Politics

Two-party Epistemology

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

In the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, a new survey by the University of Maryland shows that 57 percent of the American people continue to believe Saddam Hussein gave "substantial support" to al-Qaeda before the war with Iraq. "Why would so many Americans cling to patently false beliefs?" asks history professor Juan Cole. "One can only speculate of course. But I would suggest that the two-party system in the US has produced a two-party epistemology. Epistemology is the study of how we know what we know.

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Main Source: 
Juan Cole's Informed Comment weblog, April 25, 2004
Topics: 
Politics

A Dirty Trickster's Bush Bonanza

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

"Roger Stone, the dirty-tricks hobgoblin of Republican politics, has exploited his Bush connections to become an influence-peddling force in the $13 billion Indian gaming industry," reports Wayne Barrett. "Stone's booming business in such a federally regulated enterprise makes his recent pro bono orchestration of Al Sharpton's double-edged presidential campaign an even stranger covert caper.

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Main Source: 
Village Voice, April 19, 2004
Topics: 
Ethics
Lobbying
Politics
Race / Ethnic Issues

Kerry Crafts His Image to Sell to Republicans

Submitted by John Stauber on

Can John Kerry beat George Bush by selling himself to disgruntled Republican voters as the kinder, gentler, more compassionate and centrist candidate? After appealing to a left/liberal base during his primary victories juggernaut, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate is moving quickly to the right. "Declaring that he is 'not
a redistribution Democrat,' Senator John Kerry told a group
of wealthy and well-connected supporters on Thursday that
he would soon start an aggressive campaign to define
himself as a centrist, in hopes of peeling moderate

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Main Source: 
New York Times, April 16, 2004
Topics: 
Politics

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

The Bush-Cheney campaign's aptly named advertising team, Maverick Media, understands that this year's presidential election is much different than the previous one: "The environment in 2000 was peace and prosperity. Everything was going fine and the question was what to do next.

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Main Source: 
Advertising Age, April 12, 2004
Topics: 
Advertising
Politics
U.S. Government
War / Peace

Seeing Green Through Rose-Colored Glasses

Submitted by Laura Miller on

"From the heated debate on global warming to the hot air on forests; from the muddled talk on our nation's waters to the convolution on air pollution, we are fighting a battle of fact against fiction on the environment -- Republicans can't stress enough that extremists are screaming 'Doomsday!' when the environment is actually seeing a new and better day," proclaimed an email memo sent to the press secretaries of all Republican congressmen.

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Main Source: 
Observer (UK), April 4, 2004
Topics: 
Right Wing
Environment
Rhetoric

When FOX Attacks...

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

Shortly before former counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke's testimony to the September 11th commission, "the White House violated its long-standing rules by authorizing Fox News to air remarks favorable to Bush that Clarke had made anonymously at an administration briefing in 2002.

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Main Source: 
Washington Post, March 25, 2004
Topics: 
Right Wing
Corporations
Ethics
Media
U.S. Government

Clear for Bush

Submitted by Sheldon Rampton on

The Clear Channel radio network says it didn't have a political agenda for canning shock jock Howard Stern, who has become an outspoken critic of President Bush. But new political contribution data shows that the network has given "$42,200 to Bush, vs. $1,750 to likely Democratic nominee John Kerry in the 2004 race," reports Jim Hopkins. "What's more, the executives and Clear Channel's political action committee gave 77% of their $334,501 in federal contributions to Republicans.

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Main Source: 
USA Today, March 23, 2004
Topics: 
Right Wing
Corporations
Media

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