MSM bias « Blue Like You

Archive of posts filed under the MSM bias category.

Summer fiction: Declining years division

Posted by Joanne on 14 August 2010, 9:41 am

James Travers is obviously spoiling for an election.

His endless mantra over the last several months/years is that Stephen Harper’s Conservatives and his ‘hidden agenda’ are stealthily changing this country and that the Liberals are too wimpy to put an end to it. Today’s column uses overblown rhetoric like ‘vandalism’ to stoke the fire:

This country has a problem. It has a ruling party that twists the truth and an Official Opposition that can’t, or won’t, straighten it out.

This summer’s oddly hot topic is one example. Gutting the census is nothing less than another Conservative act of public vandalism. Wagging an angry finger is nothing more than another empty Liberal gesture.

Opinion polls reflect that repeating pattern. For more than four years now Canadians have consistently told pollsters they don’t support Conservatives and don’t trust Liberals.

One unlikely way to end that impasse is for Stephen Harper to come clean about what he doesn’t like about Canada and how Conservatives are changing it by stealth and increment. Another is for Michael Ignatieff to screw Liberal courage to the sticking point and declare enough is enough…

[Emphasis mine]

But if Travers is right that Canadians ‘don’t trust Liberals’, what would an election accomplish? Wouldn’t we be right back in the same place after spending all that money?

And if it is true that our country has already been changed, James Travers should come clean about what he doesn’t like about Canada.

It works both ways, my friend.

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Update

This is a MUST-READ column by George Jonas – Cult of coercion (H/T Liz J):

“Thank goodness most Canadians agree with me,” Mr. Garneau wrote. “Thank goodness most Canadians aren’t paranoid and fearful, believing that they owe nothing to their country. Thank goodness that most Canadians believe in the notion of civic duty.”

But if so, why do they have to be threatened with jail? Might they see their civic duty differently from Mr. Garneau?

Might Canadians regard it their civic duty to deal with questionnaires according to their own lights and conscience, as free people in a free society? Might they see it as the government sees it, for once, amazingly, to the complete consternation of the statist elites?

Please read the whole column.

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Welcome Newsbeat 1 Readers!

Filed under CPC majority solution, Election fever, Iffy, Iggo Waffles, Iggy, Iggyssiah, MSM bias, Media Issues, Media Watch, Press puffery, Your tax-dollars.

76 Comments

Days I’m glad I’m just a blogger

Posted by Joanne on 6 August 2010, 10:17 am

There is an advantage to being a lowly unpaid blogger – I don’t have a deadline and am therefore not forced to put out crappy columns like this one by Susan Delacourt.

However even this load of partisan verbiage contains a kernel of truth:

I’ve done a bit of roaming outside the Ottawa bubble this summer, but it’s mainly been with the Liberal Express, Michael Ignatieff’s summer-long tour of the country. Granted, this is a bit of a bubble itself — mainly the crowds consist of committed Liberals. But what I’ve heard generally backs up the observations of Hebert and Martin.

Bubble girl refers to ‘stats’ regarding a Canadian Press (!) ‘investigation’ reporting that focus groups are frustrated with Government communication regarding the “direction the government is taking”. While I don’t disagree that communication strategies need to be improved, I question the sampling and purpose of this study even though Ipsos was quick to point out that the results shouldn’t necessarily be extrapolated to the entire Canadian population:

The focus groups were conducted in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Mississauga, Ont., Halifax and Trois-Rivieres, Que. Participants were described as “heads of household or co-heads of household” and were designed to reflect “a mix of gender, age, and education levels,” the pollster’s report states.

Yeah not a huge showing from rural Canada. I’m smelling a whiff of something from Delacourt’s column if she’s trying to use this study as her statistical reference.

Oh yes, we have the ever so non-partisan recent EKOS poll to back up her theory, but I’m still not buying the spin.

Even Don Martin admits that “Having lived out of a suitcase for the last month from Cape Breton to Toronto to Alberta to Inuvik, I can tell you the long-form census fight does not even rate being called a trifle to the average voter.”

But as I said before, bring it on.

And I guarantee you that we Conservative bloggers will be out in full force, doing our civic duty to offer a smidgen of balance to all the Tabolos, Travolos and Delolos out there.

