Watch out for the media attacking candidates with misquotes

[maximusveritas]

The easiest way for the media to tear down a candidate is to twist his words around. All they have to do is take a couple words from what he said and then add their own words to make it sounds worse. Unsuspecting people will just see the headline and never search the whole article for the full quote. Even if they do, their impression will already be colored by the initial mischaracterization.

While they've used this technique on all our candidates, Obama appears to be their target today.

The latest example is where we get the headline:
http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/2007/12/obama_gore_kerry_alienated_hal.html

"Obama: Gore, Kerry Alienated "Half the Country""

The actual quote, however, is:

"I don't want to go into the next election starting off with half the country already not wanting to vote for Democrats -- we've done that in 2004, 2000. 47 percent of the country on one side, 47 percent of the country on the other . . . We don't need another one of those elections."

He never mentions Gore or Kerry and never blames them specifically for the division. He just said he doesn't want to have another close election which the Republicans can then steal again. In fact, he made that very clear later on:

"I intend to whoop 'em so good that it won't even be close and they can't steal the election."

There was also this example from earlier today:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/01/wobama101.xml

Barack Obama unleashed a blistering attack on his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton yesterday, branding her "just like George W Bush".

The real quote:

"We can’t afford a politics based on fear that leaves politicians to think the only way they can look tough on national security is to vote and act and talk just like George W Bush."

Once again, he never mentions Hillary. He's talking about these politicians who voted for Iraq acting like Bush on national security in order to look tough, which is of course true.

This should be a reminder to everyone that it's important to look past the headlines and the reporters' mischaracterizations and look for the actual quotes.

[sandnsea]

1. And the Bunny Mellon outside special interest money

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/29/edwardsfriendly_527_funding_sp.html

[Nailzberg]

2. Obama Bash in 3, 2, 1...

[Bitwit1234]

6. Obama bash????????????????????

Hell he has gotten such a free past from the press for so long he thinks he is God. Next thing you know he start talking to Him, and try to rival bush.

[Nailzberg]

7. Exactly.

Point proven.

[ZombieHorde]

13. Damn, you were right on with that one. nt

[K Gardner]

3. Why would people do that, when its so much easier and fun to start a flamebait

thread here? Its not just the media twisting every word.. "waiting for a candidate to step in a cow pile" as Chip Reid said...its here and on the blogs as well. Fortunately, some of us can and do read the actual article :-)

[1corona4u]

10. Misquoting someone is not any different....

than someone saying a "candidate said something", when in reality, it was someone on their STAFF that said something. Wouldn't you agree?

I don't hold the candidates responsible for what their "staff" says/does. Of course, I've been in management for a long time, and I realize, that you can not control everything people who work for you do, or say.

It's not just the media though....

[alteredstate]

4. Yeah, can you believe some so-called "journalists" are posting this sort of trash here?

It's despicable.

[alteredstate]

5. k & r n/t

[JI7]

8. it's not just the media, it's supporters of other candidates

i'm a Kerry lover for Obama. Obama is the only top candidate that respects Kerry.

[1corona4u]

11. Jeez....I just posted the same thing above, LOL...

[PATRICK]

9. That is a second hand

quote with nothing consistent with the sensational byline and no official text sourced or forthcoming. Wow. I apologize for an earlier post. If this is all it is incredibly bad spin, but I have the impression that it not any potential insult to Kerry or Gore but the sense that one of the ways to do better is lay off the "populist negativity". With this one questionable source that can only be a modest opinion.

I hate for there to be a bannerline police on Du but I think, regardless whether an outside source or blogger is being quoted that the facts have to hold the post title to more rigid account. Some who don't want to caught with their own post title being misleading have taken to quoting the convenient sensationalism of outsiders.

[Vanje]

12. The media is attacking candidates with mosquitos!!!???!!!

That is LOW DOWN!



Dangerous too. Malaria. West Nile Disease.

[rasputin1952]

14. Beware of any "soundbite" as well...

The screechmonkeys are great at cutting the substance and leaving some absurd "soundbite" that makes a candidate look like a fool, or worse.

One of the reasons we rarely, if ever, get anything of substance is because so much is taken out of context.

"Sir, how do you drink an ice cream soda?"

"I suck it through a straw, but, when I get to the bottom, I find I have to suck harder because the ice cream clogs up the straw, just like it does for everyone else."


I NEVER trust a "soundbite".

[indimuse]

15. muy bien.

So now.. I will apply this "mosquito" thing to all of the Hillary Trash.:smoke:

[jillan]

16. Watch out for the DUers doing the same to your candidate.

[chascarrillo]

17. Hell, look at the DU main page

The headline, bold and large, is an Obama misquote. Shameful.

[maximusveritas]

18. I know DUers are doing it

but I focused on the media because they're the ones who give a sense of legitimacy to the smears.