will provide election commentary for BBC World with a special Question Time. What a shock. (via OpinionJournal)
UPDATE: The panel will have (from left to right by my reckoning) Michael Moore, Sidney Blumenthal, Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, David Frum, Richard Littlejohn. As an ACLU official in one of the most disputed pieces of elctoral real estate in Florida, Rodriguez-Taseff can probably be trusted to keep to the ‘Bush-stole-the-election’ script.
UPDATE post-Question Time: I managed to watch it via the web and found it to be fairly moderated. This is where the Beeb had a less obliging audience for fielding its questions. If anything, the audience was more supportive of Bush than Kerry and quite ready to give Moore the jeers he richly deserves. For his part, Moore did not disappoint with his usual joker persona, his unserious demeanor, his unsubstantiated and baseless allegations combined with a thinly disguised contempt for his fellow countrymen (Brits are much more intelligent,etc.). He really was an easy target for Frum, Littlejohn and the audience. Blumenthal had to be challenged to stick to the question and came off (in my biased opinion) looking a bit off balance. He was roundly booed at least once. Rodriguez-Taseff was pretty even-handed in pronouncing ‘a plague on [the politicians] houses’ for failing to reform the voting system. Littlejohn did a decent job of bringing a British Conservative perspective to the debate. My concerns about the BBC’s use of Moore were unfounded. He has become a self-discrediting propagandist if ever there was one, good for the villain’s role, hissing and dissing.
The heart sinks. What a surprise though. George Soros and Madelaine none-too-bright also. The heart sinks further. The Question Time with MM and Richard Littlejohn should a lively encounter though.
Indeed, but what has the world come to when Littlejohn is the only voice the BBC invite to represent an alternative to so many anti Bush personalities.
I think Michael Moore will be at home with the BBC. As a benchmark of impartiality I think the BBC will like him too.
No, people , Moore is a wonderful choice.
In Australia’s recent election I purposefully watched the communards on ABC TV for the election day coverage.
“Red”Kerry O’Brien’s face was a joy to behold when it became obvious…in record time I gleefully add….that it was a rout and that ALL the press had seriously underestimated the intelligence of the average voter.
I feel confident that the US elections will make fools of the press in a similar manner…Bush landslide.
50 -50 as the candidates go to the wire …yeah right!
Moore will be captive full-frontal as this unfolds.
Enjoy!
The heart sinks.
The gorge rises.
OTHER ELECTION MATTER (not anti-BBC)
Rageh Omaar part of the BBC’s £750,000 US election coverage, (ITV can afford just 19 staff
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004492960,00.html)
reported on 6pm BBC1 News.
He interviews a young reservist just returned from Asia. He’s proud of the work being done by the US military & will vote Bush.
Omaar then interviews a young woman who has given her kife to the Kerry campaign. She’s concerned Bush will bring back the draft. She expects Kerry will gather allies to provide troops for Iraq. Well at least she believes Kerry’s propaganda!
What rot. The only European ally capable of making an real military contribution is already on the ground in Iraq – I mean of course the British Army. Nobody else in Europe has anything remotely resembling a serious military force.
Other allied presences in the Coalition are small but at least they’ve got the right spirit.
I mean why do we want help from people who were in bed with Saddam? I mean of course France and Germany.
hwka: Good predictive value, too. Moore sweats easily and smells bad, so watch for beads on his brow and shuffling chairs nearby — clear signs of a Bush victory.
The BBC promoting democrat party billionaire Soros who literally took billions from UK taxpayers.
Some real journalists have to ask if he is supporting Kerry in order to stop his dollar shorting from bankrupting him.
You’ve GOT to be joking. Moore and the BBC? It’s like having Leni Riefenstahl comment a German poll 70 years ago. As if she’d give you any insight beyond her narrow fawnings.
Do these publicly-funded BBC airheads have NO shame? If only they could be made accountable, in the real world, for their decisions.
Oh for god’s sake. Its not Moore having 90 minutes of BBC time all to himself. Its a debate show! There will be others there to argue against him. Moore has been a big figure in this election, I think its great they’ve got him on. Should make for an interesting show.
Lets at least save the slating until you’ve seen it eh?
It will be an interesting program, no doubt, but with that line-up Littlejohn will have more than his share of mis-information to counter. Leave it to the BBC to ‘balance’ things. The choice of Moore is a natural fit. On the BBC political spectrum Madeline Albright is right-wing with Soros in the center.
I think you (and others) misread the original article. It said Albright and Soros would appear in other election shows not the question time debate. Here is the actual line-up:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/3957715.stm
The panel leans to the left about 90% of the time (they always find places for socialist poets, left wing femminist battleaxes, communist celebrities, Islamo Fascists etc), the questions are usually loaded;
eg “Now that we know for a fact that there were never any WMDs, and that thousands have been killed by US forces, is it time for Geore Bush and Tony Blair to step down… blah blah blah”
(Not to mention the filth that they put up on the screen which they claim ‘reflects the balance of texts they have recieved)
Irritatingly, the audience is ALWAYS loaded with left wingers (with a mob mentality) who scream and applaud tribalistically at any stupid left wing talking point, insult or soundbite as if they were attending a lynching.
