Tuesday, August 31, 2004

TV coverage favors RNC than DNC Convention opening night comparison: FOX's live speech coverage of Republicans almost doubled that of Dems. CNN aired five more minutes of live primetime speech coverage on the first night of the RNC than it aired on the first night of the DNC. MSNBC aired 17 minutes more of the RNC speeches than of the DNC speeches. FOX News Channel devoted 65 of its 74 minutes of live speech coverage to major speakers, airing speeches by both Senator John McCain (R-AZ) (25 minutes) and former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani (40 minutes) in their entirety. On the first night of the DNC, the network devoted just 40 minutes to major speakers -- airing only former President Bill Clinton's speech (24 minutes) and Senator Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) introduction of him (11.5 minutes) in their entirety. It aired only 45 seconds of former Vice President Al Gore's speech and just four minutes of former President Jimmy Carter's speech. On the opening night of the RNC, FOX aired live coverage of speeches by September 11 victims' family members Deena Burnett, Debra Burlingame, and Tara Stackpole. Yet on the first night of the DNC, the network did not air any of a speech by Haleema Salie, whose pregnant daughter and son-in-law were on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. CNN and MSNBC did show Salie's speech. Finally, mediabistro.com's TVNewser weblog noted that while FOX aired the national anthem live during the RNC, the network did not air it during the DNC. Thanks Mediamatters.com 9:10:34 PM    comment []

Giuliani Charges Lack Context. Former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani made a number of specific attacks based on statements allegedly made by Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry in his speech to the Republican National Convention Monday night. But Giuliani's description of those comments often lacked context. By By Glenn Kessler. [washingtonpost.com - Politics] 4:55:01 PM    comment []

Who said what? A) We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances. And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win. The future doesn't belong to fear; it belongs to freedom. B) "I don't think you can win it. But I think you can create conditions so that the -- those who use terror as a tool are -- less acceptable in parts of the world." Answers: a) John Kerry b) George Bush If you got it right, congratulations. What would the Republican Noise machine have said if John Kerry had said that we couldn't win the war on terror. 8:29:14 AM    comment []

Pre-emptive policy still being debated. In a landmark June 1, 2002, speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., President Bush quoted former secretary of State general George C. Marshall to explain what is now known as the Bush doctrine an unflinching, pre-emptive war against terrorism in response to the Sept. 11 attacks. [USATODAY.com Politics - Top Stories] "Those who say it is better to be feared have to answer a difficult question: How can you be safe when the world hates you?" O'Hanlon asks. 8:06:23 AM    comment []