Rare News Desk
In the liberal media, there’s a double standard on scandals. When it comes to Democrats “stepping in it,” there’s always more to the story, a valid justification or a need to report and move on to something more pressing. But when a Republican fumbles, members of the media attack like a pack of buzzards.
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Case in point: “Bridgegate.”
Despite the ongoing investigation of the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi (a tragedy plagued with questions, cover-ups, and misdirection), New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s deputy chief of staff’s alleged creation of a traffic jam in Fort Lee, N.J. as a form of political retribution is somehow worthy of around-the-clock coverage. Unlike Benghazi, no one was murdered in Fort Lee. And, unlike Benghazi, “Bridgegate” doesn’t involve multiple people in the executive branch of the federal government. But still, the liberal media double standard prevails and the “scandal” is treated like Watergate 2.0.
We all know that Benghazi wasn’t the only scandal prematurely dismissed by the liberal media. With just cause, we can safely call 2013 the “Year of the Scandal.” From the IRS targeting conservative groups like the tea party to the Department of Justice wiretapping reporters from the Associated Press, the constitutional violations have piled up so high at the president’s door that he can barely see Pennsylvania Avenue. And still, the liberal media chirps and then goes silent.
Didn’t we see this coming? Governor Chris Christie is different. The liberal media literally cannot stand him. He’s everything they fear. The brash, straight-talking, Bruce Springsteen-loving Republican Governor of the Garden State doesn’t take lip from anyone — the media included. With a backbone larger than his belly, he poses a serious threat to their pick for POTUS, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Gov. Christie’s political acumen is through the roof, and liberals know that he needs to be wounded before voters start picking sides.
Gov. Christie is not going to make that easy. His mea culpa was perfect. The governor apologized, accepted full responsibility and provided a remedy to the situation. If there were a Holy Book on apologies, he obeyed it the letter. Yet the media continues hounding the big man. Even the new face of liberalism, New York City Mayor de Blaiso, weighed in.
Rewind to the scandals of 2013 (Benghazi, AP wiretapping, Operation Fast and Furious, NSA, etc.) and the cast of characters (President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Eric Holder) involved. They didn’t apologize. They pointed fingers. No one was fired; they blamed the man behind the tree. And the media was outraged, right? Nope. Silent capitulation.
Now, we all know the media (on both sides of the political spectrum) is biased. That’s not the point. The issue is that politicians are being treated differently — not by the seriousness of the accusation or scandal but by their political affiliation and ambition. The liberal media continues to “wag the dog” in hopes of advancing the democratic agenda in Washington, while the American people are left to sort through the bull.
America deserves better.
The American people should ultimately determine the fate of these public servants, not by the spin of the media, but by the merits of the situation. We, not the media elite, should decide if “Bridgegate” matters.
Ryan Mahoney is a communications consultant based in Augusta, Georgia.
