Shorter @DylanByers: ‘Hurry Up, FBI, So We Can Start the Media Blame Game!’

Posted on | April 16, 2013 | 62 Comments

So, my three most recent stories for Viral Read were about:

While doing a search for more coverage to include in my updated aggregation, I happened upon this ghoulish blog post by Politico‘s media critic Dylan Byers:

For many journalists I’ve spoken with today, this ignorance is tortuous. The identification of the attacker(s) and the reasons for the attack will likely have enormous political (and potentially geoplitical) ramifications, which will vary greatly depending on whether the attacker(s) is domestic or foreign, acting alone or as part of an organization. We’re standing on the verge of a very important national conversation about something, and we have no idea what it is.

To translate: By “a very important national conversation,” of course Dylan Byers means, another chance to turn a horrible tragedy into a political talking point.

I agree with Jackie Wellfonder: “Be still and know.”

UPDATE: Linked by Ed Driscoll — thanks! — and welcome, Instapundit readers! Do you remember the guy in that horrible picture who got his legs blown off? His name is Jeff Bauman Jr. and he’s in stable condition.

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Category: Media Bias, Terrorism

Comments

62 Responses to “Shorter @DylanByers: ‘Hurry Up, FBI, So We Can Start the Media Blame Game!’”

JoanOfArgghh
April 16th, 2013 @ 6:22 pm

RT @smitty_one_each: TOM Shorter @DylanByers: ‘Hurry Up, FBI, So We Can Start the Media Blame Game!’ http://t.co/csDncD9IjM #TCOT
Quartermaster
April 16th, 2013 @ 6:48 pm

The TV/Cable news orgs, however, have to fill empty air and they don’t care if what they say is at all accurate. Over at Castle Argghhh, The Armorer puts it like this, “Staff Officer 101: The first, second and third report will be wrong.” The sad this, that the follow on to those will most likely be wrong. It’ll probably take a coupel to 7 days before tehy finally have enough info to get it right, and the ADHD media will have lost interest by then.
Ed Driscoll » Experts Skeptical Homegrown Terrorists Were Behind Boston Bombings
April 16th, 2013 @ 7:15 pm

[…] Stacy McCain boils the Politico’s Dylan Byers’ latest post down to its […]
Steve Skubinna
April 16th, 2013 @ 7:18 pm

What ignorance? That’s the natural state for these practitioners of the world’s second oldest profession (sorry, Stacy). Why would he or anyone else in the media let ignorance stand in his way?

Blame obviously attaches to Sarah Palin and Wayne LaPierre. With plenty left over for Mitch McConnell too.

Oh, and Faux Noise!!!11!!eleventy!!1!
DaveO
April 16th, 2013 @ 7:28 pm

Watched CNN in the DFW airport yesterday and my first two thoughts were: 30 minutes before the TEA Party is blamed (apparently I lost that bet – Prognazis were ready to go right away), and we’ll have to blame the Amish again, since the terrorist is likely a member of the Religion That Can Not Be Acknowledged.
Third thought: Obama will say the bombing is why we need gun control.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
April 16th, 2013 @ 8:03 pm

I admit, I want it to be some Jihadi group…

Not because I have anything against Muslims in general, but it is easier that way. It seems to have an al Qaeda attack style, but I could be wrong. But I will be more disturbed if it is some domestic group (even a Muslim homegrown domestic group). It will have a greater impact on civil liberties (which is bad).

But ultimately I want to know the truth.
Stupid is as Stupid Does - Lowering the Boom
April 16th, 2013 @ 8:03 pm

[…] UPDATE: Speaking of dumb… […]
Jackie Wellfonder
April 16th, 2013 @ 8:16 pm

Thank you for the link love my friend!
AngelaTC
April 16th, 2013 @ 8:29 pm

Can’t we just start chattering about banning pressure cookers in the interim?
Scribe of Slog (McGehee)
April 16th, 2013 @ 8:40 pm

