Why doesn't the media dig up as much dirt on Joe Biden as they do Sarah Palin?

Question

Biden definitely has some skeletons in his closet, but it seems like the media is so focused on Sarah Palin. Is it because she's a woman and America is still not ready to see a woman in that high of a an office? I don't believe in the "liberal media" myth, but right now they aren't helping themselsves any.

Answer 1

Sarah Palin is new to the media. The media is doing its job. Biden is not perfect but Palin is not perfect either despite a good speech last night.  

Answer 2

Biden is a well known quantity.  He ran for President in 1988, 1992, 2008, and has been in many senatorial campaigns.  They have dug up info on him, and he has been thoroughly vetted.  Any skeletons have already been dragged from his closet and exposed to the light of day.

Palin is a complete unknown, and wasn't even vetted by the McCain campaign.  Every piece of information on her, positive or negative is news because no one knows anything about her.  The McCain camp was banking on her image, looks and a pre-canned narrative about her.  The press is doing their job on looking into if there is substance behind the spin.

It really doesn't have anything to do with her being a woman.  If McCain announced that Carrot Top was going to be his candidate, you'd see the same kind of stuff happening, because so little is known about the political history of said comedian.

If McCain had chosen someone more well-known, the press would already have considerable information that was well known, so there wouldn't be as much "revelation."

Perhaps it's telling that they're finding so much dirt so soon.

Edit: Sarge927 points to something from MICHELLE MALKIN as proof of liberal bias.  There's a laugher.  Michelle as the objective judge of who is biased?  Good one...

Answer 3

The dirt to dig is up north.  Biden is clean.  Watch for the indictments to come down.  They would have picked a cleaner puppet if they had one.

Answer 4

They are out of control - no doubt about it. Apparently one of Joe Biden's sons has been indicted for fraud (don't know the details because the left media won't report on it). They would rather dig up a 22 year old DUI on Todd Palin!? Come on! Not to mention the fact that Obama has admitted to recreational cocaine during the same time. And the biggie, of course, is his relationship with a known, admitted terrorist and a 20-year long relationship with the most controversial, racist pastor in the country. Where is the responsible journalism in this country?  

Answer 5

Her family drama doesn't interest me a bit.  It was interesting to find out about Joe Biden's wife and child and his role as politician and single dad, but these are mere tidbits about people.  Their politics, not their personal life, should be making headlines.  As the American public, we shouldn't feed the monster.  Let's take a cue from the French.

Answer 6

I think the leftist media probably will not bring any of that stuff up, just like they never bring any of the controversial stuff up about Obama.

I think they are just kinda letting it go as old news right now because Biden is playing somewhat fair, but I imagine when it gets close to the Vp debates we might see a few things come out on him from under the dusty rug. I've heard a few things... nothing that really bothers me though.

Biden's best bet probably is just to play nice with Sarah Palin & stick to the issues (as he seems to be doing for now) and not say much.

Answer 7

Every heard of the "Babe" factor in journalism?

The public is always interested in stories about young, pretty girls.  That's why murders of pretty girls always gets more coverage - babes means ratings.

The media will never get tired of this story because it gives them a chance to put a pretty girl on the cover, which Sara is too (and Joe Bidden definitely is not).

Has nothing to do with politics - simple capitalism at work, which Republicans always claim to support unless it doesn't suit them for some reason.

Answer 8

They did not "dig up dirt" on Palin.  They made up dirt on Palin.  The ploy is simply to have bloggers make whatever claims they wish about her and her family then report what their bloggers say as news.

Shades of PRAVDA.

*

Answer 9

Biden has been around since the 70's...anything they want to know about him is already out.  What could you possibly not already know about him...he has been a figure in the media spotlight for 30 + years.

Palin is a new comer.  No one knows anything about her.  The press is just doing research and asking questions.  Her true test will come from her facing the press head on.  Not hiding behind "sexism" and unfair treatment.  They have been very fair to McCain.  They just want to know who she is and what she stands for.  

Answer 10

It isn't the fact that she's a woman that's behind this.

It isn't even the fact that she's a Conservative.  

What's behind the media attacks on her is that she has firm beliefs, and isn't about to change them based on whatever the media writes.  

Agree with her or don't, but there's no denying that she's open about what she stands for an believes, and hasn't shown any sign of being flexible on her principles, especially not to win any media popularity.  

