Networks Helped Spread McCain's False "Troops" Ad

NY Times:

The number of times Senator John McCain's new advertisement attacking Senator Barack Obama for canceling a visit with wounded troops in Germany last week has been shown fully or partly on local, national and cable newscasts: well into the hundreds.

The number of times that spot actually, truly ran as a paid commercial: roughly a dozen.

Result for Mr. McCain: a public relations coup that allowed him to show his toughest campaign advertisement of the year -- one widely panned as misleading -- to millions of people, largely free, through television news media hungry for political news with arresting visual imagery.

Read the whole story: NY Times

Comments

[SamEllison]

In the run up to the 2004 election, CNBC run the SWIFT-BOAT LIARS ad every 6 minutes, for free as a lead-out to the commercial break. There ought to be a law.

[ebanks84]

Why? The law don't seem to work for the people anyway.

[SamEllison]

The ad was run only a couple of times where it was paid for by the swift-boat liars.
The rest of the time it was run for free by MSM.
What is your question?
Why do we have laws?
Ask Mukasey!!!

[ebanks84]

Just goes to show how "rovian" the msm has been trained to be. KR's playbook must be on every commentator's desk and back pocket because they truly know how to spin LIES on a "grand scale".

To show how "rovian" it really was -- the portion of the ad that says he would rather go to a gym than visit the troops and has the picture of his great shot from his trip oversees -- is what made the ad cause such a stir because everyone knew it was a lie. So on the lie, the media had their cue card to expose the ad for the lie, thereby giving it all the FREE play it needed for success.

KR makes presidents in his distorted evil way and thinks Americans are a bunch of dummies. I beg his pardon. His tactics are blatant and no one needs to question where they came from because he does his dirt RIGHT IN YOUR FACE!

And Americans must realize that as long as this man goes unpunished for his crimes, he will train other scoundrels to be just as misleading and trite as he is. He must be stopped and made accountable for ruining this country by use of his evil trickery. And the more he spreads it, the more repugnant the rethugs get. They want this election BADLY! And they'll do whatever it takes to WIN at all costs.

[jay1975]

It is being aired because it is true.

[ebanks84]

And just because you say it, doesn't make it true.

[DMHendrix]

Well, maybe, if by true you mean:

T otally
R idiculous
U nsubstantiated
E mbellishment

if that's the case, then I agree!

[LiberTLover]

Well this is on the internet so this must be true as well:

http://judicial-inc.biz/82jjohn_mccain_and_the_uss_forresta.htm

[ladeyday]

True in that it is desparation on the part of The Mac Attack

[KNadine]

The media is too busy trying to prove themselves "fair" when in fact they are going way overboard and NOT doing their jobs. They are too busy trying to bring Obama down a peg or two because of his "arrogance" to fact check anything. I believe the media is about to bring a serious backlash on themselves for this nonsense.

[IowaKid]

Don't you the MSM thinks McSame never does anything wrong and when he does they work so hard to cover it up. Check his flip flop on taxes. He said there would not be any tax increases but yet it's on record that he said nothing is taken off the table talking about payroll taxes. Reference Hardball yesterday afternoon.

[JUSTME]

Hardball, with substitute host Mike Barnacle, played the ad four or five times the other night under the guise of asking panelists what they thought. Just the news media doing their job for McCain.

[Wildcatdiva]

Oh please, MSM is so in the tank for mc caine. No one is fooled by that mess.

[jay1975]

Yes, that's why they follow him everywhere he goes. They get thrill and chills running up their legs whenever he speaks. They have never brought up his age or his anger. The MSM loves all Republicans since they give their party lable for every thing they do but when a Democrat gets caught doing wrong you do not see that party lable. Wake up and actually watch the news and you will see how much they love St. Obama.

[BannedFromCommenting]

How slow are the monitors that in 5 min, only 2 messages got posted that were SHORT??

[ebanks84]

I feel your pain:)

[NYC07]

The MSM is the best friend and campaign worker the McCain Camp has, no wonder they call the MSM his base.

[Charmed]

Wait, I thought the media was in love with Obama, according to the Ring Wing folks anyway.

[nerakami]

and when will Americans realize that this is the ploy.... called, "pulling the wool over their eyes" ?

[BannedFromCommenting]

At least where I see it aired for "free" by media, they point out its falsehoods...
I am sure the SNL audience in Denver clearly knew the facts and probably thought it was an SNL fake commercial!!!! Terrible time to actually run it, during SNL!!!

Dan Abrams covered it, played it, but not Keith Olbermann I think, but either way they talked of its complete falseness. Anyone watching general news only will know that "gym" shot was with troops. They showed that 3 pointer shot all over the news and you can see the troops all around!

[MissingAmerica]

This is just another GOP reprehensible ad which will be believed by those who want to find a reason NOT to like Obama. Personally, I applaud Obama's willingness to take the punches he undoubtedly knew he would receive after decided not to use our brave troops for a campaign photo op. His decision had to be a difficult one for him. He proved his compassion for their situation and his dedication to the American principles.

The failure of the McCain camp and the GOP to understand the reasoning just goes to show how little they truly care about repairing the damage their party has done under the Bush regime.

[xmw]

So big surprise that the media is helping to elect McCain??????????

[trollsbwild]

The lack of any fact checking been the single worst offense committed by the MSM since 2000. False reporting is not of concern so much as huge ratings.

[ebanks84]

They take the "easy" way out and say what others are saying, like "follow the leader". Facts elude them because that's too much like work!