There’s a concept, often applied to intelligence operations, called “mirror thinking.” This refers to the assumption that everyone else acts in the same way you would and is motivated by the same things that would motivate you. When the old media rushed to judge James O’Keefe after he was arrested outside of Senator Landrieu’s office, the “spying” allegations and “Watergate Jr.” label seemed to say more about the reporters covering the story than it did about the protagonist in this alleged drama.
When the Landrieu story broke, my immediate reaction was: “O’Keefe is yanking somebody’s chain again.” Andrew’s post seemed to confirm that assumption, and now comes O’Keefe’s statement that confirms it. It will be fascinating to see how this all plays out.
But, the reaction in the old media was quite different and most revealing. Journalists saw somebody arrested who is a part of a political movement they don’t care for and quickly applied mirror thinking. What was O’Keefe up to? It had to be something sneaky and nasty, because that’s what they do to embarrass their political opponents. (Just ask Sarah Palin). But – hah-hah! – the kid took it too far. Gotcha!
Perhaps the old media could learn a lesson from Felix Unger:
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36 Comments
What does their coverage of O'Keefe say about them? It reveals their character!!
They are pushing an agenda, NOT news!
What will be more interesting is their follow-up coverage. A correction forthcoming? Not likely.
yes, by all means lets divert attention from the fact that O'Keefe used deception to gain access to the phone system of a member of the Homeland Security committee.
Has anyone here seen the full video from ACORN? Are you sure it says what he claims? Are you sure it was not edited to look more damaging than it is? You were very happy to have the media rush to judgement on that one.
I think this "mirror thinking: also applies to the Palin bashing. Their circle despises her; therefore everyone must. How else do you explain willfully pissing off half of your audience?
Who is surprised that the media is going in for the kill on O'Keefe?
He scooped them on Acorn by using creative investigative journalism on a par that put them to shame. It was fun, informative, involved a pretty girl and was a tad bit sleazy. What a story!
They all should have reported on Acorn's corruption, but Acorn was under their protection because of the service it provides Liberalism: shady voter registration of an uneducated demographic.
It is clear their philosophy is: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend".
Conservatives can't work that way lest they compromise and become less than conservative, which is why it's harder to move right than it is to move left. If O'Keefe is found guilty of a crime, you will see much of the Right shun him, unfortunately.
The MSM beclowned themselves again. Pathetic. Their days are numbered. Good riddance.
P.S. Murray the Cop – New York's Finest !
BIAS.
How's that?
Do I win a cracker jack prize?
By 'rush to judgement' you mean the MSM waiting a week to even mention the ACORN scandal?
Defending ACORN is for suckers.
The hope of the old ( formerly main stream) media was to discredit O'Keefe (discredit the man who discredited ACORN.) This is no surprise. What I am looking for is can they find anything to charge him with? Hopefully, not. It would be typical of life in the United States of Barrack that O'Keefe will be charge with something yet we never hear what happened to the senator's son who hacked Governor Palin's email.
Rush says it best “Drive By Media.” A “news” story comes across the AP wire and they fall in line dutifully reporting (reading) the propaganda that fits their leftist template… tragic!
"Bias" just means you have two of 'em, and that DOES perfectly describe Keiff Oldermom.
(Yes, more of a phonetic joke.)
I prefer, "Hit and Run Media," personally, because it conveys the magnitude of the kind of crimes they are guilty of.
The MSM's orgasmic reporting during their wet dream over James O"Keefe only serves to further impress upon their audiences their lack of reporting real facts and any honest journalistic inclination. The stars graduating out of Columbia, et al. have learned to read the wire, scan the internet, twitter or You Tube and add their own flavor to spice up what would otherwise be a non-story. What a fine use of their parents and the taxpayers' money. Mr. O"Keefe allows the left (the MSM and the trolls on this site) to humiliate themselves once again, it's like poking a nest of hornets with a stick, they can't help but attack. How predictable. When one thinks about it, it is hard not to get the giggles.
Sadly, though, look how fast conservatives started backpedaling on their support of O'Keefe. The Salt Lake County Republican Party immediately dumped him as the speaker for an event immediately after the arrest was reported. Even Bill O'Reilly was critical of him.