Today’s breed of journOlist seems to think there’s a drama shortage in American life. They all want to star in their own open-source reality show.
t-dahlgren
April 16th, 2013 @ 9:35 pm

Maybe, in the absence of an identifiable culprit/agenda, we could have a discussion about how exploding bombs upon unsuspecting civilians is beyond the pale of human society and people who advocate, plot, or perform such heinous acts have permanently revoked their rights to participate in civil society and really should be shunned until they wither and die.
Because otherwise it’s rather pointless in worrying about who actually did this. Might as well make them tenured faculty at universities, or political allies of the President…

Is that the conversation Byers really wants to start?
Evi L. Bloggerlady
April 16th, 2013 @ 9:42 pm

Excellent idea! Maybe a gang of Senators can come up with a national registry of pressure cookers so only legitimate canners can get them.
richard mcenroe
April 16th, 2013 @ 10:35 pm

The absence of any group claiming credit or putting out a manifesto leads me to speculate wildly if this might not be another Beltway Sniper spree in the making…
Shawn Gillogly
April 16th, 2013 @ 10:51 pm

Ah, but there does seem to be a group claiming responsibility. Just not one politically useful for the Obama Administration to claim interest in.
AngelaTC
April 16th, 2013 @ 11:02 pm

I do not understand why anybody needs a pressure cooker than can feed more than 4.
Neo
April 16th, 2013 @ 11:07 pm

Yesterday was the 148th anniversary of the death of Abraham Lincoln.
I’m surprised that somebody hasn’t blamed the Republicans for attacking a ”blue state” in their “rush to judgement.”
robertstacymccain
April 16th, 2013 @ 11:23 pm

I keep repeating three words: WE DON’T KNOW.
Until we know, it’s all just speculation.
Gmama
April 16th, 2013 @ 11:57 pm

Bill Ayers, et al.
Ray_Van_Dune
April 17th, 2013 @ 12:16 am

But note this – not a word of “Who let this happen?!” That’s because the local and national leadership who are charged with protecting us against this are of the “good” party. Where they of the “bad” party, the knives would already be out and the identity of the actual perpetrators would almost be irrelevant.
robertstacymccain
April 17th, 2013 @ 12:24 am

Or Ayer’s comrade Kathy Boudin, who survived the Weather Underground townhouse bomb-factory explosion and subsequently was part of the Brinks robbery plot that killed a cop and a Brinks guard.
robertstacymccain
April 17th, 2013 @ 12:25 am

It’s the high-capacity semi-automatic assault pressure cookers that are dangerous.
Bill Gryan
April 17th, 2013 @ 12:47 am

… all of which merited a promotion somehow.
Hartley Gardner
April 17th, 2013 @ 12:49 am

Have no fear – NECN has already figured it out: http://www.necn.com/04/16/13/Finding-a-motive-to-the-Boston-Marathon-/landing_features.html?blockID=837909&feedID=8505
Bill Gryan
April 17th, 2013 @ 12:50 am

Just wait: At some point some “journalist” is going to advance the theory that pro-gun advocates carried out the bombing in order to demonstrate that mass murders can easily be committed WITHOUT guns.
John Smith
April 17th, 2013 @ 12:55 am

They will also work the sequestration in somehow as well.
OrderoftheCoif
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:02 am

Does anyone remember the bombing (and 1 death) of the Math Building at the University of Wisconsin by LEFTIST, violent, antiwar protesters? You know, the kind of people who are Democratic Senators today.
richard mcenroe
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:04 am

Barney Frank already did.
richard mcenroe
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:05 am

Thus my use of the words ‘speculate wildly.’ Not like I started a pool er nuthin.
Micha_Elyi
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:26 am

Has Obama consulted with his terrorist bombing subject-matter expert friend Bill Ayers yet?
firefirefire
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:31 am

across the pond here…..they’re already blaming white-wing er right-wing groups for the bombing…..
Micha_Elyi
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:32 am

If a Muslim did it, MSNBC-Comcast will appeal for calm and fret that eee-vil rightwingers will start harassing Muslims at any moment.

