• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Jim Acostca and why it matters

Praxas

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Sep 10, 2016
Messages
22,399
Reaction score
11,866
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Independent
the reason I think Trump is out of line on this is that it essentially boils down to the president not liking how the press asks questions. I can only imagine the fury and outrage had Obama been granted the permission to ban a reporter from Fox News for their "aggressive" questioning or what they asked.

The simple fact why everyone should be supporting Acosta right now, even if they are opposed to his questioning, is the fact of a president deeming something "aggressive" and therefore ban worthy.

Imagine for a moment, conservatives and the right, if Bill Clinton deemed any questioning about his cheating on his wife as "aggressive" and banned ANY questioning of it because HE deemed it unworthy and should some reported DARE question him than he could ban them.

We are entering into dangerous Territory when we allow the President of the United States to deem what "is or isn't" news worthy for questioning. Any historian of dictatorship should understand that.
 
Based on evidence, I disagree. The majority of the press treats him horribly, yet he give access to them and calls on them.
Did you imagine fury and outrage when Obama targeted FOX news and James Rosen?
 
Based on evidence, I disagree. The majority of the press treats him horribly, yet he give access to them and calls on them.
Did you imagine fury and outrage when Obama targeted FOX news and James Rosen?

Oh my gosh, that's terrible!!!

How has he been treated horribly by the majority of the press?
 
Based on evidence, I disagree. The majority of the press treats him horribly, yet he give access to them and calls on them.
Did you imagine fury and outrage when Obama targeted FOX news and James Rosen?

I don't remember Obama banning Fox News and having it stick, please show me when Fox News was banned.
 
I'm honestly disappointed that so many people are acting like some rights were in play or that it is somehow suppression of journalism.

CNN is welcome to replace him and suffer no loss. He is welcome to write whatever he wants without fear of repercussions. Right to free speech not infringed in any way.

There is no special right to be in the WH press room or the WH at all. You are expected to behave with a high level of professionalism. That behavior is at the discretion of the administration.

I wouldn't mind Obama kicking out a reporter or anyone else. I would be bothered if they blocked a whole media outlet. I would be bothered if they prevented someone from writing anything they want.
 
Fued yes, now show where they actually banned a reporter.

I never said Obama did, so your straw man is a failed argument. Obama did way, way, way worse. Can you even imagine the screeching and wailing and gnashing of teeth if Trump spied on Jim Acosta?

Acosta is an infant and not deserving of entering our WH. Until such time that he learns some manners, he shouldn't darken their doors.
 
I wouldn't mind Obama kicking out a reporter or anyone else. I would be bothered if they blocked a whole media outlet. I would be bothered if they prevented someone from writing anything they want.

I call Bull****, had Obama actually banned a fox News Reporter or Fox News in general (and it stuck) there would have been outcry from the right. Your comments are bull****.
 
I never said Obama did, so your straw man is a failed argument. Obama did way, way, way worse. Can you even imagine the screeching and wailing and gnashing of teeth if Trump spied on Jim Acosta?

Acosta is an infant and not deserving of entering our WH. Until such time that he learns some manners, he shouldn't darken their doors.

Obama did way way worse? show where Fox News was ACTUALLY BANNED or a FOX NEWS Reporter was banned. Your comments are bull****, but then no one takes you seriously.
 
Based on evidence, I disagree. The majority of the press treats him horribly, yet he give access to them and calls on them.
Did you imagine fury and outrage when Obama targeted FOX news and James Rosen?

All presidents have had the media jump on them ...look at Bill Clinton he got it too... Sad to say trump asks for drama in his tweets and the press will go after it sorry!!!
Fox likes him!!!
 
I call Bull****, had Obama actually banned a fox News Reporter or Fox News in general (and it stuck) there would have been outcry from the right. Your comments are bull****.

Wow ... making some serious assumptions. First, I'm not really right except some small government and economic issues. Second, I had no special venom for Obama and actually had more respect for him than Trump. Third, he did not ban the reporter or channel, so it's not a real debate point.

I would have had no problem with banning a reporter. I would have had an issue with banning Fox.
 
I'm honestly disappointed that so many people are acting like some rights were in play or that it is somehow suppression of journalism.

CNN is welcome to replace him and suffer no loss. He is welcome to write whatever he wants without fear of repercussions. Right to free speech not infringed in any way.

There is no special right to be in the WH press room or the WH at all. You are expected to behave with a high level of professionalism. That behavior is at the discretion of the administration.

I wouldn't mind Obama kicking out a reporter or anyone else. I would be bothered if they blocked a whole media outlet. I would be bothered if they prevented someone from writing anything they want.

Great reply and perfectly on point. Kudos to you
 
All presidents have had the media jump on them ...look at Bill Clinton he got it too... Sad to say trump asks for drama in his tweets and the press will go after it sorry!!!
Fox likes him!!!

Acosta is far from the only one in there going after Trump. Especially when they are out of the room and writing instead of asking. He was being rude to other reporters, too.

Trump definitely screams like a child for attention. And he gets it. And gets beat up on Twitter (rightfully so in my opinion). In stories, he's beaten on all the time (as a president is likely to be). This is about what behavior they want in the actual briefing.

He wasn't a random shot because he said mean things. His behavior was thought inappropriate by several people for the WH.

By the way, Fox stands in solidarity with Acosta. I feel like they do their best to be against my opinion in every turn.
 
Based on evidence, I disagree. The majority of the press treats him horribly, yet he give access to them and calls on them.
Did you imagine fury and outrage when Obama targeted FOX news and James Rosen?

But but... that's (D)ifferent!
 
