Ossoff’s Gift From A Slobbering Media
The tsunami of commercials from Karen Handel and Jon Ossoff drowning television viewers in the metro Atlanta media market is distorting some basic facts about the contest, and the general tone of the media coverage isn’t helping inform anyone either. As a former reporter, political consultant and a news consumer in Atlanta for more than 40 years, I’ve never seen any candidate receive deeper, wetter kisses from the Atlanta press corps than the ones they’re giving Jon Ossoff every day. His fiancée ought to be worried, because every news director, assignment editor and reporter in this town wants to have Ossoff’s baby. It’s not incompetence as much as a character trait –Atlanta media is so deep in the tank for Ossoff they’ve become like the goldfish who don’t know that water is wet.
A recent case was local coverage of a joint appearance by Handel and Ossoff at a breakfast for Jewish War Veterans in Dunwoody. Handel spoke first -and adamantly- in support of the Taylor Force Act, which would strip US aid to organizations that fund terrorism, including the Palestinian Authority, which uses American tax dollars to compensate families of suicide bombers, and gives bonuses based on the victim count. (The Taylor Force Act, named for an American veteran murdered in Israel, has broad support in Congress and is so a priori obvious it shouldn’t even be an issue.)
Ossoff, speaking after Handel, mouthed some fluff about “…aid is leverage and I’d be interested to work with the State Department and the government of Israel to ensure that no U.S. aid that flows to the PA finds its way to the families of those that have killed Israelis.” That’s a lot of words to say what should be painfully obvious: Don’t. Give. Aid. To. Terrorists. And don’t try to “leverage” them either –leverage is just another word for “negotiate.”
Handel wants aid to terrorists to stop immediately. Ossoff wants to negotiate and send very stern letters to them or something. But the local coverage, astonishingly, reported that Handel proposed cutting aid -to Israel. I suppose there may be a few reporters who don’t know the difference between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, but they should stick to writing for their middle-school newspapers.
One reporter getting one fact 100% wrong in one story might not seem like a big deal. But 45% of the ENTIRE JEWISH POPULATION OF GEORGIA lives in the 6th District, so in this case, this fact being reported correctly matters more than a little.
Jon Ossoff is getting such fawning, whorish media treatment because he’s the shiny new object. He’s young and well-spoken, and has experience working for the dippy Hank Johnson and the civil rights museum-piece John Lewis. He’s as cute as a speckled puppy with almost as much experience. He’s Robert Redford in “The Candidate” –handsome as hell and one inch deep.
Karen Handel, on the other hand, is a known entity. She served as Georgia’s Secretary of State, and managed to lead that office into the internet era without accidentally releasing voter data to anybody. She was Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Fulton County –and actually balanced that beleaguered government’s budget. Handel has a proven, demonstrated record of conservatism, competence and honest public service. Which makes her “boring” to the news media.
Well, good government is boring. It’s supposed to be boring. And shame on the Atlanta news media for not informing their viewers that. Because good, boring government is far more important than wrong news. Even if it is exciting and shiny.
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Mike Hassinger
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this race is about one thing and one thing only…who is going to be an accomplice to the corrupt President and he continues to lead us down devastating paths…and who will be a consistent, constant, voice of accountability against him. everything else is just noise. Handel is not that person and her silence speaks volumes about what she will be bringing to Washington. her only foothold is the people who put party over country and just want to keep the seat red
Jesus H. Christ, where the hell did you come from?
I guess the race is really close.
Mike, sounds like you are frustrated living in the DeKalb portion of the 6th District, which of course Ossoff easily won a month ago and will do so again in 27 days. This ain’t the (north) DeKalb/Northlake-Tucker of a generation ago, when conservatives like Betty Jo Williams and Joe Burton were in office…those days are long gone,. long long gone. In fact, last November, Trump failed to carry a single precinct in DeKalb south of I-85 (the first part of which opened in North DeKalb 60 years ago this month)–probably the first time in that time period that not a single DeKalb precinct below there voted has voted Republican for president. Heck, even in Jimmy Carter’s presidential runs, you could find DeKalb precincts voting for Ford (1976) or Reagan (1980).
