Joe's polls may be low, but the media's are worse

 

(My new American Thinker post)

We've been focused on President Biden's collapsing polls.  It's the definition of free fall, to say the least.

The media are also having a "trust" problem, and I don't mean CNN's ratings.  As a friend said, the only people watching CNN these days are stuck in airports!

The media have lost the public, as we see in this new report:

The I&I/TIPP Traditional Media Trust Index has declined 16% over the past eight months. The index dropped 0.7 points or 1.6%, from 43.7 in September to 43.0 in October.

What is really surprising about this poll is how the U.S. ranks with other countries.  It's amazing to read that the public in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil trust their media more.

Last, but not least, the article makes a few recommendations to the media to get the public's trust back.  The recommendations are so obvious and hit you between the eyes.  This is the list:

Be professional. Follow the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) code of ethics.

Focus solely on reporting the news and hard facts rather than shaping a narrative.

Do not suppress or spike stories that do not fit preconceived narratives. Report all the news, regardless if it furthers an editorial agenda.

Try to minimize personal bias—separate journalism from personal political views. When you wear the journalist hat, you must give your readers or viewers unfiltered factual information.

Generally speaking, lean towards more transparency than less. Don't hide behind anonymous sources.

Tell the whole story. Tell the beginning, the middle, and the end, and don't start from the middle.

Don't underestimate the intelligence of your readers or viewers.

Periodically introspect and develop best practices.

And last but not least, don't ever invent stories. It is malpractice of the worst kind.

OMG, as my sons text me when I say something profound.  Every one of these recommendations should be required reading material at so many of the media.

I love the one about not inventing stories...you mean like Russia, Russia, Russia?

Separate journalism from your personal views?  You mean like Jim Acosta?

Report the news, not shape the narrative.  You mean like moms versus school board members.

Frankly, I don't know if the journalists are capable of this kind of self-evaluation.  At the same time, they may have to, especially when the bean-counters come in and tell them the advertisers want out.

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Wonder what the coach thinks of the professor?

 (My new American Thinker)

Wonder what former Coach Jon Gruden thinks of this college professor?   They took the coach out for misogynistic and homophobic language and mocking some of the players kneeling.  I am not defending Gruden's messages but they were private, or at least he thought that the communications were.    He also did not call about taking anyone out.

Enter the professor.  This is from Fox News:  

A Rutgers University professor said, "We got to take these motherf---kers out," when discussing White people in September.

Brittney Cooper, an associate professor in the Rutgers University Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, made the comment during an event titled, "Unpacking the Attacks on Critical Race Theory," hosted by The Root.

"Like, the thing I want to say to you is we got to take these motherf---kers out. But, like, we can't say that, right? We can't say, like, I don't believe in a project of violence. I truly don't," Cooper said.

So let me get this straight.  Professor Cooper wants to take the "white MF's out: but not violently?  Did I get that right?

By any standard, this professor should be fired and dismissed.   Of course, she won't be because of the massive double standard when it comes to talk about race.  I guess that the good news is what we will see in Virginia next week.

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Happy # 82 to Grace Slick

Grace Slick is 80 and that's hard to believe.  

She was the face of Jefferson Airplane, the legendary group from the 1960's that became Jefferson Starship in the 1970s.     

Her most controversial performance was "White rabbit", a song with a reference to drug use.

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The Biden presidency after 9 months with Barry Casselman, The Prairie Editor

The Biden presidency after 9 months with Barry Casselman, The Prairie Editor 10/29 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics: 

Guest: Barry Casselman, The Prairie Editor.............We will look at the state of the Biden presidency after 9 months........

and other stories......click to listen:

Friday's video: The Pope, the President and abortion

 

Friday's video:

The Pope, the President and abortion

Click to watch.....

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Dear Papa Francisco: Stand up for the babies

 (My new American Thinker)

On Friday, President Biden will meet with Pope Francis. Back in the USA, many of us are hoping that Pope Francis uses this face-to-face meeting with a Catholic President to make a point about abortion.  How much longer can the church continue to offer communion to a man who has become the best friend of abortion since Roe v Wade?  

