If there is one thing that reminds you of NZ’s island and isolated state in world affairs its local reporting on US politics, and this was never more evident than in the local media’s commentary on the Trump McCain disagreement.
And this amateurish and baised reporting runs over into driving the views and commentary from the public. For example we have Kiwiblog this week, with Mr. Farrar being one of NZ’s most prominent political commentators, getting it completely wrong. He published a post yesterday that predictably ran the MSM political establishment line and began with this sentence-
I didn’t think it would take long for Donald Trump to implode, but this was even quicker than I expected.
A long line of the usual fawning Kommieblog trolls instantly jumped in to endorse Mr. Farrar’s opinion. Yes, Trump was done. We all knew it was coming. Here he is wrecking the Republican Party. He’s a Democrat plant. Blah blah blah blah. All the kind of uninformed views one would expect from flitting whitebait fed breadcrumbs from a biased and therefore unreliable local mainstream media.
What Mr. Farrar and the rest of the NZ media deny in their commentary on Trump and the McCain disagreement is the rising tide of discontent with the Progressive political establishment in the US today. Why do they deny this? Because they don’t want the same discontent to grow here in NZ.
The facts on the Trump McCain issue are separate from the issue of a wave of discontent with the current political paradigm. But here are just a few of those facts that if you only follow NZ media, you haven’t heard yet.
- Trump has not imploded. In fact his polling has improved.
- Trump did not say what the media said he did about McCain. Here is what he actually said as reported in a fact check article by Sharyl Attkisson–
1. The Post did not provide context at the outset disclosing that McCain and Trump have been feuding, with McCain characterizing some Trump supporters as “crazies” and Trump stating that McCain graduated last in his class in Annapolis. The charged rhetoric continued at the conservative Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa this weekend.
2. When a panelist characterized McCain as a “war hero,” the Post is accurate in reporting that Trump initially said McCain is “not a war hero.” But then, Trump immediately modified his statement saying– four times– that McCain is a war hero:
“He is a war hero.”
“He’s a war hero because he was captured.”
“He’s a war hero, because he was captured.”
“I believe, perhaps, he’s a war hero. But right now, he’s said some very bad things about a lot of people.”
3. Did Trump say McCain is not a war hero because he was captured? No, not in the exchanges represented in the Post.
4. Is the Post’s characterization an accident? It would appear not, because it is repeated in the Post’s caption of the video clip, which also states: “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a decorated Vietnam war veteran, was not a war hero because he was captured by the North Vietnamese [emphasis added].”
Further, in the Post’s second sentence, Trump is quoted as stating of McCain, “He’s not a war hero…He’s a war hero because he was captured,” but the article selectively left out the phrase Trump had uttered in between: “He is a war hero.”
Conclusion
Trump actually said the opposite of what the Post lead sentence and video caption claim. The Post might have been able to get away stating that Trump “implied” McCain was not a war hero because McCain was captured, but even that would have been a subjective interpretation since Trump had actually stated the opposite.
- McCain is viewed by many as a war hero, but in fact there are two stories there too, with many ex POWs and vets claiming he corroborated with the enemy and that is why he has refused to release documents relating to his service. There are claims that McCain was likely to have been prosecuted for aiding and assisting the enemy if those records were made public.
- McCain has consistently worked with the mainstream Democrat/ RINO power bloc to denigrate and savagely attack Tea Party groups and fellow Republicans such as Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.
- McCain has failed to work for better conditions for returned servicemen and done nothing to improve a distressingly ineffective Vet Hospital performance.
- McCain blocked attempts to find Vietnam servicemen missing in action in Vietnam.
So in the states and outside the MSM there’s an entirely different perspective to be found on this issue.
Not forgetting that Trump has his critics. (I”m one of them). Many think he’s too close to the Democrats and the Clintons. He’s been a gun grabber in the past. He’s been a Democrat most of his life.
Has he changed for the better? Who knows? So far, he’s going pretty good, and he has not imploded, as the pundits have stated. He has growing support, and I think that is because he is seen as an agent of change.