I am not Jewish, but I somehow doubt that Israel is the number one issue for the majority of Jewish voters in an election, any more than Catholics look to the Vatican on stances they should take from voting (if Catholics did so, well the likes of Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi would never have been elected)!! Furthermore, the issues are complex and the different Jewish traditions–Orthodox, Reform and Conservative—may have different views on the peace process in a country 6,000 miles away. It is like the Republican attack ads on Ossoff on the Iranian nuclear deal—I mean, how many voters are competent enough to comment on whether that is such a good or bad deal? Heck, even far-right firebrand Pat Buchanan has had some nice things to say about the deal, but the ads are too “inside baseball” for the typical voter, not addressing their everyday concerns.
As for Hank Johnson and John Lewis, there views are different from mine, but like it or not, they have a following in DeKalb, and not just in heavily black south DeKalb. As some examples in your Tucker/Northlake area, in 2006, when that area was in CD 4, Johnson won 59% in the Henderson Mill precinct,, 60% in the Lakeside precinct, and 52% each in the Tucker and Tucker Library precincts—and that was 11 years ago (well before Ossoff’s “media coronation!” Even the Silver Lake precinct in Brookhaven (Capitol City Club area) went for Johnson. Granted, DeKalb is just a fraction of the 6th Cd (only 23% of the total turnout last month came from DeKalb), but I think even without the so-called positive media spin on Ossoff, he would still be winning your part of DeKalb.
Also, you mentioned than Handel has a demonstrated record of conservatism. But is the 6th really a conservative district (like on all fronts, economic, foreign policy and social)? Or is it more a moderate, “country-club” type of district? I think the evidence strongly suggests the latter. Veteran junkies may recall that in 1996, Isakson sought the GOP US Senate nomination running an actively pro-choice campaign (on abortion—no hiding it). He lost of course statewide to Guy Millner, but won about 60% in what is now the 6th CD—and that was just in the Republican primary (not a districtwide referendum for both Democrats and Republicans on abortion). “Personhood” (an advisory question on the GOP primary ballot in 2012, pushed by pro-life forces) got lukewarm support in the district (55%), but Sunday retail alcohol sales were a big hit in the 6th CD (77% support in 2012). And the state lottery back in 1992 doubtless won in this area (even while losing in then-Democratic rural south Georgia). Upscale districts tend to be more liberal on social issues, and while I don’t support their views, Planned Parenthood seems to gets lots of support in such districts—which obviously the Ossoff campaign thinks, judging by his ads. Hande;s’ ads (and her cohorts) seem to be out of the old playbook—link Ossoff to Pelosi and Bernie Sanders. But in the case of Pelosi, how many voter’s views are really shaped by her current position as House minority leader? Heck, there are probably a lot of voters who don’t even know who the current Speaker is up in DC.
It seems like this battle is boiling down to whether Handel’s campaign can make Pelosi and Sanders more unpopular in the district than Ossoff can make Trump more unpopular. And this being the only congressional district in Georgia where neither party’s presidential candidate won a majority (Trump got 48% in CD 6, Clinton 47% and Libertarian Gary Johnson 5%), the voters who did not like either Trump or Clinton last fall look to be the key to the June 20 results.
I’m always entertained (read: bothered) by the folks who use Israel as short hand for “Jews” and who claim that Israel is the only idea that Jews care about. Frankly, it’s an antiquated and offensive line of thinking, and in this piece, Mike ignores that Ossoff even comes from a Jewish family.
It’s worth noting that Jews have historically been Democrats because we care about things like social service programs, helping the poor, a woman’s right to choose, LGBT civil rights, and other things that the modern GOP stands against. Many of us – even those of us who have lived in Israel, as I have – are far more concerned about a candidate’s stances on domestic and local issues because we live here, and they’re our representatives, not Israel’s.
But most of all, it’s lazy writing to use the “the media don’t like my preferred candidate” argument without any real proof such as headlines, percentage of coverage, or links to existing articles. It sounds far more like someone shaking their fist at the sky instead of making a valid and coherent argument, sad that the race is actually competitive.
