Mirengoff exposes the benefit of liberal MSM bias

Mark Tapscott has written a number of posts about Powerline's Paul Mirengoff and his questioning of Senators Kennedy and Durbin. The senators were startled to get an intelligent question and even more startled when he followed up their evasive answers with more intelligent questions. Paul's account is here.

In the late 90s there was an internet site named Washington Weekly run be some conservatives. One of them wrote a very interesting piece in which he argued that there were some very strong benefits which accrue to Republicans as a result of the uniform liberal bias of the MSM. Foremost of these was the serious difference in trial by fire experienced by political leaders of the two parties. GOP politicians cannot get to a position of prominence without learning to be careful in what they say. They know that they are always under a microscope and always deal with the press as if they are the enemy (because they are!). Often the heat starts at the state and local level.

Democrats, however, are used to a free ride from the news media. The result is the deer-in-the-headlights reaction which Kennedy and Durbin gave Mirengoff. One of the reasons that we are treated to the irrational ravings of Algore, Howie Dean, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and company is because they were all elevated to prominent positions on the national stage without ever being tried and tested by the MSM.

One more example of the workings of the law of unintended consequences.