As we approach the end of the US Presidential campaign, Justine Webb becomes ever more outrageous in his shilling for Obama. This time round he manages to firstly quote from the far left blog The Huffington Post (again) and then he digs up a comment from John McCain back in 1999 praising Colin Powell. Apparently the defection of RINO Colin Powell to the Obama camp was ” a psychological blow” Let’s face it – Justin has given up on reporting – he is now collaborating with the Obama campaign in full breach of every BBC guidance. The thing is, the BBC does nor care. It is obsessed with getting The One is the White House and having a socialised USA and so all notion of professional neutrality is out the window. I bet the champagne bottles WILL be popping once again in Broadcasting House should Americans place their faith in the Obamessiah next month. Now in this regard, most of the rest of the UK media is equally pro-Obama, witness Boris Johnson’s witless article in the Telegraph yesterday (seized on the Beeb) but the difference is that I get to choose whether or not I pay out to read or listen to such opinion – the BBC forces me to do so and that is the real point of grievance here.
A WONDERFUL MAN
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Colin Powell is of no interest to anyone. This is a man who the BBC continually attacked in his time as SoS for Bush.
Why all of a sudden does the BBC think his opinion is of interest?
I find it quite amusing that in most of the battle states McCain has closed the gap to Obama again, DESPITE the utter mess of the US economy.
Why isn’t the son of God 20 points ahead anymore?
Could it be because Americans don’t like the fact he’s a Socialist in a smart suit?
Has the BBC even asked the question whether Colin Powell’s support for Obama might not be an act of ….er…’racial solidarity’?
I’m sure that if a leading Democrat announced he was voting for McCain on the grounds that he preferred to vote for a white man, the BBC would talk of nothing else for days.
Breakfast news this morning revealed that in a “shock poll” the Republicans were outstripping the Democrats. But wait, this was in the halloween mask category where horrific Palin masks are far outselling their Obama equivalent. Cue much merriment. Ho ho ho.
It would be hilarious if Mcain won,to see that twat Justin Webbs face,no doubt if that happened the BBC would not give it much coverage..
Given that it’s McCain who is running for President against Nobama, WTF does it matter whether McCain once praised POWELL 10 years ago.
Surely it would be more relevant if Webb dug up the presumably copious instances were Powell PRAISED McCain.
Maybe he could also quote the quite famous Biden quotes in which Biden also praises McCain… over OBAMA.
Yep Webb, the Democratic VP pick compared Obama unfavorably against McCain. But who cares. Clearly not Webb Head.
Why all of a sudden does the BBC think his opinion is of interest?
The same way that the big fat fake conservfauxtive Boris Johnson will start getting good press from the the BBC as he has endorsed BIG GOVERNMENT, BIG SOCIALIST Barack Obama.
God save us from CINOs like Boris.
Could you dig them out for us Jack Bauer? PS: love your show.
ipreferred — I would, but I’m under deep cover at the moment. I can save the world, and the cheerleader… but the BBC is beyond saving even for me.
I need a hacksaw, and a Sig Sauer
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/10/21/the-comprehensive-argument-against-barack-obama/
Imagine if Webb actually did some of that investigative shit journalists are meant to do…cause if he did, he might just find some of the stuff listed in the above link.
Mailman
mailman, seriously, that report is just another opinion piece. It makes assertions about the ‘average american voter’ without backup evidence, it continually uses negative adjectives with regards to the points it makes and when you follow through the links it uses to assert these points, many make no conclusion about the truth of the matter, or report neutrally, with the article itself adding it’s own spin.
Perhaps voters in the US, and people interested over here, are aware of all the controversy around each candidate, but still favour Obama? The polls say yes..
iprefered — it’s irrelevant what people over here think of Obama.
As to US polls, in the main, they show that the “majority” do not favour Obama.
In a two horse race, Obama has rarely broken 50% except in outlier polls which are generally discounted.
Admittedly, he has maintained a four point average since the convenient financial meltdown which I am sure has nothing to do with Soros..
But there’s something hinkey about these polls which the internals often show.
