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1. Comment by mojo on 9/28 @ 1:08 pm #

   It’s interesting, isn’t it, to see the MSM’s primordial nature come to the fore under competitive stress?

   Maybe that old coot Darwin was right after all.

2. Comment by Rightwingsparkle on 9/28 @ 1:19 pm #

   This all started, of course, with many Democrats either boycotting or practically boycotting Fox News. But if we act like them, then it will end up with all the Dems on all the other channels and Republicans on Fox News.

   Not good for us.

3. Comment by Rick Ballard on 9/28 @ 1:34 pm #

   “Not good for us.”

   Not particularly bad though. It is very hard to make an accurate determination of what the potential damage might be. The DeMSM has ‘amped up’ very early – they got Kerry 5-6 points last time, rather than the promised 15, so I suppose that (in their very tiny minds) an early start is absolutely necessary in order to overcome The Beast’s rather obvious shortcomings. At least Kerry could pass for human.

   If every appearance is going to be bearbaiting (with the bear muzzled), then giving them the finger makes some sense. Let’s face it – MSNBC’s standard audience isn’t exactly prime hunting territory for voters intelligent enough to do something as complicated as talking while walking. MSNBC shoots for mean -1SD as their target audience. I think they hit it.

4. Comment by happyfeet on 9/28 @ 1:45 pm #

   There’s boycott and then there’s the idea that media whores like Arlen Specter or Chuck Hagel can somehow help themselves. We’ll see.

5. Comment by Major John on 9/28 @ 1:48 pm #

   As the Manolo might say, “The feet of happiness, they are correct.” MSNBC will just go find a “maverick”…er, “important” Republican, ala Hagel, and present them as the face of the GOP.

   Bah.

6. Comment by Karl on 9/28 @ 1:53 pm #

   I doubt any sort of widespread GOP boycott occurs, just as Dem cnadidates appear on FOX (just not at their debate). But if such a boycott occurred, I think Rightwingsparkle’s concern only applies if it was a general MSM boycott. Boycotting MSNBC alone as the worst offender could be nice in theory (divide & conquer), though I suspect unworkable in practice.

7. Comment by JHoward on 9/28 @ 1:55 pm #

   RWS, the Left boycotting FOX and the Right boycotting the MSM is perhaps the best way to clear the air. I say go for it, Repub Reps. Up that ante.

   Given that any such leftist boycotts will fail for a variety of reasons also makes boycott the pragmatic solution to bias. Given that leftist boycotts have failed time and again proves that point.

   Why would a FOX boycott fail? Same reason the fairness doctrine and AirAmerica did: Because the problem isn’t conservative blowback to fifty years of left-leaning media monopoly. The problem, as is becoming clear, was fifty years of left-leaning media monopoly.

   Call it media brinksmanship. The Left consistently loses at debate and ideas so let water seek its level.

8. Comment by slickdpdx on 9/28 @ 2:13 pm #

   The problem isn’t that they are tough or that they act on tips from partisans, its that they aren’t equally tough on all-comers.

9. Comment by S. Weasel on 9/28 @ 2:39 pm #

   Bah. The MSM is news for old people who aren’t paying attention. Granted, old people get off their asses and vote, but what’s worse — appearing and being shown in the worst possible light, or not appearing at all?

10. Comment by eLarson on 9/28 @ 2:56 pm #

    Most people that old still admire FDR.

11. Comment by Merovign on 9/28 @ 3:00 pm #

    I’m of two minds on this one.

    Generally speaking, systemic boycotts (particularly economic ones) in large populations are a bad idea because they’re essentially useless, escept in very special cases. Some people don’t go along, the boycotted parties offer incentives, etc…

    On the other hand, if BP, Arco and Shell consistently shorted me at the pump, pretended I didn’t have change when I did, never had soap in the window washer buckets, and could never find the keys to their bathrooms, well, I might prefer to get my gas at Exxon.

    Mind you, media as a “marketplace” doesn’t follow economic laws with anything like the precision gas stations do.

12. Comment by SGT Ted on 9/28 @ 3:01 pm #

    As long as the allegedly impartial “news reporters” nakedly shill for one side over the other, their targets will go where they are treated better and it will strengthen the alternative media market.

13. Trackback by The McGehee Zone on 9/28 @ 3:03 pm #

    MoreOn.org (Updated)…

    Shuster: "But you weren't appreciative enough to know the name of this young man. He was 18 years old who was killed, and yet you can say chapter and verse about what's going on with the New York Times and Move On.org…. "Don'…

14. Comment by Dewclaw on 9/28 @ 3:13 pm #

    “It’s simply too easy to break with supposed journalistic traditions of objectivity and become a crusading hero to one quarter of the population just by being a dickbag hack.”

