INDCJournal: Newsweek Has a Time Machine - One of the Reasons Why They Spin for Kerry? <i><b>(UPDATE

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October 22, 2004

Newsweek Has a Time Machine - One of the Reasons Why They Spin for Kerry? (UPDATE - PARTIALLY RETRACTED)

Posted by Bill

So pretty, so very, very pretty. Charles Ommanney - Newsweek

Back in July, Evan Thomas from Newsweek predicted that the media would try to help swing the election for Kedwards, painting them as dynamic optimists poised to take the country by storm. The exact quote from "Inside Washington:"

MR. THOMAS: There's one other base here, the media. Let's talk a little media bias here. The media, I think, wants Kerry to win and I think they're going to portray Kerry and Edwards I'm talking about the establishment media, not Fox. They're going to portray Kerry and Edwards as being young and dynamic and optimistic and there's going to be this glow about them, collective glow, the two of them, that's going to be worth maybe 15 points.

That very week, Newsweek's cover featured a glamour shot of a smiling Kerry and Edwards that dubbed them "The Sunshine Boys." The inside feature by Howard Fineman and Richard Wolffe included flattering family pictures, at least one reference to Camelot and some of the following milk-spewing lines:

"Their energy was infectious, but their numbers barely moved. Can Kerry-Edwards convert smiles into votes against Team Bush? Game on"

"The Kennedys loved to play football in odd places and so, naturally, does their political descendant, Sen. John F. Kerry ... In coats and ties, the newly minted running mates performed yet another bonding ritual, a typical blend of bonhomie and competition. Grinning, Kerry winged a pass across the table to Edwards, who caught it with the practiced, spread-fingered ease of the high-school player he once was.

Indeed, Edwards's ingratiating incandescence has already brightened Kerry. The two became a buddy-buddy act, hugging and whispering like Starsky and Hutch after consuming the evidence.

"... the "John-John" ticket was campaigning as the Sunshine Boys, eager to paint the campaign as a Manichaean struggle between their light and the darkness of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, whom Democrats depict as the gloomy, disingenuous avatars of war abroad and economic inequality at home."

It's perhaps the most obvious piece of soft-focus MSM political propaganda that I've laid eyes on this election season. Let's get an instant replay on that last line:

Newsweek was the one campaigning Kedwards as "the Sunshine Boys," according to their cover and Mr. Thomas's assessment. From the benefit of hindsight, he's since revised downward his projected media-abetted poll bounce to "maybe" 5 points.

But beyond bias that (almost) can't be parodied, beyond an embarrassing "Conventional Wisdom" feature that's consistently a delusional rorschach of the liberal id, beyond Newsweek's mortal slide into tabloid fuzziness reminiscent of "O" Magazine, and beyond Thomas's remarkably candid admission ... who knew that the venerable newsweekly owned a time machine?

PUBLIC AFFAIRS is publishing the pa perback original "Election 2004: How Kerry Won and What You Can Expect in the Future." They're calling it "A behind-the-scenes look at the Kerry-Edwards presidential victory." Authors are four of Newsweek's top political reporters. Commissioned over a year ago, it has already been sold abroad. Even audio rights have already been sold. Whether there's a title change on Nov. 3, this I don't know.

I understand marketing logistics that demand an early start and timely release for a book, but isn't a pre-sold book that necessarily pines for a Kedwards victory a wee bit of a financial conflict of interest for "four of Newsweek's top political reporters?" Do they have an alternately-themed book sold for a Bush victory? Somehow, I doubt it. (UPDATE: Wrong - they do)

Note to Newsweek: you destroyed any projection of nonpartisanship this election season, and the new media will pour King Cobra on your credibility's grave. Now go grab a seat over there next to Mr. Rather and wait for the blessed darkness.

UPDATE: The item in the Post was incomplete. The writers are detached from current Newsweek coverage, and the book has dual titles, with one version that is planned for for a Bush victory. My apologies. At least I'm not the only one.

Wizbang has the details.

Damn You Cindy Adams...

This invalidates any conflict of interest with the impending book publication and Newsweek's current, horrible coverage. That being said, my assessment of Newsweek's laughable hackery stands firm.

This one's for my homies ... (pours malt liquor)

Posted by Bill at October 22, 2004 07:26 AM | TrackBack (6)

Comments

Unfreakinbelievable!!!! (I don't think the 'sunshine boys' title stuck)
If Bush wins we need to find out what happens regarding this book deal.

Posted by: Rightwingsparkle at October 22, 2004 09:15 AM

This is another turn of events that stretches credibility. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41038

Posted by: Hitman at October 22, 2004 09:22 AM

I can't say that I am totally shocked by this. What is suprising though is the reference to King Cobra and the fact that there is an entire web site devoted to it! I tell you Al Gore had no idea of the scope of the internet when he invented it.

Posted by: Dave at October 22, 2004 10:11 AM

Reminds me of the diary they found on the dead Japanese garrison commander on Bougainville in 1943, after his last-gasp attack against the Americans got wiped out.

It's final entry post-dated for the following day:

"Savoring the fruits of victory!"

Posted by: Gaius Livius at October 22, 2004 10:28 AM

You ain't seen nothing yet...just wait for Hillary in '08. Start accumulating a barf-bags now, we'll need lots of them.

Posted by: The Old Coot at October 22, 2004 10:46 AM

From your quotation...
...Kerry winged a pass across the table to Edwards, who caught it with the practiced, spread-fingered ease of the high-school player he once was....

