Boycotting Conservative TV

No matter which telecast, or program I watch, I tend to see bias, as a Liberal certain items bother me. Why aren't you telling the other side of the story? How can you not present the facts? Why are you letting that person articulate bald faced lies? Today, I wasn't terribly impressed with CBC's Politics, which came with a ten minute segment, wherein James Travers and Daniel Lesage lavished praise on the Prime Minister, Travers especially, gave the Conservatives a free pass on their recent troubles- pulling the puffin nonsense actually spun as a sign of Harper's maturity, a positive development. Huh? Give me a break.

The above is the normal ebb and flow of most newcasts or print coverage, tomorrow might bring a different angle, something which my bias will find more palatable. However, there is one exception to a sense of overall balance, and it is CTV, more directly The Mike Duffy Show. I'm tired of watching Liberals come on Duffy's show, and then watching him systematically sandbag them, as though Ryan Sparrow is the producer. Michael Ignatieff made an appearance on Duffy's show, and Mike proceeded to do something extraordinary- he read a letter from a viewer, who had serious reservations about the carbon tax. Ignatieff navigated the ambush well, but really that isn't the point. Everyone knows that Duffy is an unabashed Conservative, and on the issue of the Green Shift, he has made his hostility well known, any pretense of fairness long since passed. What happened to Ignatieff, a pre-meditated attempt to embarrass is beyond reasonable journalism.

Mike Duffy isn't "must see TV", outside of political junkies, it's hardly a mainstream hit. That reality means that Duffy needs the guests, the guests don't necessarily need him. In addition, if guests are merely presented to further an agenda, that ultimately will paint them in a bad light, or place them on the defensive, then one has to ask- what's the point?

Rather than take up the invitation, because the kneejerk reaction is that any face time is good time, the notion that it's important to get out our talking points, why not just say NO. When a program has lost any sense of fairness, why empower it, bump it's ratings, by appearing on the show. If I were in charge, Duffy would get an earful eleven seconds after Ignatieff's appearance, calling out his treatment, telling him it's unacceptable, threatening to ban any Liberal MP, operative or party figure from appearing on his show. That's how the Americans do it, particularly the GOP, they push back, they push back hard, they do it everytime.

Duffy wants you on the show, then the Liberals demand some fair treatment, otherwise forget it. Let the Duffy show reach its crescendo, and simply be an hour long procession of Conservatives, and Conservative talking points. Duffy can hit the Liberals- who cares, he does it anyways, largely the same result in the end. There is a dance between media and parties, especially in this forum, they need each other. No Liberal guests, then Duffy suffers too, his show loses any sense of revelance. Duffy needs you, as much, if not more, than you need him. Imagine if the Liberals stopped appearing, would it really make much difference in this election? The answer tells you who has control here, who doesn't have to appear before the firing squad, who can cry foul when Duffy ambushes.

Get on the phone, tell Duffy we're done, get back to us when you discover any sense of impartiality. Democrats shouldn't bother with Bill O'Reilly, why should Liberals bother with Mike Duffy. Let's get over this silly sense that we need to be seen on programs such as this, and instead remember that programs such as this need us to be seen.