Chris Cillizza does a political winners and losers column periodically, and he’s revived it for the Republican National Convention. Last night’s winners were Susana Martinez, Condi Rice, Ron and Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, and Twitter. The losers were Tim Pawlenty, John Thune, interviews with delegates, and convention floor dancing. Here’s what Chris Cillizza had to say about the most dishonest speech ever delivered at a political convention.
* Paul Ryan: The Wisconsin congressman started very slowly – so slowly that we had begun to put him mentally into our “loser” category. He was halting in his delivery, stepping on applause lines and quotable lines alike. But about halfway through his speech, Ryan found his footing. He made the case against the Obama administration effectively – “They have no answer to this simple reality: We need to stop spending money we don’t have” – and argued just as effectively for Romney. He spoke eloquently about how he and Romney were of different faiths but, at their core, believed the same things. One other note: Ryan’s speech was the best written of any we’ve heard so far at the convention. It was packed with great lines, most of which – particularly in the second half of his speech – Ryan delivered well.
Not one mention of the fact that virtually nothing that Paul Ryan said was true.
I was following Cilliza on twitter & he totally pissed me off. Rarely do I clap back at pundits, the majority of them don’t really respond to tweets from normal citizens (the one who I’ve actually had interaction with were Olbermann, who’s as much of a douch on twitter as he is on screen, and Roger Simon from politico, who actually answers tweets and even retweets ones he likes). Cilliza doesn’t respond to normal citizens, just to fellow villagers and bloggers, but last not he basically was saying the same thing on twitter he says in this article & it pissed me off enough that I had to tweet him a response. Of course, he did not answer back
So what if KO is an asshole? Did you see him last night? He loves ripping RWNJ’s. It’s a welcome break from having to ask Wolfie and Erin why they’re trying to do their best Rich Lowry impersonation.
Doesnt really change the fact that he was a douche. I had a twitter exchange with him and he was a really dickish in his replies.
The ‘truth’ should have been at the top of the list.
What struck me was both Condi’s and Martinez’ speeches where they targeted strength through optimism and then how well that optimism was received. Lots of standing ovations and I couldn’t help think that these people are starved for optimism and tired of the fearmongering.
The most remarkable thing to me isn’t all the lies in fact, and the often more damaging lies by omission coming from Mutt and Crew, because that was anticipated, it’s the audacity of asking – if not demanding — to be trusted despite all that.
I suppose they think they can get away with it because style will trump substance, and the truth will never catch up with them.
The reality will be imo, that all Ryan and the rest accomplished this week was providing fodder for BHO and the dems at their convention, and BHO for the debates. The rats are in a corner with no way out at this point.
This is all you need to know about this turd in the punchbowl.
Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza appeared in a series of humor videos called “Mouthpiece Theater” which appeared on the Washington Post’s website. An outcry followed a video in which, during a discussion of the White House “Beer Summit”, they chose new brands for a number of people, including “Mad Bitch Beer” for Hillary Rodham Clinton. Both men apologized for the video and the series was canceled. wikipedia
You can read the non-apology and other comic relief here.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/05/AR2009080502394.html
No credibility whatsoever.
Cillizza apparently lives in that alternate universe where Condi Rice was a hero on 9/11.
OTOH, we have Charles P. Pierce who nailed the theme — lie, lie and lie some more — of the 2012 GOP convention from the opening night in On RNC Opening Night, Republicans Dare to Build a Lie
From the opening:
Pierce may be one of the few political writers today actually knows his history:
If only that LBJ had seen through the bs of the “best and brightest” and kicked them you know where as well, he would have been among the few great US Presidents.
Will resist the impulse to quote more as it is best read in context of the whole piece.
There might be a reason why Taibbi, Pierce, Zirin, and even Olbermann are more articulate and astute observers of the US political scene than the Cillizas.
Neglected to also link to Pierce on Santorum
There might be a reason why Taibbi, Pierce, Zirin, and even Olbermann are more articulate and astute observers of the US political scene than the Cillizas.
What’s funny is that Zirin’s beat is sports, yet he’d run circles around even a guy like Lawrence O’Donnell. According to Twitter, he was pulling a Rich Lowry last night over a war criminal last night. Yuck!! But to your main point, it’s because they don’t hesitate to critique their own side, and they aren’t interested in the Versailles cocktail parties.
Zirin does politics through sports reporting and the other three apply their skill developed during their time as sports reporters to politics.
Yes, but do you ever read Zirin’s Twitter feed? He comments on politics outside of their relationship to sports. And he’s very insightful.
