The mainstream media loves to tap dance on a whole bunch of lines. Most of the time, when any given "line" is crossed, one of them will slap said line-crosser's wrist and wag a finger at them, and everyone moves on to the next victim. But last week, when Democratic Strategist Hillary Rosen attacked Ann Romney by saying, "she has never worked a day in her life.", the question of when, or if, it is O.K. to go after a candidate's spouse or children was once again revisited.
For most people, the fact that anyone would say such a thing about a woman who is a breast cancer survivor, battling MS, and raised 5 boys on top of it all was insulting to say the least. But is there any situation where the candidate's family members can be criticized?
It really isn't a new thing. Margaret Truman was the first, first daughter to be scrutinized by a blossoming national media. Amy Carter, who was just 9 years old when her Father became President, was not so lucky in the media department either. As the bias of the mainstream media has made itself known, the spouses and children of Conservative politicians have taken the most heat. When 19-year old Jenna Bush was arrested for a DUI not long after her Father became President, the media was all too happy to "just report the facts."
On the other side of this coin, When Hillary Clinton headed up "Hillary Care", Conservatives voiced strong opposition to to the tangle of bureaucratic weeds that it was. Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign which includes her involvement in dictating to public schools what can be offered for lunch. Most Conservative parents are not too fond of the First Lady telling them what they can and cannot feed their kids.
Such hands-on involvement into making government policy, puts one out there so that in those instances, the First Lady, whoever she is, is fair game. Americans have a right to voice their opinion on public policy no matter who is proposing it. Had Ann Romney publicly disagreed with the President on a particular matter, any rebuttal to what she said would have been fair in the game of political back and forth. But that is entirely different from the personal attack that was made.
As the Presidential campaign heats up, and a Vice-Presidential Candidate is chosen, that person and their spouse and children will most definitely be put through the mainstream media meat grinder. Of course, it is all in an effort to "just report the facts."
For most people, the fact that anyone would say such a thing about a woman who is a breast cancer survivor, battling MS, and raised 5 boys on top of it all was insulting to say the least. But is there any situation where the candidate's family members can be criticized?
It really isn't a new thing. Margaret Truman was the first, first daughter to be scrutinized by a blossoming national media. Amy Carter, who was just 9 years old when her Father became President, was not so lucky in the media department either. As the bias of the mainstream media has made itself known, the spouses and children of Conservative politicians have taken the most heat. When 19-year old Jenna Bush was arrested for a DUI not long after her Father became President, the media was all too happy to "just report the facts."
Such hands-on involvement into making government policy, puts one out there so that in those instances, the First Lady, whoever she is, is fair game. Americans have a right to voice their opinion on public policy no matter who is proposing it. Had Ann Romney publicly disagreed with the President on a particular matter, any rebuttal to what she said would have been fair in the game of political back and forth. But that is entirely different from the personal attack that was made.
As the Presidential campaign heats up, and a Vice-Presidential Candidate is chosen, that person and their spouse and children will most definitely be put through the mainstream media meat grinder. Of course, it is all in an effort to "just report the facts."
No comments:
Post a Comment