Such as the heavy “Democrat” weighting,.. the recent poll that supposedly showed Obama leading by 13 points, actually polled twice as many Democrats as Republicans.
McCain is going to win in a squeaker, IMHO, and I’ve put money on it.
ipreferred,
The difference between what you refer to as merely another opinion peice and reporting Webb carries out…is that those who posted that “opinion” peice actually got off their arses and LOOKED in to Obama’s background.
Further more, they then did the unthinkable…they provided evidence to back up their “opinions”.
Imagine if Webb and co did that at Al beeb…if they did, Al Beeb would be a VERY different organisation to what it is now.
Mailman
BTW, werent Webb and co whinging their collective tits off about Palin not doing media interviews?
Funny how Obama and Biden havent done any conferences in over a month and not a single chirp from the same foaming at the mouth goons.
Wonder why?
Mailman
mailman — it turns out that Palin has done more open press interviews in the past four days than Biden has done in the past month, which is a big fat ZERO. And now the Nobama campaign has whisked him away to a secure location.
And even on the rare occasions when they do “press” … Obama/Biden never faces any serious questions anyway.
mailman, reading other articles about someone’s background isn’t actually digging into it yourself.
Jack, look over http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/ – the polls are one thing, but statistical analysis is another. PS: you’re a dirty Canadian socialist right?
ipreferred,
So what would it take for someone to “dig in to it yourself”?
Or are you simply saying that one cannot use information published, and backed up with evidence, online as examples of someone “digging in to it yourself”?
Mailman
. PS: you’re a dirty Canadian socialist right?
ipreferred | 22.10.08 – 1:10 pm | #
No, that’s Keifer Sutherland, a fictional figure who was supposedly born in London.
mailman: you’re absolutely right, you can use online sources. If you do, then you need to treat them with a healthy skepticism. One of the main complaints about Webb’s blog is that he cites online sources. I think they’re about equivalent.
The critical point is that, as we must remember here, Webb is paid for by us and since the BBC implies he should be neutral, perhaps he should merely report on the tit-for-tat smears, not comment. I would like to see the charter modified however, to allow personal blogs to contain opinion. It would be easier for a reporter to state the facts in their articles and TV appearances, and their opinion in their blog, easier to keep the two separate.
Were Biden’s praise of John McCain and criticism of Obama’s lack of experience from before he got picked as VP nominee ‘psychological blows’ Justine (whoever you are)? What’s that, you didn’t even report it? Huh, fancy that.
ipreferred,
You are playing moral equivalence my friend.
There is a massive leap between sourcing your information solely from Huffpo or Kos and seeking information from the wider world (while linking back to a mere opinion peice on hotair).
That my friend is the difference between Webb and pretty much everyone else that posts on this forum.
Or is this more a convenient get out clause for you…after all, when faced with a mere opinion peice that is backed up with evidence to support their “opinion” you suddenly revert to “look in to it yourself”.
And this brings us on to another problem, one that the MSM is part of that problem.
You cannot find any “digging” on the real obama on any of the MSM sites (apart from Fox).
The only real place to go to get this information is on right leaning blogs (hotair, lgf, jim treacher et al).
During my “diggin” on all these different sites, they are all asking the same question, who is the real obama and why is the MSM not reporting on it (BUT at the same time going after Joe the Plumber for having the balls to ask a question of “The One” ™.
You can play moral equivalence as much as you want but we keep coming back to the same question, who is the real Obama?
Sadly, you wont be getting the answer from the MSM.
Mailman
re opinion, there is no place in a news organisation for opinion.
Their job is to report the news, not their opinion.
The problem with Al Beeb is that their opinion has become the news!
Mailman
In a few weeks time, when the election is over and the dust has settled, Justin Webb will probably get posted back to the UK.
Beeboid bigwigs like Helen Boaden will line up to say what a wonderful job he has done.
I think we should have our ammunition ready: could we all remind ourselves of JW’s worst moments of partisanship and bias from the past 12 months?
Justin Webb has done a great job for the BBC.