Filed under Blog Power, Blogging, CPC majority solution, Canadian Politics, Election fever, Liberal Party of Donolo, MSM bias, Media Issues, Media Watch, Press puffery, Pseudo-scandals, Puffin Stuff, Voter cynicism, grassroots power.

64 Comments

BLOC-ing that coveted majority

Posted by Joanne on 19 July 2010, 10:05 am

What’s wrong with Michael Ignatieff that he can’t get his majority?

I thought I’d put a different spin on that tired old meme that MSM keeps flogging to death. But Tom Flanagan says minorities are here to stay unless the political landscape is dramatically altered (H/T NNW):

But it seems that the current period of minority government may go on much longer. As long as the Bloc Québécois dominates Quebec, it’s extremely difficult for either the Conservatives or the Liberals to win a majority, unless one or the other collapses even beyond what happened to the Liberals in 2008 under Stéphane Dion.

Indeed we see the polling numbers firmly entrenched. There may be a few undecided that could be wooed one way or the other but nobody seems to be able to challenge the Bloc’s hold on Quebec.

Flanagan says the only solution is for parties to actually work together to get things done rather than resort to political grandstanding – and they’re all guilty of that.

He calls it ‘power-sharing’. Almost like *gasp* a coalition – but this time involving the party that actually won the most seats.

Filed under Bloc, CPC majority solution, Canadian Government, Canadian Parliament, Co-operation vs Coalition, Coalition of the swilling, Federal Election, Flicking politicians, Harper best PM ever, Iffy, Iggo Waffles, Iggy, Iggyssiah, Liberal Party of Donolo, Liberal Party of Toronto, MSM bias, Media Watch, Quebec, Too many Fools on the Hill, Voter cynicism, democracy.

40 Comments

Iggy’s Egg-on-his-face tour

Posted by Joanne on 13 July 2010, 7:34 am

So now we find out via Brian Lilley that Michael Ignatieff was ostensibly referring to ‘rotten eggs’ when he talked about the smell of sulfur coming off of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, or so says crisis manager spokesman Michael O’Shaughnessy. (H/T Mary T) Joe O’Connor has a similar story in the FP.

Now on Canada AM the Liberal Leader claims it was just a ‘joke’.

Right.

Well at least he’s being held accountable by a growing number of MSM outlets – and that’s a good thing.

Here’s some unsolicited advice for the Great Parachuted One: KISS – and not the babies. Keep It Simple Stupid. Lofty, esoteric references just don’t cut it with the Timmie’s crowd.

Meanwhile, we’ll keep the gaffe-meter running.

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Update

More from Christian Conservative including a link to a new McParland post.

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Upperdate

Not Even 24 Hours Yet, And Already The Wheels Are Off The WaffleBus!? – Phantom

Just Visiting Express breaks down… – Stephen Taylor

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Wednesday Update

Iggy’s LiberalExpress bus fixed by… HARPER!!! – Christian Conservative

Kingston voters school Ignatieff on legislation that matters – John Ibbitson

To Love Canada, You Have To Leave It – Adrian MacNair (and have the people left back pay for it.)

Liberals’ Ignatieff has nothing to lose on his summer tour – A Must read by L Ian MacDonald:

But in terms of expectations for Ignatieff, they could hardly be lower anyway. His personal approval ratings lag well behind support for the Liberal brand. The leader is clearly a drag on the ticket.

Filed under Iffy, Iggo Waffles, Iggy, Iggyssiah, Liberal Party of Donolo, Liberal Party of Toronto, Liberal arrogance, Liberal machine, MSM bias, Media Issues, Media Watch, Michael Ignatieff, Uncategorized.

153 Comments

Yes Brian, please do

Posted by Joanne on 12 July 2010, 8:39 am

Brian Lilley’s coverage of Michael Ignatieff’s ‘sulphur’ remarks bodes well for great things to come with Sun TV:

Being leader of the federal opposition is perhaps the crappiest job in Canadian politics and this week Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff will take the media along on his cross-country tour just to show how awful the job can be. No one thinks you can win and no one takes you seriously until you do win, just ask Stephen Harper.

Ignatieff kicked off his summer tour in Calgary by touting the Liberal’s “positive message” and then compared Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the devil, “You know you smell the whiff of sulfur coming off the guy.” In literature, the whiff of sulfur is often used to describe the devil and someone as well read as Ignatieff should know to choose his words more carefully.

