Republicans Should Attack George, Charlies, Lady Doris, Stephen, Etc., and Not Flinch
It remains to be seen whether Republicans will build on their anti-media campaign so well planted during the Republican presidential primary debate Tuesday, October 27.
Four of the candidates took the national media to task for the way it has been covering the Republican primary race, including contrasting it with positive coverage afforded Democrats.
Marco Rubio was dead on when he said that the mainstream media is the ultimate SuperPac for Democrats.
Years ago I am sure many called me an extremist, a kook even, when I suggested that a good case could be made to, as part of election reform, require the Democrat Party to include major television broadcasters in its list of political campaign contributors, assigning a monetary value.
(I must confess that I myself was on the verge of thinking myself a bit loony, given the amount of brainwashing I had absorbed through atmospheric emanations coming all the way from Washington to North Carolina.)
Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, nearly always shy with directly criticizing the media, did, although in a gingerly manner, express his mild distaste at what he called debate moderators’ “unfortunate questioning.”
Republicans should build on the anti-media theme, especially concentrating on appearances on television, most particularly on Sunday morning shows.
In other words, make media the issue. It is a good one, with plenty of ammunition to back up the argument that most national, intellectual elite journalists are henchmen, henchwomen and transgenderhenches of those who call themselves Democrats, Socialists or Progressives.
There are ample ways to attack the media.
First, conservatives need to get used to being called mean and vicious for going after the media. Enjoy it, view it as a compliment and an asset. I think one will find that there is not only a deep-seated distrust of the national, mainstream media, but even a hatred of the smugness and arrogance of many of its members.
Second, conservatives should start demanding equal on-air talk show time, comparable to those afforded “moderate” Republican has-beens like Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Newt Gingrich.
Each guest on the Sunday morning shows, or any other politicized show, should come to each of the shows with a prepared list of “gotcha” questions.
One of the targets should be George Stephanelous, who was not even publicly questioned about his donation to the Clinton Foundation.
Here’s one way a guest on George’s show could handle him:
“Say, George, do you think you can be fair in your questioning given your background as a member of the White House staff defending the shenanigans and scandals of Bill and Hillary Clinton ?”
Or, “Say, George, are you still friends of the Clintons? How often do you see them?”
Or, “George, how much income tax did you avoid paying by taking a deduction on gifts to Democrat individuals or organizations, like the Clinton Foundation?”
Ask him how many of his friends and relatives did he get tickets for, allowing them to sleep-over at the Clinton White House.
Ask Charlie Rose if he thinks he has a big head because he is highly intelligent or because it is crammed with hatred for Republicans and common people.
Ask Charlie how the millions he has received through his association with taxpayer-subsidized PBS compares to the zillions raked in by Bill Moyers, protege of LBJ, author of the infamous nuclear bomb ad featuring a little girl picking flowers and a self-described pure Baptist preacher.
Ask Stephen Colbert: Say, Steve, why do you insist on being called Col-ber, why not Col-bert? Are you an ancestor of a cowardly Frenchman? Who writes your jokes? What are there backgrounds?
“Say, Collie, is it true that you fire any writer claiming to be a conservative or a registered Republican?”
Ask Doris Kearns Goodwin if she thinks she can be fair analyzing the news even with her long association with prominent Democrat LBJ, in and out of bed.
Finally, ask Goodwin if Lady Bird knew about her shenanigans with LBJ and, if she did how did she, Lady Doris Goodwin, get along with Lady Bird Johnson.
L.E. Brown, Jr. is a columnist based in Magnolia, N.C. Write him at [email protected].