MSNBC ad for McCain documentary said McCain "mastered the art of straight talk"
Promoting a documentary on Sen. John McCain, an MSNBC announcer asserted: "Before he was a senator, before running for president, John McCain mastered the art of straight talk." MSNBC has made numerous references to McCain's "straight talk."
In an advertisement for an MSNBC documentary on Sen. John McCain, the announcer adopted a McCain campaign talking point and asserted: "Before he was a senator, before running for president, John McCain mastered the art of straight talk." The ad aired on the 11 a.m. ET hour of MSNBC Live.
Despite repeated falsehoods by McCain and his stark inconsistencies on numerous issues, Media Matters for America has documented numerous uncritical references to McCain's "straight talk" on MSNBC. Most recently, on the 4 p.m. ET hour of the February 21 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Contessa Brewer identified McCain by the name of his campaign bus, the "Straight Talk Express."
Media Matters has also extensively documented MSNBC host Chris Matthews' repeated praise for McCain, having noted that he frequently suggests that McCain offers "straight talk," and has twice stated that he "deserve[s]" to be president.
From the 11 a.m. ET hour of MSNBC Live:
ANNOUNCER: MSNBC tonight: Pilot. POW. Hero.
McCAIN [video clip]: We will never surrender.
ANNOUNCER: Before he was a senator, before running for president, John McCain mastered the art of straight talk. An all-new MSNBC documentary premiere -- Decision 2008: The Candidates: John McCain. Tonight at 10 on MSNBC.
Ummm... yeah. Telling the truth isn't an art form, it's the standard, default setting.
Lying is certainly an art form, though.
To "master" the "ART" of ... straight talk?
Reminds me of that old Hollywood saying by George Burns:
"The secret of acting is sincerity. If you can fake that, you've got it made."
That was then, this is now...
Perhaps, and only on certain issues, St. John The Honest deserved the straight talker label prior to his 2000 campaign.
And then he learned a thing or two from Herr Rove.
And Obama really has fathered black children.
See John. See John drool. Drool John, drool.
Okay, he mastered the art of straight talk.
...Then he privately decided "straight talk" was so yesterday.
Where have I been, living in a cave? I didn't even know MSNBC showed an Obama documentary - and I "watch" (in much the way you do) MSNBC a lot.
The McCain documentary did about all the Republicans could ever want for him. I see where Matthews got his "he deserves to be president" line - and I'm sure that after seeing the documentary a lot of voters will be feeling the same way if they hadn't already.
What I got from it is: He's a Maverick, a super-hero patriot, corporate ethics fighting politician who is willing to reach across the aisle for the good of America - and he's stood his ground do defend himself against the Keating 5 charges and won re-election. And of course the latest NYT article was only mentioned for about 20 seconds as a "sex scandal" with a pic of Vicki Iseman splashed on the screen.
I can see why the wingnut propaganda machine is going after Obama's patriotism - he has a HUGE mountain to climb here. About the only thing anyone might see as a negative for McCain from this documentary was his admitted infidelity resulting in the breakup of his first marriage - and his current wife's addiction and drug-stealing story (but it will be argued that's not HIS fault).
I predict that McCain will get a free ride from the Media Millionaire Bobbleheads, just like Bush did. They will "report" the GOP talking points about Obama's patriotism, his "Muslim" background, etc. Since the new "journalistic model" is to act as stenographers who don't have time to investigate anything, they won't bother to point out that these charges are bogus. I already have relatives who are repeating them... "You know he's really a Mooslim, don't ya? And he REFUSED to be sworn in on the Bible!" Of course, these geniuses voted for Bush...twice... so they aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. This is how they'll get the Evangelical Knuckledraggers past their distaste for McCain... by scaring them into thinking that Obama is a Muslim Terrorist Manchurian Candidate.
Once the primaries are over, the "movement conservative" Talk Radio Troglodytes will fall into lockstep and support McCain, and the vilification of the Democratic nominee will be obscene in its scope and dishonesty. They'll make the Swift Boat Liars Campaign against Kerry look like an endorsement.
How can you NOT feel for a guy laying there in pain with multiple limbs broken pleading with a reporter to tell his wife how much he loves her? I can’t believe there isn’t a full-length Hollywood movie on McCain’s story – Maybe it does prove a liberal bias in Hollywood?
On the other hand, you hear little mention of his admitted recklessness and cavalier infallible attitude at the time he was shot down, nor the fact that this is what probably lead to the loss of 3 of the 4 other $$$ planes lost with him as a pilot. Prior to being shot down in flight and the horror of being of POW, his cavalier antics resulted in little more than a thrilling parachute ride. It can almost be compared to today’s 20-somethings playing video pilot war games – the reality of the real danger of his games never hit him until he was shot down and taken prisoner.
The other thing that is just touched on in the documentary is the sense of entitlement and privilege that was bestowed upon him by his heritage. Add this to the often-true stereotypes of “Army brats” and you have McCain’s early years explained in a nutshell. If his father had not been who he was, he would have not gotten the exposure he did, been treated like he was by the Viet Cong (they knew they had a “special” pilot here) - and would have been just be another Vietnam POW. If not for his heritage, I doubt Ronald Reagan et al would have even taken much notice other than the Medal of Honor pinning photo-op.
I know no one wants to really “go there” – but it’s my take on it all.