Answer 11

This is suppose to be a democracy, however, in reality the media does not report fairly. They think this is n**i Germany and that they control everything, including how we should vote. Hence, the media wants Obama as president so they will do anything, without morals or ethics, to try and make this happen.

Answer 12

I'll do my part:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/b...

Third paragraph.  Kinda resembles a Fuzzy Zoeller comment about fried chicken and watermeon a few years back.

Where's the outrage?

Answer 13

Cuz 95% of media are Obama-Biden supporters.

Answer 14

Because Sarah Palin is the logical and correct answer, and so is John McCain. They want you and everybody else to know that.

Answer 15

Well she has obviously more dirty laundry than Biden. Not because she is a woman, you know we are not in the 50's anymore, gender and race are as important as a twinkie.

Answer 16

Don't worry..Hilary is going to sand bag both Barack and JOE

and Bilary is going to help Hilary

and McCain and Palin are there to put the icing on the cake..

sorry BHO and JB>.you are toasted

Answer 17

Because in all his years in the senate Biden has never spoken to lobbists, while Sarah Palin hired lobbists to get money for things like the bridge to no where

she was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it

Answer 18

If you don't believe in the "liberal media" myth, you need to open your eyes.  First thing that hit me this morning was an article by an AP writer pointing out perceived lies and stretching of the truth done by Sarah Palin in her speech last night, but has anyone in any major media organization held Barack Obama to the same level of scrutiny?  And what about the conventions?  You couldn't turn on a TV anywhere in this country without seeing commercials and news snippets about the DNC when it was going on, but try to find anything on the RNC (with the exception of the networks that are covering it) and you'll be searching for a long time.

Here's a link to another article that points out all too clearly the obvious liberal bias of the mainstream media:

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/09/02/pds...

BOTTOM LINE:  The mainstream media is CLEARLY biased toward the Democratic Party, yet they have the gall to complain about the fairness doctrine when conservative radio and FOX News puts out anything contrary to their decidedly liberal view.  The lap-dogs in the media don't dare bite the hands that feed them, so you won't hear one negative word about Joe Biden from them.

Answer 19

They've tried. They've failed. Biden's skeletons are all out in the open, and none of them matter.

Answer 20

I think the hate mission against Palin was created and feed by Hillary!  

How dare America listen to a woman and it not be Hillary!

She's got to be hating it -

I LOVE IT!  

Answer 21

You answered your own question.Liberal media.

Answer 22

I'm sick of the back and forth. Just wait until November when the repubs will have to eat a piece of Humble Pye. I hope Barack gets to hand it to them not on a plate but from a napkin.

Answer 23

Because it's not there.  Biden is a seasoned statesman.  The worst thing he ever did was twenty years ago when he quoted some guy in a speech without giving him the proper credit.  Since then he's been a member of Congress without scandal and has raised a lovely family.  The best thing about him is that he could run this country if something happened to President Obama.

I almost feel like McCain thumbed his nose at all of us Americans by picking this ditsy inexperienced woman as his VP candidate after thinking about it for fifteen minutes.  It's like he's saying, "I'll teach you to say I'm too old and senile to be president."  He thinks he is invincible.  A common mistake among people with Alzheimer's.

Sarah Palin, if McCain were to die in his sleep on any given night which is highly likely, is incapable of running this country at this time.  Maybe if she were following someone like Bill Clinton she could, but she would have to clean up George Bush's mess.

And I'm not against women.  I'm a woman, and I believe that Hillary might have been up to the task, but I don't think this silly woman from Northern Exposure can.  She can't even manage her own family.  And she's small minded just like McCain.  She used her office to get back at her brother-in-law.  Now how tacky was that?    

Answer 24

McCain and Palin are getting a lot of publicity.. which may seem bad to some..but as they say sometimes bad publicity is better than no publicity. People usually take sides on such hot topics.. and fuels controversy..but that is not always a bad thing.

Look how much people have learned about Palin in the last week.. and where is Obama?

What happened to the DNC? the balloon popped when Palin came on scene and no one knows or cares where Obama or Biden are.

Biden was a predictable choice.

But Palin was a shocker!

Answer 25

I used to not believe in the liberal media but have decided they are liberal 90% of the time...and there is your answer...

Answer 26

Because Sarah is the new kid on the block and is much easier to "dig"... If she can stand up to our media then she can do anything... :/

I seriously think Washington, as a whole, is scared of her...

