomayor's (Roberts had less than two years on the federal court compared to Sotomayor's 18), contrasts sharply with the Media's racist attacks on Sotomayor's "intellectual heft." Who are you kidding here Allen? At least Allen is now open in his right wing bias.

Speaking for me only

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Mike Allen's Right Wing Bias | 44 comments (44 topical)

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The contrast to the treatment of Roberts (5.00 / 5) (#1)
by ruffian on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:06:10 AM EST

is really telling. The Intellectual Heft Meter seems to be pretty sensitive to emanations from conservative white men.

: Well, one key difference between (5.00 / 4) (#12)
by inclusiveheart on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:37:23 AM EST

this round and the Roberts round is that Democrats didn't come out of the gate the minute his nomination was announced calling him stupid.
For a party built on anti-intellectualism, the Republicans sure are obsessed with smarts these days. Remember that Al Gore was a geek because he was smart - he was uncool. Now Sotomayor isn't smart enough for them.
Basically, they're useless idiots these Republicans. They should have stuck with the anti-intellectualism. At least that would be more in line with their affinity marketing up to now and what's left of their party membership.

Her credentials are more than fine (5.00 / 3) (#2)
by MO Blue on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:07:11 AM EST

and to state otherwise is insulting to women everywhere. Back in 1974 a women executive for the corporation I worked for told me that a woman had to produce 150% more than her male colleagues to advance up the corporate ladder. Sad to think that not a whole lot has changed since then.

Not at all worried about her credentials. I am worried that this part of the statement might contain more truth than I would like:

....the notion of how "pragmatic" Obama's legal views are and how unlikely he was to pick a liberal

Reminds me of the (5.00 / 1) (#23)
by Inspector Gadget on Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:50:52 AM EST

Back in 1974 a women executive for the corporation I worked for told me that a woman had to produce 150% more than her male colleagues to advance up the corporate ladder.

quote often posted in office cubicals back about then:

Women must work twice as hard as men to achieve the same success. Fortunately, this is not difficult.


: Good quote. (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by nycstray on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:19:00 PM EST

That sentence jumped out at me also. (none / 0) (#7)
by nycstray on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:21:08 AM EST

I get a very good vibe from her (none / 0) (#10)
by Capt Howdy on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:32:20 AM EST

which objectively means exactly nothing but I think

how unlikely he was to pick a liberal

is as much wishful thinking on the part of Allen and the Villagers as anything else. that is what they thought and HOPED would happen. it is what the tried to assure by trotting out all the smears and innuendos before the nomination was made.
I said before the pick I thought Obama would pick someone to remind us why we voted for him and I still believe (mostly hope actually) that is what he did.


Well HOPE has been the key (none / 0) (#14)
by MO Blue on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:41:35 AM EST

selling point for Obama all along.


: Also that he seems to be doing a good job (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by samtaylor2 on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:59:11 AM EST

Mike Allen (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by Capt Howdy on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:09:20 AM EST

a younger balder twitchy version of Al Hunt who stutters when he gets excited.
a guy who has learned to say what the villagers want to hear so he keeps being invited back.

afaiac he is everything that is wrong with modern "journalism".

Oh yeah (5.00 / 5) (#8)
by Steve M on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:23:01 AM EST

Those lefties in the media really savaged Roberts and Alito. Who could forget it?

heh (5.00 / 2) (#9)
by andgarden on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:27:57 AM EST

Not the media, but some people did feel compelled to tell us to shut up.


It's funny (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by Steve M on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:35:25 AM EST

that when I read that diary now, I actually hear it in Obama's voice.


: Every time I read the damn thing (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by andgarden on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:40:22 AM EST

it seems to come off differently.

Resumes side by side (5.00 / 1) (#16)
by Stellaaa on Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:03:10 AM EST

You legal eagles can probably get the resumes, place them side by side and tell the dunderheads to compare and contrast. White out, (no pun intended) the names.

: You need cherry picked opinions (none / 0) (#18)
by Fabian on Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:20:19 AM EST

as well.
That's an essential part of the game.

So, Mike Allen weighs in with an observation (5.00 / 2) (#17)
by Anne on Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:09:36 AM EST

about "the media's" center-left bias; I guess if he is not including himself in that group, he's finally outed himself as being in the (far-edge-of-) center-right crowd, a place he apparently believes is the superior one in which to be.

Oh, my, it must be so satisfying to bask in the glow of one's superiority, all the while raising and lowering the bar to let in the acceptable and keep out the riff-raff.

While it has probably been bubbling up for quite a while, I do believe we may someday mark the 2008 presidential election season as the time when the prospect of a woman in the most powerful and visible role in government so frightened and threatened the territory of the entrenched male power players that the march toward real equality went into reverse.

Perhaps Judge Sotomayor will be able to rhetorically wrest the acceptability bar out of the hands of those smugly raising and lowering it and see that it finds a home in a most uncomfortable place where it will serve as a constant reminder that the days of marginalizing women and people of color are o.v.e.r.

And I hope Mike Allen is there to write it up.

Well said (none / 0) (#21)
by gyrfalcon on Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:46:08 AM EST

especially this, "I do believe we may someday mark the 2008 presidential election season as the time when the prospect of a woman in the most powerful and visible role in government so frightened and threatened the territory of the entrenched male power players that the march toward real equality went into reverse."


: probably a little too close for comfort (none / 0) (#43)
by of1000Kings on Thu May 28, 2009 at 02:28:28 PM EST

for the sex that has been the ruling power for 200+ years...(only speaking of our country anyway)...
it's one thing to say it, a different thing to actually go through with it...

