The BBC have a very positively angled report headlined 'Obama promises 'very specific' plan for US economy' that includes this line 'As President Obama spoke, his would-be 2012 Republican challengers blamed him for the flagging American economy.'. So which 'Republican challengers' do the BBC namecheck in the report?
Ballot Access have the full result:
The BBC's main interest in reporting these early stages of next year's US Presidential election is to build up Barack Obama as much as possible and attack the record, the beliefs and/or the personality of the republicans who would dare to challenge Barack Obama. Thus Barack Obama's initiatives are/will be reported as promising 'very specific' plans whilst the Republicans plans will be reported more critically.
There is another line in the BBC report that stands out for me:
The BBC are not yet in full campaigning mode but they are well down the path of constructing a narrative showing that Barack Obama is on-track despite the trouble he has been receiving from the Tea Party and other Republicans and that those who oppose Barack Obama are racists, mad or both. The BBC further want to pick off the Republican candidates one by one as mad, dangerous, fundamentalist Christian, Mormon, anti-abortion or a combination of these negative factors. Watch out for the BBC's attacks spreading form Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann to the other candidates if they look like gathering any momentum.
The BBC is meant to be an impartial news reporting organisation, in its reporting of the US political scene it is anything but that.
'Presumptive Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney labelled Mr Obama's trip the "Magical Misery bus tour".
The former Massachusetts governor said in a statement the president was "more interested in campaigning in swing states than working to solve the economic crisis crushing the middle class".'
'Texas Governor Rick Perry meanwhile completed his first full day of campaigning, telling the Associated Press news agency: "I respect all the other candidates in the field but there is no one that can stand toe-to-toe with us."'
'Republican congresswoman Michele Bachmann will begin a bus tour on Tuesday in South Carolina, buoyed by her win in Saturday's non-binding "straw poll" in Iowa.'
'Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race after finishing a distant third in that poll. Mr Romney did not compete.'
'Mr Romney, Ms Bachmann and Mr Perry are each vying to become the Republican nominee and challenge Mr Obama for the White House in 2012's elections.
With the first real voting not scheduled to take place until February, correspondents say plenty of time remains for more upheaval in the Republican race.
This could include a late entrance from Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor, 2008 vice-presidential nominee and conservative Tea Party hero.'
Ballot Access have the full result:
'(1) Michelle Bachmann 4,823; (2) Ron Paul 4,671; (3) Tim Pawlenty 2,293; (4) Rick Santorum 1,657; (5) Herman Cain 1,456; (6) Rick Perry 718 (write-in); (7) Mitt Romney 567; (8) Newt Gingrich 385; (9) Jon Huntsman 69; (10) Thad McCotter 35. There were another 162 scattering votes.'So why would the BBC mention Michelle Bachman (the winner), the third place man (Tim Pawlenty) who dropped out, the sixth and seventh placed Perry & Romney and Sarah Palin who has not declared yet BUT not Ron Paul who came second in the poll, Herman Cain (whose being black presumably upsets the BBC's narrative that Republicans are racists, also as I have reported before he is well aware of the threat from radical Islam), Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich (a serious national figure) or the former Democrat Jon Huntsman; even I know nothing about Thad McCotter but then I am not a well resourced news organisation.
The BBC's main interest in reporting these early stages of next year's US Presidential election is to build up Barack Obama as much as possible and attack the record, the beliefs and/or the personality of the republicans who would dare to challenge Barack Obama. Thus Barack Obama's initiatives are/will be reported as promising 'very specific' plans whilst the Republicans plans will be reported more critically.
There is another line in the BBC report that stands out for me:
'Mr Obama's approval rating dipped below 40% for the first time in a Gallup daily tracking poll on Sunday, although recent polls have shown far lower voter satisfaction with Congress.'Even when the BBC manage to report that their hero is unpopular it is only because they can explain that the Congress is less popular.
The BBC are not yet in full campaigning mode but they are well down the path of constructing a narrative showing that Barack Obama is on-track despite the trouble he has been receiving from the Tea Party and other Republicans and that those who oppose Barack Obama are racists, mad or both. The BBC further want to pick off the Republican candidates one by one as mad, dangerous, fundamentalist Christian, Mormon, anti-abortion or a combination of these negative factors. Watch out for the BBC's attacks spreading form Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann to the other candidates if they look like gathering any momentum.
The BBC is meant to be an impartial news reporting organisation, in its reporting of the US political scene it is anything but that.
1 comment:
I lived in America through Bush's second term and the BBC's anti-Bush/Republican/America stance was blindingly obvious. I moved back to England at the end of Bush's second term and you should have seen the swing in anti-american to pro-american articles that started appearing once Obama was in power. the whole tone towards America changed - they love Obama, and whilst I dont think its strictly down to a direct political bias its most certainly down to an inherient liberal culture that exists in the BBC. No truer words are spoken about the BBC than your last sentance
"The BBC is meant to be an impartial news reporting organisation, in its reporting of the US political scene it is anything but that"
well said.
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