tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post1412500202393243848..comments2023-11-02T05:46:17.571-07:00Comments on QuantumDice: Sarah Palin: Wagging the dog in Dodge CityHowardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08379598516764590842noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-36021970589153902152008-09-03T13:20:35.101-07:002008-09-03T13:20:35.101-07:00After these buyouts, there are no reporters left t...After these buyouts, there are no reporters left to fire. You could always cancel AP, which seems to be the latest cost-cutting craze.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-65521221455633385042008-09-03T13:20:35.100-07:002008-09-03T13:20:35.100-07:00So a reporter who asks a politician who supports a...So a reporter who asks a politician who supports abstinence-only sex education whether she has any second thoughts about that position after the pregnancy of her 17-year-old daughter deserves to be fired?<br><br>Great way to ensure more teenage girls and boys become parents.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-56375413807836541592008-09-03T13:31:18.779-07:002008-09-03T13:31:18.779-07:00Most idiotic column I've ever read. Firing a r...Most idiotic column I've ever read. Firing a reporter for asking a question? Were you ever a reporter, or have you been a do-nothing executive all your life. It's the sit-back-and-do-nothing attitude like yours that has brought the newspaper industry to today's low point. How do you think your organization's reporters feel when executive threaten to fire them for asking simple questions readers want answered?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-79761237245040395862008-09-03T13:38:25.438-07:002008-09-03T13:38:25.438-07:00You write:"The danger is that the Palin narra...You write:<br><br>"The danger is that the Palin narrative will get caught up for the remainder of this campaign in discussion of her daughter, her husband’s driving record, the brutish My Space comments of Bristol’s alleged boyfriend. Nobody will ask – or maybe even get a chance to ask – what she would do about the economy if she inherited the desk in the Oval Office. She won’t get quizzed about NATO’s role in the post-Soviet world. She won’t get questioned about why she never bothered to visit most of the states she’s campaigning in, much less any of the rest of the world."<br><br>That's exactly the point. Reporters who wish to ask questions that might be seen as detrimental to Palin won't be allowed to pose those questions to her. The GOP won't allow it. And the Washington Press Corps? Too afraid to lose their opportunity to pal around with the powers that be even if they got that chance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-38635472349885248332008-09-03T13:51:58.800-07:002008-09-03T13:51:58.800-07:00I think this is a well-reasoned post, actually, bu...I think this is a well-reasoned post, actually, but here's the acid test: When the "scoops" about Palin's family life come out, how will McClatchy papers cover them? They'll get big play in many outlets. So, does Howard's sentiment play itself out on the newspapers he's leading? That will be interesting to see.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-77368438491838451232008-09-03T14:02:18.418-07:002008-09-03T14:02:18.418-07:00I do believe I would fire anyone who is ridiculous...I do believe I would fire anyone who is ridiculous enough to use the word "beau" to describe his daughter's boyfriend.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-65848957628972755612008-09-03T14:13:40.490-07:002008-09-03T14:13:40.490-07:00Calling the selection of Palin a "miscue"...Calling the selection of Palin a "miscue" tells me everything I need to know about press bias.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-69902633392633025252008-09-03T14:19:03.127-07:002008-09-03T14:19:03.127-07:00Howard, did you fly on the McClatchy jet to Juneau...Howard, did you fly on the McClatchy jet to Juneau? Just wondering, I mean with the buyouts announced today and the salary freeze last week...and I agree with Anom above, you will have a tough time finding anyone to fire with all the cuts...maybe you fellas at corporate should take a whack at your end there at the "top" and not hack away at the core of the papers, the people actually doing the work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-61322546732570832252008-09-03T14:20:57.048-07:002008-09-03T14:20:57.048-07:00Also, the "witty" Kinsley piece is a run...Also, the "witty" Kinsley piece is a run-of-the-mill partisan hack-job.<br><br>Anybody who can't tell the difference between the press's shredding of Palin and the free pass it's given Obama -- who never would have made it out of the Dem primary had he faced similar "scrutiny" -- simply is not paying attention. Or has an agenda.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-10604559543064850962008-09-03T14:20:57.047-07:002008-09-03T14:20:57.047-07:00Wonderful how quickly executive ranks line up behi...Wonderful how quickly executive ranks line up behind the Republican ticket. So put out the word to your reporters to lay off Palin, but it is too late. We now have blogs and other forms of communication to get around gatekeepers like you who only want to suppress news, rather than disseminate it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-45758866060273392842008-09-03T14:25:55.282-07:002008-09-03T14:25:55.282-07:00I think we should put Anon 220 Witty in a steel ca...I think we should put Anon 220 Witty in a steel cage match with Anon 220 Wonderful. Just saying.Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08379598516764590842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-18391197037932514582008-09-03T14:27:48.550-07:002008-09-03T14:27:48.550-07:00The executives "lining up behind the Republic...The executives "lining up behind the Republican ticket" were a little slow with the word to lay off Palin, I guess. Just saying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-70789520178397839232008-09-03T14:44:09.730-07:002008-09-03T14:44:09.730-07:00"what she would do about the economy"She..."what she would do about the economy"<br><br>She left her little town millions of dollars in debt due to her bungling of a property acquisition that any of a thousand city managers handle as a matter of course at any given time.<br><br>Pretty much sums up how she's handle the economy....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-15452651212156514002008-09-03T14:47:17.183-07:002008-09-03T14:47:17.183-07:00Ummm. I believe the author here said he would fir...Ummm. I believe the author here said he would fire a reporter who "wasted a chance to" ask those questions.George H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00510456908334451963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-40489856129854922252008-09-03T14:50:40.331-07:002008-09-03T14:50:40.331-07:002:44, link please.2:44, link please.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-5352598964857793672008-09-03T15:26:23.052-07:002008-09-03T15:26:23.052-07:00Not all of the old order is gone at McClatchy. The...Not all of the old order is gone at McClatchy. The omniscient tyrant editor who micromanages from afar is regrettably extant.Bradley J. Fikesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-81307614624337583272008-09-03T16:28:58.460-07:002008-09-03T16:28:58.460-07:00I've heard from some (though none by name) who...I've heard from some (though none by name) who take offense at my lead here. I intended it to be read as emphasis, obviously intended for effect rather than literal warning. Guess not.<br><br>But if you read it carefully, you'll see my sentiments don't reflect any kind of condemnation of inquisitive reporting, just a heart-felt plea for proportion and serious, public service journalism.<br><br>If you don't get that, I guess we just disagree.Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08379598516764590842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-10934662989372881272008-09-03T18:44:25.604-07:002008-09-03T18:44:25.604-07:00Y'know, Howard, one could argue that the very ...Y'know, Howard, one could argue that the very fact that Palin got nominated and we're here talking about how McCain didn't fully vet her is a reflection of badly McClatchy has sapped the ADN of resources. If the ADN were as good as it was years ago, much more of the Palin record would have been out there already.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-18092830702093495522008-09-03T19:12:32.732-07:002008-09-03T19:12:32.732-07:00Anon 644: What parts do you think weren't alre...Anon 644: What parts do you think weren't already in ADN? The pregnancy? They heard about it and rightly ignored it. Her flip-flopping behavior on the bridge to nowhere? All drawn from ADN reporting. Her opportunistic fights with GOP establishment? Earmarks? Again, all there.<br><br>They don't seem to have questioned her foreign policy or national economic policy credentials in the past. Guess it didn't seem relevant until she got nominated ...Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08379598516764590842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-35369081376925976372008-09-03T21:44:01.739-07:002008-09-03T21:44:01.739-07:00Hey Howard, papers are getting their butts kicked ...Hey Howard, papers are getting their butts kicked because their bosses think their publications are too high-and-mighty to ask character questions or go after gossip.<br><br>For goodness sake, your papers got beat by the National Enquirer on the John Edwards affair. Now you're getting pounded by the blogs on Palin news that your Anchorage paper chose to ignore. <br><br>Howard, the public wants to read this stuff. And they have a right to know. <br><br>Consider this: Would McCain have selected Palin if the Anchorage paper reported the news about her daughter when it first heard about her pregnancy months ago?<br><br>With today's competition in the media, papers must seek answers to both sides of a candidate -- the public ("Gov. Palin, what will you do about the economy and foreign relations if your VP?") and the private ("Gov. Palin, in choosing to become the VP nominee, did you consider how your daughter would be affected when the world learned she was pregnant?")<br><br>Otherwise, papers are doomed because they end up following news others are not afraid to break.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-21525039443457234822008-09-03T22:15:01.104-07:002008-09-03T22:15:01.104-07:00When a candidate, any candidate, engages in such h...When a candidate, any candidate, engages in such hypocrisy as Palin has, yes it's news.<br><br>If you stand up for abstinence-only education and your 17-year-old daughter gets herself pregnant that is, in fact, news. Just as is your clear lack of experience is in a race where experience was heretofore a major issue.<br><br>Frankly, the press' major failing here was to be seen as coddling to Obama (hello SNL skits?!?) so that any attack on Palin, deserved or not, will be seen as only as an attack by the liberal media and ignored by a sizable portion of our citizenry.-30-http://www.blogger.com/profile/06077091185218143621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-86635521962985986662008-09-03T23:18:57.374-07:002008-09-03T23:18:57.374-07:00The only thing dumber than McCain failing to vet P...The only thing dumber than McCain failing to vet Palin is the ADN knowing about the GOVERNOR'S PREGNANT DAUGHTER and deciding not to run the story. <br><br>Somebody please go ahead and disconnect the editors there from life support. It's the only merciful thing to do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-17200846387539286732008-09-03T23:20:35.385-07:002008-09-03T23:20:35.385-07:00-30-, there is absolutely no hypocrisy in an absti...-30-, there is absolutely no hypocrisy in an abstinence advocate's daughter becoming pregnant. I defy you to find and explain it.<br><br>If anything, it proves the point. Abstinence works ever time it's tried. A parent can't force the child to try it.<br><br>Also: Can you prove that Palin's daughter was not using birth control? That method has also been known to fail.<br><br>I hope you're not a journalist, surely journalists are better critical thinkers than this...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-52991727073813954692008-09-03T23:28:07.715-07:002008-09-03T23:28:07.715-07:0011:18, McCain failed to vet Palin? Man, what a bun...11:18, McCain failed to vet Palin? Man, what a bunch of Kool-Aid drinkers ... Have you considered that he vetted her, and decided he wanted her on the ticket? Did you hear the speech? How about dealing in facts?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7312183777522008540.post-63805343034083497192008-09-04T06:08:19.531-07:002008-09-04T06:08:19.531-07:00Howard --Again, your posts demonstrate with great ...Howard --<br><br>Again, your posts demonstrate with great clarity why daily newspapers are apparently incapable of avoiding collapse. <br><br>Why do you think that people like and want you NOT to tell them things like when Palin's daughter is pregnant? This is big, legit news. People want to know about this - and all the meanings good or bad - whether you deem it proper or not. <br><br>And further, you seem to think that elections are a matter of voters studying the "issues" and then choosing the candidate who best matches their desire for specific policies on the "key issues of the day."<br><br>Are you really that naieve? Do you honestly believe that the typical American voter is seriously weighing "NATO's role in the post-Soviet world?" Most Americans don't know what NATO is and they don't care even though they should. <br><br>The simple fact is that most Americans are driven by personality and style. A 50 inch thumbsucker in the local paper is not going to change that. <br><br>Most voters at this point seem to be most concerned about whether the candidate is "like them" as opposed to being a fat cat who cannot relate to "real people." I see no evidence that the issues are making any difference in this campaign. The only proposal that has moved public opinin is McCain's call for offshore drilling in the U.S., which despite the well-reported facts that it probably will not help much, or anytime soon, has won wide support. <br><br>Here is one key for your survival - drop the idea that you have the right to determine what is and is not news. If your customers (and that is what they are) say something is news, get to work covering it. Your best service is to do so accurately.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com