    Gold

15. Comment by Semanticleo on 9/28 @ 3:31 pm #

    “”He thinks acting like a jerk will turn him into a rising star, but he’s really just Chris Matthews’ schlep,” says a high-placed Senate aide.”

    Where were Schuster Matthews in the runup to the War? Why, slobbering all over the testosterone-challenged WH, of course.
    They were riding that ‘Big Black Train’ to infamy and oblivion like
    the rest of you tragi-comedy clowns

16. Comment by S. Weasel on 9/28 @ 3:34 pm #

    Take the Testosterone Challenge! It’s testicular fun!

17. Comment by topsecretk9 on 9/28 @ 3:37 pm #

    Shuster forgot about the clownnose comes off once in a while.

18. Comment by topsecretk9 on 9/28 @ 3:41 pm #

    I doubt any sort of widespread GOP boycott occurs, just as Dem cnadidates appear on FOX (just not at their debate). But if such a boycott occurred, I think Rightwingsparkle’s concern only applies if it was a general MSM boycott. Boycotting MSNBC alone as the worst offender could be nice in theory (divide & conquer), though I suspect unworkable in practice.

    Sorry if someone covered this – reading through qiuck.

    The difference is, this is a self imposed boycott — RIGHT ON! No righty blogger is going to punish a rep with an action alert and a viscous rant or whatever stupid thing lefty blogs threaten, if they dare go on clownshow MSNBC.

19. Comment by SteveMG on 9/28 @ 3:46 pm #

    Where were Schuster Matthews in the runup to the War?

    Well, I’m agnostic (that means I don’t know) about the views of Shuster (not Schuster) on the Iraq war but Matthews was openly opposing it from Day One. Hell, from Day Minus One Thousand.

    In fact, Matthews was opposed to removing Saddam from Kuwait back in 1989. My guess is that he would have been against taking action against Saddam if the Iraqi army was marching down Georgetown Avenue.

    Try again.

20. Comment by topsecretk9 on 9/28 @ 3:48 pm #

    My guess is that he would have been against taking action against Saddam if the Iraqi army was marching down Georgetown Avenue.

    Are you kidding, he’d be front and center waiting for his kite!

21. Comment by Rob Crawford on 9/28 @ 4:06 pm #

    Matthews was openly opposing it from Day One. Hell, from Day Minus One Thousand.

    You mean cleo was wrong?

    I’m SHOCKED!

22. Comment by Rusty on 9/28 @ 4:09 pm #

    omment by Semanticleo on 9/28 @ 3:31 pm #

    “”He thinks acting like a jerk will turn him into a rising star, but he’s really just Chris Matthews’ schlep,” says a high-placed Senate aide.”

    Where were Schuster Matthews in the runup to the War? Why, slobbering all over the testosterone-challenged WH, of course.
    They were riding that ‘Big Black Train’ to infamy and oblivion like
    the rest of you tragi-comedy clowns

    You go, girl!!!!

23. Comment by Blitz on 9/28 @ 4:10 pm #

    I simply cannot get behind a repub boycott of any MSM paper or channel. If it’s true that only 25 percent of the public is true moonbat, then we need to get some strong voices out there to fight these loons. Even “truthers” can change their minds given enough credible evidence.

24. Comment by Dewclaw on 9/28 @ 4:18 pm #

    “They were riding that ‘Big Black Train’ to infamy and oblivion like
    the rest of you tragi-comedy clowns”

    Where were YOU, Semantidouche?

    Regale us with your heroic tale of truth to power as you single-handedly stood up to Bu$HitlerBurtonMcChimpy and protested the war before it started. A lone voice of reason in a world of chickenhawks and warmongers.

    Then kindly take your worthless, wimpy ass back to Kos.

    Maybe THEY will be impressed.

25. Comment by The Monkeys on 9/28 @ 4:57 pm #

    And, as if prompted by the image of a giant bat shining on the cloudy sky above by a vigilant Commisioner Actus, Cleo drags the dead body of a meme into the thread. Whipping out his taser baton, Cleo deftly delivers 220,000 volts to the inert form and screams, “Look! It moved! It’s alive, ALIVE!!!1!!!one thousand one hundred eleventy eleven!!”

    And thus ends act one of our melodrama.

