Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Herald coverage of debate: how far off is Marc Caputo? ... by gimleteye

Marc Caputo is a very good reporter. But as a Herald reporter with conservative views, I'm not sure what the newspaper is doing by allowing Caputo to editorialize on the front page of the paper.

Caputo writes on the debate last night, "... the president probably won, but he probably needed a far bigger win to change the trajectory of the race."

What kind of journalism is that? The answer is, it's not. It's an opinion that belongs on the opinion page.

I have a different take.

President Obama did win. For most of the debate, Romney was out of his league. The president was precise and on point. Romney was just on the fair side of disheveled. President Obama "probably" won the way the sun "probably" rises in the morning.

As to the "trajectory of the race", the race for president hasn't wavered from being tight, but the media is making it tighter than it is to gin up its audiences.  Obama is the likely winner. So far as trajectories, I would spend more time reviewing Nate Silver (538 blog) statistics than Marc Caputo's opinion.

BTW, Mitt Romney's direction if he were president would come from the radical extremists who control the GOP. President Obama is right: we've already seen what the extremists are capable of, in two terms of George W. Bush.

Voters should remember that the extremists who were visible in the Republican primary are now hidden in the weeds, allowing the retooled version of Mitt Romney to color the general election.

Romney makes a big deal of how much bipartisan consensus he was able to create in Massachusetts, but he didn't have to deal with the likes of radicals within his own party like Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who set out from President Obama's very first day in office to ensure that Republican obstructionism would dominate over the next four years.

The best message moderate Republicans can send is to support President Obama with a vote whose outcome would be to energize the GOP's return to the center. We need a strong, reasonable GOP, not the one hiding in the weeds.


11 comments:

sherlock said...

Is this the Marc Caputo that works for the Herald? If so, it explains everything.

Anonymous said...

Obama won last night’s debate, period. At the end, Romney was looking like a punch-drunk old palooka.

Marc Caputo is a biased, narcissistic republican flunky with no redeeming journalistic value. The Herald permits this hack to spew his right-wing drivel with a questionable prominence.

For months, Republicans have been attempting to convince the American public of their version of events, as if we can’t see and figure it out for ourselves. Distortion and outright lies are now characterizing the Republican right as was seen in last night’s debate.

Romney, just because you say it, don’t make it so. And, just because you say you’re going to do it, doesn't mean you are going to do it.

Anonymous said...

Palooka?

Anonymous said...

A better read is in today's New York Times editorial: "At his worst, Mr. Romney sounded like a beauty pageant contestant groping for an answer to the final question. “We want a peaceful planet,” he said. “We want people to be able to enjoy their lives and know they’re going to have a bright and prosperous future and not be at war.” It is shameful the Miami Herald has that analysis to offer. I hope it doesn't mean they are going to endorse Romney, what shameless pandering that would be and so damaging to Florida, the U.S and the world if Romney-Ryan were to prevail.

Anonymous said...

Hey worried folks - don't spend your time griping on facebook and blogs - go out and volunteer for the President - canvassing, calling, getting out the vote. Efforts by the Republic Party nationwide to suppress the vote should not be rewarded. Efforts by GOP-led Florida legislature to bog down the ballot with 11 amendments should not prevail (Vote NO on all of them and move on).

Ladra, the public watch dog said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Gimleteye! Really?

"The best message moderate Republicans can send is to support President Obama with a vote whose outcome would be to energize the GOP's return to the center. We need a strong, reasonable GOP, not the one hiding in the weeds."

I would suggest the reverse. The best message All the moderate Democrats can send is their vote for Romney!

Come on, you have to be kidding me if you truly believe Obama is anywhere near close to center!

As to the reporters, most of them have become unreadable or unwatchable recently and I cannot wait until after the election to resume my normal non election stuff!

Talk about drawing a line in the sand!

P. Mason said...

hey, ladra, what are you doing hanging around these parts? Go stalk some Hialeah politicians while they eat lunch.

Yeah, let's talk about being a discredit to bloggers.

Anonymous said...

Ladra what's up.... Must be a slow night covering the low life Cuban mafia republicans in Hialeah. But I must admit I read you and EOM daily!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I think that was the "dean" posting...lol

Anonymous said...

Please. Who is being partial? Caputo provides more than just a play-by-play, he provides commentary and analysis, explaining WHY he and other observers believe it was not that big of a win (if even). You're the one who is blinded by the Obama light. So you point fingers rather than allow for dissention. You are a discredit to bloggers.