A news article written by a reporter at AFP and reproduced at such news sites as Google, Yahoo, NPR, the Dallas Morning News, and others, might qualify as an example of what happens when one allows opinion to seep into reporting. Despite a mission statement involving claims that AFP coverage is balanced, accurate, and includes the other side of the story, this piece makes no secret of where the reporter’s bias lies.
The article features such gems as:
- A strong yet hyperbolic opening statement – “President Barack Obama, once a fresh faced prophet of hope…”
- A picture of the presidential seal with the caption ‘The presidential seal of Barack Obama’
- Comedy – “Obama will … brandish a record as a genuine reformer…”
- Labeling of the President’s opposition – “…a Republican Party dragged right of the crucial political center ground by the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement” – with no labeling of his own liberal policies or base.
Most interesting was the inclusion of this possible 2012 campaign slogan: “Though many of America's problems predated his presidency…”
Blame. Bush.
Here is a short list of American problems since Obama took office:
- A 100% increase in gasoline prices.
- A $5 trillion plus increase in the national debt, and a projection that the debt will increase to 102.6% of the nation’s GDP – a first since the end of World War II.
- Tripled the national deficit in his first year in office.
- An increase in the unemployment rate to 10.0%, and an underemployment rate of 19.3%.
- The torture (as defined by liberals) of an American soldier.
- Has failed in an embarrassing manner to close Guantanamo Bay, a focal point of his campaign in 2008.
- 858 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan since Obama’s inauguration.
- Launched a third war in Libya by avoiding Congressional approval - something Vice-President Biden called an impeachable offense, and which Obama himself declared unconstitutional.
- Did manage to end combat operations in Iraq. Well, maybe that was Bush.
- A mere 37% of American voters believe Obama is doing a good job handling their national security.
Can Obama and the media really continue to blame Bush for America’s problems three or four years after he last served as President?
Cross-posted at The Mental Recession
