ALEXANDRIA, VA – Following Missouri
Congressman Todd Akin’s now infamous remarks about rape and abortion on Monday,
the liberal media raced to nationalize the ensuing controversy in an attempt to
damage presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
In total, the three news networks – ABC, CBS, and NBC – gave Akin’s gaffe four
times the coverage they gave to Vice President Joe Biden’s overtly racist
comments last week in Virginia when he told a substantially black audience
that a Romney administration would, “put y’all back in chains.” The obsession
with Akin gave the liberal media yet another contrived excuse to ignore Barack
Obama’s terrible economic record, and cast the campaign discourse back into the
sewer.
According to the Media Research Center’s
analysis:
- During the first 72 hours of
the Akin controversy, ABC, CBS and NBC morning and evening news shows ran a
combined 40 segments totaling nearly 88 minutes [1] of airtime compared to less
than 20 minutes for Biden.
- NBC and CBS both immediately attempted
to link the “firestorm” created by Akin to Romney [2] even though his campaign
openly supports rape exemptions.
- Obama’s extreme pro-abortion
record – including his support for partial birth abortions – was
almost
entirely ignored [3]
by the networks in 2008.
- The networks have given Akin 10
times more coverage than they gave to credible allegations by Juanita
Broaddrick back in 1999 that Bill Clinton actually
committed rape.
Media Research President Brent Bozell
reacts:
There’s
no denying that what Rep. Todd Akin said was completely inappropriate, but for
it to receive four times more coverage than the Vice President of the United
States’ indefensibly racist gaffe is unconscionable. Todd Akin is a congressman.
Joe Biden is one heartbeat from being the leader of the Free World. Once again, the media’s double standard is
exposed for all to see.
If
Ronald Reagan was the “Teflon President,” then Joe Biden is the “Teflon
Blowhard.” He’s spent his entire career with his foot firmly lodged in his
mouth, uttering an endless stream of impossibly stupid, vulgar, and insensitive
things. And yet the media fall all over themselves to
make excuses for blustery
“Old Uncle Joe.” If Akin’s gaffe should result in him dropping out, then Biden
should drop out every week.
The liberal media will do anything (except
report on Biden’s unrelenting stupidity) to avoid Telling
the Truth [4] about Barack Obama’s
horrendous economic record. This has been the liberal media’s playbook
throughout the campaign If it hurts Barack Obama’s chances of re-election,
ignore it. If it hurts his Republican rivals, give it four times the coverage.
To schedule an interview with MRC President Brent Bozell or another MRC spokesperson, please contact Jeremy Little - jlittle@crcpublicrelations.com [5] (703)-683-5004