Then again, perhaps Ignatieff was just channeling Venezuela’s far-left president Hugo Chavez who used similar words to describe George W. Bush during a United Nations speech; I’ll have to ask the Liberal leader.

Yes, please ask him Brian! And do it in the presence of the rest of our gutless liberal MSM and then let’s see if they dare to report it.

So far, only *crickets*.

Christian Conservative has more.

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Update

It might not be a bad idea to start keeping track of Iggy’s gaffes on the Liberal “Off-the-Cuff” Express.

Just from Shawn Logan’s Calgary Sun report alone there is a goldmine:

1. First of all there is the now infamous, “You know you smell the whiff of sulfur coming off the guy (Harper) — we know how right wing these guys really are.”

(So is he also saying that all Canadians on the right are like the devil?)

2. And Ignatieff took time to show off his Boulet cowboy boots to the crowd, saying, “These are the best cowboy boots in Canada and they’re made in Quebec.” – said in Calgary!!!

3. “I am much reproached for spending time outside of Canada — naughty me,” he said. “I don’t know what to do with my shame about that.” Well I do, but it isn’t fit for a family blog.

4. “Starting today we’re going to get on a bus and go to every province and territory between July and September, if it doesn’t kill me first. Please Iggy, try to curb your enthusiasm at the prospect of meeting The Canadians.

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Upperdate

A little Marmalade to help Iggy choke down all those Double-Doubles - Voulez Boulet boots avec moi? Brilliant, Kate! (H/T Liz)

Iggy, you’re toast – Tasha Kheiriddin: Is that a whiff of sulfur coming from the Liberal bus?:

…Indeed, the malodorous comment reveals one of Mr. Ignatieff’s key weaknesses: Try as he might, he cannot put the whiff of elitism behind him. He can flip pancakes at the Calgary Stampede ’til the broncos go home, he can suck back the Tim’s ’til his eyes pop out of his head, but he still comes across as more latte than double-double…

Filed under Arrogance, Iffy, Iggo Waffles, Iggy, Iggyssiah, Liberal Party of Donolo, Liberal Party of Toronto, Liberal machine, MSM bias, Media Issues, Media Watch, Michael Ignatieff, Puffin Stuff.

85 Comments

Let the Free Market decide

Posted by Joanne on 22 June 2010, 9:55 am

Rob Breckenridge has a novel approach to the new Sun Media channel – leave it up to consumers to decide if the venture will fly or not.

He suggests that “need” is irrelevant:

…Who exactly gets to determine — and then enforce — what that “need” is? Sorry, Mr. Would-be-Restaurant-Owner, but we already have “enough” Italian restaurants. The market will make that determination — not some government bureaucrats.

Ditto for “Fox News North” — Canadians will either watch it or they won’t. If the demand exists, then any question over whether the supply should be allowed to exist is outrageous. If the demand does not exist, then all of this debate is moot. It is strangely ironic that those who are most convinced that this network will fail are the ones who are shrieking the loudest about it...

Of course the liberal media will never willingly give up their virtual monopoly on Canadian news and opinion.

Filed under Bye-bye CBC, CBC past best-before date, Liberal arrogance, Liberal entitlement, Liberal machine, MSM bias, Media Issues, Media Watch, PPG pity party.

38 Comments

Lorrie Goldstein re: Sun TV News Channel

Posted by Joanne on 20 June 2010, 9:56 am

Amen, amen, amen. Lorrie Goldstein nails it once again (Fox News? No. Fair debate? Yes).

That’s all we want - respect for all points of view. Not just those held by the leftist media that deride anything other than that deemed to be ‘politically correct’:

…I think Canadians are tired of television news and talk shows that, for years, set up phony “debates” about gun control by choosing “Ms.-Learned-And-Articulate Professor-of-Everything” from downtown Toronto to argue the pro-gun control position, up against “Billy Bob Trigger Happy” from rural Alberta, whose main purpose was to be mocked.

I think they’re fed up with being lectured by much of the urban, central Canadian news media, that every time they express a genuine concern about crime or our immigration and refugee system, it’s because their views are based on hysteria, ignorance and racism.

I think they’re frustrated hearing climate change “debated” in the mainstream media as a choice between (a) worshipping at the First Church of Al Gore or (b) admitting they believe man walked with the dinosaurs….

Please pledge to view here.

I welcome a news and opinion venue where all Canadians will be treated equally.

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