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July 06, 2008 | DH | Comments 3

Wall-E for President

I was watching CBS Face the Nation this morning and veteran newsman Bob Schieffer who kept using the phrase, “flip-flop,” to describe a politician who seems to change his mind.  Schieffer should know better than to repeatedly pick up on such simple-minded politicking jargon.  Heck, everyone changes his or her mind.

The origins of the current usage of the phrase came out of the 2004 presidential race when it was hung on John Kerry, and he fell for the ruse. The media picked it up and has run with it ever since, certainly in a “copy-cat” style.

My point is that today’s media gets caught up in these astonishingly stupid catch-phrases and jargon, which are designed to manipulate and distract them from real issues … and the media falls for it, again and again, as if they have a microphone but not a brain.  But, then, many in the media today are more focused on their own fame and fortune than ferreting out news, and that includes being cozy with power brokers at the detriment of objectivity.

I highly recommend reading today’s column by John Rich of The New York Times.  If the media and many of the rest of us cannot focus on real issues, then let’s elect Wall-E president.

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About the Author: David is a veteran communications strategist ... writer ... blogger ... online publisher ... and Emmy Award winning former CBS Network News correspondent. He lives in Washington, D. C., area and works worldwide.

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  1. Every time I hear that phrase “flip-flop,” I get nauseated. How naiive can “some” become! I am sure you know who, exactly, promoted this phrase in 2004….

  2. Wall-E totally looks like the robot from “Short Circuit”… minus the cheesy 80’s style of course

  3. Patrick,

    Yeah … maybe. But Wall-E is a fun film that will make you laugh.

    David

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