Is Candy Crowley a concern troll?

I was watching CNN this morning (yes, I am truly a glutton for punishment) and Candy Crowley comes on talking about the Obama's planned trip to Europe and to the Middle East.

How will this "total unknown" be judged overseas, says Candy.

And she was blabbing on about "how high risk it was" and "he couldn't afford to stumble" with his relative inexperience on the international scene.

Like for the last 7 years the US hasn't been stumbling around the world political scene worse then any drunk I have ever seen outside any bar at 2 AM New Year's night?

Yeah, Obama could do something like confuse the Shias and the Sunnis, or refer to a country that hasn't existed for 20 years. That would certainly cause anyone running for President to be judged as incompetent on foreign affairs by crack reporters like Candy Crowley, right?

THEN she launches into this butt polishing section about McCain, how " his great strength is Global Politics" and "His experience on the world stage".

Oh, for goodness sakes. I'm not sure the guy has looked at a world map since 1975?

Czechoslovakia?  Not there anymore, John.  

If Obama would have made that mistake, Faux News would have suspending all programming for the day to highlight Obama's complete misunderstanding of the realignment of the post cold war world.

Then, Candy goes on to claim "Obama is going to be covered on this trip like a rock star" and all the requests that the campaign has had to deal with for press coverage, here and abroad? Nice, reinforce the rock star meme, as compared to the sober worldly politician John McCain.

So, you say "He is totally unknown abroad" then two minutes later, the campaign has been overwhelmed with requests for press coverage from the foreign media. Must be cause they only are considering him "a rock star", right, Candy?

Ok, Candy, I think I can clear that great mystery up for you.

See, for the most part, the Europeans are PRAYING we are over our collective idiocy we displayed in electing Frat-Boy twice, and are begging us to come to our senses!

Any foreign reporter worth his salt is going to bust his ass to get an interview and coverage with the next President of the United States.

See how easy it is when you don't try to whip up this phony news story and just deal with the story in front of you?



Display:


Not a concern troll (2.00 / 8)

Just an idiot and a bad journalist.

She's quite frankly one of the reasons I don't watch much CNN.  Between her, Dobbs, and Blitzer, I get a bad head-buzz of sanctimony and incompetance that won't stop until I turn on Verdict with Dan Abrams.


In this avalanche, the pebbles get to vote.
by Dracomicron on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 05:19:00 PM EST

Re: Not a concern troll (none / 0)

Just an idiot and a bad journalist.

We already knew she was a member of the MSM, so that was understood.


by TCQuad on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 09:36:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

She is a good writer and one of the better reporte (none / 0)

rs.

Frankly, saying it's a risk actually helps Obama. It makes it look like he's willing to sacrifice his chances, it makes him look like a risk-taker.

I don't see any risk here. Even if he makes a ginormous gaffe it will be absorbed and excused away by the media.

Maybe you don't like Crowley because she's overweight and female.


by catfish2 on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 11:44:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Uh huh. (none / 0)

Maybe you don't like me because my screen handle starts with "D".

I didn't say anything about her gender or bodily appearence.  You seem to be the one to bring such things up first.


In this avalanche, the pebbles get to vote.
by Dracomicron on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 11:47:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

keep the hits coming (none / 0)

Maybe you don't like Crowley because she's overweight and female.

That kind of broad accusation says more about you than it does about the person you're leveling it against for no reason. Every day you get just a little more vile.


by upstate girl on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 11:50:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

I've seen this before with Crowley (none / 0)

she gets singled out. ALL of the reporters are saying what's the risk/what's the payoff. But when Crowley says it people get pissed off. How dare that fat woman say this about my precious candidate.


by catfish2 on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 12:02:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Keep going (none / 0)

I mean you could sound a little more persecuted if you really tried to put words in people's mouths a little bit more.

...hey, weren't you one of the ones complaining that everyone that doesn't like Obama gets called a racist? Aren't you doing the exact same thing? No, couldn't be, that would mean you're a hypocrite!


by upstate girl on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 12:07:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

She is a good writer, hey sorry good writers (none / 0)

are hard to find these days. Her scripts are witty, sharp, and on point. She breaks new ground in her reports.


by catfish2 on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 01:24:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: She is a good writer, hey sorry good writers (none / 0)

And that addresses my point about your hypocrisy how, exactly? That its different when you do it?


by upstate girl on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 01:48:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

A bit of topic but.... (none / 0)

Not that this was directed towards me, but, point of fact, I find skinny women less attractive then woman with shape, I have been accused of prefering almost the zoftig look?

