Do Spinners Convince Themselves Their Stories Are True?

The length to which bloggers posting at pro-candidate blogs seem to feel compelled to go to in order to "spin" a story is distasteful. The bloggers at all of the blogs unofficially supporting candidates, both Democrat and Republican, running for Tennessee's open U.S. Senate seat do this. I will support candidates I agree with, but could never become a shill for anyone.

As my present example, the blogger at Conservatives for Corker is not content merely to announce his good news that the Memphis Commercial Appeal has endorsed its candidate. The post has to go on to claim that the endorsement proves that Corkers' "Conservative Principles with Positive Results" sloganeering is working. The blogger goes on to say that the Corker endorsement comes from "Ed Bryant's backyard."

Surely, Conservatives for Corker realizes that the Commercial Appeal endorses Corker for reasons of ideology, not geography, and the ideological motivation in question is not necessarily one that the Corker campaign would wish to trumpet. If the Commercial Appeal borders on Bryant's backyard, it would be the unfriendly neighbor that fails to take care of the weeds in his own yard. The newspaper's endorsement has nothing to do with Corker's conservative principles or results, positive or otherwise. The Commercial Appeal simply believes that Corker is the most liberal of the three Republican candidates and is, thus, endorsing the candidate that least offends it. The Memphis paper will endorse Harold Ford in November.

Of course, Corker's supporters should be happy to gain the endorsement. However, happiness should maintain its honesty.