I think many support Trump for that fact, that he is an agent of change, and no matter how many flaws he might have he still has to be an improvement over the stinking rancid Progressive status quo. That is the status quo that has the mainstream media and a lot of bloggers as its propaganda force and cheer squad.
TrueblueNZ 
29 responses to “NZ political pundits clueless on McCain Trump stoush”
I never considered McCain a war hero.
The real heros died in Vietnam.
May they rest in peace.
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I think they are saying he is a war hero because he didn’t die for the cause.
A war hero helps you win, does not gives up, regardless of personal circumstances.
What on earth is that photo I just brought up my breakfast and Lunch. This Country is in very deep dodo if the clowns are in charge.
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I look at that photo and see 3 pansified, emasculated, snivelling eunuchs with nay a sniff of integrity between them. If you want to know why our country is going down the gurgler, look at that photo for the state of NZ man hood.
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Actually EAD, if you recall that brilliant Tomi Lahren video posted on Kiwiblog yesterday, I actually asked Mr. Farrar (on Twitter) to post that and to my utter surprise he agreed. Maybe there is some hope for him, but as for the other two, forget it. 🙂
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BTW, here’s a message for the compulsive obsessive mentally deficient psychotics, narcissists and cowards (AKA Progressives) who frequent Kommieblog GD, and whose comments have been caught in the first time post filter.
This is a blog, and comments agreeing or disagreeing with my or anyone else’s POV and from relatively sane people are welcome. The kind of off topic chat room crap written by those Progs who frequent Kommieblog GD is not welcome. So don’t even think about it.
I’m not interested in running a blog that is klick bait for crazies.
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You actually raise a very good point Red. Many of us are still too easily lead by the media. Even though us conservatives know the media are generally a bunch of liars and cheats and hate anything at all to do with conservativism. We still slip into the mind set of believing them without doing research and fact checking their lies.
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The recent Sir Tim Hunt “malicious slander(ing)” is a very good example. When the media are outed as applying rather too much “poetic licence” they stay awfully silent lest too many start to become aware of it. http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/06/29/is-the-media-silent-on-tim-hunt-accuser-connie-st-louiss-lies-because-of-her-black-privilege/
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I don’t trust Trump either and he is not my pick but one story that has been glossed over is the fact that Forbes No 14 and probably the most powerful gangster who has ever lived, El Chapo, has put a $100 million dollar bounty on Trumps head.
Not only has prohibition failed miserably, it is now a mortal threat to national security – it is that serious. The Mexican Mafia has 50,000 foot soldiers on the streets of the US – if that doesn’t terrify ya’ll off of your moral high horses regarding the legality of drugs nothing will.
Come on all you old timers – back in your day not even Al Capone was that powerful. Legalislate, regulate and tax the drug market.
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NZ’s debt just passed the $100 billion mark and who knows what the Yankie debt is up to these days, which is another mortal threat to national security and sovereignty.
Talk about stacking the deck against the kids future.
Those voting my comment down should nut up and come up with a better way to make $$$.
I’m all ears
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I’ll give you drug legalisation, if you’ll first give me the root-and-branch evisceration of taxpayer-funded health care. If I’m not on the hook to pay for the consequences of your poor decisions, then by all means, stick that needle in your arm.
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Tobacco is a good example. $1.3 Billion in TAX $500 Million in healthcare costs.
The Gangs would love Tobacco to be illegal, think of the potential for TAX free income. The political wing of the gangs is constantly pushing for it.Likewise not legalize any of their business interests.
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It seems Andrew Bolt has also resorted to a little DPF-style cutting and pasting, rather than doing any real work:
http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/trump_the_draft_dodger_mocks_record_of_war_hero_mccain/
Just why is McShamnesty on the protected species list, anyway?
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Here is some interesting comment on McCain.
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$72 for a pouch of tobacco – surely some of that gets spent on health no??? Not to mention those who indulge in that habit die younger so you don’t have to pay the pension for as long.
