Andrew at NPI is more than a touch pissed off at our state’s editorial boards, and rightly so, for giving initiative guru profiteer Tim Eyman a free ride. But Andrew fails to ask the all important question, why? Why does the media still pretend that a self-promoter, admitted liar, and insufferably arrogant prick like Tim still has any credibility at all?
Hmm. Well, maybe it has something do with the fact that Tim is a self-promoter, admitted liar, and insufferably arrogant prick? Combine that with his talent for giving good quote, and you’ve got the makings of a good story. And after all, that’s what our media is in the business of selling: good stories.
It’s kind of like the Seattle Times’ vigorous defense of the Sonics’ efforts to extort hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayers. The Times needs the Sonics, because sports coverage sells newspapers. So the Times has a vested interest in keeping the Sonics in the region.
Likewise, the Times and our state’s other newspapers have a vested interest in maintaining the current initiative process as the corrupt and broken system it is today. Controversial initiatives and controversial sponsors sell papers, no matter how mind-numbingly stupid or insufferably arrogant they might be.
Trust me, I know.