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Special Ed catches Jodi Kantor from the New York Times misrepresenting herself on teh internets to innocent tweens just like one of those Dateline predator episodes. As Ed explains:
Jodi Kantor apparently got so desperate for dirt on Cindy McCain for the tiresome rehash the New York Times published today that she tried suckering teenagers on Facebook into cooperating with her. The McCain campaign released the contents of an e-mail Kantor sent to one of Bridget McCain’s 16-year-old classmates through the social-networking site. Is this what “political correspondents” do?
You know, kids are pretty aware of all internet traditions these days. I mean, for example, it's not like you can represent yourself as an African News Agency on the internet and get just anyone to believe you. You have to have to have a bulletproof cover story in order to insinuate yourself into people's lives and get them to spill their most innermost secrets so that you can later humiliate them in a very public way.
Let's watch as Jodi Kantor sells herself as sk8trgrl14nhawt@aol.com in an attempt to get them to totally dish on the McCains:
I saw on facebook that you went to Xavier, and if you don’t mind, I’d love to ask you some advice about a story. I’m a reporter at the New York Times, writing a profile of Cindy McCain, and we are trying to get a sense of what she is like as a mother. So I’m reaching out to fellow parents at her kids’ schools. My understanding is that some of her older kids went to Brophy/Xavier, but I’m trying to figure out what school her 16 year old daughter Bridget attends– and a few people said it was PCDS. Do you know if that’s right? Again, we’re not really reporting on the kids, just seeking some fellow parents who can talk about what Mrs. McCain is like.
Also, if you know anyone else who I should talk to– basically anyone who has encountered Mrs. McCain and might be able to share impressions– that would be great.
Thanks so much for any help you can give me.
Jodi Kantor
Political correspondent
New York Times
That lying. Deceptive. Bitch!
"reporter at the New York Times" ... "writing a profile of Cindy McCain" ... "Again, we’re not really reporting on the kids, just seeking some fellow parents who can talk about what Mrs. McCain is like".
What a sneaky underhanded ploy; boldly explaining who you are and politely requesting the opportunity to interview someone for information on a person of interest. The nerve of that person who
"....gathers their information in a variety of ways, including tips, press releases, sources (individuals with newsworthy information) and witnessing events. They perform research through interviews, public records, and other sources. The information-gathering part of the job is sometimes called "reporting" as distinct from the production part of the job, such as writing articles. Reporters generally split their time between working in a newsroom and going out to witness events or interview people."
No wonder the EmmEssEmm is dying.
In today's world very few people are so bold as to go around asking questions of third parties and doing background checks and even those people sometimes feel that it it better to let sleeping dogs lie because ignorance is not only bliss, sometimes it can be a selling point.
Jodi Kantor should stick to rewriting talking point blast faxes; that's where the real money is.
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I don’t know. That Jodi Kantor is really slick. I so totally fell for her sneaky scam. OMG! WTF? I never would’ve told her that I don’t know Bridget McCain if I’d known she was going to, like, say a lot of bad things about Bridget and all my friends and come to my house and tell my parents what I said.
That Jodi Kantor is just a fat bitch, is what she is. Yeah.
This is actually shockingly subtle for a nimrod like Ed. Note that, while using language that implies it (”…suckering teenagers on Facebook into cooperating with her.”), he never comes out and says that Kantor misrepresented herself. Thus, while his statement is terrible deceptive, it is technically not a lie.
Clearly he is learning well from his dark mistress. The Hate is strong in this one.
Typical NYTs smear…Kantor? Jewish name yes/no? The whole wingnut world wonders…
Ho-hum. Why do you think we call Ed, “special”?
Just what you’d expect from those rats at the New York Times–asking people for interviews in a straightforward way. Is there no end to their deviousness?
I object to the fact you made me realise that Protein Wisdom still exists and that Jeff whatsisname still hasn’t finished his two year Masters programme in Reading.
Also, I’d like to know whether you’ve gotten the new little girl basset hound and named her Shirley. Yet.
‘Enkew.
For wingnuts there is nothing so deceptive and evil as truth and honesty. Contact cause them to melt into whining pools of excrement.
Srsly, that set of chat shorthand is going to come in *so* useful for me when I try to interact with my 10-year-old… I knew I just needed the right lingo.
Meanwhile, if Ed (the original WNYWWTF: Wingnut You Wouldn’t Want to Fuck) were seriously concerned about misrepresentation and email and all that, shouldn’t he be, you know, trying to figure out why Sarah Palin conducted a large part of her guvmint bizness from her moozkilla@hotmail.com account?
Ed has inspired a new piece of chat-room shorthand: IJHYADAIA (I Just Hope You’re As Dumb As I Am).
(golf clap)…. Oh Ed, you are so cute when you really work to milk out that last bit of rage.
To be fair, I’m not really sure why what kind of mother Cindy is would be at all relevant to the political discourse, except that the man she remains married to wants to tell me whether I have to be a mother and what my family must look like to be acceptable. Though, I’m not sure why what kind of mother Britney Spears’ sister or whoever is would be relevant to the political discourse at all, which I say less because I believe Cindy McCain stories have more to do with politics than celebrity and more in hopes of making the media stop telling me about any of it.
Actually, Cindy dragged herself and her motherhood into the discussion of her own accord, by whining disingenuously about how Obama voted against funding for “my son” in Iraq. Yes the NYT piece is a hit piece, and not terribly constructive in the long run, but she did, in fact, ask for it.
Clearly he is learning well from his dark mistress. The Hate is strong in this one.
Genius . . .
do kids really still do chat rooms? that all sounds so IRC and early ’90s
Sorry, I’m with Glenzilla on this one. I’m not impressed with “she asked for it” arguments for reporters trying to find school kids to dish dirt on what kind of mom Cindy McCain is.
That’s not to say that nothing about her past is relevant; the episode with the nonprofit she was using as a cover for her prescription medication addiction might be relevant if John McCain helped to cover it up.