He has stayed on message (Obama is an historic figure of Oprah proportions and a force for absolute good in the world.)
By simplifying the issues, he has fed the executive class at the British Broadcasting Corporation an image of the USA that they can live with.
By restricting his view to the center left he has carved himself a place of influence at the high table of management.
The world according to Webb is a safe and fuzzy place to be. But eventually he will be judged by what he DID NOT tell the public. I know I am going to hate his “Letter from America”.
On a personal note: I can never forgive the BBC for not telling me about the America I have discovered since moving here. The Webb/Frei cartoon USA is not the way it really is!
Hey ipreferred,
Sorry mate, I couldnt be arsed to do any digging myself 🙂
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTllNTk2MDNmNDk1YmQ0OWEzOTZmMTVmODUwZTQwY2E=
Still I guess spreading smear jobs from the daily kos about palins son being her grandson, is far more important that stuff like this?
Mailman
Please god, let Obama lose the election. I will therefore be able to indulge in an ORGY of all night BBC disappointment.
Watching the despair creep over the faces of the sumg twats live on TV will be borderline pornographic.
ipreferred | 22.10.08 – 1:51 pm |
One of the main complaints about Webb’s blog is that he cites online sources. I think they’re about equivalent.
No, that’s a misrepresentations of the complaint. Our objection is that Webb cites only Leftoid blogs – and opinion ones at that, or openly pro-Democrat publications, like the Washington Post.
It’s become almost a joke now, the way his blog posts and reporting reflects almost exactly the opinions espoused on places like the HuffPo, the WaPo, and The Nation. Far Left opinions – not reporting, mind you, but opinions and suspicions – from these sources come out of Webb’s mouth (or keyboard) with predictable regularity.
And it’s not that he merely shares their opinions. Those places are where he gets his talking points. That’s been demonstrated more than once here. If Webb came up with these things on his own, there would have been at least one occasion where he said something first before it appeared in those Leftoid blogs or papers. Or, heaven forbid, something different. That doesn’t happen, and he has never espoused an idea gleaned from a non-partisan source, never mind a Conservative one.
Ol’ Justin hangs out with those people, and travels in those circles (except once or twice when he has dinner with people who toast “Death to Al Qaeda”, apparently), and takes his lead from them. So instead of getting professional reporting and the analysis of a respected BBC reporter, the viewer gets regurgitated US Leftoid opinion instead.
What the BBC doesn’t want us to hear about Obama’s relationship with Ayers.
See Bill O’Reilly’s:
http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/
Go to ‘Talking Points 10/21’ for Video.
Mailman
mailman | 22.10.08 – 2:27 pm | #
There is no place in a news organisation for opinion.
Their job is to report the news, not their opinion.
The problem with Al Beeb is that their opinion has become the news!
Nice summary.
The topic for Justin Webb’s next election report:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-shaw/reading-the-pictures-emne_b_136747.html
Sarah Palin and the BBC.
Please do not fail to read my message on the general thread re Mr Webb.
Almost everyone agrees that the polls will tighten. There is also the chance of a terrorist attack. Some of the newly registered voters (not just Mickey Mouse) may well not turn up. And not all lefties are as cuddly as the main man.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/justinwebb/2008/10/tightening_polls.html
Well, at least Justin thinks McCain can still do it. Unbelievable that just bias can be reproduced on the BBC. An utter disgrace.
I heard Justin interviewed on Radio 4 a few years ago, he was giving his view on how things were in Washington DC, mentioned his wife and all her friends, who of course were all Democrats, he assured the interviewer. He realised he shouldn’t have said this as soon as the words left his mouth and tried to recover with some mealy mouthed waffling. I honestly thought he might be a spoof satirical character at the time, not a real reporter. Now I know better.
Our objection is that Webb cites only Leftoid blogs – and opinion ones at that, or openly pro-Democrat publications, like the Washington Post.
Really? What about this post:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/justinwebb/2008/10/tightening_polls.html
Where he links to this blog:
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/10/12/crush-the-obamedia-narrative-look-whos-gripped-by-insane-rage/
Doesn’t look left-wing to me. It just reminded me of how scary the left can be.
