The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Fear and Loathing on the Road to Toledo

Posted on | September 26, 2012 | 25 Comments

The National Affairs Desk, Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012

“[Huffington Post columnist Howard] Fineman, in essence, is agreeing with conservative critics of his profession: they’ve been cutting the President way too much slack, failing to take him to task in areas (the Woodward portrayal, Libya, the jobs numbers ) where they would have hammered another candidate.”
Mickey Kaus, “Will MSM Guilt Start Working for Mitt?”

DAYTON, Ohio
As stated in an earlier post, my plan this morning was to go to Westerville for Mitt Romney’s rally there, but after running late on deadline last night, I didn’t get to sleep until nearly 3 a.m., and didn’t wake up until nearly 8:30, so that plan got scratched. It happens sometimes.

A brief Associated Press report on this morning’s event:

Mitt Romney says the nation’s debt could grow to almost $20 trillion if the country re-elects President Barack Obama.
Romney also says his policies would do more to help middle-class families than the president’s.
Campaigning in Ohio, where polls give the advantage to Obama, the Republican presidential nominee combined a sharper focus on the mounting debt with an insistence that middle-class families are struggling.
Said Romney: “I want to help them.”

As to Mickey Kaus’s reference to“conservative critics” of Howard Fineman’s profession, journalism is also my profession, and the fact that I’m pursuing it on a blog doesn’t change my astonishment at the utter shamelessness of these people. As usual this morning, I’ve been watching MSNBC and I think this would be an accurate headline:

QUINNIPIAC POLL SHOWS OBAMA
LEADING BY 10 POINTS IN OHIO;

OBJECTIVE JOURNALIST CHUCK TODD
‘SPORTING A WOODY’ ON LIVE TV

It’s really that bad. I watch MSNBC so you don’t have to, and their crew is practically breaking out the champagne to celebrate these poll numbers. Their smug self-satisfied glee makes me want Romney to stomp Obama so bad that Chuck Todd is crying like a little girl on Election Night.

Is that a Neutral and Objective urge?

Perhaps not, but at least I’m honest about it, and there’s that old thing about “afflicting the comfortable.” Keep in mind that Chuck Todd is not just a partisan talking-head MSNBC commentator; he is political director of NBC News.

What can I do about it? What can you do about it?

Join Mitt for a Victory Rally in Toledo
401 Jefferson Avenue, Toledo, OH 43604
Doors Open 3:00 PM | Event Begins 5:00 PM
To RSVP and get your ticket, please visit http://mi.tt/QIPczY

That kind of free publicity is what the Federal Election Commission might call a “contribution in kind,” but how is it any different than what Chuck Todd does for Obama every day? While we’re at it, let me show you this latest campaign video for Mitt Romney:

“Too many Americans are struggling to find work or are living paycheck to paycheck. Mitt Romney will create 12 million new jobs over the next four years and help lift families out of poverty, while strengthening the middle class. We can’t afford another four years like the last.”
Mitt Romney, who’s gonna make Chuck Todd cry

It’s two-and-a-half hours to Toledo. I kinda doubt Chuck Todd will be driving that distance and eating fast food on the way.

Hit the freaking tip jar.

UPDATE: Jay Cost at the Weekly Standard has a thorough examination of the poll-skew issue.

 



 

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Comments

25 Responses to “Fear and Loathing on the Road to Toledo”

  1. Quartermaster
    September 26th, 2012 @ 12:44 pm

    Polls are usually screwed up one way or t’other. This year they are more screwed than usual. I laugh at a poll that says Zer0 is up by 10 in Ohio. Ain’t no way in this world that could be accurate.

  2. DarthLevin
    September 26th, 2012 @ 12:50 pm

    While you’re in Toledo, find your way over to the Beirut on Monroe St.

    Best. Lebanese. Food. Ever.

  3. scarymatt
    September 26th, 2012 @ 1:37 pm

    The real question is whether this is just more Taranto Principle or actual bad news. I suspect it’s at least as much of the former as the latter. I couldn’t find the partisan split in the sample in a quick scan of the Quinnipiac page.

