Yesterday I wrote that much of mainstream media was ignoring the fact that later in the day a massive march, or rally if you prefer, was planned in our nation’s capitol and discussed bias in the media (both liberal and conservative bias).  Today, I want to look at the aftermath of that rally, who showed up, what the mainstream media had to say about it all and how the spin is developing from D.C.  The new "spin" will be really scary.

First, let’s look at how many showed up.  “Media” estimates range from 60,000 to 500,000 to around 2 million (yes, 2,000,000).  Those estimates, the language employed, and the visuals chosen for use in reporting the rally and representing the people gathered, vary greatly based solely on bias.

For example From ABC Online:

“Carrying signs depicting President Obama as Adolf Hitler and the Joker, and chanting slogans such as "'No big government" and 'Obamacare makes me sick,' approximately 60,000 to 70,000 people flooded Pennsylvania Ave, according to the Washington DC Fire Department.” 

At what point during the day this “60,000 to 70,000” estimate was given, is not stated, but if that’s the best the D.C. Fire Department can do with math…well, they should stick to putting out fires.

The New York Times only makes one numerical estimate, “thousands” in what was actually a very well done article in which they do say, “A sea of protesters filled the west lawn of the Capitol and spilled onto the National Mall on Saturday in the largest rally against President Obama since he took office, a culmination of a summer-long season of protests that began with opposition to a health care overhaul and grew into a broader dissatisfaction with government.”

Again, however being biased toward the left, they got it wrong that the rally was “against President Obama”.   This movement is not an Obama thing.  This movement is not a Republican thing.   This movement is not even a conservative thing.  This movement is a Freedom Thing.

In fairness, the NY Times article did get into that a little writing,  “In conversations with demonstrators, people identified themselves as Republicans, libertarians, independents and former Democrats.” 

Note, however the subtle “qualifier" in the NYT’s statement, “In conversations” which indicates more to mean “when we were just chatting” than it says, “this is a hard fact”.  Also note, “people identified themselves” which really says “we’re not necessarily reporting a hard fact, here.  Just telling you what they said.”  So, the NYT did hedge their bets some.   All in all, not a bad article. 

Has the New York Times seen the writing on the wall?  Are they starting to lean toward the public again and coming out of their warm comfy place in the bowels of the liberal movement?   It is people who buy newspapers.  Right?

Sometimes in order to gain clarity, it is best to ask an outsider who is looking in at what they saw, rather than to report the impression of only those who have a dog in the fight and are therefore biased.  So, how did foreign journalists report the 9.12 rally crowd size?

From the Daily Mail - London

“Up to two million people marched to the U.S. Capitol today, carrying signs with slogans such as ‘Obamacare makes me sick’ as they protested the president's health care plan and what they say is out-of-control spending.”

“The line of protesters spread across Pennsylvania Avenue for blocks, all the way to the capitol, according to the Washington Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.”

“People were chanting "enough, enough" and "We the People." Others yelled ‘You lie, you lie!’ and "Pelosi has to go," referring to California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.”

In watching the “national news” on network television last night, I have to say that I was shocked by the NBC report.  They were actually pretty even-handed with their coverage.  This is especially shocking given NBC’s (and their cable partner MSNBC’s) over-the-top, blatant support of Barack Obama.   However, when they covered the story they did so with less hyperbole and more facts than I could have ever expected.  The reporter used a phrase that all of the MSM (Main Stream Media) quickly adopted to describe the numbers; however, “Tens of thousands”.  Then the NBC reporter added, “By our count perhaps hundreds of thousands.”  Okay.  Not bad NBC.  That reporter may be out of work by the end of next week, who knows.

CBS coverage wasn’t too bad either, but they too left the head count at “tens of thousands”.  Both NBC and CBS carried the 9.12 Rally as their top story and then moved onto Obama’s Healthcare Rally in Minnesota. ABC did not air a "national news" broadcast due to sports programming.

“Tens of thousands” will be the phrase you hear most often from those with a liberal bias.  They do not want to attach a real number to the rally.  Look at some of the photos or video.  Particularly the shot where the entirety of Pennsylvania is filled to overflowing with people from the Capitol Building to The White House  Make your own estimate - watch this time-lapse video

What of Fox?  Fox covered the event live for two hours.  The coverage was anchored by Glenn Beck whose own “9 12 Project” was instrumental in starting this entire rally.  So was Glenn Beck biased?  Of course he was.  He also did a heck of a job, as did all of Fox, in covering the event. 

Fox was the only news organization where I saw multiple interviews with actual protesters.  The only media outlet where I saw consistent long shots, allowing a multitude of people and their signs to be seen in a single shot (as opposed to quick shots focusing on the relatively few “Hitler” signs), and the only news organization that cut away to other rallies in other locations around the country. 

Most of the coverage elsewhere failed to even mention that these types of rallies occurred in multiple areas, multiple cities and multiple states simultaneously, greatly increasing the number of people who participated outside of the D.C. number.

Beck even brought Democrats and liberals to discuss the event.  Good job overall.

And what of CNN?  Have they seen the light?  Did they suddenly change their policy and decide to try and be fair, or a little even-handed with the coverage like The New York Times and NBC did?  Heck no!

