Okay, I know I shouldn't watch CNN. It's the mental-health equivalent of bashing your head against a wall -- it's a crazy idea to begin with, and you only feel worse afterwards.
Nevertheless, I had CNN on this morning -- and sure enough I was nuts by noon. So why did it seem it was Wolf Blitzer whose brain hurt? In the spirit of "What have you learned from this little episode" (the question that makes every disaster a lesson), I'm deconstructing CNN's spin on Kerry's VFW speech and his criticism of the Chimp's new "troop shuffling."
1. In contrast to the Chimp's speech to the VFW on Monday, networks largely ignored Kerry's, but CNN picked it up late (after a "breaking" news story that happened to coincide -- how many times does that happen to the Chimp?); but once they were ready, they swiftly went straight to Bill Schneider talking over it.
2. Finally they went to the speech. Kerry reiterated his emphasis on engaging with the world -- connecting with allies and pressuring those who are not allies. His statements included: "We need a president who has the credibility to bring our allies to our side, because that's the right way to get the job done in Iraq and bring our troops home." And, "...why are we withdrawing unilaterally 12,000 troops from the Korean Peninsula at the very time that we are negotiating with North Korea, a country that really has nuclear weapons?" Apparently, CNN decided these were reeeally confusing statements. CNN brain hurt.
3. Immediately following the speech, we got Bill Schneider saying, "Well, I heard a foreign policy statement that basically reduces to one central concept. It's a complicated word. Multilateralism. Very Kerry word, but what he argues is in order to fight the war on terror, the United States needs a closer relationship with its allies..." Multilateralism is a "complicated word," a "very Kerry word?" CNN pretends few people actually use such a complicated word. Word make brain hurt.
4. Next, straight to Richard Falkenrath to spin the speech for Republicans. It's "pre-9/11 old-think," he says. Europe's fine with it, they think it's "overdue!" And South Korea has an "extremely impressive military," so not to worry about WMDs over there! Well, Daryn Kagan, who managed to inform us that South Korea is "next to North Korea," is too mentally exhausted to think beyond his answers and her list of questions. Brain tired.
5. Wolf has another Republican on (transcript not yet available) who feigns confusion with Kerry's remarks. How can Kerry criticize bringing the troops home, and yet want to bring them home from Iraq? Brain hurt, not understand. Wolf agrees that these deployments are just old "cold-war" structures.
6. Wolf has General Clark on, who explains it inbetween interruptions (Wolf successfully keeps him from addressing North Korea, keeps him on Europe). The "cold-war" readjustment was done ten years ago. We need the bases as commitments to our allies, who we've already alienated. We need them for strategic reasons in terms of military response. We need them to keep families together and ensure the continuation of a volunteer military. Wolf begins many questions with the word "BUT" (the familiar lead-in to RNC spin), and expresses more confusion about Kerry's desire to withdraw troops from Iraq if he wants them to stay in Europe. "Whaaa? But but but...". Clark explains he'd bring troops back from Iraq after succeeding to stabilize it, with the help of allies in Europe. Okay, you might think now Wolf's brain no longer hurts, which is a great relief. But wait.
7. Two more guests, and the same ailment arises. Kerry wants both to bring troops back from Iraq, but criticizes Chimp for bringing them back from Europe? Whaaa? Huh? Why would he even want to go there, asks Wolf, exhibiting strange, sudden amnesia from the conversation he just had with General Clark four commercials ago. One guest explains it's a "sophisticated" argument -- ohhh, yes that's it, they all agree.. It's verrrrry sophisticated, and that's a mistake for Kerry. Wolf boils it down for us: In "black and white," he tells us, it's better to say "bring the troops home" than "keep the troops there."
8. Sparkly brain hurt. CNN wall-hitting with head not good.
There will be more transcripts here, later:
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2004.08.18.html
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