IMHO nobody is more attuned to racism and sexism in the US than Zirin. And he’s not about to let the world forget how racist and sexist those in his field have been and are:
After Forty-Four Years It’s Time Brent Musburger Apologized To John Carlos and Tommie Smith
And this from 2009:
…The ‘best athlete of the decade’ list is too white and too male
thank you for bringing Zirin to my attention, this guy is brilliant.
Yes, he is. And I have almost zero interest in sports.
And Pierce started out as a sportswriter.
One good thing about covering team sports: it forces journalists to deal in facts, and to recognize real accomplishment.
As did Taibbi and KO. Just wanted others to ponder that for a few minutes.
Best line of the night…”I’ll be damned, we’re Republicans!”, stated by racist, sexist Susana Martinez.
On second thought, the assertion that Americans have never thought “I am doing poorly because you are doing well”, uttered by that sexist, racist Condi Rice was pretty good too!
It’s a pretty strange combination of traits that qualifies a person to be a political journalist in the US corporate media. You would have to have a strong interest in politics, but no opinions about anything.
And that’s just to be a reporter. To do the kind of “analysis” that Cillizza is doing here, you have to place your dedication to some false notion of “balance” or “objectivity” even above honesty and critical thinking. Very strange people.
Not strange for a position as a courtier to the rich and powerful. Only strange if one hasn’t noticed the continuing corruption of the so-called fourth estate since the ratification of the Constitution. What may be strange is that real reporters and social commentators have yet to become extinct.
But it makes sense if your view of politics is that it’s nothing but theater. Which is how the cynic-dandies of the political media see it.
See, Mr. Cillizza, here’s the thing. This isn’t opening night at the community theater. There are things to talk about besides how well the cast delivered their lines. And yet this is the kind of review the vast majority of Big Media will provide, time and time again. I guess the whole “analysis” of “content” thing is beyond their capacities.
Almost all of the negative coverage regarding last night’s lie-fest are about the “truth” of various matters. here, on he networks, probably in the print and other digital media…same same.
All’s I can say is…well boo hoo! Since when is any mainstream American campaign about any sort of “truth? ” Not in my lifetime, for sure. Why bother? Only about 3% of the electorate can tell the difference between truth and lies anyway, especially when you consider that the 10%-20% “undecided” vote is so dumb that it can’t make up its mind about anything and simply waits around for the next breeze strong enough to push it in a given direction.
Further…how much “truth” do you think is going to flounder its way out of the Dem gill nets? lease. he :truth” about bin Laden’s death? The “truth” about our involvement(s) in the various Middle Eastern so-called Arab Springs and their bloody aftermaths? The “truth” about how and why the U.S. is involved with Israel or how and why the same people who caused the economic collapse are not front-and-center advisors to Preznit O’Bomber? The “truth” about how much money actually disappears down the insatiable maw of our defense/intelligence system? The “truth” about how deeply every one of us are now being surveilled technologically? The trutht about how many innocent men, women and children have been “collaterally damaged” in our ongoing blood for oil wars?
Please.
It’s as if the U.S. Government has turned into some monstrous version of Jack Nicholsen’s Col. Jessep character in “A Few Good Men.”
Wake the fuck up.
The best liar(s) will win.
Romney’s got no lying chops. He’s more of a smash-and-grab man. (See Matt Taibbi’s article for some real anti-RatPub “truth.” The kind that undecided lamebrains will not read nor would they understand even if forced to read it at gunpoint.) Ryan’s actually pretty good, but he’s not yet in Obama’s class. Not nearly. Bidne’s not bad either, because he’s so dumb he usually doesn’t even know that he’s lying. And Obama? As good as it gets. Maybe even better than the Clintons, which is saying a great deal. He studied with ’em, y’know. A little…smoother.
Bet on that as well.
So enough of the complaining about lies. It’s useless and it’s stupid, too. You want O”Bomber to win? Start appreciating real, high-level lying.
It’s a fine art.
Bet on that as well.
AG
Village hacks like Cillizza could literally not care less about whether statements in a speech or interview or TV commercial are true. All they care about is the horse race, and to be liked and respected by their peers (who also care only about the horse race) and the people they cover (who very much want them to care only about the horse race).
Mostly it’s their employers that demand “a horse race.” Otherwise they wouldn’t rake in all those big political ad buys. The economies of Iowa and NH depend on the quadrennial stimulus from all those political dollars flowing into their state.