I wonder if this mattered to the current crop of Progressive pearl clutchers?

https://thehill.com/regulation/231140-doj-bullies-and-threatens-journalists-former-reporter-says

I have to admit, I'm completely naive on this one. Was it confirmed that the DOJ was really tailing journalists? That's so much more horrifying than kicking someone out of the WH.

Intimidating the press is a truly scary thing! That's as much as throwing the first amendment out. Journalists should not be allowed to break the law and all, but anything at all that intimidates them for writing articles or any expression of free speech is truly terrifying.
 
I have to admit, I'm completely naive on this one. Was it confirmed that the DOJ was really tailing journalists? That's so much more horrifying than kicking someone out of the WH.

Intimidating the press is a truly scary thing! That's as much as throwing the first amendment out. Journalists should not be allowed to break the law and all, but anything at all that intimidates them for writing articles or any expression of free speech is truly terrifying.

And this one...

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/...sts-of-the-associated-press-seized-by-us.html


and this one (surveillance)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fox-ne...ored-by-obama-administration-court-documents/

And one reporter working on an Obama expose' mysteriously crashes and burns

Who Killed Michael Hastings? -- New York Magazine

So you see why I have a problem with being very concerned that a reporter (Acosta) with a list of press conference behavior issues had the privilege of a White House pass revoked?
 
Last edited:
I call Bull****, had Obama actually banned a fox News Reporter or Fox News in general (and it stuck) there would have been outcry from the right. Your comments are bull****.

Obama pretended to care about the free press, and in reality said and did much worse than Trump and lied about himself when comparing himself to Trump too.

You want some truth? Read this...
Obama, Fox News and the Free Press
 
the reason I think Trump is out of line on this is that it essentially boils down to the president not liking how the press asks questions. I can only imagine the fury and outrage had Obama been granted the permission to ban a reporter from Fox News for their "aggressive" questioning or what they asked.

The simple fact why everyone should be supporting Acosta right now, even if they are opposed to his questioning, is the fact of a president deeming something "aggressive" and therefore ban worthy.

Imagine for a moment, conservatives and the right, if Bill Clinton deemed any questioning about his cheating on his wife as "aggressive" and banned ANY questioning of it because HE deemed it unworthy and should some reported DARE question him than he could ban them.

We are entering into dangerous Territory when we allow the President of the United States to deem what "is or isn't" news worthy for questioning. Any historian of dictatorship should understand that.

Nobody is entitled to a press pass. It isn't protected by the 1st Amendment.
 
And this one...

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/...sts-of-the-associated-press-seized-by-us.html


and this one (surveillance)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fox-ne...ored-by-obama-administration-court-documents/

So you see why I have a problem with being very concerned that a reporter (Acosta) with a list of press conference behavior issues had the privilege of a White House pass revoked?

Thank you for adding sources to your reply.

The only thing I don't like about the whole Acosta thing is both sides talking about physical altercation. Working anywhere in the WH is a privilege. No excuses needed to kick him out and no harm done to him by the 90 lb intern trying to retrieve the mic.

Intimidation of the press is something unforgivable to me. That's actual destruction of the right to free press. Nothing about the Acosta situation changes our ability to get information unmanaged by government. Scaring folks who post that info with threats of anything from prosecution to physical violence means we are less likely to get the whole or true story.
 
I have to admit, I'm completely naive on this one. Was it confirmed that the DOJ was really tailing journalists? That's so much more horrifying than kicking someone out of the WH.

Intimidating the press is a truly scary thing! That's as much as throwing the first amendment out. Journalists should not be allowed to break the law and all, but anything at all that intimidates them for writing articles or any expression of free speech is truly terrifying.

Yes, Obama weaponized his DOJ. Holder is crooked as AF.
 
https://www.factcheck.org/2018/09/obama-fox-news-and-the-free-press/

Anita Dunn, who was then the White House director of communications, told the New York Times in an interview on Oct. 11, 2009, that Fox News was not a legitimate news organization.

“We’re going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent,” Dunn told the Times. “As they are undertaking a war against Barack Obama and the White House, we don’t need to pretend that this is the way that legitimate news organizations behave.”

She also said, when asked about snubbing “Fox News Sunday” with Chris Wallace, “we’re not going to legitimize them as a news organization.”

A day after the Feinberg flap, Talking Points Memo quoted Earnest as saying, “This White House has demonstrated our willingness to exclude Fox News from newsmaking interviews, but yesterday we did not.”

The Democratic president did more than complain. His administration at times took action against the cable network. The Obama Justice Department surveilled one of Fox News’ reporters, and a White House spokesman acknowledged excluding Fox News from interviews.

Whatever the intent, White House spokesman Josh Earnest acknowledged that the Obama White House had a history of freezing out Fox News.

In 2010, when investigating possible leaks of classified information about North Korea, the Obama Justice Department collected Fox News reporter James Rosen’s telephone and email records and tracked his movements at the State Department, according to the Washington Post.

The Post, which broke the story in 2013, wrote that it had obtained a court affidavit that showed the Justice Department used security badge access records to track Rosen’s visits to the State Department, traced his calls to a department security adviser suspected of sharing classified information, and obtained a search warrant to seize two days’ worth of emails with the department official.

In the affidavit for a search warrant, FBI agent Reginald Reyes said there was evidence that Rosen — the chief Washington correspondent for Fox News — broke the law. Reyes described Rosen as “either as an aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator.”
 
Nobody is entitled to a press pass. It isn't protected by the 1st Amendment.

Right.
CNN is also free to send another of their journalists in Acosta's place.
 
Back
Top Bottom