Unlike some other Democrats, who say that abortion should be safe and rare, President Biden's pen has made abortion more possible.  This is from a recent NPR story:   

The Biden administration reversed a ban on abortion referrals by family planning clinics, lifting a Trump-era restriction as political and legal battles over abortion grow sharper from Texas to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Department of Health and Human Services said Monday its new regulation will restore the federal family planning program to the way it ran under the Obama administration, when clinics were able to refer women seeking abortions to a provider. The goal is to "strengthen and restore" services, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.

"Strengthen and restore" services?  What a joke.  Let me translate.  It means that abortion will be made easier not more rare.

We are not asking the Pope to get into domestic politics.  I understand that.  Abortion is not about politics but rather about life.  How is the Pope going to let the aforementioned ban go unmentioned in a meeting with the man who signed it?

Last but not least, we just learned that the Vatican canceled the live broadcast of President Biden greeting the Pope.  No one knows for sure and more details may come out later.  Let's hope that this is a sign that Pope Francis does not want the "smile and hugs" portion of the visit.

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The Pope and President Biden & Bad economic news for the 3rd GDP plus more

The Pope and President Biden & Bad economic news for the 3rd GDP plus more 10/28 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics: 

The Pope and President Biden.......Bad economic news for the 3rd GDP.....Gender X option on US passports......Statue of Liberty 1886......and other stories.........click to listen:

Thursday's video: Bad day fo economic news

 

Thursday's video:

Bad day for economic news

Click to watch:

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The shootout at La Malquerida

 (My new American Thinker post)

We've been busy following caravans traveling through Mexico to the U.S.  This week, we got a reminder that violence is still out of control south of the border.   This is a post by Jeremy Kryt:   

Two foreign female tourists were caught in a crossfire between rival crime groups and shot to death last Thursday in the high-end resort town of Tulum, Mexico. Three other people were also wounded when the firefight broke out in the popular restaurant, La Malquerida, not far from the beach. Of the two women who were killed, one was from Germany and the other India.

“They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and got caught in an exchange of gunfire between competing drug traffickers,” said a high-ranking Mexican police commander, who agreed to speak with The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity.

“It’s a sad mistake for the victims, but such cases are not rare or unusual anymore [in and around Tulum]. When a firefight breaks out no one is safe,” the commander said.

Yes, the sad result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  It happens but it's not really supposed to tourists visiting your country and dropping hard currency into your economy.

Tulum, a resort known for its Mayan-era ruins and pretty beaches, is quite popular with celebrities.  Unfortunately, there is been some violence recently, as the article pointed out:   

An American firefighter was kidnapped and murdered from an all-inclusive resort in July. In June, another American was wounded in a shooting that killed two other people when gunmen opened fire from jet skis. A man was executed outside a law office in Cancun this August, prompting additional headlines about how violence “continues to take over” in the region.

A report by Mexican news outlet La Reforma, from earlier this year, indicated that at least five cartels are now operating in the Riviera Maya and reports of violent crime in Tulum alone had gone up 783 percent since 2019.

For years, I heard my Mexican friends say that the Mexican government will never allow the violence in the tourist locations.  In other words, they don't want to scare the tourists, and their dollars, away.  Based on what we are watching in Tulum, it looks like the cartels have moved their operations anywhere that they want to move them to.   If so, then Mexico has more problems than we thought they had.

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More spending & taxes plus inflation and the AG in Senate

More spending & taxes plus inflation and the AG in Senate 10/27 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics: 

The AG before the US Senate..........Thanksgiving and Christmas will be very expensive this year.....Why are Democrats in Congress pushing more spending and taxes in this economy?.....Tax billionaires is stupid and probably unconstitutional......Game 6 of the 2011 World Series.........and other stories........click to listen:

Wednesday's video: Our economy does not need spending or taxes

Wednesday's video: 

Our economy does not need spending or taxes 

Click to watch..........