OT, but I find the Media, Hollywoods obcession with thin women to be NOT matched by the real culture.

Most of the men I know, with few exceptions, don't like the tendency for women to think they have to be razor thin.

I think Candy looks just fine, but, I do think she is playing the hype in her reporting.

Just sayin.....


"Either you're the butcher Or the lamb but even so, Everybody pays as they go-Jakob Dylan"
by WashStateBlue on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 04:11:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 3)

It's probably going to be a huge triumph and the Republicans know it that's why the noise machine has gone into action accusing him presumptuousness, naivete, having the wrong colored luggage, etc etc.  


by ottovbvs on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 05:21:32 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 5)

Obama's Europe trip is shaping up to be a huge success. The Europeans are in love with Barack, just like they are with Gore. He will be treated like royalty by most of Europe. There will be a backlash at home, because of the positive press he will get there.

Expect the MSM to obsess over every little thing that can be twisted to cast a negative spin on Obama. When they aren't spinning things, they will be ignoring it as much as possible. They are going to have to do that in order to keep the race close, because this trip will be a huge benefit for Obama. Even the most unsophisticated voter will understand what 'soft power' means and how Obama becoming president will affect that.


"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." Samuel Johnson
by MS01 Indie on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 05:28:27 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 4)

Absolutely, because he won't treat them like subserviant dummies. "Old Europe", remember that one?

Hell, we need those folks more then ever, our dollar is so weak, we need all the friends we can get.

Yet, you have clowns like Phil Gramm thumping his chest claiming "the US has never been more powerful."

That is delusional and dangerous thinking, we need a sober rationalist like Obama out there so badly, I'm praying we make it to 2009 with these clowns in charge.


"Either you're the butcher Or the lamb but even so, Everybody pays as they go-Jakob Dylan"
by WashStateBlue on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 05:36:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 5)

I agree, don't forget that ABC and WAPo both held back the headline of Obama's clear polling lead over McCain (8%, 10 % if Barr is included), replacing it instead with the data that McC was staying competitive in the Iraq debate.


by Susan from 29 on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 05:37:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Info-tainment FTW (none / 0)

Candy is an entertainer dressed up like a reporter. Her job is to push a narrative that will be easy to understand and easy to explain.  Ratings are the most important thing to the entertainment companies that own the news media.  

Let's hope Britney Spears gets married this weekend or they find Natalie Holloway alive and well in Belize*. Those things would give the media something to talk about for 24 hours a day.    

*That would actually be a good reason for a media frenzy.  


Consider that everything which happens, happens justly, and if thou observest carefully, thou wilt find it to be so. -Marcus Aurelius
by Blue Neponset on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 07:24:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Candy Crowley reports Entertainment? (none / 0)

News to me. She is actually one of the better reporters on that channel. Anderson Cooper and Erica whats her name are pretty useless news readers.

Cooper is good on location, but anchoring the evening 360 is a total tepid bore.


by catfish2 on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 01:26:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Within an hour after this diary.... (none / 0)

...was posted, CNN was totally mocking the crap out of McCain, making comments about things such as: "Barack Obama knows the difference between Sunnis and Shias." And, then there was: "Obama knows there's no longer a Czechoslovakia."

So, I beg to differ with this diarist as far as their assessment of Crowley is concerned. Dobbs...over-the-top with his sanctimonious drivel. Blitzer...a big cup of nuthin', IMHO. But, folks like Cooper, King and Crowley are fine in my book. (Granted, out of the three, Crowley's my least favorite. But, sometimes she's pretty good.)

The diarist's indignation is quite over-the-top, IMHO. Almost as if they were looking for something to be indignant about so they'd have fodder for a diary. I'm just sayin'...

Between Fox, MSNBC, and CNN, CNN IS the closest thing to a real news outlet, IMHO. Granted, very far from it, but closer than many others.

I find it a bit incredulous that this actually made the rec list.


by bobswern on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 10:52:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Within an hour after this diary.... (none / 0)

Between Fox, MSNBC, and CNN, CNN IS the closest thing to a real news outlet
This is a sad, but true, statement on the status of news reporting in this country.