CNN’s coverage was absolutely the most biased I saw.  During their top of the hour round-up at 4:00 pm Central, CNN Anchor Don Lemon went to a reporter “on the scene” in D.C.  By then the rally was over and people gone.  CNN showed shots of an empty Pennsylvania Avenue and an empty Mall which served as the backdrop for their reporter.  She did mention “thousands” had been in attendance.  Overall, her wrap up wasn’t terrible.  What came next, though, was an awful excuse for “journalism" and nothing less than an out-and-out smear campaign against you.

Here’s what was said, by CNN Anchor Don Lemon: 

“CNN’s all platform journalist Jim Spellman traveled for two weeks with the Tea Party Express.” 

At this point CNN rolled tape of every outrageous sign, every dim-wit that showed up to any Tea Party, and as many “white people” as possible. 

They showed people who warned of “Communism” and “Socialism”, a woman who said she didn’t want to be Guinea Pig for “sterilization programs”, another who said, “Obama is going after our kids” and then the best of all, they focused on some idiot who brought an AK-47 to an unnamed Tea Party location and spoke of “Revolution” and “Civil War”.  From that image they went back to Anchor Don Lemon.

Lemon:  “That’s just a sampling of what our Jim Spellman heard as he rode along with the Tea Party Express.  Was that the most extreme of what you heard or pretty typical?” 

What a set-up!  Remember, these anchor people already know what the reporter is going to say.

Spellman:  “The AK-47 was extreme.  We saw people with handguns from time-to-time.”

From there, Spellman went on to try and describe the Tea Party Movement and came to focus on what follows.

Spellman:  Running through this sub-culture developing around the Tea Parties is a bit of a dark under-current.  There is an element with outlandish conspiracy theories about Death Camps and the takeover of people…comparing President Obama to Hitler.  It is really a sizable group, not just a couple of people on the edges. (VERY IMPORTANT -- REMEMBER THAT SENTENCE)  One of the big questions, you know, will be can this movement go forward while maintaining this kind of element on the edges?”

Okay, so in subsequent sentences Jim Spellman says the “Lunatic Element” basically is “a really sizable group not just a couple of people on the edges.” And then asks, “…can this movement go forward while maintaining this kind of element on the edges?” 

Which is it Jim?  Is it sizable, or is it on the edges?  Can you keep up with this? 

Let’s allow Mr. Spellman to continue his “objective report”.

Spellman:  “Don, there is some heaviness to this.”

Lemon:  “Yeah.  As you were talking I saw this guy, the socialist with the red face, or what have you.  Here’s what I want to ask you, at the Tea Parties, at these rallies you’ve been to, you ever see people there who are explaining what's in, what’s actually in the bill to the people at the rally?”

Okay, first off could that have been a more discombobulated question?  Second, what bill?  Which bill?  I assume he was referring to one of the two health care bills, but the Tea Parties are not just about the health care issue.  They were formed primarily over taxation.  Nevertheless, let’s see Mr. Spellman’s answer.

Spellman: “A little, but more of it is talking points.  What you hear from the stage is different from what you hear from the crowd.”

Here's where it gets good and CNN comes after YOU big time. 

Spellman elaborates:  “In the crowd it is really a different message when you get out there and talk to the people. You know, it’s a much…sort of darker thing. “

Lemon:  “Explain ‘Darker thing’”. Yes.  Yes.  Do explain!

Spellman:  “It’s sort of the death panel thing taken to several degrees past that where the president is going to set-up death camps, where they’ll do forced sterilization, and, and, and the government is taking over the Internet to stifle speech, there’s gonna be forced vaccinations.  These are not things after some 30 Tea Parties – These are not one or two people.  This is people we hear over, and over, and over, and over again.  Really there’s sort of disinformation or misinformation out there that it really creates a significant part…in these towns across America where we went.  It really is out there, Don.  And its, its, its --- it gave me pause more than once going across the country with the Tea Party Express.”

Got it?  That’s the new spin you’ll see coming from the Dems, from Obama, from the Prime Minister (Nancy Pelosi) from everyone sticking by their liberal lies.

There are too many pictures out there from the rally to deny how many of  you showed up to voice your concern and your anger.  Therefore, they can’t deny your existence (they’ll dump “astro turf” now) so they’ll paint you all as lunatics.  You are now the "dark thing", the "dark undercurrent".  Get it?  You are to be feared. 

Every time one bonehead shows up with a Hitler sign, that’s the nut who’ll get on television and in the newspaper.  Whether he’s real or paid to be there, he is what they will use to represent you. 

It’s been heading in this direction for a couple of weeks because every time a conservative said, “Van Jones”, the liberal said, “Birthers”. 

It’s the old "your lunatic fringe is worse than our lunatic fringe" debate.  It’s the “two-wrongs do make a right” mentality of politics in America.  It’s enough to turn my stomach.

Get ready folks. 

The attacks are just beginning.  The initial response to the anger you expressed in the Town Hall meetings throughout August was to attack you.  The ongoing response has been to attack your right to speak out. 

“We will call you out,” Obama said in his recent Washington D.C. rally called a Joint Session of Congress.  Apparently, “Call you out” means call you – the people - everything they can think of to discredit you. 

That’s the game plan.  Look for it in the coming days and weeks. All you nay-sayers who think CNN is only reporting the "facts" need to watch for what I've just outlined.  Every pundit, every talking head, every report about the Tea Party, or any other movement held in opposition to liberal belief will be labeled exactly as I've warned. 

It's no longer "of the people, by the people and for the people" now it's "shout down the people, accuse the people, call out the people". 

You wanted change.  Here it is.