At the moment you are already ‘on the hook for it’ and pay for the associated health costs associated with drug use with your taxes. And that’s before you begin to include all the other costs that go with the war on drugs such as prison and police resources, contaminated houses, lack of respect for law enforcement, a break down in society, gangsters with 50,000 footsoldiers ect ect
If you legalise, regulate and tax you are taking away the gangsters source of revenue and making dollars three ways…
Less crime= saving $$$
Tax take on the local market=$$$
The farmers could supplement their dairy product with a cash crop they could use to supply both the local and export market=$$$
I am only a simple man so you would need an accountant to run the numbers but think of the potential….The sky is the limit now light a fire under it dammit!!!
https://r1016132.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/a-sense-of-urgency-whats-that-the-adults-in-charge-ask-heres-big-t-aka-me-to-break-it-down-for-you-overgrown-children/
The clock is ticking
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I don’t for a second suggest smokers aren’t a cash-positive proposition, friend. But when was the last time a hit of tobacco (or even a lifetime of smoking) made someone go bananas and attack people with a machete?
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I think the point is that prohibition is not, never has and never will work.
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Pretty weak argument there Guy. Sounds like reefer madness to me.
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“Sounds like reefer madness to me.”
Only if you’re dumb enough to ignore the dangerous effects of long-term thc use, which are real and very damaging.
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“real and very damaging.”
And Tobacco and Alcohol are not?
Don’t smoke or do drugs. But I do thank smokers for their contribution to the TAX take.
Do the sums, excise TAX, GST and that Tobacco is not TAX deductible so it is paid for with after TAX income.
Smokers pay about $26 per hour for the privilege of smoking. For somebody on a modest income that is about 2 hours work for every hour they smoke. Unless you are on a benefit.Then we the TAX payer pays.
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My personal view is that it’s none of the government’s damn business what grown-ups choose to put into their own bodies.
But that doesn’t mean I have to be blind to the potential damage to society that may cause, any more than blind to the insane costs and ineffectiveness of the “war on drugs”.
Both sides of the argument are far from simple. 🙂
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This is a bit long but a worthwhile read on McCain’s efforts to prevent looking for and getting back captured American soldiers in Vietnam. If any of it is true (I presume it is as the author refers to legislation either promoted or blocked by McCain) it is scandalous and I feel that Trump should have stuck with his original comment and not corrected himself.
http://www.wnd.com/2015/07/mccain-and-the-pow-cover-up/
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I was the first to comment on the Kommieblog post in question and my comment was unequivocally anti-Trump. He may well be an agent of change as you say Red, but in my book he’s every bit the RINO that McCain is. Trump would be to the Republicans what Key is to National and I wouldn’t trust him as far I could throw him.
But I take your point that the MSM is manipulating what Trump actually said about McCain to suit their own agenda. No surprises there. I suspect the US MSM reporting on Trump will be similar to how the NZ MSM reported on Colin Craig.
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Well, as you know Ashley I’m a Ted Cruz backer, and I take on board what you say about Trump. If you search this site you’ll find posts on Trump that support your view.
However I think right now, on this Presidential Primary the jury is still out, and if I am going to attack Trump for being this or that, then of course I have to ask myself if that criticism would not also apply to any other candidate.
For example, many of the people putting Trump down were last election shilling for Romney.
Can you say with certainty that Trump is worse than Romney?
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Red, thanks for the context. We don’t ,won’t or ever get that from the MSM. Context is everything.
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Thanks Kowtow. If you actually seek out the video of the event you will see even more context and understand how the media have blown a one second sentence, an immediately corrected aside, into a big drama. Treacherous lying scum.
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One of those is the Brad Dayspring of the New Zealand political scene. Without Dayspring’s intelligence.
Another of those is the Chris Mathews of the New Zealand political scene.
The third is ShonKey
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Trumps trip to the border seemed to come off OK.
Loved the way he tackled the reporter that tried to trip him up.
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Yes, and once again, underlining the incorrectness of the Progressive MSM’s claim that Trump had “imploded”, we actually see the latest polls have his lead substantially increased.
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Bloke’s not my pick but dam is he effective…
https://r1016132.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/renegades-5-rounds-h-e-fire-for-effect/
POUR IT ON EM!!!
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