The media is bugging out over its completely inability to grasp a shift in the debate. It thought it knew the terms, but the spoiler for their free ride has arrived -- Former Supreme Allied Commander, General Wesley Clark.
General Clark has been making the rounds praising John McCain's fortitude and courage while repeating that you cannot run for president on being brave when you have very bad judgment. It was only a matter of time before someone hit him on it, and little did he expect it would be a respected reporter on CBS's Face the Nation.
John McCain has shown his awareness of these tactics, even joking that he has not "beaten [his] wife this week." That is the question which concerns us at the moment: "When was the last time you beat your wife?" No matter which way you answer, the reporter will get a soundbite that says what he wants.
The media's love for McCain generally provides a buffer of protection. In the guise of journalistic integrity, reporters become apologists for every McCain misstep: "We know what he means," "It was taken out of context," "His words have been twisted," like a chorus of Sirens luring unsuspecting voters who think they know better back into a horse race.
Now that same protection toward McCain leads reporters to use the tactic of linguistic manipulation against his critics. Enter: General Wesley Clark.
No one can capably combat General Clark on John McCain's credentials in the usual 30-second television shout-off. It simply is not possible without engaging in an actual debate on the issue, for which General Clark is ably prepared and has the facts on his side. The man simply does not go off message.
So how do you beat someone like General Wesley Clark without resorting to actual truth? Lose. Lose badly. And then remove yourself from the story and pretend that you did not prod with loaded statements.
Notations as follow.
0:11 - General Wesley Clark's Point #1 - Judgment and communication are the best qualities for president. Being held captive and tortured requires neither judgment nor communication.
0:56 - Bob Schieffer confronts General Wesley Clark who says that John McCain is "untested and untried" -- for the position of president. Schieffer makes no bones about his response.
Already, one minute into the interview, Schieffer transforms from objective reporter into a McCain supporter, expressing everything he says from here on out as his personal opinion and not a collection of raw facts. This is not beyond the pale, but other reporters should have treated it exactly as such instead of cropping out his statements.
That was a failure of journalistic integrity, not on Bob Schieffer's part (although he was completely biased), but on the mainstream media's part. It was dishonest.
1:22 - General Wesley Clark's Point #2 - On national security and war, John McCain's resume shows no executive experience. (But let's be clear, he's still a hero.)
2:20 - Bob Schieffer interrupts: "I have to say," Barack Obama's no more qualified.
"Nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down."
This is a debate on McCain's qualifications to be president and Schieffer explicitly states that being shot down in a plane is a qualification for president.
2:25 - General Wesley Clark's Point #3 -
"Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president."
CONTROVERSY.
Note that this is a direct response to Schieffer's position, not an errant statement or "hamhanded" critique as Richard Wolffe ignorantly put it. This is a direct response to a biased reporter's explicit statement.
From 0:56 - 2:24, Bob Schieffer positioned himself in a DEBATE with General Wesley Clark as a SUPPORTER of Senator John McCain. In this DEBATE, argued that "[riding] in a fighter plane and [getting] shot down" is a qualification for president. General Wesley Clark countered that it was not.
Bob Schieffer's words. General Wesley Clark's response. The only way someone can find this controversial is if you believe, as a militarist, that being shot down in a plane makes you qualified to be president.
Perhaps. But that is a DEBATE. Utmost respect and admiration was expressed for McCain's service and loss, but the media has treated it as if the opposite were true.
The media are, to put it succinctly, the enemy.
General Wesley Clark does not take back what he has said. Good. Because not even Tucker Carlson can argue against his point.
The Republicans want to control not only the terms of discourse in this country but the definition of what debate means. They want to omit what facts can be used, they want to blur the line between professional and personal, they want to scare the Left into obedience and gentility.
Never let me be so genteel that I do not scream when they turn the knife.