Media Bias: Bush twins having a beer vs. Ashley Biden snorting cocaine

[Anonymous]

Seems like the former was always a big story, while the latter isn't. I think politicians' kids should be off-limits, but I can't imagine the WP and NYT turning down pictures of the Bush girls partying, as they did with Biden's daughter. The Bush girls were having a beer (underage) in college, while Ashley Biden was allegedly using illegal drugs. Complete double standard.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the "allegedly" is the issue, in addition to the level of fame. I totally agree that underage drinking is not nearly as much of a problem as cocaine use, but I think at least one of them actually got a ticket for minor possession, and from what I've read about Ashley Biden, it's not even clear whether it's her in the tape. And, I didn't even know Joe Biden had a daughter named Ashley. The VP's kids aren't nearly as famous as a President's.

[jsteele]

Were the WP and NYT asked to pay a million dollars for pictures of the Bush twins drinking? That might have played a role as well, don't you think?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Were the WP and NYT asked to pay a million dollars for pictures of the Bush twins drinking? That might have played a role as well, don't you think?

I think the price went down (to the bargain price of 250K) once the story morphed into "it was a hidden camera" and the word "alleged" was thrown into the spin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the "allegedly" is the issue, in addition to the level of fame. I totally agree that underage drinking is not nearly as much of a problem as cocaine use, but I think at least one of them actually got a ticket for minor possession, and from what I've read about Ashley Biden, it's not even clear whether it's her in the tape. And, I didn't even know Joe Biden had a daughter named Ashley. The VP's kids aren't nearly as famous as a President's.

Gee, I think everybody can probably name Sarah Palin's kids. Also, the press had no problem showing pics of Michael Phelps even before he admitted doing anything wrong.

[Anonymous]

Gee, I think everybody can probably name Sarah Palin's kids. Also, the press had no problem showing pics of Michael Phelps even before he admitted doing anything wrong.

Sarah Palin had a pregnant daughter and an infant with Down syndrome, and Michael Phelps was easily identifiable in the pot-smoking pics. I can't even name all of McCain's kids, and he was running for President.

[Anonymous]

Gee, they covered the heck out of Al Gore's son when he was arrested for using drugs.

It's not bias. It sounds like the purported tape may be a fake. So unless you think the press should report first and ask questions later, they are doing the right thing by not running a story they can't corroborate. With the Bush daughters, half of Austin could corroborate their partying.

[Anonymous]

gimme a break. any reporter worth his cell phone allowance can google ashley biden and drugs/pot and find plenty of names to corroborate incriminating details, but they're simply not interested b/c of the hypocritical double standard. There was a poll once of national journalists' voting preferences in the '92 election, and it was something like Bush 4%, Perot 4%, Clinton 87%.

That says it all.

[Anonymous]

Get over it, you have Fox.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:gimme a break. any reporter worth his cell phone allowance can google ashley biden and drugs/pot and find plenty of names to corroborate incriminating details, but they're simply not interested b/c of the hypocritical double standard. There was a poll once of national journalists' voting preferences in the '92 election, and it was something like Bush 4%, Perot 4%, Clinton 87%.

That says it all.

No, it does not. It just shows that Republicans aren't interested in being reporters. Whose fault is that? You know, you do have Fox and WSJ, but they aren't buying the video, either. Hmmm, wonder why?


And maybe if you are worth your cell phone allowance, you can google some corroborating evidence to make your case. If it's so easy, then post something which makes us believe this is anything more than a fraud and a scam.

[Anonymous]

I believe there is weight to this story. First of all, she has at least one prior drug possession arrest. Secondly, there are not tons of people coming forward saying "That is not Ashley, she would never do a thing like that". Finally, there is no one coming forward saying "That is not Ashley, I know for a fact that it is fill-in-the-blank".

[Anonymous]

Right now it seems like there's no one coming forward to say anything, that it is her or that it isn't.

[Anonymous]

When Fox runs the tape I'll at least consider it. Otherwise, it's a sham.

[Anonymous]

For what it is worth-I don't think any of the kids should be persecuted in the media and I am conservative. I hate the double standard that I see, but unlike most of the liberals who take some kind of sick pleasure in seeing politically conservative families have problems, I again think that a young person should be allowed to just deal with their family on screwups and not have to be made fun of in front of millions based on who their parents are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For what it is worth-I don't think any of the kids should be persecuted in the media and I am conservative. I hate the double standard that I see, but unlike most of the liberals who take some kind of sick pleasure in seeing politically conservative families have problems, I again think that a young person should be allowed to just deal with their family on screwups and not have to be made fun of in front of millions based on who their parents are.

You must be kidding. The reason "liberals" love stories like the Bristol Palin pregnancy, Larry Craig, Rush Limbaugh's drug use, etc. is not for the stories themselves. It isb/c conservatives tout themselves as the ideal of "family values" and moral superiority. It isn't the story necessarily. It is the HYPOCRISY.

And as for Ashley Biden, if there were any truth to the story at this point, Fox would at least be running it and they aren't.