No issue ever gets debated in full, and the liberals / commies get away with scores of whopping lies in every show. I’m afraid that BBC Question time is now nothing more than a party political broadcast for the Fascist left.
http://wheels128.blogspot.com/2004/10/fair-and-balanced-at-bbc.html
The rest of the panel aren’t exactly fair and balanced either – half of them are on the Kerry campaign trial, and another one has endorsed Kerry.
Leigh, look at my post/link. Albright and Soros will appear elsewhere in the election coverage.
The panel for the Question Time show is as follows:
Michael Moore, Richard Littlejohn, David Frum, Sidney Blumenthal and Lida Rodriguez-Taseff
1 rabid left, 1 rabid right, 1 centre right, 1 centre left, the last is someone whose apparently been involved in the election process this year in florida and I guess is there more for the local perspective rather than her political views ( She’s involved with ACLU does that mean definitely left (from what I hear on Oreilly I’m thinking yes)? maybe some of the US posters can confirm).
The ACLU is supposed to be non-partisan. It used to be a decent organization, but like many formerly decent causes in the US, it has been hijacked by left-wing extremists. It really is just another left-wing, “some are more equal than others” shill now.
i.e. bringing lawsuits against public agencies for having a tiny cross in their public seals while turning a blind eye to the blatant teaching and accomodations of Islam in our public schools, in contravention of our Constitution. I have zero respect for the ACLU nowadays.
PD, thanks for the correction. You are right about the panel. I think it’s a safe bet that Rodriguez-Taseff is a leftie, though she may, as many “civil liberties advocates” do, claim to be non-partisan.
One other charcteristic shared by Blumnethal, Moore, and Soros. All are susceptible to conspiracy theories, Blumenthal so much that he acquired the nickname, “grassy knoll”, at some point.
I might add that, no matter how biased our networks are, they usually try to balance the outside commentators with equal numbrs of Republicans and Democrats, when they do elections. The BBC apparently doesn’t follow that rule.
“The heart sinks.
The gorge rises.”
😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
Monkey – spot on. I used to make a point of catching Question Time for a spot of decent political boxing, not to mention the fact it was a rare opportunity for the public to question politicians in the raw. I don’t bother now. I would be slightly irritated by the weekly soft-left bias of he programme. Now? Its dead. As you say, even the audience is obviously hand-picked from the left. I still feel deep shame on behalf of my nation at the treatment of the US Ambassador on the programme just a few days following 9/11.
cont …
Jim Miller – Being a Brit I only have limited experience of US networks but I do make a point of catching them now and then to see what’s being pumped into your homes. Without a doubt the BBC is THE most biased, distorted, coloured, partisan and agenda-pushing network out there. Of course its no problemif its a commercial network but it makes a claim on my money.
By the way, they can sing for my money. They’re still sending me letters demanding money with threats of menaces and I’ll be singing in prison while they’re still waiting for it.
On the subject of Question Time immediately after 9/11, does anyone out there have a copy of it that I can borrow? If so, please email me.
Unfortunately a relative of mine died elsewhere in Europe on the same morning as 9/11, so I was out of the UK a couple of days later attending his funeral when that edition of Question Time went out.
Andrew.
In their defense, the ACLU has been known (in the past decade, IIRC) to defend people like KKK Grand Dragons and evangelical Christians. They have made a few moves that piss off people of left-leaning beliefs. (Of course, they do tend to piss off those with more conservative viewpoints, even more. And yes, many of their supporters are pretty leftie in the limited American spectrum.) I don’t think you will see their counterparts here in the UK, Liberty, taking similar stands. But, as with anything else, I could be wrong.
Not sure on the issues surrounding establishment of Muslim teachings, but one thing they do tend to hold with is you are either for the first amendment or you are against it, no exceptions. A concept which is debatable.
The BBC still produces some excellent documentaries and current affairs programmes, but they have become increasingly rare.
News (information, facts), should always be clearly separated from commentary and punditry.
This used to be the BBC’s ethos.
I noticed that on last weeks QT they had what can only be described as a stereotypical Muslim (complete with the dodgy beard) sat slap bang in the middle of the audience? Anyone ever been to one of these left wing bBC love fests? How do they appoint seats? Would that have just been a fluke? I have noticed the weird leftie beardy sandal wearers do tend to sit in the middle rows and the quiet ones are all stuck at the back.
The left-wing conspiracy reaches out its evil claw to touch Question Time. Heaven forbid! Gardeners World could be next. It’ll be all “pansies must be in the centre, push the roses to the back”. Despicable.