Fox and MSNBC Reporters at Values Voters: Rude, Disruptive, Lazy

A lot of mileage has been made about the confrontations between two TV reporters at the 2009 Christian Right Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC this weekend.

I was there. Let me offer a different version of events. The two reporters were rude and lazy and disruptive. Other video standups by other reporters were done in a large lobby a few steps away from the camera risers in the auditorium.

This was not about conference attendees or organizers not wanting coverage, or failing to provide media facilities, or being wackos. This was about two loud, arrogant male oafs disrupting an event. I was 40 feet away from the Fox reporter when he began shouting into his microphone like he was covering a football game.

I could not hear the conference speaker, and the audio into my video camera was being blotted out by his pompous performance. At least ten rows of attendees sat up and turned around when he started his stand up routine. The same thing happened with the MSNBC reporter.

We could not hear the speaker at the podium. It was obnoxious, and not necessary. As I said before, other reporters had their crews lug a camera into the hallway. Other reporters used unidirectional, noise-canceling microphones when in the auditorium.

Clearly, I am a critic of the views of most people at the Values Voter Summit. But I feel an obligation to set the record straight. These two reporters were jerks. The attendees just wanted to listen to the speakers. I spoke with other reporters who agree with me. They are not in a position to be publicly critical. I am.

Liberals and leftists tend to sneer at these Values Voter folks in the Christian Right. Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Markos Moulitsas, and other commentators and pundits get a lot of laugh lines when mocking and trivializing these folks.

Of course these are the same people that elected Ronald Reagan, and the Bushies I & II. These are the people that stopped the Equal Rights Amendment. These are the people that immobilized the Clinton administration. These are the people trying to take down the Obama administration.

Will they succeed? Perhaps. Maybe not. But while liberals and leftists keep laughing at them, the Christian Right will be busy trying to craft a last laugh -- and their track record is nothing to sneer at.

 

 

Follow Chip Berlet on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cberlet

Comments

[MsDee]

The sneers and laughter from the leftists is because of the hypocrisy possessed in the 'Christian Right', but there is no denying their numbers. But, 'leftists', and most moderates are more aware of the hypocrisy, as well as their numbers this time around. Olbermann and Maddow etc, are for entertainment purposes only, like most pundits.

But, the thought of actually putting one of those so called 'Christian Right, Value Voter' politicians into the White House again, like the last one, will hopefully scare the bejesus out of the realists and into the voting booth to prevent that from happening. I will surely do my part!

[bobwalters]

Part 2. I certainly agree that progressives SIMPLY ridicule, ignore and/or repudiate these folks at their peril, and at the peril of moving our nation forward in a more humane, sensible and constructive direction. But to grant legitimacy to such inane, fear-mongering and authoritarian, militaristic, Christofascist, theocratic tripe as is put out by these people -- who may or may not sincerely believe it -- is to grant legitimacy to insanity. Which is what has so debased the (former) "profession" of journalism as to render it virtually useless in our democratic republic. Some things are just not right, valuable or true, and to give them "equal time/space" in the typical "he said, she said" contrapuntal presentation of most of the drivel that passes for "news" is nothing short of a travesty. I agree that progressives should "know our enemies" as well as possible, show respect where warranted -- freedom of speech and thought being values progressiv­es/liberal­s hold -- but clearly placing most of this tripe in the proper perspective: publicly, loudly, clearly and unequivocally denounced, widely, vigorously and often, with factual, logical -- and yes, value-laden rebuttals!

[bobwalters]

Part 1. Berlet is correct in some of his post; so are some others on this thread who take a much less conciliatory approach. I'm afraid Berlet's approach to these people is of the same ilk as the old Kissingerian 'realpolitik', which works only when one is dealing with others capable -- and willing -- of rational interaction.

In my experience, beliefs, values and attitudes -- which always govern 99.44% of behavior -- are not essentially rational, logical or grounded in facts. As another post pointed out, these are ingrained from birth (maybe even BEFORE birth) via parents/pa­rent-subst­itutes, religion, culture and class, and are consistently and fervently reinforced throughout most people's lifetimes. One of the main reasons why general education has not been more successful in producing people capable of rational thought, pursuit of verifiable realities, respect for and pursuit of factual information, and openness to both new information and new ideas -- indeed, capable of PRODUCING new ideas -- is the educational profession's lack of awareness of, or respect for the power of these factors to block intellectual growth and acquisition of factual, reality-based information.

