917 replies to this topic

[Scotty]

This claim is made a lot.

No one ever--ever--offers expansive, intelligence evidence for the claim; say, an actual, disinterested analysis, for example.

I 100% promise and guarantee that you will not do so, either.

What sort of 'expansive, intelligent evidence' do you suppose individuals can produce in support of a theory on leftist bias in media?

[CANADIEN]

Uh... Layton has nothing to gain by lying? Pardon?

This is proving to be a non-issue. Quite frankly, most Canadians do not care about what happened there, and whether or not Layton is saying the truth about it. The issue will drop off the radar before long anyways.

[Moonbox]

We'll just have to wait and see. The numbers may materialize, and they may not. We have no way of knowing that for sure.

Just a lot of history and a lot of demographics to back up the assumption that they won't materialize.

TV and beer awaits at home. Why bother voting?

[Smallc]

Just a lot of history and a lot of demographics to back up the assumption that they won't materialize.

TV and beer awaits at home. Why bother voting?

You can't really apply past results to this. These numbers are rather unprecedented for the NDP, especially in Quebec.

[CANADIEN]

From your article:

Despite the Velvet Touch being a "pretty active illicit" operation, no one at Toronto City Hall received any complaints about it, Mammoliti said.

"I've asked recently if anyone at City Hall had complained in 1996 and there were no complaints that came out of councillors, but police had their eye on it, and at the end of the day, shut it down," Mammoliti said.

Whether the place was legitimate or not isn't the issue; it's whether or not Layton knew about it and/or if he was there for something other than a massage. The fact that it ceased operation has nothing to do with that. He's not guilty by association, and that's the point. The idea that no one went there for a massage, that everyone who went there was going for sex purposes, has not been established. At all. People have run off with this story with pure speculation, drawing conclusions, making judgments, while the story is only that Layton went there for a massage, the place was under watch by the police, he says he didn't know anything illicit was going on, your article confirms that there were no complaints out of city hall, no complaints came out of councillors, yet he has been judged and hung.

Hear hear

[Scotty]

This is proving to be a non-issue. Quite frankly, most Canadians do not care about what happened there, and whether or not Layton is saying the truth about it. The issue will drop off the radar before long anyways.

The coverage I've seen in most of the media has been extremely light on details, and the tone is more a denunciation of whoever leaked it than what might have happened. I saw one on CBC this AM. They didn't mention that the place was called The Velvet Touch, or that it shut down after the police raid, or that the girl with Layton was from China, quite young, barely spoke English, and seemed an unlikely masseuse. They also didn't mention what time this massage took place. Instead they talked about who leaked it and what possible results would be.

[msj]

... yet he has been judged and hung.

Good post AW.

But he has only been judged and hung by people who wouldn't vote for him anyway.

For people like me, if it wasn't for the fact that I despise everything about the NDP candidate in my riding, this would be enough to get me to vote for the NDP.

As it is, I am wondering if the source of the leak is Liberal rather than CPC, and I am considering changing my ballot to the Green party.

A kind of pox on all their houses.

[Shady]

yet he has been judged and hung.

Not at all. We just deserve answers from him. And he's been completely silent. I can understand why.

[bloodyminded]

What sort of 'expansive, intelligent evidence' do you suppose individuals can produce in support of a theory on leftist bias in media?

Without expansive evidence and a serious analysis, you have no theory. You have, at best, a hypothesis. Maybe not even; maybe an unproveable opinion.

I've linked before to a serious analysis of media bias (which concluded biases indeed, though not plainly along a left/right axis). So it's possible to do so...after which a serious debate can be had, about methodology, examples, and results.

If you have no expansive evidence...why then do you conclude a leftist bias?

Impression? Or because some people say so?

Edited by bloodyminded, 01 May 2011 - 08:42 AM.

[cybercoma]

The coverage I've seen in most of the media has been extremely light on details, and the tone is more a denunciation of whoever leaked it than what might have happened. I saw one on CBC this AM. They didn't mention that the place was called The Velvet Touch, or that it shut down after the police raid, or that the girl with Layton was from China, quite young, barely spoke English, and seemed an unlikely masseuse. They also didn't mention what time this massage took place. Instead they talked about who leaked it and what possible results would be.

Yeah. Damn CBC and their shoddy reporting for not doing a piece on things that "seem to be".

[Moonbox]

You can't really apply past results to this. These numbers are rather unprecedented for the NDP, especially in Quebec.

Well I'm not saying they're not going to do a whole lot better this year. I'm saying that they won't do nearly as well as some of the loonies here are saying (not including you in that) and that there's a huge danger of splitting the soft Liberal vote and improving CPC fortunes.

[cybercoma]

Good post AW.

But he has only been judged and hung by people who wouldn't vote for him anyway.

For people like me, if it wasn't for the fact that I despise everything about the NDP candidate in my riding, this would be enough to get me to vote for the NDP.

As it is, I am wondering if the source of the leak is Liberal rather than CPC, and I am considering changing my ballot to the Green party.

A kind of pox on all their houses.

To be honest, the candidate in your riding will be forced by the party whip to vote along the party lines. If you support Jack Layton and the NDP platform, then you should give the candidate your vote, even if they are an idiot. Individual candidates don't really wield any kind of power on their own.

[Shady]

and that there's a huge danger of splitting the soft Liberal vote and improving CPC fortunes.

That's what I've been trying to explain to people. With an even bigger splitting of votes, Conservatives can win in riding they normally wouldn't be able to. Unfortunately, not many people in this forum understand that, let alone basic math.

[CANADIEN]

Not at all. We just deserve answers from him. And he's been completely silent. I can understand why.

Interesting how I got the impression he has made it clear nothing wrong happened. You can argue that it should have been done before the press instead of through a letter from his lawyer. But well... he still did it.

[Shady]

Interesting how I got the impression he has made it clear nothing wrong happened.

When has he addressed the media?