History Is Written For The Losers, When They’re Wingnuts

by tristero

Here’s the online version of the Times article about Democrat Bill Owens’ stunning victory over the handpicked candidate of the fascist right. It differs from the printed version of the article. The online version has two paragraphs inserted -the third and the fourth-that provide merely token interest in the winner of this race. The print version omitted them; it was written entirely from the perspective of the losers, and is quite sympathetic to their cause. A sample:

“Thank you to every single person out there that joined my team and fought back for America,” [Republican-backed rightwing loser] Mr. Hoffman said. “This one was worth the fight. And it’s only one fight in the battle, and we have to keep fighting…”

The Club for Growth, a group that promotes limited government and lower taxes, spent about $1 million promoting Mr. Hoffman. Social conservative organizations like the Susan B. Anthony List, which opposes abortion, and the National Organization for Marriage, which fights same-sex marriage laws, joined forces in support of Mr. Hoffman. They printed literature, made phone calls and flooded the district with volunteers from across the country.

“This is probably the most amazing coalition-building I’ve seen in a long time — probably decades,” said Marilyn Musgrave, a former Republican congresswoman from Colorado who now works with the Susan B. Anthony List and came to New York to campaign for Mr. Hoffman.

On Tuesday morning, Ms. Musgrave stood in frigid weather for several hours outside a state office building in downtown Watertown with a group of home-schooled students passing out blue fliers that read, “Doug Hoffman shares our values!”

Ms. Musgrave said the overwhelming conservative embrace of Mr. Hoffman would show leaders in Washington that political bases should not be taken for granted. “Don’t just assume we’re yours.”

Clearly, the Times never bothered to cover Bill Owens at all – no descriptions, even online, about the crowd at Owens’ victory party, for example (there was a stock photo of Owens in print, but the caption makes clear it wasn’t a picture from last night). Why? Because he isn’t a rightwing lunatic, but simply what appears to be a decent man who cares passionately about issues that affect his community. Unlike his opponent, who didn’t even live in the district and had not the slightest clue what the issues were about.

For those of you who disagree that the Times provided once again an inappropriate outlet for rightwing propaganda by pointing to the mention that the loss of the district dealt a blow to the right, I’d like to note that nowhere in the article were the groups who supported Owens quoted, let alone their members profiled like Musgrave was at the end. And remember, the print version didn’t even bother to print an excerpt from Owens’ victory speech.

This is history written for the benefit of the losers.