26. Comment by Merovign on 9/28 @ 5:00 pm #

    Huh. Thought I’d got rid of the monkeys thing…

27. Comment by happyfeet on 9/28 @ 5:09 pm #

    When was the last time a New York Times ad ever killed somebody?

28. Comment by guinsPen on 9/28 @ 5:25 pm #

    They don’t use ads to do it.

29. Comment by Big Bang (Pumping you up) on 9/28 @ 7:53 pm #

    - “When was the last time a New York Times ad ever killed somebody?”

    - They’ve done so symbolically a number of “times”. Recall the stories of dead Guantanimo “freedom fighters”, the 32 Iraqui’a killed in an unprevoked attack on a Baghdad Mosque, the examples are legion, except, none of it ever happened.

    - For the good of the cause, don’t you know.

30. Comment by happyfeet on 9/28 @ 8:05 pm #

    Here’s the frequency, Kenneth, really. MSNBC/NBC journalists specifically, and journalists more generally, are not pointing at David Shuster to say this is not who we are.

31. Comment by Drumwaster on 9/28 @ 8:21 pm #

    Why, slobbering all over the testosterone-challenged WH, of course.

    Aahh-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA

    {gasps, wiping eyes}

    Thanks cleo. I haven’t laughed that hard at anything in an awf… Wait, what? You actually believe this? :-o

    ***

    Ladies and gentlemen, I’m very sorry. Laughing at the mentally retarded is never polite.

    Cleo: you should ring a bell or something to let people know that you’re a moron. You won’t get laughed at quite so often.

32. Comment by Major John on 9/28 @ 8:24 pm #

    “They were riding that ‘Big Black Train’ to infamy and oblivion like
    the rest of you tragi-comedy clowns”

    WTF? I was a newly promoted Major in the 33rd ASG. Post invasion I was the XO of TF Dragon, then the S-5 of TF Eagle in CJTF-76. Infamy and oblivion (try a search on the Instapundit archives for Afghanistan correspondent)? And as a unit, we came home to a rousing reception and grateful communities.

    What sad part of the world do you live in?

33. Comment by ccoffer on 9/28 @ 8:26 pm #

    Goddam straight, Jeff. It is high time for serious people to dispense with the insulting and dangerous pretense which allows partisan activists to be treated as though they were something else.
    Every single non-leftist in this country does a disservice to his nation when he participates in this bullshit charade. I heard a recording of some sniveling democrat rodent pretending to be a reporter today. This maggot was asking the president’s press secretary what she thought about a statement never made by one R. Limbaugh.

    Instead of affording the shitwad the presumtion of being honest, the PS should have said:

    “assuming anything you just said is true, I would have to say….”

    OR

    “Where did you come up with that?”

    OR

    “Do you really believe what you just said?”

    These vermin need to be treated as what they are.

34. Comment by Drumwaster on 9/29 @ 2:02 am #

    So long as MSM “reporters” are acting like George Soros-funded attack ads in pancake makeup and mousse

    When a dog pisses on a fire hydrant, he’s not committing vandalism, he’s just being a dog. But I would remind the conservative candidates to remember the story of the Frog and the Scorpion. Or perhaps the one about the Farmer and the Snake.

35. Comment by Sean M. on 9/29 @ 2:13 am #

    I don’t know the one about the Farmer and the Snake, but I seem to recall one about the Farmer, his three Comely Daughters, and a Traveling Salesman that was quite ribald indeed. Not to be told in mixed company, that one.

    Oh yeah, and those MSNBC jagoffs can take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.

36. Comment by alppuccino on 9/29 @ 4:39 am #

    “but I seem to recall one about the Farmer, his three Comely Daughters, and a Traveling Salesman that was quite ribald indeed. Not to be told in mixed company, that one.”

    Is that the one about how yodeling was invented? Where the salesman is running away over the mountain top and he yells back, “I laid your little ol’ lady too!”

37. Comment by Drumwaster on 9/29 @ 4:52 am #

    I remember the one about… well, describing it would give the punchline away.

    Hillary Clinton was being driven from a “Town Hall” meeting in upstate New York when she – sitting in the back seat of the limo – her and felt a rather serious THUMP to the car. She and the driver get out to discover that they had struck and killed an aged cow which had wandered out onto the road.

    Hillary told the driver to go to the nearest farmhouse and summon help while she stayed with the car to finish up some paperwork.

    Three hours later, the driver shows back up, his clothes rumpled, his cheek smeared with lipstick and smelling of cigar smoke and brandy.

