Discussion: Montana TV Station Apologizes For Not Airing Audio Of GOPer's Alleged Assault

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“We clearly made a mistake, it was unintentional and we apologize now that he’s in there. Do I still get to keep my job?"

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I’m telling you , that would have just made even more folks vote for him.

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I spent a lot of time in Montana. He probably won CAUSE of it.

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Even so, there’s every need to push back until that behavior is unacceptable (assault) and not reward it due to the unfortunate fact that Republican voters are largely fucked-up authoritarians and essentially just plain un-American failed citizens.

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“KECI’s news director, Julie Weindel, had refused to cover the alleged assault when contacted by NBC News, saying she thought that Jacobs ‘is a reporter for a politically biased publication.’”

“Sinclair is a right-leading media group and the largest owner of local television stations in the country… After Trump took office, ***Sinclair hired former Trump aide Boris Epshteyn as the groups chief political analyst.***”

Definitely nothing to see here…

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"Sinclair Media Group had no bearing on this decision, we report to our parent company until the purchase is finalized.”

If you believe that, then I know a very nice Nigerian prince who’s looking for some investors in a fortune he inherited.

The people who made the decision to not air the audio knew exactly what they were doing—they were covering their asses. They know that before long Sinclair will be their new boss, and every decision they’ve made prior to the takeover will be scrutinized by the cretins who run Sinclair for signs of liberal apostasy and subversion.

Those who’ve showed signs of an unhealthy tilt toward even the slightest criticism of reactionary Republican orthodoxy will be shown the door. Those who’ve patriotically taken every opportunity to portray Democrats as child-raping Muslim sympathizers will be retained.

Sinclair will be Fox on steroids. Once they get their hands on all the stations they have their eyes on, the notion of making significant Democratic inroads in red areas will be even more of a fantasy than it is now. Propaganda works amazingly well on the gullible ignoramuses that comprise half the American electorate.

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“…the Gianforte campaign’s statement asserting that it was Jacobs, who[m] it called a ‘liberal reporter,’ who actually grabbed Gianforte.”

“He viciously assaulted my hands with his throat.

Then pulled me to the ground by his neck.

And repeatedly pummeled my fists with his face and glasses.

As I knelt, helpless, on his chest.

For several minutes.”

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Now if Mr. Jacobs were African American, they probably would have had audio, a 3D animation, You Tube videos and a fund-raising telethon for Congresswacko Gianforte.

It’s a redneck thing, you see…

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The most amazing video of a three year old future rocket scientist asking her Mom about stuff to do with BarackObama (oneword) and Hillary.

https://twitter.com/TheShadeRoom/status/867925021406244868

Purple jammies and the cutest little earrings.

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I think it’s just a matter of it happening 2 days too late to make a difference. Especially with something like 60% of the ballots already cast via absentee voting, this story wasn’t in time to make a difference. I think it’s criminal that they soft-played this, while still reading the incredibly audacious lie given by the campaign in their statement, but ultimately, it wouldn’t have made a difference.

The campaign did exactly what they needed to: outright lied about the incident and held their breath for 24 hours. They gave enough cover that people could ignore or delude themselves as to the fact until after the ballot was cast. And yes, it’s Montana, and there are plenty of people in the state for whom this is a selling point, not a demerit.

Oh, well… The interesting part will be to see how the trial and sentencing go, since this was not an insignificant crime, and not something that will be easily swept under the rug, especially in the face of significant national news coverage. It’s very possible that Montana’s new representative will spend a significant portion of his first term behind bars…

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How was this an “unintentional mistake”? It was a bad call, but obviously they intended not to run the story.

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A day late and a dollar short.

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It’s a Sinclair station- QED. The Editorial and Reporting divisions are one and the same, driven by a radical right-wing ideology and Sinclair’s lust for power and huge profits.

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This is absolute BS. The media (and trust me it can be right OR left leaning) have clearly decided they have a stake in influencing voters. No, it’s not just the cables. KECI knew damn well that the audio was the THING and after that was ‘who you gonna believe?’ The candidate or the reporters in the room. I am not buying their statement or apology for a single second.

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It’s very possible that Montana’s new representative will spend a significant portion of his first term behind bars.

I give that possibility a big fat zero. It’ll be pled down to something he can do community service for. This is Montana, not Cambridge or Madison or Ann Arbor.

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We’ll say anything now that the election is over. Our guy is in, that’s all that matters.

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The right wing who are excusing this are not far removed from their hero Putin who is responsible for the deaths of 38 journalists. So it’s easy for them to excuse a mere body slam and pair of broken spectacles. I’m surprised they did not call Mr. Jacobs four eyes.

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We raised our kids in Bozeman and lived in the state for many years…love the beauty of Montana.

But I can never live there again. The Republicans own the state and its right wing extremist majority. When Obama was elected President, the Republicans opened up the flood gates of racists symbolism at every step…such as outhouses in parades with Obama’s name on the door.

I remember the days when we were a Democratic state…up until Reagan. Then the Republicans sold their anti-abortion stance, their pro family values stance, their big military at any cost stance, their demonizing government for everything including bad weather, blaming the Democrats for the disappearance of the family ranch and farm env though it was Republican policies and a failure to enforce anti-trust laws that killed the family ranch, and worst of all somehow claiming the high ground on patriotism when in fact most Republican politicians were draft dodgers just like Gianforte.

I know Gregg…coached his son Davy in soccer. IN a word to describe Gragg and Sue…WEIRD, STRANGE, far far religious right wingers. According to Gianforte, the earth is no older than 5,000 years and the dinosaurs never existed. Montanans love it and eat it up.

If Democrats want to win anything, they need to abandon facts and reality and start relying on fake news propaganda and try declaring war on women and women’s rights. Do that, and you’ll have a shot at winning something in the Big Sky.

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This is why I never really understood the value of “early” voting.

I’m sure Rocky Gianforte would still have won (it is Montana after all), but wonder how much closer the race might have been if any sorta GOP “moderates” who might have cringed after seeing the stories on the assault hadn’t early voted?

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