Answer 27

Nah, I think it's just because Palin's skeletons are so much closer to the surface. When you're currently being investigated, it's difficult to hide that. When you oppose premarital s*x and your unmarried 17-year old is pregnant, you'd better offer it up to the press, cos otherwise that's gonna be a big fleshy skeleton that becomes impossible to ignore right around the time you're asking people to vote for you...

I'm sure is Senator Biden has skeletons, they'll come out in due course, but if you look very much more like you're going to be the next Vice President, why explode your closet before you even get there? From the media's point of view (and I speak as a journalist here), it's far more advantageous to wait until you're IN power, then they have a lever to use on you. Palin is an unknown quantity to most Americans, and as she's arrived on the scene, as I say, many of the things people have got to know about here are the skeletons, cos they're far more interesting than anything else about her, and far more pressing, in terms of timing, to dig up right now...

Answer 28

O that's easy Joe Biden has been vetted by EVERYONE, Everyone knows about his mistakes and flaws. However, Palin seemed to just drop from nowhere and she is a new comer compared to Bidens close to 30 years in office.

A few Palin Lies:

Lying about influence peddling. Gov. Sarah Palin on Wednesday revealed an audio recording that shows an aide pressuring the Public Safety Department to fire a state trooper embroiled in a custody battle with her sister.

Palin, who has previously said her administration didn't exert pressure to get rid of trooper Mike Wooten, also disclosed that members of her staff had made about two dozen contacts with public safety officials about the trooper.

She tried to pull strings to get her sister's husband fired and then lied about it to the public.

2.

Sarah Palin was either lying or abysmally ignorant when she said that renewable energy would not be ready for years.

According to MoveOn.Org: "She's solidly in line with John McCain's 'Big Oil first' energy policy. She's pushed hard for more oil drilling and says renewables won't be ready for years. She also sued the Bush administration for listing polar bears as an endangered species —she was worried it would interfere with more oil drilling in Alaska." Whereas Big Oil has a pre-existing Alaskan land-lease that is three times the size of --and adjacent to-- the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where the polar bears live.

"Protecting polar bears gets in way of drilling for oil, says governor Palin," The Times of London, May 23, 2008

moveon org/r?r=17520&id=13661-2881118-JSt0tox&t...

Nevermind the fact that 100% of my own electricity has come from 100% renewable sources for the past 2 years; as of 2007:

"Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia require power companies to produce at least some of their electricity from renewable sources such as sunlight, wind or animal waste:

"Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina,

Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin.

"Three other states have voluntary goals: Illinois, Missouri,Virginia." --USA Today

Since the above article was written, West Virginia is now "going green," rather than allowing mountain-top-removal coal-mining to poison rivers and lakes and blanket homes in coal-dust. With West Virginia on-board, that makes 29 states and DC. That's more than half of the U.S., using some form of renewable energy. Just think what will happen when The Obama Administration gives renewable energy the enthusiastic support that it needs on a national level. (Sarah Palin doesn't want to.)

For more details on our nationwide Green Energy Movement, I leave you with an excellent report from Worldwatch Institute, based in none other than Washington, DC. (Sarah Palin, you may want to read this before you visit our nation's capital) :

3.

Bridge to knowwhere

Palin said she gave the money back, but the money was NOT given back. It was kept and used for other Alaskan projects.

Like I said just a few lies from her many many lies.

Answer 29

Its because she like most repukes tries to hide behind the family value holier than thou christian bs.And now its came back to bite them.

  Somebody has to vet her.McSame didn't.

  The National enquirer is reporting she had an affair with her boss.Great family values.

Answer 30

Sarah Palin is new and the media is a business. People aren't gong to tune in for Joe Biden, but for Sarah, that's juicy.

Answer 31

Oh honey...believe the libeal media 'myth'!

Joe Biden is a media darling, he feeds them what they want.  Sarah Palin is not trying to be a man.  She is a woman, a mother, a wife, a governor.  She is who she is.  She believes in herself and she is solid in her convictions.  She cares less about the media or the Beltway establishment.  SHE is what we need.  She doesn't care if you are a republican or democrat, liberal or conservative.  She cares that you are an American.  She is totally different and she is changing the paradigm.  She loves her husband and she told you that.  And he was holding the baby.  Take that.