    Hillary snaps, “Where the hell have you been?”

    The driver says ruefully, “I went up to the house and started to tell them what had happened when the farmer stuffed a lit cigar in my hand, his wife poured me a large snifter of brandy and his daughter insisted on kissing me in a way I’m not sure my wife would approve of.”

    “Why? What did you tell them?” demanded Hillary.

    “Well, what I said was, ‘I’m Hillary Clinton’s driver and I think I’ve killed the old cow…’.”

38. Comment by Scrapiron on 9/29 @ 6:13 am #

    Don’t boycott any of the MSM types. Every time a conservative appears one of the clowns has to appear and attempt to lie their way out of whatever the conservative said about the clowns. That is the only way the American people will find out the inept clowns stand for nothing that benefits the citizens. Standing for nothing and opposing everything is not what Soros/Moron.org thought they elected in 06. The comedy of the congress (leadership) started in Nov 06 and still continues. Soon it will be the longest running comedy. They have accomplished ‘0′ unless you count the raise in minimum wage for the two criminal Mexicans as a grand accomplishment. I see Peeelooshi doesn’t want a border fence. It would shut off the slave labor supply for her vinyards and motels.

39. Comment by lonetown on 9/29 @ 6:47 am #

    You can boycot msnbc and not offend many people. In fact, it seems to give many more hope.

40. Comment by B Moe on 9/29 @ 9:07 am #

    Since viewers of all stripes seem to be boycotting MSNBC, don’t see what it would matter if the candidates do too.

41. Comment by RiverC on 9/29 @ 9:18 am #

    Just so you know Jeff isn’t exaggerating when he says – “But they’re just distracting from the mess that is Iraq!” Read a comment left at MM’s place:

    On September 29th, 2007 at 9:44 am, lgm said:

    I think the reason you focus so much on labels is that you have no case on substance. Why else would MM post every day complaints about what moveon.org called Petraeus and not once in two weeks on how things are going in Iraq, which is, after all, he actual issue here.

    Ah, how precious.

42. Comment by RiverC on 9/29 @ 9:43 am #

    Another priceless gem:

    James Says:
    September 13th, 2007 at 4:20 am

    I increasingly find it highly remarkable that anyone who remains an administration supporter can get all excited about the left, the defeatocrats, moveon, etc. And, increasingly, I regard loud complaints about those things to be admissions on the part of the speaker or writer that Iraq is a complete mess.

    The first was from Michelle’s post on Mocking MoveOn, the second is from neo-neocon’s ‘Fighting the Previous War and Dissing General Petraeus‘.

43. Comment by Great Mencken's Ghost on 9/29 @ 9:54 am #

    “At least Kerry could pass for human.”

    The Optometrist is your friend…

44. Comment by Semanticleo on 9/29 @ 10:09 am #

    ““The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their hearts desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.””

    HL Mencken 1920 Baltimore Sun

    Considering your predilections, a change of handle might be appropos.

    JG;

    What is this, another blueberry muffin morning?

45. Comment by BJTexs on 9/29 @ 10:13 am #

    …and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

    So did Mencken live long enough to experience the Carter administration?

    Like Nostradamus, he was…

46. Comment by Toby Petzold on 9/29 @ 10:14 am #

    Hee hee. Semantidouche.

47. Comment by Big Bang (Pumping you up) on 9/29 @ 10:17 am #

    - Seman-on-your-fly – Why the predilection with Jeffs morning eating habits. Don’t tell us you’ve become a (gasp!) PW groupie.

48. Comment by jon on 9/29 @ 10:26 am #

    I think with 535 blow-dried and moussed Congressfolk to choose from, any boycott is bound to bring out the lesser-knowns and put them in the spotlight. Invitations to appear on the cable shows get answered because because the spotlight is addictive, it makes fundraising easier, and that’s what the Congress runs on: money and power. Same goes for the pundits: would Alan Colmes get any any other way? (Assuming he gets any in the first place.)

49. Comment by Merovign on 9/29 @ 12:39 pm #

    I think an unintelligible dolt who can’t understand that words mean things, who has the word “semantic” in their nickname, should tread awfully light in criticizing the noms de plume of others.

50. Comment by Merovign on 9/29 @ 12:41 pm #

    Oh, and by the way, ADDICTS WANT MORE POSTS! POST, JEFF, POST! :)

51. Comment by happyfeet on 9/29 @ 12:46 pm #

    The posts are my favorite part.