[lesterbud]

Comes down to these two facts:

The left is armed with knowledge, logic and some decorum.
The right is armed with belief, so there is no room at all for logic or decorum.

These people win because they have everything to lose. Losing means giving up their faith. Belief is very powerful because it does not exist on facts - it gains power from others that belief they same otherwise crazy stuff you do. This makes them very dangerous. It opens all possibilities and all strategies to them. You can not predict how they will act, except that when they do, our puny weapons will have little effect.

Ever met a true wing-nut believer?
Ever tried to convince them why ALL their fellow citizens should enjoy equal opportunity and equal protection (minorities, gays, women)?
Ever try to convince them why insisting that the government promote religion actually endangers their religious freedom?
Ever try to convince them that hate is not a Christian value?

You didn't get very far did you?

Knowledge is modifiable based on best available information - new information can improve your knowledge. Belief is, unless violently uprooted and replaced with a similar set of dogma, for life.

[larry278]

Some liberals or progressives vomit when they look at what the religious right has accomplished & can continue to accomplish.

[Chip Berlet - Huffpost Blogger]

Is that the "Hurl" strategy for organizing? Did the Civil Rights movement suggest vomiting on White supremacists? Or are you suggesting that upchucking is the appropriate way to organize against the Christian Right? Help me out here. I don't see your point. How does this move a progressive reform agenda forward?

[mredder4]

Too many progressives insultingly dismiss Christians. Time would be better spent refuting their arguments instead of trying to demean them as people because of how they've chosen to live. For many, it's an indoctrination that begin at birth and will never stop, as their whole lives are built around that part of their identity. But the point of politics is not to get people to change their ways, but to accept that common society forbids us from using personal moral or religious codes as a legal foundation in a plurastic culture. One can say that Christianity is not the right philosophy for America, but one shouldn't say that Christians are un-American or stupid or wrong or any of the other adjectives that get thrown around so easily.

[Chip Berlet - Huffpost Blogger]

I think you said it well. It is a bit complicated, but this is the best response in the long run.

[BlackJAC]

If Martin Luther would alive today, he'd be nailing the 95 Theses to the door of an evangelical megachurch.

[Chip Berlet - Huffpost Blogger]

Probably true, but I doubt he would be nailing it into a Christian Right activist's foot.

[SWalkerTTU]

Actually, refuting their arguments would be a waste of time, because for rational argument to be effective it must be processed in the cerebrum. Their thought patterns are processed in the reptilian complex. They don't think, they react.

Actually, that's over-simplifying it by several degrees, I'm sure. However, it does seem that they have a propensity for short-circuiting rational thought.

In short, arguing with a conservative is completely pointless, since they generally refuse to learn, adapt or change. I sometimes think even being civil to them is pointless as well.

[booker52]

I saw the MSNBC reporter and didn't feel he was yelling or screaming. A few people stood up and tried to get him to leave. He explained he had credentials to be there. I think what it was all about is they didn't want the public to hear what they were talking about.

[LeftLeanWing]

But how could you 'hear it' if they were talking over it ?

[realpolitic]

For another take on this interesting issue, see this Huff Post article...


"There are several reasons why liberals haven't been effective countering the right-wing spin machine. First, conservatives have an advantage because they only attack; they don't propose solutions to real problems or alternatives to Democratic initiatives. The right-wing spin machine aims to bring down the Obama Administration by maintaining that he is wrong for America. Therefore, conservatives blithely assert that whatever ails the U.S., government is not the solution, as the "free" market will fix all problems."



Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-burnett/why-isnt-there-a-left-win_b_291143.html

[WorldofTomorrow420]

Many of these "values voters" are robots produced by homeschooling and Christian universities. They have never been confronted with actual facts in their lifetimes. And, they plan to produce plenty more just like them. It remains to be seen whether they actually get more powerful, but the fact that they helped get Bush elected, and had many of themselves placed in powerful positions within said administration, should be enough to raise a major concern.

[mredder4]

What concern? Internet commentators of the world unite? No blog post left behind.

