Further proof that DeLay's brain is defective

[Gabriella84]

Comparing the current state of Iraq to a major U.S. city?
This person has truly lost his mind.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3235606


WASHINGTON - When House Majority Leader Tom DeLay sat down with reporters on Tuesday on Capitol Hill, he was asked to assess President Bush's campaign in Iraq and to respond to criticism that the military mission is not going well and the White House needs to develop an exit strategy.

DeLay offered this response: "These things take time and they take a long time, and some people get weary of the constant barrage that we see in the media.

"You know, if Houston, Texas, was held to the same standard as Iraq is held to, nobody'd go to Houston, because all this reporting coming out of the local press in Houston is violence, murders, robberies, deaths on the highways," DeLay said.

"And if you took that as the image of what is a great city that has an incredible quality of life and an incredible economy, it's amazing to me. Go to Iraq. And see what's actually happening there.

"Everybody that comes from Iraq is amazed at the difference of what they see on the ground and what they see on the television set."

 

[no1tovote4]

I think the comparison was to how stuff is reported, not to the actual city itself.

If you whitewashed the name from the stories about Houston, and started talking about deaths caused simply by the "War on Drugs" reporting only the thousands of deaths each year would people be asking, "Is it worth it?" and "What is our exit strategy?"

 

[Gabriella84]

um....right.
:2guns:

 

[no1tovote4]

um....right.
:2guns:

Excellent reposte!

 

[5stringJeff]

Having grown up in Houston, I can totally understand what he means. There are murders, robberies, drug deals, rapes, etc. in Houston quite often. That stuff is always in the local news. Remember the lady that drowned her five kids in the bathtub due to depression? She lived in Houston.

But Houston does have some great stuff in it. Lots of good restaurants, fun nightlife, Super Bowls, pro sports, parks, zoos, etc. etc. But you'll never see that on the news, because it is a normal part of life.

I think DeLay's analogy was just fine.

 

[insein]

Im sure this gabriel fello is a real winner and worthy of a response, but here goes.

I believe what DeLay is reffering to is that if the MEdia bombarded the public with news of trajedy everyday from anyplace in America or outside of it, then people might began to feel weary of that place.

The #1 rule in Advertising is repitition, repitition, repitition. You may not remember that pepsi commercial the first time, but you'll damn sure remember it the 30th time. Same thing applies to the news. When they want you to remember something, they hit on it for a good long time in slightly varied stories. Therefore you remember it after awhile and it is enbedded into the back of your head. Unless of course you care to pay attention to what really is going on.

 

[Gem]

Gabby, please explain what you dislike about DeLays statement...what you find inappropriate about it.

His point was simple. There are positive things happening in Iraq. Things are getting done. Iraqi Police Forces are having numerous successes defending their nation on their own, people are rebuilding their lives, neighborhoods are turning in insurgents. Yet very little of this is being reported.

Instead, we are bombarded by constant negative images and messages about the latest attacks.

If we looked at a major U.S. city, like Houston, and reported ONLY the negative messages. The robberies, murders, etc. Then Houston, a fully-functioning U.S. city, would also look horribly dangerous, about to crumble, desperate and terrible.

He is not saying that Houston IS like that. He is stating that the media has a big role in determining how something appears to the general public. By only showing the burning buildings and ignoring all the buildings being built...the world is missing the positive things that are happening there.

Notice, Gabby. He didn't say that negative, horrible things were not happening. He isn't stating that we shouldn't hear about the negative things. He simply was stating that there are positive things happening that we are not being told about.

Now, if you are TRULY interested in the truth, in all sides to a story, the an HONEST assessment of the war...YOU should be just as insistent for this information as DeLay is. YOU should want to know the positives AND the negatives. But you only seem interested in the negatives...and you mock anyone who wants to see the positives...Why is that?

 

[Bullypulpit]

Having grown up in Houston, I can totally understand what he means. There are murders, robberies, drug deals, rapes, etc. in Houston quite often. That stuff is always in the local news. Remember the lady that drowned her five kids in the bathtub due to depression? She lived in Houston.

But Houston does have some great stuff in it. Lots of good restaurants, fun nightlife, Super Bowls, pro sports, parks, zoos, etc. etc. But you'll never see that on the news, because it is a normal part of life.

I think DeLay's analogy was just fine.

Don't forget the daily car bombings.

 

[menewa]

I believe what DeLay is reffering to is that if the MEdia bombarded the public with news of trajedy everyday from anyplace in America or outside of it, then people might began to feel weary of that place.

The media does do this. I live outside Dallas and everyday their is a murder or a home invasion or a policeman plants drugs on a recent immigrant or a teacher sexually assualts a student, etc.

However, these isloated incidents don't compare with the fact that in the past 9 months, there have been around 800 suicide bombers in Iraq. This does not compare to the crime in any US metropolis.

 

[Gem]

menewa wrote:

However, these isloated incidents don't compare with the fact that in the past 9 months, there have been around 800 suicide bombers in Iraq. This does not compare to the crime in any US metropolis.

This statement might have some relevance to the conversation if Delay had stated that Houston and Iraq were experiencing similar violence levels. He did not.