52. Comment by Christopher Taylor on 9/29 @ 1:08 pm #

    If the GOP congressmen stop going on MSNBC, who’d notice?

53. Comment by Pablo on 9/29 @ 1:08 pm #

    Invitations to appear on the cable shows get answered because because the spotlight is addictive…

    Right, but we’re not talking about the spotlight, we’re talking about MSNBC. Streetlamps draw bigger crowds.

54. Comment by happyfeet on 9/29 @ 1:16 pm #

    Someone should ask Floyd Abrams’ little boy if David Shuster is representative of the kind of “journalism” he wants MSNBC to be about. It really doesn’t seem to be his style, so what’s the deal?

55. Comment by Pablo on 9/29 @ 1:21 pm #

    I’ve always though Abrams a rational sort. But then there’s this.

    I don’t have an explanation handy.

56. Comment by happyfeet on 9/29 @ 1:26 pm #

    Well, he’s not the top dog, but he has enough pull to be held to account is all.

57. Comment by Merovign on 9/29 @ 4:01 pm #

    Darnit, still no new posts! That’s IT, I’m going to pick up my dry cleaning!

58. Comment by N. O'Brain on 9/29 @ 5:17 pm #

    “The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people.”

    -semencleo

    Well, thank goodness then that we live in a republic.

59. Comment by N. O'Brain on 9/29 @ 5:20 pm #

    Well, this is strange.

    I googled “heinlein + mencken” and found this little gem of a review…..wait for it…. from the NYT:

    http://tinyurl.com/22b9hb

    Kurt Vonneget reviewing the complete edition re-release of “Stranger In A Strange Land”.

60. Comment by Merovign on 9/29 @ 5:42 pm #

    Well, I guess that dry-cleaning threat didn’t work.

    At least I got my clothes back.

61. Comment by Sean M. on 9/29 @ 6:56 pm #

    I have a feeling our host is getting nicely toasted celebrating this. And there’s a Rockies game on too.

62. Comment by McGehee on 9/29 @ 7:28 pm #

    Merovign, if I’d known you were headed to the dry cleaner I would have asked you to pick up mine too. But since I’d already picked mine up that would have been a cruel prank.

    Funny, but cruel.

63. Comment by Obstreperous Infidel on 9/29 @ 7:51 pm #

    I have said many times that I am the base one here in the PW community and will continue on that trajectory. Semanticleo, I realize that you’re simply an asshole. Nothing more nothing less, but understand this and understand it well. If we were in a room together and you carried on the way you do in here, I would beat the shit out of you with no remorse. You’re subhuman. A disposable douche as it were. I understand and acknowledge that the base action of “beating the shit” out of a weaker person is frowned upon in civilized company, but shit man…You don’t want to be taken seriously. That much is obvious. But your snarky stupidity, all the while exhibiting an obvious intellectual acumen, is getting really old. Fuck off loser. You’re not making any headway in here. So give it up. I realize you’ll have something snarky to say back, and I, as one that is probably not as intellectually equipped as you are, will simply laugh it off. But the truth is, I want to be challenged as I am not as ideologically ensconsed as others in here, but the likes of you just aren’t bringin’ it. IOW, quit being a dick, and at least try and make a point.

    Now onto the post. The repubs should debate anywhere at anytime. They’re the underdogs, they need to pony up.

64. Comment by Pablo on 9/30 @ 2:10 pm #

    Hey, remember when the Democrats decided to boycott a debate sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus and it got cancelled?

    I do. And the base cheered.

65. Trackback by farmer's market on 10/23 @ 11:28 pm #

    farmer’s market…

    I Googled for something completely different, but found your page…and have to say thanks. nice read….

66. Trackback by Turner T Steel on 12/11 @ 11:16 am #

    Turner T Steel

    Nigeria Pension reform Maybe he needs a brain transplant as well. “the Startlegram signed a gas

67. Trackback by Comedy on 2/1 @ 7:57 pm #

    Comedy

    Thanks for the compliment

68. Comment by ScrewThem on 8/28 @ 5:17 pm #

    What’s to boycott? There’s nothing TO watch on MSNBC…

69. Comment by Rebekah on 9/20 @ 8:15 am #

    I put a parental control lock on all NBC channels on every TV in my house! I encourage others to do the same until NBC can clean up its extreme bias reporting. NBC will never be a guest in my house every again.

70. Comment by ScrewThem on 10/28 @ 11:25 am #

    F**K MSNBC. PERIOD.

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