Metanarratives and Hillary's Honesty Gap
Do you want to know how McCain beats Hillary in November? In short, the same way George Bush beat Al Gore (minus the Supreme Court coup). As Rolling Stone explained in 2001 :
Last year, a review conducted by two nonpartisan groups, Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Pew Research Center, found that a stunning seventy-six percent of the Gore campaign coverage in early 2000 centered around two negative themes: that he lies and exaggerates, and that he's tarred by scandal. "We call it the metanarrative," says Tom Rosenstiel, director of Project for Excellence in Journalism. "Journalists are looking for a story line, a narrative device, that plays out over weeks and months, and there's nothing wrong with that. The problem is if they let the narrative overwhelm the facts, then it becomes a distorting lens. It can lead journalists to ignore and mischaracterize facts as they try to fit them into the story."For those whose memories of Bush are cloudy pre-9/11 or forget how much the press despised Al Gore prior to his public resurrection as a party elder and environmental evangelist, Google the words "invented the internet" to get an idea of how the zombie lies of media narratives refuse to die. All it takes is a few quotes out of context and a few dashes of hyperbole to turn someone into a "serial fibber" with a "Pinocchio problem".
It's pretty clear that this is the same sort of tactic that would be used to defeat Hillary Clinton in the fall if she were to become the Democratic nominee. Over the past week, she's been contradicted on a number of claims that she uses to bolster her "experience" over her rival. The first being her Ohio primary-motivated insistence that she opposed NAFTA, which Jake Tapper has been debunking at length :
I have now talked to three former Clinton Administration officials whom I trust who tell me that then-First Lady Hillary Clinton opposed the idea of introducing NAFTA before health care, but expressed no reservations in public or private about the substance of NAFTA.For the Clinton campaign, we're not supposed to pay attention to what she did (which, according to her recently released schedules, included a handful of pro-NAFTA meetings) but what she said about NAFTA (but only privately, at least, until it was politically convenient).
Yet the Clinton campaign continues to propagate this myth that she fought NAFTA tooth and nail because she opposed the substance of the bill.The campaign claims over and over that she did not support NAFTA. That may be emotionally and intellectually true -- but actions speak louder than misgivings.
The even bigger, and more embarrassing, fib is Clinton's fictional account of her dangerous flight into Tuzla, Boznia which is becoming her campaign-killing YouTube moment. (via nitpicker)
Clinton's foreign policy credentials have also been questioned recently in regards to her role (or lack therof) in the Northern Ireland peace process :
Mrs Clinton's version of events has been challenged by Peter King, an Ulster Unionist Party negotiator at the Good Friday talks in 1998, who said: "Hillary Clinton was totally invisible at the actual negotiations.These incidents taken individually wouldn't necessarily be enough to derail a campaign, but how they play into the "metanarrative" speaks volumes about how her campaign might fare in the fall. For Gore in 2000, mentioning "Love Canal" and "invented the internet" were all it took to remind voters of the media storyline that Gore was a serial exaggerator. In the months between now and the general election, it's hard to imagine that the same wouldn't happen to Hillary Clinton, with scattered references to "Northern Ireland", "NAFTA", and "Tuzla" making their way into unrelated campaign coverage and subtly undermining her campaign.
"As far as I am concerned, Mrs Clinton was as relevant to peace in Northern Ireland as Tony Blair's wife or the ex-wife of Bertie Ahern [the Irish prime minister]."Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with John Hume of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party in 1998, told The Daily Telegraph last week that Mrs Clinton's claims were a "wee bit silly".
This month, Terry McAuliffe, Mrs Clinton's campaign chairman, told CNN: "We would not have peace today had it not for Hillary's hard work in Northern Ireland."
Both Unionist and Nationalist negotiators told this newspaper that while Mrs Clinton's work with women's groups was positive her overall role was peripheral and she played no part in the gruelling negotiations that took years.
In fact, that narrative is already being shaped to a lesser extent as the Obama campaign capitalizes on recent polls showing that a majority of Americans don't believe that Clinton is trustworthy :
This honesty gap that separates Clinton from her two opponents will ultimately end her campaign, either in the primary or general elections. Whether or not any subsequent claims about Clinton are valid would be irrelevant (as Gore could attest) as long as they play into the preconceived notions that people have about the candidate. With a public that already distrusts her, getting frequently caught misspeaking (to use the Clinton campaign's preferred euphemism) only reinforces the media narrative that Hillary Clinton is a liar who will say anything it takes to become president.
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The lazy and unethical MSM waged a two year war against Al Gore, giving Bush a pass throughout the election season. Now it is Ms. CLinton who is under attack and Obama has been given the pass by the MSM. The problem for the MSM in the general election will be how to give a pass to McCain and to Obama, should he win the Democratic nomination.
Cite examples.
Clinton supporters, stop saying "okay, she embellished a little." She lied, more than once about the Tezla trip. It's actually sad watching her in the video trying to come up with some sort of plausible bullshit story that doesn't make her look like a complete fool for inventing her "NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH" story that all her supporters lapped up with glee.
Exactly, this "experience" was listed on her bio sheet sent out to the press as EXPERIENCE. This should be taken VERY seriously.
Two observations: Why do metanarratives always seem to evolve around Democratic candidates and not Repugs - certainly there was a fact-based one that could and should have evolved around George -- a slacker, draft dodger trying to ride his father's coattails ...
