We are witnessing the ramping up of a coordinated attack by left-leaning media types on the presidential candidacy of Congresswoman Michelle Bachman. Here, ABC's Brian Ross takes the role of ambulance chaser in a hit piece on the Republican congresswoman from Minnesota's sixth district.
The reason Mrs. Bachman is the target of hit pieces like this is that she poses a threat to a 1930's era socialist ideal of a world where real decisions are made by an "enlightened" oligarchy, an assorted pantheon of "worthies" and not by something as pedestrian as the common people and their elected representatives.
Look for other examples in the near-future of hit-pieces proferred as "news" and "entertainment" from media lackeys regarding Michelle Bachman and her run for the nation's highest office. Perhaps one of Mr. Ross' colleagues can dig up a story about how at one time, Michelle Bachman struggled with the nagging torment of hang nails. She couldn't possibly handle all of that Washington paperwork then, right?
The basic idea in the overall campaign to marginalize this Republican candidate is to "Palinize" Michelle Bachman. Begin to stir doubt in the minds of voters regarding Mrs. Bachman's qualification for office. Ultimately, make Michelle Bachman radioactive to voters. Start a narration that she is unqualified for office. Plant an underlying message that she is unqualified for office because she is a woman without actually saying it out loud.
In this case, raise doubts about Mrs. Bachman's suitability for the presidency because in the past, she had migrane headaches. Even after a report released by the Bachman Campaign in which Dr. Brian P. Monahan, Congress' attending physician wrote, "Your migraines occur infrequently and have known trigger factors of which you are aware and know how to avoid,.....When you do have a migraine, you are able to control it well with as-needed sumatriptan and ondansetron,". Brian Ross is undeterred by this report. His narrative is that Michelle Bachman is perhaps unqualified for high office and probably shouldn't run for president, because he infers, she missed votes in Congress due to migrane headaches. Mrs. Bachman has conceeded that she has had migraines in the past. A fact that was confirmed by Congress' attending physician, along with her ability to deal with and avoid the malady. But that is not enough for Brian Ross.
In his televised conversation with Bill O'Reilly Ross crafts together an anecdote of FUD, Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt about Bachman. Ross worries, "Is this candidate able to carry out the massive responsibilities" as president. The undertone of Ross' message is loaded with double entendre. His medium is the spoken word, the measured use of pause, voice inflection and facial expression. Michelle Bachman, goes the unspoken message, is after all a woman, and women are frail. The job of president is a tough job and may be too much for a woman, and this woman has had migranes! Can she do the job?
Despite the report by Congress' attending physician, Ross makes use of the interview with O'Reilly to start a whispering campaign against Bachman by dragging out the proverbial "former staffers and insiders" cannard used ad nauseum by dish rags like the New York Times and Washington Post. Watch the interview here:
The reason Mrs. Bachman is the target of hit pieces like this is that she poses a threat to a 1930's era socialist ideal of a world where real decisions are made by an "enlightened" oligarchy, an assorted pantheon of "worthies" and not by something as pedestrian as the common people and their elected representatives.
Look for other examples in the near-future of hit-pieces proferred as "news" and "entertainment" from media lackeys regarding Michelle Bachman and her run for the nation's highest office. Perhaps one of Mr. Ross' colleagues can dig up a story about how at one time, Michelle Bachman struggled with the nagging torment of hang nails. She couldn't possibly handle all of that Washington paperwork then, right?