Florida School Shooting

[Cow Poke]

Trump is not "controlling" the media, except in that they are gullible enough to let him dominate the news cycle.

So, he is! Because of their hatred for him, he pulls their strings and plays them repeatedly.

He IS undermining it using the strength of his political office. IMO, that is a dangerous road to go down.

Well, then - using your own words - they need to stop being so gullible as to allow him to dominate the news cycle.

[Cow Poke]

...If I recall, the Florida school had an armed security guard, but obviously he wasn't able to do much good....

The armed security guard hired by the district* appears not to have been on site when this occurred, according to several sources. The football coach "and security guard" was unarmed, and was killed defending the students with his body.


*that report says the armed security guard was on campus, but did not encounter the shooter - other sources seem to suggest the armed guard was not on site at the time.

[carpedm9587]

So, he is! Because of their hatred for him, he pulls their strings and plays them repeatedly.

Hatred is your assumption. I see a media dashing around for eyeballs, and a president who loves to say/do outrageous things to keep himself in the news cycle.

Well, then - using your own words - they need to stop being so gullible as to allow him to dominate the news cycle.

Yes, they do - but since "we the people" keep soaking up the news, that is not likely to happen. At least the are simultaneously calling him on every misrepresentation.

I am SO going to party when he is gone.

[Cow Poke]

Hatred is your assumption.

An informed assumption.

I see a media dashing around for eyeballs, and a president who loves to say/do outrageous things to keep himself in the news cycle.

Of course you do.

Yes, they do - but since "we the people" keep soaking up the news, that is not likely to happen. At least the are simultaneously calling him on every misrepresentation.

I am SO going to party when he is gone.

You HONESTLY don't believe the MSM is more 'hateful' of Trump than they were of Obama? You HONESTLY don't believe there's a severe bias?

[carpedm9587]

Sure, I don't think that's even debatable that the MSM has a left leaning.

Yeah, ? It's not a matter of "being controlled by"... they ARE left.

No - my exact words were "who's been in charge of the media in the US for the last several decades?"

The LEFT has been in charge of the media for decades.

"The LEFT" is not an organization, or even a well-defined group. It's a term used to describe people of a particular political bent. "The RIGHT" does not control Fox News or Brietbart - it's a few owners who happens to have a strong-right leaning and saw an opportunity to use it to make money.

There's a feedback loop in progress, and which came first - chicken or egg is unlikely to be determined. The media is polarizing, which is taking their viewership with them, which further entrenches the media, which further polarizes the audience, and so forth. Or, the populaze is polarizing, which is causing the media to polarize to secure viewership, which is exascerbating the polarization of the populace, and so forth.

How it started, I have no clue. Where it is bound - THAT I have significant fears about.

Meanwhile, as long as it continues, "facts" mean less and less to people. If the claim affirms an existing belief - it is swallowed hook, line and sinker - with little regard for its truth. If the claim refutes an existing belief - it is rejected hook, line and sinker - with little regard for its truth. We live in the age of "alternative facts."

It's kind of sad, actually. But mostly it's scary.

[carpedm9587]

An informed assumption.

Not from what I can see.

Of course you do.

I'm not big into conspiracy theories

You HONESTLY don't believe the MSM is more 'hateful' of Trump than they were of Obama? You HONESTLY don't believe there's a severe bias?

I believe there is bias. I believe there are some in the MSM who hate Trump, especially in more deeply left organization like CNN and MSNBC. They hate Trump as much as Fox, Brietbart, and Sinclair hated (and still hate) Obama and Clinton. I believe the vast majority of the media is chasing news, trying to get eyeballs. The opinion talking-heads are definitely polarized. The main news outlets are basically reporting what happened. Most of the time, what happened is that a mysoginistic, racist, megolamaniac, with a skin as thin as paper made another stupid comment or demonstrated his inability to function as a rational adult yet again. You can't be accused of hating just because you report the facts.,

This mantra that people cannot have a political position and hold a position is oft repeated these days. The fact is, people with a political bias have been in government positions and media positions for centuries. It is not automatically true that this colors the job they do.

[Cow Poke]

This mantra that people cannot have a political position and hold a position is oft repeated these days. The fact is, people with a political bias have been in government positions and media positions for centuries. It is not automatically true that this colors the job they do.

Did you happen to be watching any of the MSM outlets late on election night as it suddenly became apparent that Trump might actually win the election?

[carpedm9587]

Did you happen to be watching any of the MSM outlets late on election night as it suddenly became apparent that Trump might actually win the election?

Yes - I wandered through all of them. CNN and MSNBC were despondent. Fox was ecstatic. Most of the other media outlets expressed disbelief that a person like Mr. Trump could win the presidency of the United States.

You make it about right/left. While I think that was part of the picture, I find that most of it was about the degree to which people were appauled that such a despicable, dishonest, adolescent human being could have secured the highest office in the land, and what it would mean for us as a country. There was no such reaction when Bush won (either of them). There has been no candidate like Trump for a long time.

And if someone challenges Trump in the primaries, and that someone wins and is the Republican candidate in the general election, I doubt you will see that reaction again.

[rogue06]

Not from what I can see.

No surprise there. Every time someone offers evidence that contradicts your perceptions you have a knee-jerk reaction of hand waving it off as nothing more than some "right wing meme."

[carpedm9587]

No surprise there. Every time someone offers evidence that contradicts your perceptions you have a knee-jerk reaction of hand waving it off as nothing more than some "right wing meme."

When it is evidence, I accept it - and have changed my views before. When it is a right wing meme - I call it out for what it is.

[Cow Poke]

When it is evidence, I accept it - and have changed my views before. When it is a right wing meme - I call it out for what it is.

You, of course, are the sole arbiter of what constitutes "right wing meme".

[carpedm9587]

You, of course, are the sole arbiter of what constitutes "right wing meme".

Of course not. When I speak, I speak from what I believe, which is hopefully backed by evidence. I am assuning others do the same thing. We simply have wide variation in what is considered "acceptable evidence."

[Cow Poke]

Of course not. When I speak, I speak from what I believe, which is hopefully backed by evidence. I am assuning others do the same thing. We simply have wide variation in what is considered "acceptable evidence."

I still like you even though you're wrong 97%* of the time.



*87.2% of all statistics are totally made up

[carpedm9587]

I still like you even though you're wrong 97%* of the time.

*87.2% of all statistics are totally made up

Actually, it's 83.42%

[Cow Poke]

Actually, it's 83.42%

Reminds me of a Star Trek episode where Kirk and Spock were pinned down by aliens...



Captain James T. Kirk: What would you say the odds are on our getting out of here?
Mr. Spock: Difficult to be precise, Captain. I should say, approximately 7,824.7 to 1.
Captain James T. Kirk: Difficult to be precise? 7,824 to 1?
Mr. Spock: 7,824.7 to 1.
Captain James T. Kirk: That's a pretty close approximation.
Mr. Spock: I endeavor to be accurate.
Captain James T. Kirk: You do quite well.