Uh, ever heard of the 'War for Oil' or how about Halliburton, etc... ? Please at least TRY to be fair.
There are lots of them about George W. Bush, the litany goes from being AWOL to snorting Coke at the White house..and some of them are absolutely true. The AWOL issue for sure, but when Dan Rather tried to expose it he did not do his checking and ended up looking like a character assassin. Such a shame...if people HAD listened to Dan, we might have been able to save a couple thousand young American lives.
Georgie Boy was the Chamber of Commerce candidate. They had and have great control of the news media. Research on Bush's early years was shut down, any stories were vigorously denied. No substantive charges in Dan Rather's 60 Minutes piece were ever disproved but questions about one document shut down the whole story and Rather got dumped from CBS. Mega corporations wanted a business- friendly adminstration, raised incredible amounts of money for him and the corporate controlled news media belittled Gore at every turn, much like they did to Edwards in the primary season last year.
Excellent comment! The fourth estate actually manages the people, while the coporate elite take over the world!
And now the media this morning is cutting Hillary slack by doing such things as saying she would not intentionally lie about something that she knows can be checked and my personal favorite - she "misremembered'.
Exactly. I just can't take it. SHE HAS ALWAYS LIED! This is nothing new.
I agree with them...she wouldn't intentionally lie! I said yesterday she "Mis-remembered". They most disconcerting part of it all though is either this woman is one hell of an actor or she truly believed what she was saying. Watch the clip of her giving her speech at George Washinton U. and watch her defend herself when asked about Sinbad. She BELIEVES she was in harm's way and her recountment is ACCURATE. This by definition is a delusion, a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary; also : the abnormal state marked by such beliefs. Something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal and implies an inability to distinguish between what is real and what only seems to be real, often as the result of a disordered state of mind; a false ascribing of reality based on what one sees or imagines. So by definition Hillary Clinton is delusional as recognized by DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 4th Ed., American Psychiatric Assn.) We have endured 8 years of a delusional Presidency I do not want to endure another day of one after Jan. 21, 2009.
Hillary is just like Bush when he continued to tell the same lie that Iraq had WMD and were linked to Al Qaeda. In 2009, we're supposed to be getting away from this type of liar...we're supposed to LEARN from history not Repeat it !!!
Hillary is just like Bush when he continued to tell the same lie that Iraq had WMD and were linked to Al Qaeda. In 2009, we're supposed to be getting away from this type of liar...we're supposed to LEARN
What Bush learned from history was that the only time his father was popular was when he started a war, and when the war was ended, he wasn't popular anymore. Therefor, start a war and keep it going through two terms. And, oh yeah, pump up the value of the family oil stocks while we're at it.
The question no one is asking, the most important question.
Relying on Jake Tapper as a source? SURELY you jest...
Instead she dodged sniper fire to negotiate the fate of war refugees with local governments. That's lying.
Years ago I had a dentist. He was an older guy. He was married to his dental assistant. When he retired, I did not go to her for a root canal. I found another dentist.
Lies Obama told me...shall we list them? It may take a few weeks...
fair enough
Try listing a few lies Obama told you........actual LIES not stuff you think are lies. Lies like Hillary dodging sniper fire, or bringing peace to Ireland.....Her position on nafta in the Bill years. All verifiable LIES. Now I think she has lied waaaay more than that but thats all I can say for certain are as of right now. (Sure if I dug through youtube I could find somemore though)
Precisely. Clinton is basically GW Bush in a dress, being handed the prize by virtue of a family connection. Her own resume is extremely thin and what there is of it is not all that positive, really.
Ok so Hillary embellished. Fair enough. Obama has said he is "not perfect" and neither is she. Fair enough.
It would have been 'embellishing' if she'd said she landed at Tuzla in a downpour rather than under clear skies, and that the mission was 'diplomatic' instead of ceremonial.
What's it going to take for you to see Hilary for what she is? If flat out self aggrandizing lies won't do it; if completely bogus explanations for her NFTA postions won't do it, what will?. Does she have to stand in the public square and scream, "I have no principles, and I'll do or say anything to get elected President." Would that do it?
What's it going to take for you to see OBAMA for what HE is? If flat out self aggrandizing lies won't do it; if completely bogus explanations for HIS NFTA postions won't do it, what will?. Does HE have to stand in the public square and scream, "I have no principles, and I'll do or say anything to get elected President." Would that do it?
So, your argument is a variation on a schoolyard taunt, "I know you are but what am I?"
Al Gore didn't mention "Love CANAL." He mentioned "Love STORY." And, if you read Gore's comments in context (what a concept!), (just as if you read Jeremiah Wright's comments in context), you'll discover that the exaggerations blamed on Gore were actually mistakes and exaggerations by a zealous or gullible media who had an agenda and a clueless citizenry.
Yes and I thought we all agreed that the so called serial liar charge against Gore was bogus!!! Love Story Bah!!!! What rot.
Somebody needs to start a Clinton Lies List. This stuff is starting to really pile out and it is difficult to keep track.
Arguments such as "all politicians lie, etc." only show a bias that blinds one, an forces denial of the facts. No one ,politician or not, has a God-given right to lie and not have to be held to account for it. We already have shown what harm the election of a group of liars and criminals, who will stop at nothing, can do. Let's stop rewarding charming liars, and choose those who speak the truth, for a change!
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