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June 01, 2005

Roomful of Wingnuts

Two weeks ago, the guys from the NARN and some other local bloggers met the governor at the Governor's Mansion.

The whole story has been way over-reported, with certain elements of the left getting the vapors, acting as if the GOP were using the mansion to store Saddam's WMDs or something.

Nick Coleman got into the act, writing a spittle-flecked jeremiad warning us about the dangers of rubbing shoulders with people in power. In it, he said:

"I'll stand as the one person who would not be considered right-wing," said Gorr, who broadcast a talk show from the governor's reception room in St. Paul on the day of the reception, but who took pains to present a politically balanced program. "The spin was that they [the governor's staff] wanted to reach new media able to disseminate information quickly and to say thank you to the nontraditional media. That was the spin. But if you call it most definitely right-wing, you're not off base."
Coleman went on to give a rendition of his discussion with Gorr on his "radio show". The :21 second MP3 audio clip is available right here", courtesy of King Banaian.

Now, King and I both met Ms. Gorr at the reception, struck up a conversation, and arrange for an interview on her radio station (WJON in Saint Cloud) the following Thursday. Although sources say Ms. Gorr is a Democrat, she didn't seem uncomfortable in a roomful of conservatives. In fact, she seemed to do relatively little talking with bloggers - as I recall, she spoke mostly with the other radio people in the room (and I'm not talking the NARN; she seemed to spend most of her time with a couple of ladies from some outstate stations)...

...and yet Coleman's piece, and his on-air hatchet job, makes her sound like she felt like Gary Coleman at a Klan rally. So King Banaian decided to look into it:

I heard this and thought this simply couldn't be right. I had visited with her, as did Mitch -- we ended up with an interview to help advertise MOB Road Show -- and I did not sense any of that sort of discomfort.

So I decided to investigate this and sent the clip to her and asked whether it was accurate. I got back this message.

As far as Coleman's column...he was 98% within context. The only thing I would correct was my reference to the "room" being right-wing had to do with the radio broadcast that morning (All were conservative except for WJON.) As far as the bloggers went, well Mitch and you were the first I had ever met.

That might seem a minor correction but it matters quite a bit. Coleman is specifically focused on the new media event -- a.k.a. the bloggers -- and to make his point the one quote he uses is referring to an entirely different event! She could not have said to him it was totally right-wing wingnuts as Coleman represented on the air, because she had not ever met us. If she was uncomfortable it would have been only from preconceptions of bloggers as pajamaheddin wingnuts, a preconception fueled by Coleman. I rather doubt this to be the case. I think she was in an unusual place and tried to investigate who bloggers were ... which led to the interview. And doing that means, when it comes to reporting on bloggers, Gorr has done a better job than Coleman.

At minimum -- assuming Coleman simply was confused about which part of Gorr's day she was discussing in the newspaper quote -- he's been sloppy. If he knowingly used the quote from one part of her day with the Governor to discuss another, it's dishonest. Given the experiences others have had trying to get Coleman columns fixed, it's not worth our time getting this story to the STrib. This merely serves as another item in the indictment that Coleman's columns are held to an editorial standard that remains a mystery.

I wonder - does Nick think he can just start making stuff up when he goes to the studio?

Posted by Mitch at June 1, 2005 07:33 AM | TrackBack
Comments

In answer to the final question: Mitch...Do monkeys eat bananas? Do pregnant nuns sweat?

You have to know Coleman's mindset. He believes that every perceived "right wingnut" are lying through their teeth on every subject. So, that means if he fabricates the truth to combat the lies he perceives...he begins to believe his own crap, no matter how untruthful he is.

Its a psychological disorder. Anyone surprised?

Posted by: Dave at June 1, 2005 08:51 AM

It is so awsome how this media allows you/us to keep the left in-check before everyone can come to the conclusion that everything that they say is gospel truth!

Keep up the great work.

Hey, how does one stay on top of when the MOB events are?

Posted by: Wayne M at June 1, 2005 08:52 AM

Please help me. I'm a lonely guy who entertains himself by leaving anonymous comments on other peoples' blogs. But I make a point of never adding anything to the discussion! Oh, no! I'm just a lonely crank, and I miss the glory days of being able to light bags of dog poop on fire and ring peoples' doorbells.

By the way, my IP address is 63.224.14.132.

By the way, "The whole thing has been way over-reported," writes Mitch, as he illuminates the absolute truth for another few hundred words about it. I guess it helps put a check on Nick Coleman's blustering ego to keep focusing a light on the scrambling cockroaches of his writing.

Posted by: Dump Bachmann at June 1, 2005 09:05 AM

Speaking of gas bags....how about Elwyn Tinklenberg? He's as entertaining as listening to paint dry and about as intellegent as a doorknob. He spent 4 years pissing money down a rathole instead of fixing our freeways. If there's anyone who belongs in a "dump"....he's the one.

Posted by: Dave at June 1, 2005 09:19 AM

Is it just me or is the URL for the mp3 file broken? ( Or am I the only one anal enough to listen to a snippet of Coleman to get the story? )

Posted by: aodhan at June 1, 2005 10:17 AM

aodhan,

Here's the correct URL:

http://www.scsuscholars.com/gorr.mp3

Posted by: Thorley Winston at June 1, 2005 01:51 PM

To be absolutely clear, and to her credit, I've no idea what Kelli's political affiliation is. And I do listen to her show some, given she's on the biggest station in my town. (Sorry, Ox!)

Posted by: kb at June 1, 2005 08:59 PM

Mitch, why are you doctoring comments? Dump Bachmann (dumpbachmann@aol.com) posted something different. You changed the post to give out an ip address.

Par for the course for the Shooting Blanks blog.

Posted by: Eva Young at June 1, 2005 11:48 PM

Hey Mitch!

Here's another comment you can doctor up to make it look like a big love fest over here at Chickenhawks in the Dark. That's how your heros George Bush does it--if you don't like the news, just make it up yourself!

Still wondering what you were doing when you were "21 and single" and all your high school buddies were signing up to serve their country. Too busy up there in North Dakota? "Other priorities?" as your hero Dick Cheney said about his own draft-dodging history. Come on, Big Guy, it's not too late to volunteer now! They'll even pay you to play with guns--a dream job for Mr. Second Amendment!

Posted by: Dump Bachmann at June 2, 2005 09:08 AM

Eva,

I never doctor comments that add something to the discussion, no matter how angry.

But when people leave anonymous comments that do nothing but insult, all bets are off. It's my blog, I get to do that.

"Shooting Blanks", huh? Nick's been helping you with the clever turn of phrase, I see.

By the way, Eva - get a dictionary.

Posted by: Mitch at June 2, 2005 09:14 AM

Dumper,

Er, yes. It IS too late to volunteer. I'm 42. Remember?

It's a simple point; even you, I'd think, should be able to grasp it on, say, the fourth try.

Posted by: mitch at June 2, 2005 09:15 AM

Oh, by the way - as always, I'm tickled by the irony of being called "Chicken" by someone who posts spittle-flecked *anonymous* rants.

Posted by: Mitch at June 2, 2005 09:38 AM

But come on - Nick Coleman KNOWS STUFF! If you KNOW STUFF, it stands to reason that you're always right, right?

Posted by: Jane N-B at June 3, 2005 10:26 AM
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