Cheney Makes Ugly Remarks, Media Reports Surrogate Apology
Today’s papers and online media are touting in headlines that Dick Cheney has apologized for connecting the state of West Virginia to Incestuous relationships. Cheney’s surrogate apologized, surely, but Cheney himself took no personal responsibility for his words, regardless of what the media headlines say.
By now everyone has heard about the little joke Dick Cheney made at the National Press Club the other day. Here’s a report about it from the Associated Press, and there’s video out there as well. Seems Dick wanted to be a bit self-deprecating, and when he mentioned he was descended from Cheneys on both sides of his family, he remarked, “and we don’t even live in West Virginia.” Of course, the implication there is that West Virginians don’t have a problem with incest. Sure, this has hit the airwaves and the newspapers. I’m thinking saying stupid things isn’t “news” when it comes to Dick Cheney, but they’re treating it as such, especially given that this is an election season and the Republicans want to win that state.
From what we read in the paper today, in the aftermath of this little shitstorm caused by Dick Cheney, he’s apologized. Here’s some headlines:
WaPo: Cheney Apologizes For Quip on W. Virginia (This article talks about how Cheney’s spokesperson has apologized for him, a sort of surrogate apologizer I suppose.)
AP Video: Cheney Makes West Virginia Joke, Apologizes (Though the headline indicates an apology, there is none anywhere on the video.)
Denise Williams for AOL: Cheney Has to Apologize After WV ‘Joke’ (Again, the surrogate apology by a spokeperson is represented as the words of Dick Cheney.)
Buzzflash.com: Dick Cheney Apologizes for West Virginia “Incest” Joke 6/3 (Yeah, even Buzzflash indicates there was an apology where there was none.)
Hey, that’s just a few examples of how Dick Cheney is getting credit in media headlines for apologizing for a tasteless joke at the expense of West Virginians, but note that Cheney himself did not have the stones to get up and apologize for his own actions. To me, when a person offends, it is up to that person to apologize affirmatively. That would be taking personal responsibility for the offense. Evidently the rules are different for Dick Cheney. I’m not all that upset about Cheney not apologizing for himself, though. I’m upset that the media, or at least several media outlets, have reported that Dick Cheney apologized when it just ain’t so.
Taking responsibilities for one’s actions, in this case a particularly tasteless remark, is the epitome of personal responsibility. Dick Cheney did not do so. So why is the media reporting that he did? They’re soft. They’ve lost connection with what personal responsibility. Whether they have lost that connection because Dick Cheney has set the bar so perilously low doesn’t matter. The media has simply lost its way.
So this is a liberal media? No, they let Cheney off the hook, and while this might be a minor issue, if issue it is, it certainly shows how the media is in the pocket of folks like Dick Cheney.
Spin,
A “particularly tasteless remark?” Tell me you’ve never made a joke or laughed at a joke about West Virginia? Honestly, Spin, you’ve never done either?
Cheney’s comment may not have been politically correct, but calling it a “particularly tasteless remark” is a holier-than-thou comment that, if made against Cheney, will open you up to defending equally politically correct comments made by a whole bunch of high-ranking, elected Democrats.
I can come up with at least 10 Democrats that have made similar kinds of remarks.
Do you really believe that off-color jokes about West Virginia are inappropriate?
Yes, John, I do. I suppose I wonder why you think they are appropriate.
I live in Philadelphia. I love Philadelphia, but it’s been called Filthadelphia, and I’ve sometimes called it that, too. You’ve never done that? Honestly?
As for tasteless remarks, making a joke about West Virginia is no different than the names you call my Republican leader — such as “McSame.” They are jokes or name calling. It happens in politics.
Again, if you’d like me to come up with Democrats that have equally offended people in a particular state, I can do that. Look no further than PA, where Obama made a very stereotyped comment.
Obama’s controversial comments last month about “bitter” small-town voters who “cling to guns or religion” was much more dangerous than Cheney’s joke.
“Filthadelphia” is the same as referring to incest in your mind? Are you serious, John?
Let’s see, Obama got jumped on for his comment where he described people as bitter, but you, but you have a problem with Cheney being jumped on for implying a whole state practices incest? Seriously, John, your view is a bit off here.