"Like every other institution, the
Washington and political press corps operate with a good number of
biases and predilections.
They include, but are not limited to, a
near-universal shared sense that liberal political positions on social
issues like gun control, homosexuality, abortion, and religion are the
default, while more conservative positions are "conservative
positions."
They include a belief that government
is a mechanism to solve the nation's problems; that more taxes on
corporations and the wealthy are good ways to cut the deficit and raise
money for social spending and don't have a negative affect on economic
growth; and that emotional examples of suffering (provided by unions or
consumer groups) are good ways to illustrate economic statistic
stories.
More systematically, the press believes
that fluid narratives in coverage are better than static storylines;
that new things are more interesting than old things; that close races
are preferable to loose ones; and that incumbents are destined for
dethroning, somehow.
The press, by and large, does not
accept President Bush's justifications for the Iraq war -- in any of
its WMD, imminent threat, or evil-doer formulations. It does not
understand how educated, sensible people could possibly be wary of
multilateral institutions or friendly, sophisticated European allies.
It does not accept the proposition that
the Bush tax cuts helped the economy by stimulating summer spending.
It remains fixated on the unemployment
rate.
It believes President Bush is "walking
a fine line" with regards to the gay marriage issue, choosing between
"tolerance" and his "right-wing base."
It still has a hard time understanding
how, despite the drumbeat of conservative grass-top complaints about
overspending and deficits, President Bush's base remains extremely and
loyally devoted to him -- and it looks for every opportunity to find
cracks in that base.
Of course, the swirling Joe Wilson and
National Guard stories play right to the press's scandal bias -- not to
mention the bias towards process stories (grand juries produce ENDLESS
process!)."