I'm not a great example myself, but the left at large is a weak an ineffectual force. It rallied to get Obama elected and then deflated, as if the one event was supposed to be enough. Youth power in November translated into health care ignorance or apathy (or ignorant apathy or apathetic ignorance) all summer long, and those old voters that turned out for McCain are the ones that weld the true year-long power.

Instead of insulting Christians for being "robots" and having a lot of kids, progressives need to get out of their houses and make their voices heard full time, not just election season.

[Chernynkaya]

Well said!

[realpolitic]

The topics of conversation among the "values voters" included:

"The Impact of the Homosexual Agenda" and "Christian Students, the University of Babylon, and the Fiery Furnace: Surviving and Thriving in America's Most Repressive Atmosphere," a panel about "repression" and "censorship" of fundamentalist Christian students, and other "multiple threats to their basic rights of free speech and free association." Two sessions shared a title: "The Double Threat to Our National Security." One was about the "threat" of immigration and the other about "radical Islam."

Shouldn't the topics of discussion at a "values" conference be how to spread love, peace, and charity. The values of these "values" voters scare me and I just want protection from them.

[medici]

No, realpolitic. Sorry, but love, peace and charity aren't in their dictionary. These words are totally foreign to the so called "values voters".

[pjburke]

"Of course these are the same people that elected Ronald Reagan, and the Bushies I & II. "

Precisely. There is a history to point to now -- a record -- which did not exist prior to the long, dark Republican run... a run from the "shining city on the hill" down into the black abyss of depravity, depression and debt.

A record of massive calamity... and failure... and wreckage... and bungling... and arrogance... and deliberate neglect of responsibility to The People.

of illegal wars and mass murder and torture...

of high treason and war crime...

of Treasury looting by and for Wall Street and the Military-I­ndustrial-­Contractor Complex...

of meth-fueled sex parties thrown by political appointees for their energy industry friends, and strange vodka-fueled wildness by military contractors in Afghanistan...

of sport-murder massacres by Blackwater mercenaries, filmed and edited with a background music track and laughter...

of a never-ending parade of corrupt Republican office-holders, operatives and supporters, from Abramoff, Cunningham, Ney, Foggo, and Wilkes to Larry Craig, Foley, Haggard, Gingrich, Hyde, Livingston, Ensign, Vitter and Sanford... a very partial list indeed.

We need to demand that these so-called "values voters" come clean and quit hiding their true values. If they are truly in favor of mass murder, torture, war crime, treason, adultery, Treasury looting and government wrecking, then they should have the courage to state it plainly... and in advance.

But we ought not wait for that declaration. Their record is declaration enough.

[Matt Osborne - Huffpost Blogger]

Ridicule is a perfectly legitimate response to anyone spreading fear and lies, which is all the right does anymore.

[Chip Berlet - Huffpost Blogger]

Certainly legitimate under the First Amendment, but not useful. I hope you take the time to look at Ground Rules and Tips for Challenging the Right, a tip sheet that will explain the approach I think works better. It is based on input from scores of community and labor organizers.

http://www.publiceye.org/ark/tips.html

[realpolitic]

You know, the strategy you offer is fine, but is a ticket for the left always being on the defensive. In other words, the right can distort, malign, and offer hysterical conspiracy theories and the left must always be rational, calm, controlled in response, like a group of therapists. Where isthe fun? The left should occasionally use some of the tactics of disruption used by the right, while for the most part taking the high road. We "lefties" are not perfect and certainly lose our patience at times with right-wing subserviance to misinformation!

[Snexas]

Chip, I've been reading several different accounts of what happened. I've seen images of signs that were posted for O'Reilly's speech that said no one of the press was allowed to attend his speech even if they ditched their cameras and pads of paper. That's a bit different.

[madcat007]

These people are not values voters. They're hypocrites who deserve to be mocked. Frank Schaeffer (author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back), a regretful leader in the Christian movement has been on Rachel's show numerous times and laments his participation and fears where these people are headed. This fringe group does not speak for 3 million people.

[punk]

Yes, we will keep laughing at them. Go elect another "Reagan" and see where it gets the country, as it did during the 2008 financial crisis. Perhaps America deserves another "Reagan." Go for it. LOL!!

[zola77]

that would be frightening. Please dont tempt them.

[Netizen]

You've gotten right to the core of it Mr. Berlet. We'd better figure out how to build a communication bridge between the two halves of the population of this country or it will continue to tank. Thank you for your post.