On Sunday's Good Morning America, ABC's Christiane Amanpour treated partisan spin as if it were an accurate explanation for why Democrats are performing poorly in the polls as she described Democrats as "admitting" - as if they were stating a fact - that "the message hasn't got out" regarding the "successful legislation" Congress has passed. She went on to pass on President Obama's spin that "perhaps they were too focused on what they said was doing the right thing in terms of policy and not being as concerned or as attentive to politics." Amanpour:
Well, Bianna, of course, it's the economy, as so many people say. People are feeling frustrated and worried about that. Unemployment still at 9.6 stubbornly remaining there. It's the messaging. Democrats admitting that some of the successful legislation they've passed and successful breaks and successful stimulus for many people, simply the message hasn't got out, and the President himself told the New York Times that perhaps they were too focused on what they said was doing the right thing in terms of policy and not being as concerned or as attentive to politics and the politics of those actions.
She went on to discuss the Restoring Sanity and/or Fear Rally without mentioning any left-wing influences:
They obviously had political undertones, but it was a real studious attempt to sort of wrest away and cast aside bipartisanship (MEANT "PARTISANSHIP") and keep calling for civility, for reasonableness, and, of course, it was, you know, combination rock concert and stand-up routine... there were also some barbs at the press ... saying that the press and, indeed, Washington tends to focus on the extremes where Jon Stewart says when people get together, they can work things out. And I asked quite a few people there what they wanted. And they really said they wanted politicians and the country to get together more and find solutions to the problems that everybody faces.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Sunday, October 31, Good Morning America on ABC:
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: And we're going to talk more about this new poll we told you about with the host of This Week, Christiane Amanpour, who joins us from Washington, as well. Good to see you, Christiane. You know, here's what's got to be the most frightening item on the poll for the President Obama. In 2008 he ran and won on the promise of change. Our poll then had him winning 82 percent of that vote, and now, going into this election, Democrats are getting 36 percent, Republicans are winning on the change win with 57 percent. How did this happen so quickly?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Well, Bianna, of course, it's the economy, as so many people say. People are feeling frustrated and worried about that. Unemployment still at 9.6 stubbornly remaining there. It's the messaging. Democrats admitting that some of the successful legislation they've passed and successful breaks and successful stimulus for many people, simply the message hasn't got out, and the President himself told the New York Times that perhaps they were too focused on what they said was doing the right thing in terms of policy and not being as concerned or as attentive to politics and the politics of those actions.
...
GOLODRYGA: And lastly, Christiane, you were at the Jon Stewart rally to restore sanity yesterday. What was your takeaway?
AMANPOUR: Well, you know, I had been to both. I went to the Glenn Beck rally a few weeks ago, and then I went to this one, the Restore Sanity and/or Fear rally this time, and, of course, they were very different in their tones, but both were studiously nonpolitical. They obviously had political undertones, but it was a real studious attempt to sort of wrest away and cast aside bipartisanship and keep calling for civility, for reasonableness, and, of course, it was, you know, combination rock concert and stand-up routine, but it was a day in the sun. People seemed to be having a lot of fun, and, as we've been reporting, there were also some barbs at the press and some basic barbs, as I say, at the press saying that the press and, indeed, Washington tends to focus on the extremes where Jon Stewart says when people get together, they can work things out. And I asked quite a few people there what they wanted. And they really said they wanted politicians and the country to get together more and find solutions to the problems that everybody faces.
- Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.