I don't know how to access it at this point, but one of the things that struck me during the Vice-Presidential debate was Edwards' hands.

Cheney's hands were folded in front of him often, and looked much like he appears. Thick, stocky, tough.

Edwards has obviously taken instruction in the use of his hands in front of a jury. They are very expressive. But I was struck with how feminine they appear. His hands look as if they've never held a chainsaw.

I'm surprised to hear that he played on his HS football team.

Posted by: azlibertarian at October 22, 2004 11:08 AM

King Cobra?

I got nothin' but Mad Dog 20/20.

Posted by: Textbook Stupidity at October 22, 2004 11:24 AM

Man, you guys zoom in on the important parts.

Posted by: Bill from INDC at October 22, 2004 11:58 AM

Hmm, I wonder if there's anything useful in that book. I mean...i bet when john kerry realized that *his* book about international crime had predicted 9/11 and described a plan for defeating terrorists abroad he wished he had worked harder to market it. Maybe we should get a copy...
Heheheh
Cheers,
M@

Posted by: M@ at October 22, 2004 12:05 PM

Man, you guys zoom in on the important parts.

it's all in the analysis, Bill. 'cause I'd like to think the new media won't consider the dead branches of the MSM to be homies they pour for. so no Colt or Mad Dog for Thomas & friends.

though what you have sounds damning, why would Adams, let alone Thomas, say this - Whether there's a title change on Nov. 3, this I don't know. - if there's no expectation of a GB version in case things go, ahem, awry? publishing is a tricky business; if Public Affairs isn't prepared to go with the alternate version, they will be completely screwed with a Kerry loss. no sane publisher would touch such a project (okay, besides Soros, if you can call him a publisher).

Posted by: tee bee at October 22, 2004 12:50 PM

You know, much later Thomas was asked about that quote, (scroll to the bottom of the post) and he said that it was "stupid", that no way was the media 15 points worth of biased. It was more like 5 points worth of biased.

When I read that, I assume he either overestimated, in his enthusiasm, or he later felt chagrined at having spilled the beans, so he revised it downwards to five.

Now, I wonder whether he meant, "We did our best, but could only manage 5 points."

Posted by: Angie Schultz at October 22, 2004 01:07 PM

Love that photo... wall-to-wall superrich white people. Hope NewsWeek runs a whole bunch more, including some from, say, a Kerry estate barbeque, to help Kedwards motivate the ethnic vote.

No doubt Kerry's prior photo op's have already captured the black and hispanic skiing, windsurfing, roadbiking and goose hunting vote. There's still time from some pix from his sailboat to help him reach out to minority yachtsmen.

Posted by: Lastango at October 22, 2004 01:18 PM

there are times and incidents when we should stop calling this foolishness media BIAS and call it by it's true name media whorin'.

Here's hoping the Newsweek boys got some cash left on the dresser 'cause the rest of America is not going to respect them in the morning (Nov. 3rd).

JMO and harsh I know, but I'm sick of this MSM crapola trying to pass itself off as respectable reporting!!

D.White

Posted by: D. White at October 22, 2004 01:27 PM

tee bee -

Cindy Adams is the one that said -

"Whether there's a title change on Nov. 3, this I don't know. "

... not teh newsweek folks.

And why would there be no alternate Bush title? Because it wouldn't sell in Europe, and the current title relies on data from reporters covering the Kerry camapign.

Posted by: Bill from INDC at October 22, 2004 01:30 PM

Why so coy? Who are these four mindreaders?

Posted by: erp at October 22, 2004 01:55 PM

The question now is, can Bush get hold of a copy so he can hold it up triumphantly, Harry Truman style, on election night?

Posted by: Paul Zrimsek at October 22, 2004 02:25 PM

"...to Edwards, who caught it with the practiced, spread-fingered ease of the high-school player he once was"

Sounds like JAZZ HANDS to me.

Posted by: sentinel at October 22, 2004 02:33 PM

I prefer OE myself.

Thanks to the "internets" the old media are going 6 feet under.

Posted by: Violent Kitten at October 22, 2004 02:39 PM

Bill, I knew it was Adams, which is why I said it. but it's framed in your post in terms of Thomas and Newsweek, so it reads a bit vague (at least to me). and if you're right, either that's a Tony Soprano-type of publisher who can control the electorate, or he's a damn fool whom I expect will be out a great deal of cash.

*I'm not convinced you couldn't publish something about Bush/future policy for Europe... full of you-were-right, we're-in-deep-trouble-now yellow journalism. I'm pretty sure they'd eat that up.

Posted by: tee bee at October 22, 2004 02:48 PM

Tee Bee -

Read the update. I've retracted.

Posted by: Bill from INDC at October 22, 2004 02:50 PM

Hey, the NY Times was blowing smoke for Kerry long before Newsweek. Remember the Wilgoren piece that backfired:

http://arguewithsigns.net/mt/archives/001845.html

Caged Hamster needs new legs!

Posted by: AWS at October 22, 2004 08:21 PM

Bill -- the original post has Newsweek dead to rights, and I appreciate the clarification. many years in an eventually failed publishing venture make me aware of the fragile nature of the game, and I hate seeing that repeat itself. too many good people lose their jobs when they are forced to follow the dictates of an insane publisher.

did you add this, or did I miss my now-favorite part of your post:

an embarrassing "Conventional Wisdom" feature that's consistently a delusional rorschach of the liberal id

you slay me. great work, Bill.

Posted by: tee bee at October 23, 2004 11:38 AM

Thanks. I believe that was in there.

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