"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." Samuel Johnson
by MS01 Indie on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 12:54:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Of the three she's my favorite (none / 0)

King is too much of a prancer. Cooper is better on location. Crowley is the most deadpanned, a real reporter.


by catfish2 on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 01:27:03 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A real reporter? (none / 0)

Thanks. I needed that humor. Brightened up my day.


by QTG on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 01:42:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 5)

She is another that I consider a smarmy pundit.  She lost her journalistic creds a long time ago, in my book.

But diaries like this are important simply because she continues to receive the air time of a reporter.  We need to constantly point out contradictions like this and not only for the historical record but for the evidence they provide that the press is indeed biased.


by Susan from 29 on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 05:30:33 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 3)

I quit watching CNN some time ago. Dobbs is nothing more than an over-the-top blowhard entertainer and Blitzer is a dim-wit. Candy Crowley is either clueless or guileless. Whichever it is, she can't be trusted to report straight news.


"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." Samuel Johnson
by MS01 Indie on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 05:31:40 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 3)

I've always found Candy Crowley to be a reliable purveyor of GOP talking points.  She is not on our side.


"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman
by Steve M on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 05:42:42 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 4)

From a European perspective, let me tell you all - the diarist is completely right. Wait to you see the reaction Obama gets. He excites more Europeans than any presidential candidate since Kennedy (and yes I can dimly remember the assassination, I was three years old).

If the world got a vote, Obama would win by a landslide.

In the meantime, we'll just have to rely on the American people - who seem to be about to make up for the fiasco of two Bush terms.

Just sayin'


Pointing to the inadequacies of John McCain
by duende on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 05:45:06 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 2)

If the world got a vote any Democrat would win in a landslide every time.


by conspiracy on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 07:05:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Rock star (2.00 / 2)

I hope he plays Free Bird.


by JJE on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 06:30:50 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (none / 0)

Rock on Senator!

Rock on!


We want to see Ivana [Trump] because we are so desperate in Alaska for any semblance of glamour and culture. - Sarah Palin
by spacemanspiff on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 06:44:25 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (none / 0)

They're all concern trolls.

I wish someone, anyone would show some concern over what McCain is and is not doing.  He's getting away with murder right now, but instead, everyone is "concerned" about what Obama is doing.


by hello world on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 07:05:27 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (none / 0)

She's worried about Obama and his inexperience abroad?

I would like to remind her of this cringe-worthy moment from our current idiot in chief:


by skohayes on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 07:17:51 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 1)

love that clip. I bet Merkel's looking forward to dealing with either candidate replacing Bush.


by mikeinsf on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 07:42:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (none / 0)

"Concern troll" is about the nicest thing you could say about that woman. I'd get flamed to death for mentioning some more accurate descriptions.


www.thingsyoungerthanmccain.com
by LandStander on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 07:49:28 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (none / 0)

Starting to think that McCain is getting a free pass on such issues because he is old and the media considers it unsurprising. And frankly, I can't imagine anything more dangerous to gloss over.


If you're being chased by an angry bull and then you notice you're also being chased by a swarm of bees, it doesn't really change things. Just keep on running.
by vcalzone on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 08:37:42 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (none / 0)

I'd like to see someone put McCain in front of a map of Europe and ask him to point out Czechoslovakia, since he's mentioned it several times. Can you imagine what would have happened if McCain had said "Czechoslovakia" in the presence of a real reporter, like Cronkite, or Huntley/Brinkley, or Murrow? They would have corrected him on the spot, questioned his grasp of the geopolitics.

I understand that the anchors of all the major networks are going to accompany Obama on this trip. Barack should take the opportunity to make an off-hand remark to someone where you know you're being taped, but kinda pretend it's a private conversation, to the effect of, "Yeah, they're waiting for me to slip up -- like I might confuse Sunni with Shia, or keep referring to a country that hasn't existed for over 5 years."


by Bob Miller on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 09:31:04 PM EST

it only takes a minute (2.00 / 1)

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form1. html?39


Sexism is real.
by grassrootsorganizer on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 09:56:21 PM EST

Re: it only takes a minute (none / 0)

Thanks, I needed that.  Bookmarked for future reference.  I liked your recent diary in a similar vein.  E-power to the people.


by Shaun Appleby on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 03:01:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (2.00 / 1)

Can we be a little MORE thin-skinned?


by NY Writer on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 10:47:43 PM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (none / 0)

probably.  Is that an issue for you?