What he said was...even in a wonderful, safe city like Houston...the media has the power, by choosing only to relate the negative, to make the city look like hell on earth.

Therefore...in a nation like Iraq, where there are acts of horrible violence occur numerous times every day...the media has an even greater ability to show only negative and completely ignore the postive things that are going on there.

With that in mind, the average American hears, sees, reads about ONLY the negative things in Iraq, and rarely if ever hear about what our troops, the Iraqi police force, and the Iraqi people have accomplished.

 

[Avatar4321]

There are more deaths in some of these major cities monthly then in Iraq. I don't see how the comparison is invalid. Nor why you think someone's brain is defective because you don't like their valid analogy.

I would say saying someone's brain is defective because you dont like what they say shows your brain is defective.

 

[menewa]

Do you really think Houston is a wonderful, safe city? That place is a metrohellopolis. It is one of the worst cities in America. It has the highest level of air pollution, it finally outdid LA. We were proud of that here in Texas. It also has the honor of being the fattest city in the entire globe. It's full of polluted faties. It really is like on of Dante's circles of hell.

But I have to disagree about the media never airing positive footage of the Iraq war. Whenever the Pentagon releases their stories to the media about successful operations and crackdowns on insurgents, the major networks always show this on the nightly news. Granted, they aren't given as much detail as some other stories, but they I see them aired quite frequently.

But news is not about painting a rosy picture. That's the president's job.

This statement might have some relevance to the conversation if Delay had stated that Houston and Iraq were experiencing similar violence levels. He did not.

What he said was...even in a wonderful, safe city like Houston...the media has the power, by choosing only to relate the negative, to make the city look like hell on earth.

Therefore...in a nation like Iraq, where there are acts of horrible violence occur numerous times every day...the media has an even greater ability to show only negative and completely ignore the postive things that are going on there.

With that in mind, the average American hears, sees, reads about ONLY the negative things in Iraq, and rarely if ever hear about what our troops, the Iraqi police force, and the Iraqi people have accomplished.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

But I have to disagree about the media never airing positive footage of the Iraq war. Whenever the Pentagon releases their stories to the media about successful operations and crackdowns on insurgents, the major networks always show this on the nightly news. Granted, they aren't given as much detail as some other stories, but they I see them aired quite frequently.

But news is not about painting a rosy picture. That's the president's job.

Covering a press conference where the administration gives a couple good things happening is not even close, bubbleboy. Let's see them apply their journalistic ingenuity to the task of ferreting out positive stories with the same zeal they use to ferret out (or invent from whole cloth) the bad stories. Why can't you be honest?

 

[Gem]

Menewa Wrote:

Granted, they aren't given as much detail as some other stories, but they I see them aired quite frequently.

Wow. Even when trying to disagree with the idea that the good stories coming out of Iraq aren't being covered by the MSM you end up having to agree with the premise. THAT should tell you something, Menewa.

When have you seen a REAL story with interviews, pictures, etc. devoted to the successful activities of the Iraqi police force? You haven't. They aren't doing them. The best you will get is a "the Iraqi police force helped today in a raid." However, the Iraqi police are acting more and more alone, with US soldiers taking less active roles every time, in highly successful raids against insurgents that are being turned in by Iraqi citizenry....seriously...PM me the next time you see that story on CBS Nightly News.

Pentagon released press statements are in no way equal to the barrage of stories coming out of the MSM, menewa...even you admit that...even if you don't seem to be willing to make the logical connection.

Taking it back to the original topic. Delay did NOTHING but point a light at the MSM, spotlighting it's desire NOT to show good news coming out of Iraq. And, in my opinion, since many ardent liberals do not WANT good news in Iraq...they are trying to jump on him for it.

 

[no1tovote4]

Covering a press conference where the administration gives a couple good things happening is not even close, bubbleboy. Let's see them apply their journalistic ingenuity to the task of ferreting out positive stories with the same zeal they use to ferret out (or invent from whole cloth) the bad stories. Why can't you be honest?

Exactly, especially on the bolded part. I, for one, cannot see how people even trust the MSM any longer, too often we have found out they have simply invented the news to fit their personal agendas. We get some half-baked "aplogy" and then some sort of non-punitive "punishment" (like Rather being removed from the NEWS but still on the show where he actually made the false reports and only months from when he was going to retire anyway).

The NEOPROG agenda is being promoted on MSM in such a way as even the invented stories still get actual people defending them.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Exactly, especially on the bolded part. I, for one, cannot see how people even trust the MSM any longer, too often we have found out they have simply invented the news to fit their personal agendas. We get some half-baked "aplogy" and then some sort of non-punitive "punishment" (like Rather being removed from the NEWS but still on the show where he actually made the false reports and only months from when he was going to retire anyway).

The NEOPROG agenda is being promoted on MSM in such a way as even the invented stories still get actual people defending them.

It's wildness out there today. DU is like a trip to The Magic Kingdom.

 

[archangel]

um....right.
:2guns:

Since you insist on attacking all conservative rep's... please do a comparison between the wonderful Senator Kennedy and Tom Delay....make a list of each reps positive and negative points...I'm sure you will find the Not so Honorable Teddy way below the line of acceptance compared with Tom...

Get a grip young lady...wake up and smell the coffee........... :nine: