Posted on 02/17/2007 8:18:06 PM PST by summer
Editorial written by summer
Whenever I start writing something I hope can be appreciated by both sides of the aisle, it seems like my hope quickly fades, because of a bad situation I can’t ignore from one side, which more often than not is the liberal side. For example, FreeRepublic.com enforces a strict policy of not allowing a news headline to be discarded; but, over at Huff Post, they literally “eat” the press.
When I surfed over to Huffington Post last night, I saw a front page news headline I hadn’t seen posted anywhere else, screaming about Jeb Bush. Apparently Jeb! is being “pressured” by his father and brother to run for president in 2008. Thinking this was actual “news” since it was featured as such, and had the byline of a well-known AP journalist, I clicked on the article.
It turned out to be an article I’d already read – published with a different headline, about Mitt Romney, the GOP presidential candidate. Included in the article was a quote about Romney from Jeb Bush, and background that Bush family members had previously “encouraged” Jeb to run for president. This was a fleeting sentence about the past -- in a lengthy article featuring Mitt Romney.
I immediately realized Huffington Post had ditched the actual headline, and written a new headline, about Jeb Bush, to incite a near riot. Hundreds of howling Huff posters then screamed their heads off about Jeb! becoming president. It was a knee-jerk reaction Huff wanted from them – and got.
Those people posting comments looked ridiculous, to me. They allowed themselves to be used and manipulated. Her blog’s fake news headline and tiny article excerpt made them shriek in protest. Clearly, almost all of those bloggers posting hadn’t even read the article.
When things like that happen – and happen deliberately, as this reaction was obviously incited – it makes the blog look staged, and lose credibility. And, it really looks bad to independent voters. It also looks bad to other voters. In fact, a number of the liberal bloggers complained about the manipulation right on that thread. You would think a blog that does this could not possibly be widely read in the blogosphere. But, it is, and, it does have an influence. The only problem for the left is that these kind of situations tend to turn off open-minded voters. And this kind of deception by a blog also turns off first-time visitors.
Of course, two weeks before the election, Arianna will write an impassioned editorial on how everyone should get out and vote. But, in the months prior to that, she’s engaging in this deceitful baiting and scream fest-mongering, which turns people off from participating in the process. An “F” for Arianna and her blog for their editorial rewrites on that thread. And, for treating her posters as trained seals, yelping and performing on cue in an anti-Jeb scream fest. Bloggers deserve better than that!
Finally, kudos to those liberal Huff Post bloggers who KNEW they had been ambushed by the Huff Post here...
Huff's FAKE headline: "George Bush Jr. And Sr. Pressure Jeb To Run In '08"
Actual News Headline: "Jeb Bush steers advisers toward Romney"
AP | BRENDAN FARRINGTON | Posted February 16, 2007 01:19 PM
...as these Huff bloggers refused to act like trained seals:
I read the article. It said that George Sr and Jr ENCOURAGED Jeb to consider running. There was nothing about PRESSURE. Look - I'm a left leaning independent voter. I want a Dem (not Hillary) in '08. This kind of mis-reporting - a staple at PuffHo - is despicable. You should stop it. Now. Integrity counts - or didn't you guys get the memo?
By: netpaul on February 16, 2007 at 01:51pm
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HuffPo, check your headline. This article has very little to do with what you claim.
By: jacetyle on February 16, 2007 at 02:04pm
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I read the headline. Then the article. The article had close to nothing to do with the headline. It was actually about Jeb Bush helping Mitt Romney. I'm quite pissed, really. This is the kind of stuff that I would expect from Drudgereport et al. I'm not a Drudge reading idiot and I don't expect to be treated like one. Take that headline down and apologize to your readers. Otherwise you just might lose them. I'm very disappointed about this carelessness.
By: jedinecny on February 16, 2007 at 02:34pm
and others...
>-----Original Message-----
From: [summer]
To: Jeb Bush
Sent: Tue Jan 02 16:20:47 2007
Subject: Gov Bush, thank you
Gov Bush, On this, your last day in office, I just had to thank you. You did a lot to reform education, and you made a lot of positive changes.
Thank you.
I especially appreciate all the time you took to read my emails to you, and you writing back to me.
I really do appreciate that.
I wish you the very best now and always.
Sincerely,
[summer]
Hello to you guys, and to everyone on FR! :)
Lol, what else do you expect from the loony left?
Moonbats never let the facts get in the way of a hissy fit.
That was a very accurate dig about Drudge, though. That guy's the king of sensationalistic headlines that go nowhere. "Developing..." I can't stand the Drudge page.
The Huffington Post isn't even a blog... its a cartoon of a blog. It reminds me of macaroni art glued to cardboard by mentally ill 7th grade girls. The place is volcanic with social retards and terminal whiners.
Its a perfect target for a Prozac bomb.
summer, if the truth would help them, they would use it.
My favorite line of this thread regarding Jeb Bush.
Thanks for the post and kudos for your e-mail correspondence with Gov. Bush. I can't stand Huff'n'puff or any of the other leftist sites but it's fun once, in awhile, to hear what they're saying.
To lose credibility, you first have to have credibility.
Jeb was better than Crist.
Hey Summer ....good point
Arianna Huffington was a lightweight idiot even when she was a "conservative." But she found her niche, among the tribe of lightweight leftist idiots.
Jeb was a great GOV. here in Fla. as you and I both know...I am actually surprised at how well Crist has been in his first 6 weeks with the tornadoes and insurance law.
THAT IS GREAT! Can I use that as my tagline please?
"Liberals: If the Truth would help them, they would use it."
Expecting headline accuracy at HuffPo is like expecting lessons on chastity at a strip club. Whoever the webmaster at that site is just picks random anti-Bush/Republican headlines and ignores anything even slightly critical of liberals or Democrats. It makes Daily Kos look bipartisan.
Impressive article. Huffington is a Stepford journalist.
No one knows when, or how... but it is obvious that
"they" got to her.
Hehehehe. Going to the Drudge page after FR.
"Hundreds of howling Huff posters then screamed their heads off about Jeb! becoming president."
Good reason to draft Jeb for president.
The words "creibility" and "Huffington" in the same sentence create a semantic war zone; a quagmire, if you will.
Well, hey. They won 30 seats in the House of Representatives, so they can do whatever they want. sarc/
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