"When [Bill] Clinton took office, Democratic governors outnumbered their GOP counterparts, 30-18--and when he left office, it was 30-18 the other way," Naureckas writes. (Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr/cc)
Jul 07, 2017
Gather round, boys and girls! The New York Times has a fairy tale it wants to tell you--about the magical land of Centrism and how it needs to be saved from the sinister Lefties....
Oh, you've heard this story before? Yes, it's true--the Times has been telling this same story for years, always with the same thrilling leaps of logic (Extra! Update, 6/04; Extra!, 7-8/06; FAIR.org, 1/11/11, 5/27/15, 5/23/16).
This time (New York Times op-ed, 7/6/17), it's told by Mark Penn--identified as a "pollster and senior adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton," not as a PR consultant for corporations like Microsoft, Merck, Verizon, BP and McDonald's--and Andrew Stein, identified as a "former Manhattan borough president and New York City Council president," rather than as a Trump supporter and convicted tax cheat.
Shh! They're coming to the good part now:
After years of leftward drift by the Democrats culminated in Republican control of the House under Speaker Newt Gingrich, President Bill Clinton moved the party back to the center in 1995 by supporting a balanced budget, welfare reform, a crime bill that called for providing 100,000 new police officers and a step-by-step approach to broadening healthcare. Mr. Clinton won a resounding re-election victory in 1996 and Democrats were back.
The Democrats were back! It's true that Bill Clinton won re-election in 1996--with 49 percent of the vote in a three-way race--but Democrats, in the real world, lost the House in 1994 as a result of Clinton's right-leaning policies, particularly NAFTA, and Republicans held it for the next 12 years. Republicans took back the Senate in 1994 and controlled it for the remainder of Clinton's administration, with the Democrats never having more than 50 seats until 2009. When Clinton took office, Democratic governors outnumbered their GOP counterparts, 30-18--and when he left office, it was 30-18 the other way.
If that's coming back, I'd hate to see staying away.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
© 2023 Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR)
Jim Naureckas
Jim Naureckas is editor of FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting). He is the co-author of "Way Things Aren't: Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error." He was an investigative reporter for In These Times and managing editor of the Washington Report on the Hemisphere.
Gather round, boys and girls! The New York Times has a fairy tale it wants to tell you--about the magical land of Centrism and how it needs to be saved from the sinister Lefties....
Oh, you've heard this story before? Yes, it's true--the Times has been telling this same story for years, always with the same thrilling leaps of logic (Extra! Update, 6/04; Extra!, 7-8/06; FAIR.org, 1/11/11, 5/27/15, 5/23/16).
This time (New York Times op-ed, 7/6/17), it's told by Mark Penn--identified as a "pollster and senior adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton," not as a PR consultant for corporations like Microsoft, Merck, Verizon, BP and McDonald's--and Andrew Stein, identified as a "former Manhattan borough president and New York City Council president," rather than as a Trump supporter and convicted tax cheat.
Shh! They're coming to the good part now:
After years of leftward drift by the Democrats culminated in Republican control of the House under Speaker Newt Gingrich, President Bill Clinton moved the party back to the center in 1995 by supporting a balanced budget, welfare reform, a crime bill that called for providing 100,000 new police officers and a step-by-step approach to broadening healthcare. Mr. Clinton won a resounding re-election victory in 1996 and Democrats were back.
The Democrats were back! It's true that Bill Clinton won re-election in 1996--with 49 percent of the vote in a three-way race--but Democrats, in the real world, lost the House in 1994 as a result of Clinton's right-leaning policies, particularly NAFTA, and Republicans held it for the next 12 years. Republicans took back the Senate in 1994 and controlled it for the remainder of Clinton's administration, with the Democrats never having more than 50 seats until 2009. When Clinton took office, Democratic governors outnumbered their GOP counterparts, 30-18--and when he left office, it was 30-18 the other way.
If that's coming back, I'd hate to see staying away.
Jim Naureckas
Jim Naureckas is editor of FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting). He is the co-author of "Way Things Aren't: Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error." He was an investigative reporter for In These Times and managing editor of the Washington Report on the Hemisphere.
Gather round, boys and girls! The New York Times has a fairy tale it wants to tell you--about the magical land of Centrism and how it needs to be saved from the sinister Lefties....
Oh, you've heard this story before? Yes, it's true--the Times has been telling this same story for years, always with the same thrilling leaps of logic (Extra! Update, 6/04; Extra!, 7-8/06; FAIR.org, 1/11/11, 5/27/15, 5/23/16).
This time (New York Times op-ed, 7/6/17), it's told by Mark Penn--identified as a "pollster and senior adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton," not as a PR consultant for corporations like Microsoft, Merck, Verizon, BP and McDonald's--and Andrew Stein, identified as a "former Manhattan borough president and New York City Council president," rather than as a Trump supporter and convicted tax cheat.
Shh! They're coming to the good part now:
After years of leftward drift by the Democrats culminated in Republican control of the House under Speaker Newt Gingrich, President Bill Clinton moved the party back to the center in 1995 by supporting a balanced budget, welfare reform, a crime bill that called for providing 100,000 new police officers and a step-by-step approach to broadening healthcare. Mr. Clinton won a resounding re-election victory in 1996 and Democrats were back.
The Democrats were back! It's true that Bill Clinton won re-election in 1996--with 49 percent of the vote in a three-way race--but Democrats, in the real world, lost the House in 1994 as a result of Clinton's right-leaning policies, particularly NAFTA, and Republicans held it for the next 12 years. Republicans took back the Senate in 1994 and controlled it for the remainder of Clinton's administration, with the Democrats never having more than 50 seats until 2009. When Clinton took office, Democratic governors outnumbered their GOP counterparts, 30-18--and when he left office, it was 30-18 the other way.
If that's coming back, I'd hate to see staying away.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.