  4. Fear And Loathing 2012: Gotta Get Down To It « The Camp Of The Saints
    September 26th, 2012 @ 1:43 pm

    […] I compose this post, he’s on his way to Toledo where he’ll be covering a rally later this […]

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    […] that the electorate is more sympathetic to the party in power that presided over these disasters?Stacy McCain summed things up well when it comes to the media and the presidential race.As usual this morning, I’ve been watching […]

  6. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    September 26th, 2012 @ 2:11 pm
  7. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    September 26th, 2012 @ 2:16 pm

    And while the Chin Pullers cannot be trusted or listened to, Romney needs to be on the offensive with Obama. I get rope a dope, but come on.

    This is good advice for Romney: “If Romney said during the debates that he’d not give another fucking dime to countries whose officials put hits out on American citizens — and challenged Obama to do the same — the stumbling pablum dribbler would shit his multiculti boxer briefs.”
    Okay, maybe change a word. Other than that just about spot on perfect.

  8. rosalie
    September 26th, 2012 @ 2:29 pm

    I can’t take Yahoo anymore. I’m sure my blood pressure goes up with all their negative headlines about Romney.

  9. Quartermaster
    September 26th, 2012 @ 3:07 pm

    Amen! Let’s hope.

  10. Pops
    September 26th, 2012 @ 3:35 pm

    Have faith, people. Living on the other side of the pond, I don’t get to vote, but I will be staying up all night on November 6th in order to celebrate that sweet moment when any number of MSM news-teams commit collective harakiri on the morning of the 7th. Obama is toast…. Is that racist?

  11. Adjoran
    September 26th, 2012 @ 3:45 pm

    With any luck and a lot of determination, we can be rid of both Obama and the Legacy Media (in any meaningful influence on the culture going forward) in November.

    Why would anyone ever pay any attention to either, ever again?

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  13. K-Bob
    September 26th, 2012 @ 7:03 pm

    They are so far in the bag it’s hilarious.

    “Does Romney want another war?” was what I saw last night. Sweet fancy Moses!

  14. K-Bob
    September 26th, 2012 @ 7:14 pm

    I’ve been watching a little bit of Beck’s new channel on the gas-fired TeeVee. I have to admit I’m impressed.

    I was watching mostly to see if he’s still as wobbly as he was after that huge, rally-to-nowhere he held in DC a few years ago. I think he needed more room for all the ideas he has for doing stuff. It looks pretty decent. I also think he’s going to give Roger Ailes some sleepless nights.

    So far, no Alan Colmes/Bob Beckel/Juan Williams types have shown up. Also, none of those stupid Fox-style, shout-over-each-other-for-three-minutes thingys.

    So if he manages to keep it on the rails, it looks like the dying media is going to speed up the crash into pure tabloid status.

    Coming soon: New York Times Page Three Girls!

  15. K-Bob
    September 26th, 2012 @ 7:15 pm

    Are we talking white, wheat, or rye?

  16. K-Bob
    September 26th, 2012 @ 7:18 pm

    Nice article, ELB! Brooks accomplishes the amazing by being a chin-puller and wanker at the same time.

  17. richard mcenroe
    September 26th, 2012 @ 7:59 pm

    Split the difference: multigrain…and like the bread, overrrated.

  18. richard mcenroe
    September 26th, 2012 @ 7:59 pm

    Ambidextrous.

  19. Tom Callow
    September 26th, 2012 @ 8:44 pm

    We all know that the MSM knows that we know.
    We all also know that the MSM is going to start these little ” oh did we do that” moments, just as an opening to hammer later on down the line ( if their Chosen One loses )
    They think that “the people” are dumb and that they can get away with this game, but I think they went too far.
    Or is that like saying that Custer went one state too far? hmm
    Long live gonzo journalism and lay off too much fast food Mr. McCain

  20. erehwon
    September 26th, 2012 @ 10:53 pm

    …or his chin does something REALLY strange …

  21. Brian D Paasch
    September 27th, 2012 @ 7:21 am

    “Mitt Romney will create 12 million new jobs over the next four years…..”
    The only “jobs” the President can create are government jobs. Can we really afford another 12 million people on government payroll? Worse yet, can we survive another 12 million bureaucrats writing more regulations and creatively
    enforcing the endless tomes of existing regulations to harvest vast fines and penalties from the private sector?

  22. Frank B
    September 27th, 2012 @ 12:22 pm

    Bonus points for the Steak-N-Shake cup if it was vanilla. Deduct 10 points if you went to Toledo and failed to visit either Rudy’s or Mancy’s Steakhouse. Indulgences granted for those visiting Tony Packo’s out of pure blind ignorance, but only if they listen to DarthLevin’s advice. The Beirut is, shawarmatastic!

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