If a non-Muslim did it, MSNBC-Comcast will blame it on rightwingers and demand that government harrass them.

The rest of the Establishment Media will fall in line behind the MSNBC-Comcast script.
firefirefire
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:33 am

“they” being the news media
Micha_Elyi
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:35 am

Or Ayer’s wife Bernardine Dohrn, who was a Weather Underground leader…
Evi L. Bloggerlady
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:47 am

Well that is a lot of rice that you can eat. And it will do a number on your blood sugar levels.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
April 17th, 2013 @ 1:48 am

That is sadly, so true.
K-Bob
April 17th, 2013 @ 3:25 am

We’ll never know what really happened until the SPLC weighs in. (*group eyeroll*)
Jennifer Melton
April 17th, 2013 @ 6:35 am

Now there is news that a senator received a letter with ricin in it. Ban all high capacity envelopes, as well as all trash cans! This is pure madness.
Aaron1960
April 17th, 2013 @ 7:19 am

Pressure cookers and cough & cold meds.
werewife
April 17th, 2013 @ 7:30 am

Hey, don’t laugh about the no trash cans. There are almost no public trash receptacles in Israeli cities, for just this reason. Yet, there’s almost no littering either. Two years ago, I didn’t see a scrap of litter there until six days into a nine-day visit, and it was a bit disorienting. (Then again, beside every Arab village and Bedouin squatter camp we passed on the road [can’t enter them], there stood an IMMENSE pile of garbage. So go figure.)
Forgive the little trip off-topic, and prep the tar and feathers for the self-important lefty presstitutes, OK?
werewife
April 17th, 2013 @ 7:37 am

I’ve been thinking since 9/11 that this sort of thing – random, hideous, unpredictable attacks, WITH NO GLOATING AFTERWARDS, only silence – is the only strategy that smart terrorists would use. No way to strike back, or to defend against. One of these in just five or so cities across the country, and we WILL be paralyzed in short order. When the Beltway snipers struck, I expected many more just like them. It may have taken a dozen years, but the bad guys – whoever they are – have finally learned. G-d help us.
ConMom
April 17th, 2013 @ 7:51 am

[…] Also: Shorter @DylanByers: ‘Hurry Up, FBI, So We Can Start the Media Blame Game!’ […]
Raging Against the Rhetoric – The Boston Marathon: Stop Politicizing; Be Still And Know
April 17th, 2013 @ 7:59 am

[…] Update: Thanks for the link and mini-lanche Stacy McCain!! […]
Da Tech Guy On DaRadio Blog » Blog Archive » Boston: “Why” is the Wrong Question
April 17th, 2013 @ 8:01 am

[…] Salon hopes for a particular type of killer and Politico gears up for a national conversation about something, ANYTHING the single smartest thing I’ve heard on the subject came in a private […]
Rosalie
April 17th, 2013 @ 8:12 am

I hope Congressman Hank Johnson doesn’t read that.
zaggs
April 17th, 2013 @ 8:21 am

If you like that, you’ll love David Sirota over at Salon hoping beyond hope its a white guy who did it.
AngelaTC
April 17th, 2013 @ 8:51 am

WHen I was a kid, we were taught that we were responsible for protecting ourselves.
t-dahlgren
April 17th, 2013 @ 9:05 am

There are no on-street trash receptacles in London either. Post boxes, where still found, have an inlet thinner than a saltine.
t-dahlgren
April 17th, 2013 @ 9:08 am

What we all do know now is:

This is what nail bombs do.

The names Aters, Dohn, Boudin, et.al need to be forced into the conversation.

It’s time for some people to own up to their associates. As publicly as possible.
DaveO
April 17th, 2013 @ 10:40 am

Agree – the unknown multiplies the terror exponentially. It is the secondary, and more powerful attack: the public panics, government reacts, usually with poor, un-thought-out decisions like the Patriot Act, loss of liberty and other measures which foment rage at government.
submandave
April 17th, 2013 @ 11:04 am

One thing you can count on is he will be equally silent should the motive be jihad and not militia.