One Man’s Opinion: How Media Bias Helps NO ONE

By Bill Crane

It is Election Night, November 7, 2000, and my first election providing live on-air analysis. It would also become the longest election in my closing on a quarter-century in this business.

That night, a well-known, but somewhat unproven vice president of the United States was considered the favorite to beat a younger governor of a major southwestern state. The governor’s father had been president, and he was the third generation in his family’s political dynasty. The contest of George W. Bush versus Al Gore, also of another family political dynasty, would ultimately be decided weeks later by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gore had already conceded a narrow loss to George Bush, based on exit polling data and the state of Florida being declared for Bush. But as the night wore on, the numbers in Florida kept getting closer, and as Bush was heading toward the stage with his acceptance speech in hand, Gore called back to withdraw his concession.

The nation would not have a declared president-elect until December 12, 2000, when the U.S. Supreme Court ended a series of Florida ballot recounts, focusing on Broward and Palm Beach counties. Bush’s margin at this point was down to several hundred votes, and the Florida Supreme Court was about to add additional jurisdictions to the hand re-tally. Ending the recounts, with Bush ahead, in a split 5-4 decision awarded Florida’s Electoral College votes to Bush, who would later win the election by just 5 votes in the Electoral College.

Less than a month later, as Congress certified those Electoral College votes, with Vice-President Al Gore presiding over his own defeat tally, several Democratic members of Florida’s congressional delegation would object to the Florida tally – and presiding officer Gore would rule them out of order.

Two weeks later, on January 20, 2001, with a blizzard blanketing D.C. and a bit more than frost in the air on the Inauguration stage, Gore would gaze straight ahead, with jaw set, as just a few feet away Bush was administered the oath of office, and once again the United States successfully completed a peaceful transition of power, something which still remains for many an envy of the free world.

During those weeks of recounts, there were protests aplenty in Tallahassee, the Florida state capital. Some election officials took catcalls and hate mail, particularly Florida’s Secretary of State, while the candidates themselves remained above the fray; and although each had teams on the ground where the recounts were occurring, the major news networks and legacy newspapers were not also stoking the flames of passionate support on either side.

But at that time the Fox News Channel was only four years old, nothing of the force in politics which it has become since, and though MSNBC had launched the same year as Fox (1996), it was then known more for talk-shows and longer format NBC News shows and reruns.

Today we have a former president referring to his own much larger loss of four close states, and the White House along with that, as the “crime of the century.” His acolytes chant “Stop the Steal,” now entering their second year, and supposedly credible candidates for the U.S. Senate propose initiatives like election police and forensic audits of every election before winners are announced. And from the current winning side, hoping to make their party wins perpetual, we have voter reforms disguised in a Trojan Horse overhaul of state and local election laws to be taken over by the federal government. While one party Continued on page 23

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of either then-Alabama Governor George Wallace or Sheriff Bull Connor?

Joe Biden may be a few steps shy of his Senate prime (or more), but he knows the answers to all that. And as he previously admitted plagiarizing British Labour Leader Neil Kinnock during a prior presidential campaign, he knows those words and thoughts were not even his own. Again, Joe may be a little slower now, but he also knows the story of Chicken Little as well as the Boy Who Cried, Wolf. If truth and reality are there for the ignoring to score political points, what will you do when you REALLY need to move and inspire the American people?

I still wish Joe Biden well and want his presidency to be successful. America and Americans have too much riding on the opposite. But like his predecessor, most of the damage and decline so far has been self-inflicted. This president and the people around him know better – and by God we all deserve better.

Crane is the senior political analyst with WSB Radio and TV and owns the full-service communications firm, CSI Crane. More information at www.CSICrane.com

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Habitat for Humanity Continued from page 18 or other repairs. Those who are a good fit will be prompted to fill out an application to indicate interest in the program, which will then be used to contact potential homeowners about the next Homeowner Orientation. After this required orientation session, Habitat selects the final applicants based on their needs and works with them through a series of workshops to provide future homeowners with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully maintain their mortgage in the future.

Jen is passionate about educating the community on what exactly Habitat for Humanity provides. Contrary to popular misconceptions, they are not just giving away homes. All homeowners are responsible for paying their mortgage. Habitat just gives them an avenue to do so in a way that will allow them to meet their financial needs alongside the needs of their families. “Habitat works in partnership with sponsors to cover the cost of building the home up front. Habitat then owns the home and sells the home to a partner family at a no-interest mortgage, which is a huge savings factor in the overall cost of your home,” Jen explained. “Our homeowners will never pay more than a third of their income towards their housing costs, allowing them to save up for other important family needs such as health insurance and college funds.”

This philosophy means that more families can have a roof over their head, and that the Gwinnett and Walton communities have a chance to help their neighbors out. If you want to learn more about how you or your company can help Habitat for Humanity, check out their volunteer page for all the opportunities available to anyone who wants to make a difference.

“I love being able to help people who want to help their community find a way to do so through Habitat,” said Jen. “It truly takes a community coming together to build a better home and brighter future for our families.”

More information at habitatgwinnett.org

One Man’s Opinion Continued from page 21 laments their loss and claims fraud, the other claims that without these changes the republic is at stake and voter suppression is as rampant as the days of Jim Crow.

News outlets choose sides; readers, listeners, and viewers predominantly read, view, and listen to only the news outlets that support or contribute to forming their opinions. This echo chamber breaks down civil dialogue expanding an increasingly tribal America of “us vs. them.”

Those few thousand protesters in Florida during those 35 days of recounts have now swollen to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, with little but hate and contempt for members of the opposing team. These outlets leaning “their way” often feed and egg on this loathing and contempt, and later comment with surprise when the volatile becomes explosive.

Back to Al Gore, staring icily ahead that cold January 20th morning. As we all know he invented the internet – maybe if I can find a flux capacitor or another time machine, I can take Al Gore back to that moment, and he can invent the electric jet instead, and when we fly back to the future, the news media will still be an industry both trusted and admired by the American people. Trade the growing bias for a return to true net neutrality. A fellow can dream.

More information at www.CSICrane.com

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