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Happy Thanksgiving -- if you can afford it

 (My new American Thinker post)

In a month, we will get together for Thanksgiving.   Last year, we had to worry about COVID and getting too close to grandma.   This year, our problem is a bit different.  In other words, will we be able to afford "Turkey Day"?

Frankly, paying for Thanksgiving may be a challenging in 2021.  This is from Kim Severson:   

Nearly every component of the traditional American Thanksgiving dinner, from the disposable aluminum turkey roasting pan to the coffee and pie, will cost more this year, according to agricultural economists, farmers and grocery executives. Major food companies like Nestlé and Procter & Gamble have already warned consumers to brace for more price increases.

Everything is up but the turkey may be the biggest culprit of all:   

For many cooks, the biggest expense will be the turkey. By the end of the year, market analysts say, prices per pound will likely surpass the record Department of Agriculture benchmark price for turkeys -- $1.36, set in 2015.

Turkey is more expensive largely because the price of corn, which most commercial turkeys feed on, more than doubled in some parts of the country from July 2020 to July 2021. Whole frozen birds between 8 and 16 pounds already cost 25 cents a pound more than they did a year ago, according to the weekly Department of Agriculture turkey report released Friday.

It will be interesting.   Furthermore, the cost of Thanksgiving will also be impacted by a couple of other factors.  In the North, it will cost a lot more to heat the homes.  All over, it will cost more to drive or fly.  By the way, renting a car will be challenging too.  

Overall, a big mess for the Biden administration.  Last, but not least, the family will gather in the living room to watch masses of people crossing the border.

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Atlanta in the World Series plus election in Virginia

Atlanta in the World Series plus election in Virginia 10/26 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics: 

Atlanta and Houston in the World Series......Virginia and the Trump-Biden factor........The Alec Baldwin tragedy.........Bill Buckner & Red Sox 1986.........and other stories.........click to listen:

Tuesday's video: Is the Trump card getting old?

Tuesday's video: 

Is the Trump card getting old? 

Click to watch.......

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The title of Admiral goes woke

 

(My new American Thinker post)

What happens when a boy running as a girl beats a girl in a track and field tournament?  Well, a boy denies a girl a trophy or in some cases a scholarship.  I remember when boys denying girls trophies was called sexism or some other -ism.   Wasn't promoting girls' sports the objective of Title 9?  I guess that no one thought about woke back then.

What happens when a man dressed as a woman is made the first female 4-star admiral?  He denies a real woman the honor.

What happens when the members of the armed forces see this?  They may not see it the same way they do at MSNBC.  After all, an admiral is a title usually reserved for people who've accomplished serious things serving the country.  It's something you earn, not something to pander to the left constantly growing impatient with the Biden administration.  I remember when admirals commanded sailors, submarines, and ships.    

This is from John Lucas:    

Four-star is the highest rank in the U.S. military. Although nine five-star admirals and generals served in World War II, the five-star rank was retired upon the death of Gen. Omar Bradley in 1981, leaving four-star generals as the highest rank.

The four-star designation calls to mind such historical and accomplished military men as Admiral William Halsey Jr., who commanded the Pacific Fleet in the fight-to-the-death against Japan (and was promoted to five-star rank only after the end of the war), and such notables as Gen. George Patton, recipient of two distinguished service crosses for heroism in battle and the American commander most feared by the Germans in World War II.

Even Patton was a “mere” three-star general when he commanded the Third Army in its drive through Europe into the heart of Germany, and was only awarded his fourth star less than a month before the war’s end. Thus, while maneuvering his Third Army to relieve Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, Patton would have been outranked by now-Admiral Levine.

In short, promotion to the four-star level normally indicates decades of military service, often in dangerous and life-threatening circumstances, and military achievements of the highest order. Levine does not remotely merit any comparison with these or any of the other accomplished four-star officers, whether admirals or generals.

