There is only one race for the US Presidency, says the BBC
If you haven't already read James' superb coverage of Iowa, do have a look at Coffee House.
It's certainly better than the nonsense and bias served up by the BBC, for which we are of course all forced to pay under threat of imprisonment. Last night's Ten O'Clock News on BBC1 - the corporation's flagship bulletin - decided that there was only one race, that for the Democrats. Justin Webb, the corporation's US Editor, did not consider it worth mentioning the name of a single Republican, or worth informing his viewers that there will be a Republican contender in November, too. His report was entirely focused on Obama, Clinton and Edwards. It is, presumably, beyond the conception of the BBC that the Americans might return a Republican to the White House after the experience of George W Bush, so why bother mentioning that there was a Republican contest in Iowa, too?
Webb has form. Last April,Mr Webb was being interviewed on Radio Five Live about how the US television networks were losing viewers to cable and the internet: There are three groups of people who don't watch the evening news any more, and they are intelligent people, young people, and right-wing people. Obviously there are some people who fall into all three categories - at least arguably [he added, laughing].
Clearly it is not possible to be Right-wing and intelligent, according to Mr Webb, So no wonder he doesn't think it worth bothering his British viewers with news of the Republican contest.
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Nick Peters
January 4th, 2008 10:13amWhile not wishing to dispute either your reporting or the conclusions you draw, in his defence, my experience of Justin Webb is that generally he is more likely than most to reflect conservative viewpoints from America. What does intrigue me is how poorly the BBC TV News actually informs the viewers about what the primaries are...having covered US presidential primaries myself I know how important it is to create a kind of shorthand to explain what's going on. My sense, from what I hear, is that very few people on the desk or in the studio actually know themselves what's actually happening!
Ian C
January 4th, 2008 11:23amNick Peters' view is intersting as it that of an insider - not a consumer, such as I. At best J Webb has his teeth gritted when he admits that there is a right of centre view of life as well. I can confirm for Stephen and the BBC that intelligent right thinkers do exist - I am one!! - who does not watch the 10 O'clock news any longer, nor listen to Today other than for specific items becausse they are now a soft mush of unintelligent, lowest common denominator, mass market drivel that have lost their way. And we are forced to pay for it. A really liberla regime we have in this country!
Alex R
January 4th, 2008 11:30amShould also be noted that whenever Webb does refer to Huckabee it is always as the "former Baptist minister" - never as the "former governor" - which is obviously code for "this guy's a nutter." (Given his views on evolution that may well be the case, but surely that’s beside the point and for me to make my mind up about. Bill Clinton would never have been treated with such disrespect.)
James
January 4th, 2008 3:17pmAh the Beeb. Along with North Korea and Cuba, one of the last great bastions of Marxist thought.
Jimmy B
January 10th, 2008 1:35amFrankly I find the Beeb's coverage of American affairs rather akin to that of a curious zoo specimen which really ought not to be allowed out of its cage!