The Media Has A Left-of-Center Bias (5.00 / 1) (#19)
by Walter in Denver on Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:32:10 AM EST

There, I wrote it and I'm no kind of right winger or conservative. I think I'm going to write more about after reading BTD's proclamation...

Heh (none / 0) (#25)
by Big Tent Democrat on Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:57:55 AM EST

You live in an alternate universe imo.

: yup (none / 0) (#38)
by Walter in Denver on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:57:52 PM EST

We actually agree on that. I took this as inspiration to put up an example of bias on my blog.

Let's be honest (5.00 / 1) (#30)
by nycstray on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:17:42 PM EST

she could have just as easily said "wise woman". You think the reaction would be different? I agree there is some racism getting thrown all around, but if the race factor wasn't there, I don't think we would be looking anything different than what is happening. She still wouldn't have the "intellectual heft" etc. Remember, our SoS was just a tea sipper last summer.

I beg (4.00 / 3) (#20)
by Ga6thDem on Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:39:46 AM EST

to differ on the racist angle. The reason I say this is because Sotomyer is essetially getting the same talking points that were thrown at Hillary and Palin and hey, those talking points worked more or less didn't they? The attitude of trashing women has been done by everyone including Obama. It seems like things have now come full circle. I seriously doubt that a hispanic male would have been treated as bad, in general, as Sotomyer has been.

This article by Mike Allen should be clipped out and kept by everybody as a reminder of the dangers of relying on the media. The GOP may be out of power but they have lots of allies in the media and are still getting all their talking points out there.

: I think so too (none / 0) (#22)
by gyrfalcon on Thu May 28, 2009 at 11:46:49 AM EST

Well (1.00 / 1) (#27)
by Ga6thDem on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:09:18 PM EST

I don't see the "wise latina" comment treatment as being much different that Obama implying that Hillary was some sort of conniving murderess from her RFK statement and well, I have a family member named Maria who isn't hispanic so from my perspective that statement is just plain stupid.

To be fair (5.00 / 1) (#28)
by Big Tent Democrat on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:10:05 PM EST

Obama did not imply that. Obama BOTS did.


Well (none / 0) (#29)
by Ga6thDem on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:12:27 PM EST

his campaign did. They were the ones emailing it to the press weren't they?


Not to my recollection (none / 0) (#36)
by Big Tent Democrat on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:35:07 PM EST

But maybe I am wrong.


Axelrod (1.00 / 0) (#37)
by Ga6thDem on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:46:01 PM EST

was caught red handed by George S. shopping Olberman's special comment to the press to push the story.

That being said, I completely understand your anger here. It's how people women treated by the Obama campaign during the primaries and frankly a number of times since then. Anyone who thinks this type of thing helps Obama is foolish. All this whole event does is remind everyone of Obama's behavior.


Obama will probably get the chance... (none / 0) (#40)
by Thanin on Thu May 28, 2009 at 01:48:17 PM EST

to replace 3 or more supreme court judges and I wouldnt be a bit surprised if all his nominees end up being women.


That would be funny as all get out (5.00 / 1) (#42)
by nycstray on Thu May 28, 2009 at 01:56:54 PM EST

and I don't mean that snarky or anything, I just think I would get a kick out of some of the reactions if that happened. I chuckle just thinking about it.


I doubt it (none / 0) (#41)
by Ga6thDem on Thu May 28, 2009 at 01:54:34 PM EST

after the Sotomeyer experience. He's being let off easy by this one but the next one will probably go down simply because this one didn't. He's not really fighting against what's going down and he didn't even ask her stances on issues according to Gibbs.


: We'll see... (5.00 / 0) (#44)
by Thanin on Thu May 28, 2009 at 03:03:14 PM EST

but I will say that most of the candidates on the "short list" that I heard had a majority of women on it.
Besides, wouldnt you rather I be right about this one?

Yes, they emailed KO's rant on the subject (none / 0) (#39)
by aeguy on Thu May 28, 2009 at 01:20:03 PM EST

Calling her Maria (5.00 / 1) (#33)
by lilburro on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:20:03 PM EST

suggests a blanket disrespect for her. I don't think it's a coincidence that he called her Maria and not Sally or Jim. He got her last name right so what the hell?


: He's (none / 0) (#35)
by Ga6thDem on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:32:49 PM EST

also an idiot so I guess you can take what you want from his statement.

Is it a good thing (none / 0) (#4)
by lilburro on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:13:04 AM EST

that Allen ignores Limbaugh for the purposes of this article? Or is he in denial?

I believe Sotomayor has more judicial (none / 0) (#5)
by tigercourse on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:19:26 AM EST

experience (combined) then Scalia, Roberts, Souter and Thomas did when they were appointed.

: I worded that poorly, she has more (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by tigercourse on Thu May 28, 2009 at 10:20:11 AM EST

judicial experience then those four did, combined.

If she were male (none / 0) (#26)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:00:19 PM EST

they wouldn't be discussing children at all, except when they published the very nice family portrat after confirmation....

It's both (none / 0) (#32)
by CST on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:19:11 PM EST

a double-whammy if you will.

P.S. you probably want to sensor the swearing even if it is a quote.

: OO (none / 0) (#34)
by lilburro on Thu May 28, 2009 at 12:21:11 PM EST

I didn't even notice that. My bad.
Jeralyn/BTD, it's okay if you delete...I can put the quote up again this time censored.

if quals are based on seniority, then... (none / 0) (#45)
by diogenes on Sat May 30, 2009 at 09:11:07 PM EST

If being on the SCOTUS is seniority based, then why not just pick the most senior judge?