Sexism is real.
by grassrootsorganizer on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 10:50:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Granted, Candy can be smarmy... (none / 0)

...as someone said upthread...but, I find her rather middling...feel somewhat ambivalent about her...sometimes she's on...sometimes she's off. And, that's more than I can say about a lot of others...such as pompous ass Dobbs, and Blitzer, who's got the personality of a dialtone, IMHO.

But, then again, I think Olbermann's one of the biggest assholes on the air. And, I'm sure that doesn't flush well with this blog's majority.

Thanks to folks like Cooper, Amanpour, King, and pundit David Gergen, CNN is definitely a far cry above MSNBC and Fox. But, still a very, very far distance from anything I'd consider to be consistently decent journalism. Very little of that around nowadays, at least in the U.S.


by bobswern on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 11:00:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Granted, Candy can be smarmy... (2.00 / 1)

I still haven't forgotten the Bill Moyer's Wright interview --- ah, yes, I remember journalism now. vaguely.

Back in my day, immediately post-Watergate, the coolest most respected profession in the world was "journalist"... Rather in Vietnam, Cronkite, Huntley and Brinkley, the young Mike Wallace, zero mixing of commentary and news, no Fox, no Dobbs, no fluff, no blowhards, no hairdos, no one reporting on movie stars unless they died tragically and were married to a king or something.

ah.  so sad.  


Sexism is real.
by grassrootsorganizer on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 11:12:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

MSM censorship...both by itself... (none / 0)

...and in terms of it happening on a de facto basis by third parties...is ridiculous nowadays.

I mean, like who ever heard of reporting about a WAR without being enabled to see the results of it? No flag-draped caskets? No pictures telling the truth about the gruesome brutality of it all? Remembers those pictures from Life magazine in the late 60's and early 70's?

War. Is. Fucked. Up.

Our government would have us believe it's what we see on television now. It's not what we saw on television then. Back then we were witness to much of the horrific truth.

How can our society -- and even our own Party -- just lie down and accept this without screaming about it all the time?

No one seems to give a shit about truth anymore!


by bobswern on Fri Jul 18, 2008 at 11:50:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Did you see any of her coverage (none / 0)

of Kerry in 2004? At least she doesn't sneer when she's talking about Obama.


by georgiapeach on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 02:48:53 AM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (none / 0)

"And she was blabbing on about "how high risk it was" and "he couldn't afford to stumble" with his relative inexperience on the international scene."

It's disgustingly embarassing to our human specie how none of the deep thinking pundimwits and journaliticians who repeat this talking point (no doubt put forward by the GOP) seem to realize how stupid it is in the face of them giving McSenile a free pass on his foreign policy blunders and gaffes (even while overseas) because they have declaimed him to be experienced.


by Beren on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 04:53:44 AM EST

Czechoslovakia? (none / 0)

A non-starter, given that none other then Sam Nunn made the same misstatement while with Obama, no less.

WASHINGTON - What is it about Czechoslovakia and people with strong national security backgrounds?

First Republican presidential candidate John McCain referred to the country twice in as many days, even though it has not existed since 1993, when it split into the separate nations of Slovakia and the Czech Republic following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Now comes former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, who mentioned Czechoslovakia while joining Democratic presidential Barack Obama on the campaign trail in Indiana.



by DaTruth on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 07:04:32 AM EST

Re: Is Candy Crowley a concern troll? (none / 0)

This being covered?
Not so much..

http://www.alternet.org/election08/90956 /


"harlequin speech of suicide, demanding instantaneous lobotomy"
by nogo postal on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 09:20:42 AM EST

The Onion gets Obama's fluff coverage (none / 0)

Guys, Obama gets so much favorable coverage the public is actually starting to get sick of it. It can backfire.


by catfish2 on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 11:45:57 AM EST

no really guys I'M CONCERNED (none / 0)

Ooooookay catfish. Because you've been so accurate before in your analysis of politics.


by upstate girl on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 12:14:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

You're a young Obama worshipper (none / 0)

When have you ever been cordial.


by catfish2 on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 01:23:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: You're a young Obama worshipper (none / 0)

When have you ever been worried about Obama's press (except when it wasn't bad enough)?


by upstate girl on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 01:49:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]


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