So yes, the liberals went into attack mode, but you'd expect them to do that. Many conservatives didn't even have the spine to stand with him until they knew the facts about what occurred. All they could think about was getting the heck away from him and saving their own image.
Rich
Ivy league education?
I prefer "obsolete."
Where are you getting your information to back your claims? Can you prove your allegations, can you supply sources or link to accurate reports?
I suppose the Federal Agents that arrested him were applying mirror thinking too? I'm not sure I'd go that far out on a limb defending this guy, but whatever.
Has Mr. O'keefe cleverly snared the lefthanded dirtballs of the elite MSM into a grandiose revelation of gross incompetance ??? Brilliant !!! Semper Fi…………..
This has nothing to do with the topic at hand, but I just wanted to say, I love your screen name.
thanks…it is true that kirk did cheat in that episode
)
Ah yes.
More bright young enthusiasts indoctrinated at the 'Leadership Institute'.
Back to Mom & Dad James. I have to believe Mom is a little leery of being 'investigated' if she doesn't make James his favorite meals.
Oh well.
Don't even get me started on FDR. I was force-fed 20 or more years on he was the closest thing to the second coming. Only later in life when I started learning about economics did I begin to realize the vast swath of destruction he plowed through our constitution, economy and very lives.
FDR was an all too frequent product of success. Rich people work very hard, building a life, and if lucky a fortune. Their kids have a 50-50% chance of turning out decent, or socialites, depending upon their parents. (Some rich parents are very thorough about making sure their kids understand being born rich does not mean a life without worries.)
One of the curses of America's success is we have generated generations of people who are so removed from the day to day lives of common people, and so wealthy that they never have to worry about a roof or a meal or a cot, they have time to lounge around, and contemplate how they would remake the world in their own image, if only they had the power to do so. Make it more equitable, more fair, my correct.
I place FDR in that category. He and his New Deal brain trust made the conscience decision that a more orderly society should be based upon the efficiencies of established cartels and trusts, rather than on the individual. There fore they geared most – if not all – of their legislation towards propping up and solidifying the hold of big businesses and corporations, at the expense of We The People.
Defender of the little guy, my ass.
Starting to see a few trolls on here. You know you've made it big when that happens.
It just proves why they are being thumped by FOX news and why advertising/subscription rates are down. They are dinosaurs. wish their extinction would hurry up
These trolls have been assigned here for quite a while.
O'Keefe didn't. His compatriots did – words have meaning.
And the 'media' pretty much ignored the ACORN story, there was no rush to judgment – if anything, there was a rush towards the doors to avoid reporting the story.
O"Keefe didn't scoop the MSM on ACORN, the MSM had no intentions of ever reporting their criminal activities. O"Keefe simply did what an honest journalistic reporter would do, he investigated, infiltrated and reported a known criminal organization. The MSM is a self serving branch of the leftist political movement in this country and the rest of the world It would be better to call them the Red Stream Media even-though their blather has a "yellow stream" appearance and odor.
Hucbald channeling Rush is right on…. This is drive-by media. They all jumped to the same story-line and framed the whole thing in the most sinister light and then, bam, they're gone… nothing to see here,, what? what? we misspoke? really? well then, ok maybe we mispoke but noone is interested anymore….
Good Luck with the media retractions…. you'll get 'em, but they'll get no play… never do. It's the name of the game and they know it. Just remember how Tina Fey's skit became the left's talking points against Gov. Palin.
Ed – there is a whole lot of truth to that statement. And it has been true for generations. That is why the East Coast beltway people snubbed Reagan – Palin – working her own way through 2 schools – Idaho St and Hawaii – is looked down on while "we can't see his transcripts from Harvard" Obama got a pass.
To tell you the truth in view of past records of non Ivy League Presidents vs Ivy League I would have to say that a Harvard education is a detriment as far as successful governing – with the possible exception of FDR. And yes, I know about his policies during the Depression.
You Seminar Trolls shoot nuthin' but blanks.
Now you're just projecting.
Yes… You are ALL victims…
Would you like a tissue?
The full videos were completely damning. You should watch them for yourself. But here's the reality of the situation. Not everyone believes that the end justifies the means and many conservatives as principled people are not willing to lie to get what they want. James and Hannah are principled people.
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