Welcome back, Mike. It’s good to see a fellow P/P contributor on here. This blog seems to have been taken over by the far-left lately, so hold onto your hat! You are 100% right about the media romance with all things left of center, journalism schmernalism. We don’t need no stinkin’ factual reporting.
The sad thing about media manipulation of this 6th CD race is that it’s the people who live in the 6th who will bear the brunt of its outcome. Experience or qualifications be damned. After the years of having Price’s knowledgeable service and influence as part of the majority party to help them, constituents will be the ones to suffer if a young boy lying his ossoff steps into that seat.
Mike – Clever. Accurate. Thanks for both.
Robbie, thanks for your insight. I looked up some old stats on Jewish voting in presidential elections, and found that GOP support seemed to peek decades ago, like about 40% for Nixon in his 1972 landslide, 45% for Gerald Ford against Carter and 40% for Reagan against Carter. After 1980, the Jewish vote turned more heavily Democratic, like 65% for Mondale in 1984 and 77% for Gore in 2000. The changes may have been due to increase influence of the “Religious Right” in the 1980s—the Falwell/Pat Robertson crowd. For Carter in 1976, the Jewish vote against him seemed to have been because of his identity as a “born-again” Christian, perhaps creating a perception he would somehow infringe on separation of church and state. In 2012, Obama got 69% of the Jewish vote and the figure for Clinton last time was 71% (to just 24% for Trump). The stats seem to show that trying to “out support” the Democrats in support of Israel is not a game changer for Republicans, that indeed as you pointed out, there are other issues of importance for Jewish voters.
Handel is even claiming now that she is down in public polling—and of course it is due to the liberal media and national Democrats. But she and other Republicans have avoided the hard question: Why did Trump do so much worse than Romney in the 6th District? Explanations, please?!? According to the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics (February 2), “of all 241 Republican-held (congressional) districts, Hillary Clinton improved on Barack Obama’s 2012 performance more in GA-6 than she did in any other except for (the Houston area) TX-7, held by Rep. John Culberson [R].” Yes, Clinton improved about 10 points over Obama’s 2012 showing in the district, even though Clinton ignored the state in the fall campaign. I mean, do you think that might have something to do with Ossoff’s performance—just maybe? Does one think if there were a vacancy in, say, the 78% Trump district of Rep. Doug Collins in northeast Georgia, that Democrats would be targeting that seat so heavily?
One other thing—where does Handel stand on the issues? You never hear anything about what she wants to do up in DC—instead it is mostly about Ossoff, he lies, is too liberal and so on.
“[I]t looks like she just never updated the “Republican campaign site starter pack” she bought from GoDaddy.” LOL
“for more than 40 years”
Yeah…. way to sell yourself short.
Maybe there’s a reason why people are having so much trouble writing pro-Handel stories… maybe she’s terrible… I don’t know, food for thought
It’s looking like a terrible campaign anyway.
She’s toast. Comey firing, Russia investigations and Trump Care are having countervailing impacts on party turnout.
Not to disparage the author in any way, more views are always needed, but making the assumption that the media is Pro Ossoff is a mistake. The media and voters could just as easily dislike Handel or the status quo; an unknown represents and chance for change.
Regardless voters will make their choice soon enough, and hopefully both parties will examine their positions afterwards and better align with what the people actually want.
There’s nothing wet about this kiss. Ever wonder why we never hear about his dad?
https://propagandareportdaily.com/2017/05/24/ep-42-jon-ossoff-millennial-obama-his-deep-state-connections-his-mysterious-father/
So what’s Handel’s position on the Trump budget that slashes spending on science and medical research, including cutting the budget of the CDC, an agency with a large office or offices and hundreds if not thousands of employees in the well-educated and sicence-oriented GA-6, by $1.2 billion?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/05/22/trump-budget-seeks-huge-cuts-to-disease-prevention-and-medical-research-departments/?utm_term=.c6ffa60c4719
Crickets of course. What’s a GOP Trump rubber stamp to do? Make waves like Tom Price is doing as HHS Secretary?