Topic: Media Research Center
The Media Research Center's Joseph Vazquez complained in a Dec. 29 post:
The Washington Post tried to whip out the generic “Republicans have pounced” cliché in order to spin some of the attention on skyrocketing prices away from President Joe Biden.
The liberal newspaper released a revealing story headlined, “Inflation emerging as top economic challenge in 2022.” Strong consumer demand in addition to ongoing supply chain problems “threaten to prolong sharply rising prices well into 2022, potentially making inflation the premier economic challenge of the new year.” The Postconceded that inflation “defied many economists’ expectations in 2021 by rising at the fastest pace in nearly 40 years,” and that “[e]verything from rent to the price of used cars to groceries” had spiked.
Then The Post tried to make the Biden economy look like a victim of GOP political exploitation: “[T]he White House will be looking at a midterms campaign in which Republicans are primed to pounce on inflation.” [Emphasis added.]
Vazquez linked to a post he wrote in May 2021 making the same complaint. Of course, Vazquez's dismissal of news reports pointing out that Republicans are hyping inflation to bash Biden as nothing but a clice and a narrative is itself a right-wing narrative.
In the ensuing three months, though, Vazquez and the MRC proved the Post completely correct witeh its partisan obsession over inflation, finding ways to blame Biden for inflation at every opportunity and attacking anyone who offered other reasons why. Let's look at how he and the MRC pounced:
- Analysis: CNN’s Coverage on Spiking Gas Prices Is All Over the Place
- NONSENSE! NY Mag Sells ‘Price Controls’ to Fight Inflation
- Reality Dawns on Millionaire MSNBC Host: Inflation Is a ‘Real Problem’
- Trouble in Paradise? NBC’s Stephanie Ruhle on Devastating 7% Inflation Spike: ‘KABOOM!’
- NBC Calls Out Biden's Wrong Inflation Predictions, ABC & CBS Ignore
- Priorities: CNN Spends Almost 3x More on January 6 Hype Than Bad Economic News
- Build Back … Worse? NY Times Brushes Off Falling Wages and Inflation
- BUNK: TIME’s Suggestion for U.S. Inflation Fight? ‘Tackle Climate Change’
- As Inflation Skyrockets, MSNBC Frets About Possible Doom for Dems in Midterms
- What Inflation? Morning Nets Largely Ignore Record High Inflation
- WATCH: CNBC’s Santelli Nukes Fed After Devastating Inflation Report: It Has ‘Done Nothing!’
- The Same Krugman Who Said He Was ‘Wrong’ on Inflation Now Says 40-Year High Inflation ‘Not a Crisis’
- 'Looks Like Jimmy Carter': ABC Panel Torches Biden Over Inflation, Economy
- Morning Joe Economic Analyst Rips Biden for Being ‘Dishonest’ on Inflation
- Editor’s Pick: Fox on CBS Ripped for Blaming Inflation on Ukraine
- EMBARRASSING: Conservatives Blast CBS News Tweet Blaming ‘Ukraine Crisis’ for Inflation
- Fox Business's Varney RIPS Biden Policies, Not Ukraine for High Gas Prices & Inflation
- On CNN, David Frum Advises Biden on SOTU: Blame Putin For Inflation!
- INFLATION BLUES: Bloomberg News Whines Biden ‘Gets No Credit for Roaring Economy’
- Nasty Inflation Got You Down? NY Times: Blame the Federal Reserve, Not Biden!
- Soros-Funded Econ Group Claims ‘Economy Is Recovering Fast,’ Omits Inflation
- Econ Dunces at CBS Falsely Blame 'Corporate Greed' for Biden's Inflation
- News Team, Assemble! Doocy, Lawrence Bring Heat on Gas Prices, Inflation
- WATCH: CNBC's Rick Santelli Slams Biden for Constant Excuses on Inflation
- GOP Congressman Dismantles MSNBC Attempt to Blame War for Inflation, High Gas Prices
- CNN Literally Laughs at Biden Causing Inflation, Push 'Putin Price Hikes'
- ABC, NBC Mornings Shows Punt on ATROCIOUS Inflation Numbers
- CBS Avoids Biden's Unbelieveable Excuses as Inflation Hits 40-Year High
- Editor’s Pick: Fox on MSNBC Econ Analyst Blasting Biden on Inflation
- NBC’s Today Pushes False Biden Spin of ‘Putin’s Price Hike’
- WATCH: Former Obama Economist Rips Biden Strategy of Blaming Putin for 40-Year High Inflation
- Economist Peter Schiff WARNS Biden Economy on Track to ‘Hyperinflation,’ ‘Stagflation’
- WashPost ‘Fact Checker’ Claims ‘Little Evidence’ Biden to Blame for Energy Inflation
- Todd Claims GOP Has Nothing on Jackson, Jokes They Will Blame Her For Inflation
- Bloomberg Op-Ed: ‘Eat Lentils,’ Let Pets Die and ‘Sell Your Car’ to Fight Inflation
- As Gas Prices Skyrocket, Nets Let Biden Escape Blame
- WATCH: Fox Business Host Stuart Varney Warns of Incoming Stagflation
- Alcindor Mourns False Dem Spin on Inflation, Gas Prices Not Working
- Paul Krugman Still Doesn’t ‘Understand What the Hell Has Been Going on’ With Inflation
That's a lot of pouncing -- and these are just the MRC posts that reference inflation in the headline. A content search would reveal many more examples of Vazquez and crew talking down the economy, something they unironically accused the media of doing when Donald Trump was president.
The MRC loves talking down the economy iunder Biden, and it will continue to do so because it is a right-wing narrative it is obligated to perpetuate. It just doesn't want to be exposed as being caught in the hollow exercise it is. It can't pounce out of the way of taking responsibility.
