What would the media coverage be if Sarah Palin had said the following:
“When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened’.”
For those who are asking themselves, “What’s wrong with that statement?” — First of all, shame on your own lack of interest in minimal American lore! Second, FDR wasn’t president when the stock market crashed. Finally, he WAS the first president to appear on TV … ten years after the crash.
So, back to my original query. What if Palin had said it? My guess is that the story would be a headline on every news program. Palin would be ridiculed as lacking basic knowledge concerning both American history and 20th century technological advancements.
But instead, the error-filled statement was made by Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden. So, what’s on CNN right now?
“New dad Clay Aiken Tells Magazine He’s Gay” and "Millions of Kids Have Untreated Tooth Decay”
Not a mention about Biden’s gaffe, even when I click on the “Politics” page. But, I sure am a better-informed citizen now that I know the newborn son of the same-sex loving Aiken (shocked, just shocked!) should get regular check-ups with the neighbourhood dentist.
Similar omissions were found when I searched other news sites. Now, you may think this was just a silly, flip comment made by Biden and therefore it was not even worth mentioning. I believe the remarks make Biden sound a bit light in the intellectual gravitas and show him to be a fan of simply making stuff up. And … really … can you tell me that much more media attention would not have been made to this statement if made by Palin, Mr Spiderman?
