MediaWatch: June 1996
Table of Contents:
- MediaWatch: June 1996
- The Dick Morris Echo Chamber
- NewsBites: Dole's Code
- Defining Fear and Extremism: Israel's Gingrich?
- Stand for More Money
- Liberal Bias Admitted
- "Moderates" Vote Left
- Janet Cooke Award: The Nonpolitical Stand Against Newt
Defining Fear and Extremism: Israel's Gingrich?
An upset election occurs, turning the media conventional wisdom on its head as a conservative politician wins. The media dismiss the win as unsubstantive, the product of fear and angry white men. They throw terms like "hardliner" and "right-winger" at the winner and accuse him of inspiring violence with his rhetoric. In 1994, the target of this media barrage was Newt Gingrich. In 1996 it was Israel's new Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Prior to the vote, on the May 27 CBS This Morning, Jesse Schulman set up the choice: "Shimon Peres, statesman of the old school...talking about the big picture, about Israel's place in a changing Middle East, about hopes for peace, versus Benjamin Netanyahu, the slickest TV politician in the business, master of the soundbite, master of the cheap shot." Others picked up on Netanyahu's American conservative connections. That night, NBC's Martin Fletcher tried some guilt by association: "[Netanyahu] has American politician written all over his campaign. That's thanks to an American political consultant, who has advised conservatives like Senator Al D'Amato and Jesse Helms. The consultant told Netanyahu to stick to one simple, negative theme: fear." The media stuck to a simple message, increasingly invoking the fear theme as the returns became clearer. Good Morning America anchor Charlie Gibson made the charge on the May 30 broadcast: "Yesterday's watershed vote, so important to the peace process in the Middle East, has been called a choice between Israel's hopes and fears, and it now appears, though the results are still oh so close, that Israel may have voted its fears. Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed to apply brakes to the peace process, if not reverse it entirely, is ahead in the vote count." Later on the same show, New York Times reporter Judith Miller declared that "it was both a victory for the forces of fear and militancy." Just like Newt Gingrich in 1994, Bibi Netanyahu was accused of running a campaign not on important issues but on base emotions. 20 In 1995, Gingrich and House Republicans were accused of inspiring the Oklahoma City bombing. In 1996, Netanyahu was charged with creating the environment for Yitzhak Rabin's assassination. On the May 31 CBS This Morning, Harry Smith asked Middle East analyst Fouad Ajami: "Let's talk about his words for a second. Because it's not that many months ago that a lot of people were accusing Bibi Netanyahu of fanning the flames of the Israeli right, of setting the rhetorical tone for Rabin's assassination." Netanyahu, like Gingrich, was subjected to extreme labeling, but their opponents, Peres and the Democrats, were almost never tagged left wing, extreme or radical. On the May 30 CBS Evening News, Dan Rather suggested "Serious questions about the future of Middle East peace as Lebanese terrorists attack an Israeli army convoy and the Israeli government appears headed for a major shift to the hardline right." The next night he announced, "Right-wing hardliner Benjamin Netanyahu is declared Israel's new Prime Minister." On Today May 31, NBC's Ron Allen worried: "The transition seems already underway. This morning Netanyahu continued talks that could create the most right-wing Orthodox religious government here ever. During the count, Netanyahu has been silent, leaving aides to offer reassurances that nothing radical is about to happen."
