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I get the adversarial relationship between GOP candidates and party folks and the press is bad. I get that reporters can be annoying and aggressive (and biased). But there is a difference between the trash talking done on the campaign and physical violence. One is rhetoric, and the other is illegal. Donald Trump roused the crowd up to heckle the hecklers and cheer and boo at various points during his speeches. He did the right thing. Greg Gianforte did something very different. Mr. Gianforte reached over and laid his hands on a reporter, then lied like a rug (ignoring the witnesses and taped incident). Fox News crews were in the room and their statement is here.
To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte, who left the area after giving statements to local sheriff’s deputies.
Gianforte had many other things he could and should have done. HE chose poorly and laid his hands on the
guy. Is this someone Montana wants representing them? I am thinking the assault charges may make his term very, very short.
The audio feed is quite interesting. There was no point where his WWE move was even close to acceptable.
The National Review said this:
If today’s special House election in Montana goes badly for the Republicans, the party has a ready excuse. “You should see how well we would have done if our candidate hadn’t suddenly been possessed by the spirit of Rowdy Roddy Piper!”
Yes, reporters can be annoying. No, you can’t physically assault them because you don’t like their questions. Most people pick this lesson up by kindergarten.
Exactly. If your local news crew shows up on your doorstep to investigate, we little people know the answer is “please see my lawyer.” Our employers have a script and a designated media rep who can answer questions 24/7. It is not that hard to do the right thing. We had corporate videos, policies, and forms to fill out, or common sense to fall back on. Beating the guy down is not acceptable behavior for the Montana Representative. Or any other public official. The audio is as clear as day. And the candidate was cited for a misdemeanor, and all three Montana newspapers who previously endorsed him pulled their endorsements.
Gianforte did the equivalent of handing a pit bull a nice ribeye. He was ironically courting Fox News (a legacy media company) and had all three Montana newspapers endorsing him. Had. The media did try to tie this to Donald Trump’s speeches. Don Lemon from CNN made that mistake as Twitchy so nicely illustrated here:
You know what’s more annoying than the Right cheering the actions of a Republican for getting physical with a reporter? The Left trying to convince the world it’s Donald Trump’s fault. The headline, ‘Don Lemon RIPS CNN guest who won’t blame Trump’ …
Well, that is about as stupid as Gianforte’s initial action. Trump played the game with his hecklers, and he did meet the rather antagonistic press and managed to avoid beating them down. He did not throw down with the media. Ever. The comparison is irrelevant.
Just a reminder that the Left will always play the blame game instead of holding the individual accountable for his or her own actions. And the fact that they want to go after Trump more than the guy who actually put his hands on Jacobs speaks volumes about them.
@guypbenson MSNBC did the same thing. Blaming Trump’s campaign rhetoric for this loose cannon’s attack on the reporter.
— Ted Davis (@tedsthetruth) May 25, 2017
Bingo. Gianforte is the one who owns this. Not Trump. Not the GOP. The moron who went way, way over-the-line has this. And I hope Brad Jacobs is not too badly injured and that justice is done in this case. Gianforte is a good reminder for all of us to step back before we go Full Stupid.
GWB says: Is this someone Montana wants representing them?
In the Age of Trump? Maybe the answer is a resounding “Yes!” (I’m not saying I agree with the sentiment.)
He did not throw down with the media. Ever.
Not exactly true. Remember the incident with Michelle Fields?
And, if a reporter needs to be dealt with, you have official guards/police do it. They step up and ask you nicely to leave (this was a private event, btw, to which the Guardian reporter was not invited), then they manhandle you out the door in as nice a way as possible.
I hope this doesn’t break the election Quist’s way. But the media isn’t neutral in this.
GWB says: Oh, and now we have this:
A reporter who was a firsthand witness to an incident late Wednesday involving Montana GOP candidate Greg Gianforte and a reporter for the Guardian now admits she may have misstated some details of her initial story.
She admits he probably didn’t have his hands around the guy’s neck, but instead might have grabbed his collar (like a judo move). BTW, a judo move would line up more with the description given by the campaign.
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