June 9, 2008

"At Off the Bus, because they're not part of the professional gaggle, they can come up with their own views of what's happening..."

About that blogger who got Bill Clinton to call Todd Purdum a "scumbag"... and 2,500 other blogger-reporters boosted by Huffington Post.
Mayhill Fowler says she never planned to ask Bill Clinton the question that unleashed a decidedly unpresidential tirade....

Fowler had her tape recorder going when [Barack Obama] made his ill-fated remarks about frustrated small-town residents turning to guns, God or anti-immigrant sentiments....

Mary Katherine Ham, a conservative blogger, says that while she would insist on identifying herself, "politicians need to learn that anyone can break news, and citizens who run into you -- even if you're not writing for the Huffington Post -- can post it anywhere."

In an e-mail, Fowler says she has come to realize that her presence "flummoxes some longtime journalists -- because suddenly here I am, unpaid but as a consequence with much more freedom to find out what's going on out there, and writing for a new and encroaching media that is a Wild Wild West of lawlessness."
A Wild Wild West of lawlessness — otherwise know as a marketplace of ideas.

17 comments:

Original Mike said...

It looks like anyone can do reporting. And maybe even do a better job without the encumbrances of a media organization. It causes one to wonder what, exactly, is the value of a J-school education?

rhhardin said...

One of the wild west rules was that if you shot somebody, you were expected to help bury them.

An armed society is a neat society.

Unknown said...

"A Wild Wild West of lawlessness — otherwise know as a marketplace of ideas"

Hah! Well said.

former law student said...

About that blogger who got Bill Clinton to call Todd Purdum a "scumbag"

Governor Clinton is responsible for his own words and his own actions. But, as Archy might describe it, Mr. Clinton is a cholerick man.

Mayhill Fowler says she never planned to ask Bill Clinton the question that unleashed a decidedly unpresidential tirade

At 60, Mayhill is too old to pull off this breathless ingenue act. She relished the attention she got from selling out "her candidate" by publishing what he said to a small group of his most ardent followers. Now that it has died down, her successfully provoking another famous man gives her another 15 minutes of fame. Her work is more egotism than journalism.

blake said...

But ultimately, FLS, isn't that a good thing, at least potentially?

We've had such a flood of gaffes and trivialities in this election cycle, it seems to me more-and-more likely that we're more likely to ignore the truly trivial.

Maybe that's just unwarranted optimism, tho'.

Trooper York said...

The best website for news about Barack Obama is "Under the Bus" where his grandmother and his preacher post. It's way cool.

Roger Sweeny said...

otherwise know as a marketplace of ideas

Well, then we'd better give the good people power to regulate it.

John Stodder said...

By the way, I happened to hear some Rush Limbaugh today. He was playing audio of a Barack Obama public appearance; I gather it was a speech, but apparently not very scripted.

He was, well, terrible. He was trying to say the word "inhaler" (in regards to asthma) but instead called it a "breathalyzer."

If it had been Bush, this would have been one of David Letterman's "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches." Slate would've started a regular feature and its author would've gotten a book deal.

If it had been Reagan, this would have been analyzed as more evidence that the president is losing his mind.

To be sure, if it had been Gore or Kerry, they would've come in for a fair amount of mockery as well.

But Obama is "eloquent" so this won't have legs outside the Limbaugh orbit.

My advice to Obama is not to fall into McCain's trap with these town hall meetings. In fact, I would try to find a killer excuse not to debate him at all. Obama unscripted is Obama dreadful.

bearbee said...

...her successfully provoking another famous man..

How did she provoke? Seems to me mostly luck - right time, right place.

re: citizen journalist, nothing new as there were such during the American Revolution. With opportunity and need, ordinary people step in. Fantastic!

1775OGG said...

Trooper York: Please post that link to "under the bus!" You'll be doing humanity a favor, us conservatives too!

BHO sure uses a lot of "Ah, Um, Hum" comments when he doesn't have a teleprompter, makes my "Ah" counter twirl giddily; keeps flashing "BS" "BS" "BS" and then collapses in pain!

I'm Full of Soup said...

Obama's most annoying habit in unscripted conversations is to say "look" when he is buying time to come up with an answer.

Look - it sounds condescending to me as if he is commanding the listener to agree with his stumbling answer.

rhhardin said...

It's not easy to come up with offhand remarks that will offend nobody. People are such assholes.

former law student said...

I don't mean Mayhill jabbed him with a bobby pin, think stimulus:response.

provoke: stimulate, provide the needed stimulus for

I'm Full of Soup said...

John Stodder:

I heard the Obama audio clip on Rush too. Obama sounded like the "old" candidate and tried to say he was too tired.

Fen said...

she has come to realize that her presence "flummoxes some longtime journalists -

I think the journalist profession needs better standards, better education. The net is constantly revealing their incompetence. We wouldn't buy stock from some broker as dishonest as CNN et al, so why use them as information brokers?

The closer I get to the MSM, the more I realize what a sham they are.

knox said...

"I have no journalistic training," says the woman

that's a good start!

knox said...

Obama's most annoying habit in unscripted conversations is to say "look" when he is buying time to come up with an answer.

I have noticed that too!! It also gives the impression he's giving a decisive, firm answer when he's really just struggling.