No such service happened here.  This is an appointment based on woke not anything else.  I'm sure that the new Admiral Levine accomplished something in his or her career.  I'm not trying to be a jerk here.  No doubt that his/her appointment is not about military service but rather checking off another box in the identity politics page. 

Would a man with a similar background been made a 4-star Admiral?  I don't think so.

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The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda

The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda 10/25 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics: 

Guest: Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda..........Atlanta in the 2021 World Series.......Parents as domestic terrorists?.......The Biden CNN town hall meeting has a lot of people talking.......Gasoline prices up but Biden's numbers are down......Virginia governor's race is too close to call.............and more stories.............click to listen:

Monday's video: The Gods of baseball want Atlanta in the World Series

Monday's video: 

The Gods of baseball want Atlanta in the World Series 

Click to watch........

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The gods must be happy that Atlanta is in

 

(My new American Thinker post)

The 2021 season started with Major League Baseball commissioner Robert Manfred moving the All-Star Game out of Atlanta.  As we understand, Manfred cracked when he heard that Stacey Abrams and Reverend Al Sharpton were on hold concerning Georgia's new voting reform laws.  Moving the game cost the city a ton of money and turned off the people who buy tickets or watch the game on TV.  

In a few days, the Atlanta Braves will play the Houston Astros in the World Series.  I have to believe that this series means a bit more than usual to the local fans.    

Governor Brian Kemp did not wait much to express what a lot of fans feel:

The first-term Republican fired off a tweet as Braves players were celebrating their victory over the hated Los Angeles Dodgers that invoked MLB’s decision to yank the All-Star game from Truist Park earlier this season -- and again tried to blame Stacey Abrams for the controversial move.

“While Stacey Abrams and the MLB stole the All-Star Game from hardworking Georgians, the Braves earned their trip to the World Series this season and are bringing it home to Georgia,” he said.

My guess is that the Gods of baseball planned it all the way.  The Gods want the commissioner booed in Atlanta when he makes his usual appearance.  By the way, I don't think that he'll get a lot of cheers in Houston either.

The Gods of baseball want the wokes to leave our precious game alone and totally free of politics.  

By the way, Houston in 7.   The Astros and Braves are the kind of young teams who could deliver some very exciting baseball this year.   

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Condi Rice gets it right on The View

 

(My new American Thinker post)

Maybe it took a woman who grew up in the South to make this point.  Former secretary of state Condi Rice was right on target at The View:

Rice brought up her upbringing in segregated Birmingham, Alabama. Still, she did not think the way the issue of race was addressed in schools was helpful to Black or white students. In particular, she believed that white students were being put in a position to feel guilty for the country's racist history.

"The way we're talking about race is that it either seems so big that somehow white people now have to feel guilty for everything that happened in the past," said Rice.

Rice continued that she didn't feel this approach was to the benefit of anyone.

"I don't think that's very productive or Black people feel disempowered by race. I would like Black kids to be completely empowered to know they are beautiful in their Blackness, but in order to do that, I don't have to make white kids feel bad for being white. So, somehow this is a conversation that has gone in the wrong direction," she said.

Rice added that Black children could be taught about their history but it could not be without progress being highlighted or making their white counterparts feel bad.

It's hard to believe we have not heard this before.  Maybe we have, but Secretary Rice's comments are a welcome relief.

As Secretary Rice said, blaming people today for the sins of the past is not productive.  It does not erase history and may in fact promote more racial division.  I've heard several friends say they are afraid to talk about race because it's not worth the potential misunderstanding.

Also, telling young whites they are the problem is a dishonest version of history.  As I recall, it was Africans who captured the men who were sold to the Europeans as slaves.  Furthermore, it was whites who wrote the documents that outlawed slavery.

How do we move on?  We teach history and then tell kids that the opportunities are out there for those who want to work and apply themselves.  We don't limit their dreams by turning them into victims or oppressors.  And we remind them that character and family are important to growing up successfully — frankly, a lot more important than your skin color.

Thank you, Condi Rice.  I hope a lot of people see your comments and learn something from them.

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