The (Diminished) Mental Capacities of American Newscasters

I was going to call this post “American newscasters are retarded,” but decided at the last minute that was putting too fine a point on the matter.

Here’s the thing: I watched Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama’s speeches tonight. I’ve never been a big fan of Clinton’s oratory stylings, but tonight well… it was an important one, wasn’t it? And she rose to the challenge. I think tonight’s speech was easily her best of the campaign, certainly of the many I’ve seen. I was moved to tears often, and not just because Mercury is retrograde, although that doubtless played a part.

And then I watched the CNN blow-by-blow and understood quickly that the news agency’s “experts” had not watched the same speech I did. Though she didn’t use the “C” word, the beautiful speech I saw was clearly one of concession. Did she have to use the word, though? I guess she did. And why? Because American newscasters are stupid. Here’s MSNBC’s take:
Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton Tuesday hailed rival Barrack Obama and his supporters for an extraordinary race but stopped short of recognizing his victory in the race for their party’s presidential nomination.

Clinton told supporters in a speech that she would consult party leaders in coming days on how to move forward, but that, “I will be making no decisions tonight.”
Stopped short? Have you considered the possibility that she didn’t think you idiots at MSNBC would need her to draw you a picture?

And here’s Dowd from The New York Times:
And, even though Democrats were no longer listening, Hillary’s camp radiated the message that Obama was a sucker who had played by the rules on Florida and Michigan, and then reached an appeasing compromise, and that such a weak sister could never handle Putin or I’m-A-Dinner-Jacket.
What? From what planet did you watch this speech, Maureen? Because it ain’t the one that CNN beamed to my house.

I’m tired -- are you tired? I’m tired of a news media so intent on telling the story they want to tell, they completely disregard the facts as they exist.

From the peanut gallery, then: Clinton’s speech was perfect. As I write this, it seems likely she will soon be announcing that she will be Obama’s running mate for president. A concession speech that’s filled with grandeur and respect seems to me to be just the right note to end what was, in many regards, a valiant attempt: one worthy of a conclusion that’s a celebration.

Less than a half hour later, Barrack Obama’s speech was majestic.

“This is our moment,” he said. “This is our time.”

And I wept again. The dog wondered what was wrong, and still. I wept. And not only because Mercury was retrograde.

Comments

Clea Simon said…
I know, I know. And Maureen D. is one of our brighter stars. Usually.

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