Besides, Justin Webb once said that:
‘…not only would McCain win the nomination but he would win the whole thing. I stand by that.’
Not that I have a problem with that as McCain is obviously the strongest candidate. It’s good to know that at least someone at the BBC sees the light.
McCain is the strongest candidate and the one with the most experience too. Obama has BARELY acted like the “Senator” he is…missing 45% of his votes since being Senator…..and the lefty illuminati politicians in DC think they’ve found some puppet to do their dirty work and the American people are falling for it.
billybob | 22.10.08 – 8:00 pm |
Oh, please. Perhaps you didn’t understand what I was saying. He’s not showing Malkin as an example of anything other than his one-out-of-twenty posts which refer to something non-Left. He does this like clockwork every time he thinks he’s in danger of appearing too far up The Obamessiah’s backside. Any long-term observer of his work will have noticed the pattern.
You’ll have to do better than fine one single example in the face of so many others. I suppose you’ve nailed me semantically, though. Gosh.
Webb’s lying when he says “the main man” is cuddly. He’s in denial about The Obamessiah’s radical associations, and his public statement to supporters that he wanted them to get into people’s faces.
billybob:
You can’t be serious. Justin Webb is a castrated bore, a sycophant of the left. He’s cashing in on the hate Bush anti-anti-communist fad.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/10/why_obamas_communist_connectio.html
“Almost everyone agrees that the polls will tighten. There is also the chance of a terrorist attack. Some of the newly registered voters (not just Mickey Mouse) may well not turn up. And not all lefties are as cuddly as the main man.”
Did you honestly find this makes and sense? Because I didn’t, like a lot of Mr. Webb’s writing. He writes in some sort of stream-of-conciousness mode invented by fag poets who call cat turds on burnt toast art.
“Almost everyone agrees that the polls will tighten”
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what this is: they’ve been faking the polls in favor of the Obamination, and he’s covering his ass in case of reality accidentaly revealed. On election day when McCain and Sarah hand him his shorts, Webb wil back track evenmore. He’s that sickening.
David – I don’t really have a problem with Webb to be honest. He tends to be not as liberally minded as many of his colleagues at the leftie training ground. The BBC could do with more like him. Still, I am surprised at the strength of your attack. We’re all McCain supporters right? Let’s at least pretend we are civil 🙂
billybob | 22.10.08 – 9:09 pm |
Still, I am surprised at the strength of your attack. We’re all McCain supporters right? Let’s at least pretend we are civil
Why should I care if you’re a McCain supporter? Justin Webb is not doing his job properly, and has gone far beyond his remit. If you’re surprised at the strength of my attack against Webb and your own weak attempt at rebuttal, then you haven’t been paying attention.
Webb’s reporting of the US election has been a disgrace for many weeks now. Always taking his lead from the Dem talking points or the left-wing press and blogs. Never an original thought of his own. Never any digging into Obama’s very murky background.
And he treated Palin dreadfully – giving credence to outright filthy smears, never paying any attention to her real executive experience. He reports like a patronising ignoramus.
Come on David, we both want the same thing don’t we? There’s no need for personal attacks. You will only alienate the very people you need.
By the way, I love your blog. Really interesting and well written. Bit disappointed you chose to link to the BBC Proms (do they really need your free advertising?), but excellent nonetheless.
billybob | 22.10.08 – 11:23 pm |
Why are you trying to bait me?
Webb links to pajamasmedia.
‘zombie’ has posted on ‘Little Green Footballs’ details of a ‘communist manifesto’ book co-written in 1974 by Bill Ayers and his wife (co-worker of Michelle Obama) and dedicated to Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy.
Look forward to wall to wall coverage by BBC!
David – Bait you? What do you mean?
billybob,
Move along, Moby.
Strange. I really cannot understand your posts David. I have a lot of respect for you and I am fascinated with your blog. I am sorry if you find this offensive, it wasn’t my intention.