Remembering the real Ted Kennedy

Remembering the real Ted Kennedy proves difficult amid lasting media coverage of a “classic American hero”

By STEPHEN BOHAM

Our society has taught us, no matter the issue, to never speak ill of the dead. But when our national media chooses to disregard the facts, are we not permitted to challenge such ignorance?

In the days following the death of Ted Kennedy this past August, the American media covered the Senator’s passing as a truly historical event. While some may argue if such attention is actually deserving, the real issue the American public should be addressing is the pathetic display of reporting by our media outlets.

There is no question that Ted Kennedy was an influential figure in shaping American legislation. To his party, he was a role model and an iconic figure. He was regarded as an articulate speaker and with 46 years of service and more than 300 bills enacted into law, he was surely every bit deserving of the nickname “Lion of the Senate”. Obviously you have to also factor in the family name. He is the last Kennedy from a generation that saw his two brothers reach both Capitol Hill and the Oval Office before ultimately being heartlessly assassinated.

But even with that said and the obvious respect you show any man after he passes, the media still has a responsibility to accurately reflect on an American figure, which includes not only his triumphs but his failures as well.

Reporters portrayed Ted Kennedy in a light that would make one question if he was capable of doing anything wrong. “Over five decades, Ted Kennedy carried the torch passed on by his brothers, for civil rights, for the poor, and for the sick,” CBS’s Harry Smith opened with on The Early Show, just hours after Kennedy’s passing. “For nearly half a century in the Senate, Ted Kennedy spoke for the people who had no voice — the poor and the disabled, children and the elderly,” anchor Katie Couric followed with on that night’s CBS Evening News. The following Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer proclaimed the senator as “the classic American hero.” Are we that quick to completely dismiss the Chappaquiddick incident?

This suggests a popularity that simply did not exist. The last time Gallup conducted a poll on Kennedy (2008) his favorable rating stood at 40%. Even earlier this month, with the news of his illness already made public, his rating only marginally increased.

Then CBS struck again. Anchor Maggie Rodriguez commented that Ted Kennedy lived a “life that was able to bring friends and enemies together.”

While there is obviously no debate that Kennedy had friends on both sides of the aisle, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who would associate him with bipartisanship. Sure Kennedy was intelligent and charismatic with the other side when he needed to be, but only when attempting to further his own cause. Make no mistake about it, Ted Kennedy was a liberal’s liberal. He advocated for bigger government, higher taxes and increased dependency every step of the way—and never budged.

The networks cast every law Kennedy passed as an achievement. This is true—if you’re liberal. In 2004, when Ronald Reagan died the media coverage came from both angles shedding light on his achievements and honoring his legacy while also noting mistakes that shaped his image as well. What makes a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts so deserving of this overwhelming praise?

The media has a responsibility to inform its citizens of the news. Some praised and loved Senator Kennedy, but more than their fair share saw his left wing agenda as being very detrimental to the American dream. If the media ever gets over being star-struck maybe factual news will replace the current widespread propaganda. Don’t hold your breath!