At this point, I assume that every sentient being outside of the Washington Beltway knows that Ron Fournier -- America's Sad Clown of Centrism -- is a joke. Some kind of shabbily-constructed, off-brand talking robot penis sent from a fucked-up Conservative Future to ruin everything here by mindlessly bending every Conservative tragedy or a travesty into a surreal, treacly homily on how awful it is that "Both Sides" are to blame for everything.
But up until now, America's most famous off-brand talking robot penis from the future at least made an effort to pass among us by disguising himself as a "journalist". However, today Mr. Fournier crossed what used to be a very important line. Today, in order to fulfill his Prime Directive, Mr. Fournier fabricated a story.
He lied, in "print"(of sorts) in order to score political points.
Exhibit A: Mr. Fournier's tweet (I took a screen shot just in case Mr, Fournier tries to scrub his timeline):
Which of these guys flew over a long-neglected city slammed by gov't incompetence? A: Both #FlintWaterCrisis pic.twitter.com/bxqHv902QQ
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) January 21, 2016
Exhibit B: The original photograph of President Obama which Mr. Fournier mashed up with a shot of George W. Bush to make his obscene little point
Exhibit C: As it turns out, the original photograph was taken Air Force One during a flight from Canberra to Darwin, Australia, Nov. 17, 2011. It was also used by the "All Africa" website which featured stories and photos from President Obama historic trip to Africa in 2013:
In other words, Mr. Fournier fabricated the story he desperately wanted to to be true by mashing up the actual photo of George W. Bush looking down at ruins of New Orleans with a photo of President Obama looking down at Australia from 2011 but implying that it was Obama looking down at Flint, MI today in order to "prove" that Both Sides are equally terrible.
Time was, this sort of thing would get a journalist fired.
But I guess we don't do that anymore. In fact, based on all available evidence, there is clearly a lot of money to be made and career security to be had behaving this way.
UPDATE: Peak Fournier Continues
12 comments:
Which of these two cities, New Orleans LA and Flint MI, suffered under Republican interference to the lives of their minority populations? A: Both.
Obama's EPA has been fighting to get Michigan to do the right thing. Bush's EPA would have asked the US district attorney responsible for Michigan to "man up" and make sure no one took the case to court.
Sweet Jesus, he just keeps effin' digging!
Having been called out on Twitter for this ridiculous, clownish photoshop, after initially tossing a few "both sides" replies, he finally owns up to having used an incorrect photo...
and then immediately blames Obama for NOT having visited Flint yet!
...While also linking to a new article where he sadly admits that perhaps, just perhaps, Gov. Snyder may not be quite the bee's knees after all, but we also need to blame... the EPA!! Bloody hell, this clown literally cannot help himself!
Journalist?
We've got to start using the right words.
And explaining them to right-wingers, I guess.
"Liar" would be more correct and descriptive.
Has David Gregory of Fox and Friends booked Ron Fournier yet?
Cirze is correct, but incomplete.
"Hired Liar" would complete the description, IMHO.
Wow. I am about as cynical about the talents and motivations of Ron "Severe Dementia" Fournier as anyone, but even I'm a little bit surprised that he would hit the GENERATE button on his "Obama Can't Lead/His Fault" Column Macro for this one. The misleading photo in his tweet is just the cherry on top of one of his most brazen shit sundaes to date. And that is saying something.
Of course, some actual reporters at the New York Times discovered that the very EPA official "Severe Dementia" Fournier uses to tar Obama actually warned state and local officials about the water a while back. But, no matter. There's a NARRATIVE to maintain, folks!
He's just the fucking worst, this guy. Perhaps the very worst example we have today of the bone-deep rot in the Village media.
Since I heard South Carolina is going to begin making journalists register with the state to write (speech). Another small Government regulation.
It begs the question,
Will a Brooks or a Fournier pass the registration test?
Wouldn't S. Carolina make for a big debate over both siderisms.
Between Brooks and Fournier (not to exclude others) Both Sider practitioners.
I think the time has come to conjure a (descriptive) name. something distinct we can all settle on to add to the lexicon.
A while ago I suggested a descriptive word for this activity of repeating a talking point after it has been shown to be false, which I included in a comment on an earlier post, but which I think bears repeating in this context:
gop v (gawp) gops, gopped, gopping
1) to lie, usually for political reasons. 2) to repeat a statement or "talking point" that has been demonstrated to be untrue and/ or misleading. 3) to disseminate "truthiness."
I see the need for this because one can no longer call a liar a liar without upsetting Dianne Rhem. Once could just call him a "gopper," and it might not upset her so much.
Driftglass' observation that, "Time was, this sort of thing would get a journalist fired." Immediately recalled for me the penultimate scene of Broadcast News, when Holly Hunter confronts William Hurt after she had confirmed that he included a "manufactured" tear into his story on date rape, telling him "You could be fired for that!" To which he responds, "I got promoted for that."
So, in the words of the poet, "It's been a long time coming."
Robert's comment had not yet posted when I composed my own, which includes a "modest proposal" for the term he seeks.
The noun form would be:
GOPPER n 1. A person who gops.
Richard,
So I have a faster server. No biggie.
I want to say, I like the Term "Gopping" for when there lips move.
Do you have a suggestion for ,
"Both Siderism" or " Both sides do it" ?????????????
Can someone get ahold of Steven Colbert. maybe he can come up with a nice smooth word that flows. Like "tea bagging" Something classy but annoying to a conservative.
A little off subject, unless the subject is inventing words for situations: we invented a word for the BurgerKing chicken fries, little tubes white chewy stuff, with brown stuff on the outside. Tastes great, not really sure if it's food. It does, however, emit "foodiness". Like Fournier emits "truthiness."
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